Monday, April 25, 2022

Water Gap Revisited 300/200K -- Ride Report

The second event in the 2022 Super Randonneur Series, the Water Gap Revisited 200/300K, started and finished at a new and unique location, and revisited a traditional PA Rando brevet route up through the Delaware Water Gap and Delaware National Recreation Area.    Of those that clipped in at the start/finish at Flint Hill Farm,  23 of the 23 completed the 300K course, and 10 of 10 completed the 200K course, all within the time limit. This was an overall 100% completion rate -- not a small achievement for such a "scenic" course. Congratulations and well-done to all!  Preliminary results have been posted for the 200K and the 300K.  Please review the results and let me know if they align with your memory.  The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.

 

The new start location, Flint Hill Farm, turned out to be a fascinating venue for a brevet event. Situated at over 1000 ft elevation, atop the second highest hill in the county (the highest hill being 1500 ft Blue Mountain),  the Flint Hill start/finish provided a screaming descent as an overture, and a soul-sucking climb as a finale. Finishing riders could ride directly into the giant arena building to be applauded by the congregation of riders and volunteers as they grumbled about *##)!@#)$#*&&@! Peppermint Rd. 

Riders reported the slightest sprinkle of rain early on, but otherwise partly sunny skies, light wind, and cool temperatures making it a fine day to ride a bike. The field was divided as to which hill was the most accursed. Peppermint received considerable scorn, as did Geigle Hill and Staats.  Old Mine had some dishonorable mention. 

Several new randonneurs completed their first 300K. One rider, Alex Estes, finished this 300K as his first brevet ever. Welcome to randonneuring, Alex, awesome start, but, just so you know, Alex, you DO need to ride a shorter ACP event for the SR medal.

Two tandem teams were in the field. The Gaffney's finished the 300K in good style as usual.  And we were happy to see the recovering Jurczynski team return to ride in their second PA event, completing the 200K.

Team Gaffney

A big thank you to volunteer Jeff Lippincott, who ran registration at the start, and spent the whole day Saturday checking-in  most of the finishing riders from both events. Jeff also helped set up gear, including the portable shower with propane heater that campers could use.  

Jeff checking-in riders as plywood cow reflects.

Additional thanks are due to Nick Manta, who assisted with set up, bike inspection, check-in of later returning 300K riders, and stayed to the bitter end to welcome the last 300K rider and assist the organizer with tearing down, stowing all the gear, and turning off the lights.

George Retseck assisted with check in and bike inspection, but more importantly, George conducted "rando concierge" duties Friday night, directing cars to parking, welcoming and guiding people to their campsites in the woods, and to bunks in the farmhouse. As most people had never been to Flint Hill Farm before, a volunteer concierge was needed.  George will be on his transcontinental tour for the next events at Flint Hill; I hope someone who now knows Flint Hill will volunteer to take his place next time as Friday night concierge. 

Welcoming committee after lights out.

 

Thanks to Tom Rosenbauer who did roving guardian angel support on the course. 

A final thanks goes to Bill Fischer, who donated some tasty beverages that were enjoyed by many at the finish.   

Sean Keesler created an excellent video report of his experience. 


 

 

As Flint Hill  is a working farm, there are animals everywhere. Certainly a unique aspect of this start/finish. 

Yes, real chickens too.

Cecilie and Pat Gaffney write....

Thanks to you, Nick, Jeff, and (any other volunteers that we are missing) for putting on a great ride this past Saturday.  A really nice route and one of the harder finishing stretches in recent memory made it all the more memorable.  We really enjoyed Flint Hill Farms as the start/finish, though knowing how high up it is loomed large all day as we knew there would be no  coasting into the finish.  Thanks again, see you at the 400.



Join PA Randonneurs again at Flint Hill on May 14th as our 2022 SR Series continues with the New Blue Redeux 400K, and the all new Hexenkopf Hill 200K.


Sunday, April 17, 2022

Flint Hill Farm / Water Gap 200/300K Brevet -- Notes

The Flint Hill Farm Start Finish

There are several things to be aware of when you are visiting Flint Hill Farm. We are here for the first time and I want to make a good impression so they'll invite us back.

  • This is a working farm with animals. Expect encounters with ducks, chickens, horses, cows, deer, foxes, cats, dogs, and more. Please treat animals with respect. Do not feed them or interact with them unnecessarily. 
  • Close any gates you open.
  • Please confine your activities to the parking area or Arena building, unless you booked a bed in the farmhouses. 
  • There is ample lighting outdoors to be able to do most things at night without the need of a flashlight or headlamp -- but bring one anyway.
  • The bathrooms in the Farmhouse and Blacksmith Shop are only for those who are staying in those locations. All other guests should use the Port-o-johns by the arena and farm store.
  • Bikes can be stored in the arena. Many of the wire fences outside are ELECTRIFIED!! Do not lean your bikes on wire fences.  

Click image for full size map

Registration

Registration, start/finish meals, and preferred indoor camping will be available in the arena building. This will be the center of activity for the events. 

Arena Building

If you booked a bed at Flint Hill

When you first arrive, a volunteer will guide you to your bunk. You will be staying either in the farmhouse or the blacksmith shop on the North side of the farm. Go through the gate next to the farm store (and close it!). The farmhouse is down the steps to your left and the Blacksmith Shop is the next building beyond to the right. 

Bed assignments will be first come first served with the queen-size beds preferred for couples willing to share a bed.

There will be bedding and pillows available, but you might be wise to bring your own pillow, and maybe a sleeping bag, if you don't like the bedding you find, or we run out of pillows. 

Be aware that the plumbing and sewer systems are very limited in these old buildings. The farmhouse has a flush toilet, but the blacksmith shop has a non-flush composting toilet -- you might be more comfortable using the port-o-potty out by the arena. Please avoid using the bathroom in the farmhouse if you are not staying in the farmhouse. 

Because of the limited well capacity, showers in the buildings must be limited to farmhouse/blacksmith shop  guests only. Please keep them short. 

You are welcome to eat or cook in the Farmhouse or Blacksmith Shop kitchens. Please clean up after yourself. 

If you are camping

The primary camping area is in the back section inside the arena building (the largest big red building). Enter the arena through the big doors, then walk around the right side of the sand covered arena all the way to the back section. This is all under the arena roof for easy setup in the rain and a short walk to registration in the front section of the arena. 

  • You may set up camp inside one of the arena stalls for extra privacy, or camp out in the main area in front of the stalls by the wagon. 
  • DO NOT enter the sand arena, or camp there, or use it in any other way -- you know what I mean.
  • Please use the port-o-potty in the front of the arena for your needs.
  • Water is available several places in the arena. Ask a volunteer to direct you.
  • There are electric outlets all along the walls that can be used for charging your devices. 
  • To provide hot showers for the campers, we are setting up a shower enclosure and changing room next to the Arena Building. 

You may also primitive-camp in the woods out by the A-Frame (on in the A-Frame) on the East side of the farm. Take the road past the arena and between the two big fields, turning left at the grassy lane. Enter the woods. A volunteer will direct you if necessary. Please leave no trace.  

A-Frame in the woods


Course Notes

A pre ride of the Water Gap 300K was conducted on Friday 15 April by Nicholas Manta, and of the 200K on 16 April by Chris Nadovich and Jeff Lippincott.

As a result of this pre-ride, the cues and RWGPS files have been revised. 

  • For the 200K, the last revision of the RWGPS route was 2022-04-17 11:25:25 EDT and the cuesheet is version 8.
  • For the 300K, the last revision of the RWGPS route was 2022-04-17 11:27:20 EDT and the cuesheet is version 6.

Please be careful at the very beginning of the ride -- descending down from Flint Hill on Forest Rd and Passer Rd.  These are FAST downhills that abruptly reach stop-signs. There will be deer and other wildlife, not counting the flock of bike riders still squirrely from the early morning start. BE CAREFUL!

There are two major road closures. 

  • Route 611 south out of  Water Gap is closed because of road subsidence and other problems. It's wonderfully devoid of cars and I found it safer than usual for cycling, even with the extra debris. 
  • A similar situation exists  on Riverton Rd beginning with the hairpin at the top of the descent from River Rd into Belvidere. I saw slightly more debris than usual, easier than usual to avoid for the lack of auto traffic. 

At mile 172 (on the 300) and  110 (on the 200), Quarry Rd is unpaved. The surface is hard packed dirt with coarse gravel. This is suitable for slightly less than most tires. If you are unsure, please walk your bike, especially on the steep climb section or if rain makes the road muddy. 

There are several wooden bridges. The wood surfaces can be slick if wet. 

Climbing on this course is somewhat back-loaded. Don't burn all your matches on the likes of Blue Mountain, Millbrook, Staats, Harmony, or even Geigel Hill. Save something for Peppermint and the last little grunt.

Have a great ride! 

--

Chris Nadovich

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Eastern PA Fleche 2022 -- Ride Reports

The 2022 PA Randonneurs Flèche is complete and soon to be in the books.  Preliminary results are available on the website along with finish line photos.  I expect many postcards to arrive over the coming days and can then complete the assembly and verification of each team's documentation of proof of passage before making everything official.  Results will be submitted to RUSA at that time.  As usual, don't expect your Flèche certificate from the ACP until next spring.  Think of it as your reminder to register for the 2023 Flèche. 

Six teams started. Six teams finished. Chapeau! The overachievers in the group were "It's Only a Flèche Wound", comprising Joshua Armstrong, Tim Gilligan, and captain Matt McLoone. Their fourth team member, Michael Harding, could not start, but the remaining three got it done. After all, it was only a flèche wound. 

Wounded, but not dead yet.


Of the 24 individual starters, only 21 finished, for an 88% finish rate.  Along with "scenic" Pennsylvania roads, the wind, rain, and hail might have had something to do with those abandons. Somehow, all the bad weather vanished Sunday morning and it was sunny, not  too breezy, and almost warm at Keystone in Philly for the finish brunch celebration.

An unexpected problem for some of the teams was flooding on the Delaware. The river tagged flood stage during the event. This required some tactical reroutes.

Delaware River flooding made sections of the D&L more interesting

Normally this spillway is a trickle, easily crossed.

Proper Fleche routes are point-to-point, not loops. This  year we had teams starting from central PA, NYC, and the Jersey shore. Given the distance, it's always interesting to see how teams deal with the logistics of transportation between the start and finish. With the finish in Philly, public transit was available, and a couple of the teams took the trains back home.

Vadim "roughing it" back home in a limo
 

As always, events like this couldn't happen without volunteers. Thanks to the volunteers at Keystone Bicycle Company: Woody, Nick, Ryan, Ag, and Zach. Also thanks to Cecilie Gaffney for bringing fruit and cake, and Andrea Mules who bought the OJ.

---
Chris Nadovich

 


Iwan Barankay, captain of "We The Peoples of Philadelphia" writes...

This was my first flèche and I am glad I was able to share the experience with a great team. Big thanks to team members Pat Gaffney, Oleksiy Guslyakov, Nick Manta, and Anreas Prandelli

We met at the Rocky statue to suck up the best early morning vibe and energy and then headed West. It was an epic ride and the scenery near the Susquehanna valley was breathtaking, but the price for reaching it were what seemed like hundreds of little steep climbs along the way.  Nick and Pat made them looks so easy - perhaps I should shed 50lbs as well.

Oleksiy could not resist the lure of a phone call for a ride back home in Rinely after the first, very tough century. Kudos to him to make it that far and I am sure he will finish the next one with a smile on his face. Even though it was chilly, compared to the others team we fared relatively well and only suffered one brief downpour. Andreas is a fine, experienced, inspirational Randonneur, as he managed to complete the tough course by essentially skipping the breaks and only stopping very briefly at the controls so he could arrive in the finish with us. Chapeau! Thanks also to Chris for making this event happen. Arriving at the Keystone bike store was just wonderful. So nice to see so many familiar, warm, welcoming faces. What a vibrant community of Randonneurs in and around Philly we have now and I look forward to organizing and riding more brevets with a Philly start/finish.

We the Peoples and Rocky


Matt McLoone, captain of It's Only a Flèche Wound writes...

Deciding on a late start paid off in spades, as we avoided the morning deluge. We set off from Manayunk at 9:45 to wet roads and chilly temps and made our way. The decent weather held until we reached the rolling hills of Lancaster County, where the skies opened up and torrential rain fell. Luckily, we found a nice overhang to hide out for the brunt of the brief yet strong downpour. 

After dodging more isolated rain storms we stopped for a restful lunch at Stolzfus meats in Intercourse. Well fed and somewhat rested, we continued our journey through the Amishlands on our way to the Reading Pagoda. Nearly there, disaster struck for Tim. A broken shift cable. With all the supplies except for a shift cable, he soldiered on in the 11th tooth cog. Somewhat remarkably, we all made it up to the Pagoda for our control. With most of the hard climbing done for the ride we sauntered along towards Fleetwood where a nice Turkey Hill stop got us going. We finally realized that we could limit his RD into the 14 tooth and took off into the night. 

The next many hours consisted of chilly weather, a few bike paths and empty roads. Each WAWA was a double edged sword, the warmth and refreshments were divine, but the cold start after each stop had us shivering and using every layer we brought. After climbing up from Easton, we started riding known roads and could feel the end was near. Dawn was approaching and the 202 bike track was unrelenting with a bloc headwind. Eventually we were off, and Andy's Diner was in our sights, finally, a forced respite! After eating and waiting for the 22 hour control to pass, we left, greeted by sunshine and a tail wind. We found our legs and an extra gear and made it to Keystone before we knew it. The ride was finished and it left just a flèche wound.

View of Reading from the Pagoda

CJ Arayata, captain of  Chiens Errants, Rechargés writes...

 They came, they saw, they wandered…. and also started out in pouring rain, got hailed on twice, had a significant portion of their route flooded out, and battled headwinds all through the night. The Lost Pups are beginning to make a tradition of ‘easy on paper’ routes turning into anything but. 

Our opening 100k leg contained two-thirds of the elevation for our entire route, leaving the captain a bit beat up. Immediately after this followed a frustrating and time-burning slog through the D&L Canal Towpath, at times having to completely turn around due to major flooding, and eventually required a busier-than-ideal River Road detour all the way to New Hope. A sit-down pizza dinner was a welcome reprieve from the stress of the ride thus far, and we donned more layers and lubed mud-caked drivetrains before heading out via another stressful re-route on Taylorsville Rd until Morrisville. 

We finally started to enjoy ourselves after getting to witness a spectacular sunset walking across the Trenton Makes bridge and chat our way through the Pine Barrens towards Lower Bank Tavern for a photo op (and a free soda for the captain, simply for asking if Bill Reagan was around). Unfortunately, rookie pup Adam was facing some stomach issues, and despite the life-giving water that The Fist left at the Egg Harbor City Wawa (thank you!) Adam eventually sacrificed himself to the rando gods in order for us to finish in time. Despite being only 60 miles away from Philly, we rode 40 of them straight into a headwind towards our 22hr at Pitman, where we barely stopped on our way to an eventual FINISH. We dedicate our success to Adam, our fallen brother pup. RIP, your sacrifice was not in vain! 

Want to also give a very BIG THANK YOU to Keystone Bicycle Co., a bike shop owned and operated by 5 Wandering Pups alums, for hosting the wonderful finish gathering and sorting out all of the food, wrangling volunteers and other logistics, and also a THANK YOU to Chris for stepping up to the plate on short notice to do all of the front-end route review, team logistics, etc. Until next year! 

I also have ride photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GXB9WqJS1R3dvUzg8. And finish photos (courtesy Woody): https://photos.app.goo.gl/UAXoPw6Fazt6E5pk6

The Wandering Pups

 

Jimmy Aspras, member of Chiens Errants, Rechargés writes...

Just wanted to thank all of the volunteers and especially our friends at Keystone Bicycle Co. who made the last weekend’s flèche possible.

I made the mistake of listening to the weather report and not packing any rain gear. Much to my dismay, our ride started amid pouring rain which accompanied us in varying degrees for the first hour or two. Fortunately, it was dry enough the rest of the day to allow my clothing to dry out. Unfortunately, we hit many detours due to flooding, both on the towpath and even on legitimate roads paralleling the Delaware River from Riegelsville to Morrisville. In a rando first for me, we even experienced hail for several minutes. Luckily we had no rain after sunset. Our teammate Adam had to stop his ride after about 300k due to stomach issues, but he had a strong ride, having improved on his previous distance PR by 100k. Very impressive.

As always, the company was good, but I was glad to be finished. Familiar faces at the end were a welcome sight. Breakfast tacos were a great idea to have there, and it was nice to have a vegan option with them too. I grabbed a couple of those, and a couple of the egg and cheese ones, for some well deserved calories for the ride home.

Steve  Schoenfelder, captain of Now You've Gone Too Far writes...

The day dawned rainy in Lewisburg, PA as team Now You’ve Gone Too Far congregated at 4 Westridge Lane for bagels and coffee.  Perhaps it was the rain or conversation that lead us to tarry and head down the hill later than planned for the two and a half mile trek to the official start.  Although the forecast called for cessation of rain by noon, we were stalked by a front that had us riding in and out of showers for most of the day.  

Our route took us past decaying industrial towns along the Susquehanna River, before heading into pastoral farmland, and then southward across the folded ridges of the Appalachians.  There were a few challenging climbs.   As we ground our way up a sustained 13-15% grade, Jeff declared it a “proper hill”.  Teammate Greg was less charitable in his description.  In spite of the adversity, we stuck it out and stuck together.  

We were pleasantly surprised at Trout Run Trailhead controle when friend Ron was waiting with snacks and beverages.  The sustenance and camaraderie helped take the chill out of the cold drizzle.  Thankfully, team NYGTF rode out of the rain by nightfall and beheld a beautiful sunset.  We would continue to pedal until the earth's rotation would bring us back into the light.  As we passed through Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, we were serenaded by peeper frogs celebrating the early spring season.  And, there was a beautiful gibbous moon rising as the clouds parted.  

Pedaling through the night was met with the usual challenges including clock anxiety, nutritional management in the face of stressed digestive tracts, and diminishing power output.  But we prevailed, and made it to Andy’s Diner in Conshohocken, our 22-hour controle, where we were restored with delicious omelets and strong coffee.  Soon we were joined by Iwan and team The Peoples of Philadelphia, giving us a chance to complain about our travails and swap lies before we headed out for the final stretch along the Schuylkill River Trail.  After a brief stop at the Joan of Arc Statue for a photo, we rolled into Keystone Bicycle Company for a victorious finish.  The amazing breakfast burritos at KBC were just reward for a job well done.  Thanks to organizers Andrew Mead, Chris Nadovich, volunteers, and KBC for hosting this epic event.

NYGTF
Mile 226.3 Philadelphia, PA (ok, now it's cold)

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
 

It looks like the Xanax might be wearing off

Les Noctambules at Staten Island Borough Hall


Coming up next in the PA Randonneurs calendar is the ACP SR Series that begins with a 300K and simultaneous 200K run out of a new venue, Flint Hill Farm. All the details are on the website. Hope to see you there.




Monday, April 4, 2022

Eastern PA Fleche Final Instructions

Your route and brevet card are approved. You are good to go for the fleche. Here are some things to keep in mind in order to have a successful ride.   


BEFORE THE FLECHE   

- Be familiar with the rules. and the general info and tips     

- Print brevet cards for EVERYONE on your team. Everyone should carry and fill out their cards (very important if you are split up). But only one set of receipts/photos etc for the whole team are requierd.

- If you have postcard controls, bring a few extra postcards in case you need to split or get off route, but only one postcard needs to be mailed (signed by all members of the team).


- Parking at Keystone Fri/Sat is on street only. Fold your mirror in as it's a narrow street.

- If possible, please share a tracking URL with me before you depart, at least one tracker per team.

DURING THE FLECHE  

- Everyone carries and completes a brevet card, but only one proof of passage is required per team at each control. So one photo, one postcard, one receipt....

- If you have a POSTCARD control, the postcard should clearly show the team name and be addressed to

  PA Randonneurs 
  1700 Sullivan Trail     
  Easton, PA 18040-8333  


- IF you have a PHOTO control, please text/email the photo to me (rando at nadovich.com, 267-218-0418) when you reach the control.  ALl riders and bikes and something identifyable at the control should appear in the photo. If necessary, take multiple photos.

- If any/all team members need to abandon, please let me know immediately at 267-218-0418 

- Remember you need proof being at the 22 hour control at or AFTER the end of hour 22. That means you need to get your timestamped receipt or photo AFTER the 23rd hour begins, when you have exactly or slightly less than 2 hours to ride the last 25 km.

AFTER THE FLECHE    

- There are no showers at Keystone, but there are 10+ bathrooms for freshening up. - We will have a few places to lay down and nap on Sunday after the event, but not many.  If you live any distance away, do not drive yourself home. Either be a passenger of someone who didn't ride all night, or book a room somewhere in Philly so you can grab some sleep before attempting to drive. On Sunday there may be other sleeping options at or near Keystone, but I don't know about them at this time.
 

---------------                                                                                                                                                                      

 
Have a great ride!                                                                                                                                                                  

Chris Nadovich     

PA Randonneurs