*** See additional course notes update, below.
Begin this new PBP year with the same old New Hope 2 New Hope 200K brevet on 7 January 2023 starting from Pohatcong Shopping Plaza in Phillipsburg, NJ. Start time is at 7AM. All the information, and an online registration link, are on the event web page. You will find a link to the RWGPS data for the route (last modified 2023-01-1 13:21:29 EST) and links to cue sheets (version 3 is the latest).
Park the Regal Movie theater at the start, which is also near the finish control, Franks Trattoria Italian restaurant, located between the Old Navy and the Regal movie theater in Pohatcong Plaza. Leave the parking spots by the shops to the day patrons; please park at some distance away along Bliss Blvd. Park as shown in this map. If you need coffee or breakfast, there is a Wawa nearby, across from the WalMart. If you are driving in on I-78 from the East (eg from NYC) consider a hearty breakfast at the 24 hour Clinton diner, easy-off-easy-on, about 10 miles to the East.
Do not leave your car over by the Wawa or WalMart as we have had some trouble with the "Walmart Parking Lot Blue Light Special Security Team" in the past.
***Additional Notes from Ben Keenan
With this ride, Ben achieves a PA Rando R-12 award -- one of only 18 people in the history of our club to achieve this rare honor. [-CTN]
I lucked out and had a mild day, but even so the cold had some bite in the early miles. Though dawn was breaking at 7, it was still dark enough to require lights and full reflective gear. Odds are it will be a bit colder Saturday. Probably not cold enough to freeze water bottles, but winter riding requires extra forethought. As well as reflective gear, riders should consider bringing an extra layer and make sure you have lights (both front and back) you are confident will last in the (quite possible) event you finish in the dark. If anyone is battling frozen feet, hands, etc. in the first hours, the Dunkin at mile 23.7 should be a good place to de-thaw.
Course highlights were riding along the Delaware between Riegelsville-Milford and Frenchtown-Lambertville/Stockton. You will have to walk the bridges at New Hope and Stockton. While that may seem annoying, take in the Delaware as you clomp across. It will remind you why winter riding is worth the effort.
On the first leg of the route, take special care to take the left onto North Main Street at mile 2.5. If you go right (as your GPS may indicate), you will be embarking prematurely on the second half of the course. You do NOT want to do this. Also, take care crossing Route 46 from Sarepta Road to Water Street/CR 620. Traffic moves quickly on Route 46, and it is not a straight crossing; rather, you cross to a left turn lane and have to ride uphill for a stretch to get to where you can complete the crossing to Water Street.
On the second leg, on Route 29 between Frenchtown and Lambertville there is a wide and mostly smooth shoulder, but riders need to keep an eye out for debris on the road including sticks and gravel. On the return route from Stockton, there was also a place or two where stray ice chunks from rock outcroppings along the road created an obstacle course. Also be aware traffic may be heavier in Stockton, Lambertville and New Hope. When you get across the bridge to New Hope, you will be on the wrong side of the road and traffic is likely to be snarled. To avoid adding to the confusion, follow the directions on the cue sheet and walk your bike the short way to the traffic light and cross there.
Good luck to all!
***Original Course Notes
The
course is a figure 8 and after the northern loop to Hope you will pass to your car at Pohatcong and the Pohatcong Wawa (which is the mid-point control) before riding the southern loop to New Hope.
 |
| Many services can be found near the Start/Finish |
The
turnaround control for the Northern loop is the Dunkin Donuts at the
I-80 interchange just beyond Hope, but riders seeking a quick cup of
coffee at a lower traffic location might better choose the US Gas
convenience store passed twice just a mile South of the turnaround, as
the DD can sometimes be very crowded. If you can wait, Skoogies in Belvidere has better sandwiches.
The Southern loop passes
twice through all the Delaware River towns providing many options for
service. If seeing the water flowing in the river, and all that coffee
you drank, is making you seek a rest room, consider stopping at Bull
Island Rec Area (mi 78.7 and 94.2). There are rest rooms located on the
right side of the main office building. In the winter, these rest rooms
are relatively low traffic. The fountain outside will be closed, but the sink in the restroom has potable water.
All riders must be a
paid-up member of RUSA at the time of the event, so be sure to renew
your RUSA membership for 2023 before you register. If your membership
expires in 2022 the system will refuse you. You can join or renew RUSA
membership here.
PA Rando membership is not required for riding this event, but to
promote PA membership this new-year event is traditionally FREE for PA
Rando Members.
The finish extends during night hours. The organizer will strictly enforce the rules regarding lighting and reflective gear.
There
was a pre-ride of this event on 30 December. On that day, the roads
in question seemed in great shape. Famous last
words. Always be aware of the possibility of black-ice when the
temperatures are near or below freezing. It's also common to find debris
on winter roads, so be on the lookout for rocks, unexpected potholes,
treefall, and ice clumps. During the pre-ride I saw considerable debris and ice on river rd, and 1/2 inch deep salt drifts on the northbound side of NJ29. The shoulders up by Hope were pretty good, except for an occasional ice-flow out a driveway. Again, this may all be different if a storm changes things in the next few days.
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| You will pass by your car after each loop. |
The
figure 8 shape of the course has a common exit on Greenwich St from the
Pohatcong Shopping Center start/mid-control. Soon after the start, when
you reach the flashing light in Stewartsville you will turn LEFT for
the first (northern) loop. Then when you ride out Greenwich St the
second time to the flashing light in Stewartsville, you will turn RIGHT
for the final (southern) loop. This repeated segment is sure to confuse
your GPS device, so please use your human brain and Cue Sheet
Posititioning System to navigate out of the start of both loops and make
sure you do the North loop to Hope first.
Bonne route!
--
Chris Nadovich
Organizer
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