On Saturday, December 16th, 42 registered party-goers celebrated the end of another successful year of Pennsylvania Randonneuring. Organizer extraordinaire Iwan Barankay and his wife Ulli graciously opened their home in Philadelphia where club members and loved ones from near and far exchanged tales of brevets and shared their aspirations for the new year.
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| Plenty of parking.... for bikes! |
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| Fearless organizer Iwan knows how to feed the masses |
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| Thank you for opening your home Iwan and Ulli! |
RBA emeriti Tom Rosenbauer and Andrew Mead graced us with their presence, told many tales from the storied history of the club, and enjoyed the company of the 'next-generation'. The soirée was a great celebration of the past, present, and future of the club.
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| Andrew, Tom, CJ, George, and Gilbert |
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| The Philadelphia contingent (& Ben!) rise to the challenge: Brakeless fixed gear PA SR, multiple PA SR awards, and even a first-year PBP ancien in this mix. Is there anything they can't do? |
There was delicious vegan chili made by the host, a great cheese spread, and lots of desserts, including chocolate-covered cannolis. Of course, it would not be a proper PA Rando event without PayDay bars as well!
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| Newly-minted randonneurs Maria Thomson and Ross Perfetti (center). We look forward to seeing what you accomplish in 2024! |
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The R.E.Load Bags x Coast Cycles PBP Dream Team
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| A welcome addition to the ride roster |
As for 2024 plans, it may come as no surprise that PA Randonneurs are an audacious bunch. Many mentioned various 2024 grand randonnees, international bike tours, and ultra-endurance races along with other forms of two-wheeled entertainment such as mountain biking and gravel cycling. A few brave randonneurs have their eyes set on Endless Mountains Liberty Bell 1234k, a re-imagining of the legendary Endless Mountains 1240k last run in 2013.
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| The mountains call. Will you answer? |
Additionally, a few potential Flèche team captains smartly seized the opportunity to begin their recruiting efforts early, so we hope to see some fresh teams and full rosters come April.
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| Kate and Ello agree: Randonneuring needs more hardstyling and gender diversity! |
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| Brad, Iwan, Ryan, and Gerik |
Thanks again to Iwan and Uli, all of those who made and brought delicious food and drink, and everyone who partook in the night's festivities. Regardless of how many events you may have under your belt, we hope that you'll consider joining us for an event in 2024. Most of the event calendar next year has been published, so be sure to check out our website for ride details and registration info.
I'm so sad I couldn't make it. Looks like it was a fabulous event. Thank you Iwan for hosting. All the best to the PA Rando bunch.
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