Welsh Tract Wander 200k & Holiday Soirée Report

On Saturday, December 7, the Pennsylvania Randonneurs gathered for their 2024 grand finale, featuring a 200K brevet and a festive holiday soirée. Both events were organized and hosted by the ever-gracious Iwan Barankay.

Organizer Iwan Barankay gives final instructions before the start (photo by Mike Riley)

Ride Participation and Results

The Welsh Tract Wander 200K saw 33 participants at the start, with 29 riders (including 3 pre-riders) successfully finishing the course—a solid 88% completion rate. Preliminary results have been posted to the website for review. If you spot any discrepancies, please let us know before results are submitted to RUSA for final verification.

Ben Keenan and Jakub Piven make their way through the city (photo by Matt McCloone) 

Chilly Morning Start

The day began at Café chez Iwan, where riders gathered on a frosty morning to enjoy donuts, slices of stollen, and camaraderie. With winter temperatures arriving suddenly in the Philadelphia region, gear strategy became a hot topic of discussion. Riders shared their approaches to cold-weather layering, with some later admitting they overdressed, leading to challenges with sweat and chills. Overall, though, most managed to stay warm throughout the ride.

Daniel Oh won the Most Visible Rider Award

Congratulations to First-Time Finishers

Special kudos to Tibor Barankay (age 17!), Katie Bishop, Stacie Brunner, and Joe Doherty, who completed their first brevets. Tackling a challenging ride like this in winter conditions is no small feat and earns them extra respect in the randonneuring community. 

Riders stick together as they make their way out of Center City (photo by Matt McCloone)

A time-proven strategy to finish a tough route in adverse conditions is to team up with a fellow rider. This helped Simona Dwass and Stacie Brunner as well as Nigel Greene and George Swain to complete the brevet. Bravo!

Weather and Route Highlights

As the day progressed, temperatures crept above freezing, but riders faced stiff winds in the open countryside west of Cochranville. Fortunately, the route turned north and east after that stretch, sparing riders a full day of headwinds. Riders knew the real milestone was reaching Phoenixville around mile 100, where the remainder of the ride promised an easier spin along the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT).

Festive Finish

Most riders finished after nightfall but were welcomed back warmly to Café chez Iwan for the end-of-year holiday soirée. Finishers and friends shared stories of their day over drinks, snacks, and a hearty vegan chili, enjoying the chance to relax after a chilly but rewarding adventure.

Ride finisher Nova Patch and volunteer extraordinaire Ulli Barankay

A Look Back at 2024

This event capped a productive and memorable year for the Pennsylvania Randonneurs. The 2024 calendar included a populaire (154K), eleven 200Ks, an SR series (200K, 300K, 400K, & 600K), and a grand brevet (1234K). Thank you to everyone who participated or volunteered—you made this year a success.

Tracey Hinder proudly displays her SR Series medals (photo by Iwan Barankay)

During the post-ride soiree, RBA Chris Nadovich presented SR Series finishers with their medals, which were beautifully arranged on a commemorative plaque celebrating their achievement. Michael Evangelista actually earned his PA SR Series by completing this 200K. Congratulations to all SR Series finishers for their dedication and hard work throughout the year!

Thank You to the Volunteers

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a success. Tibor and Iwan Barankay, along with Brad Layman, completed a pre-ride to ensure the new route was ready and safe for the day. Iwan and his wife Ulli went above and beyond by graciously opening their home to the club for the entire event, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Chris Nadovich and George Retseck were on hand to greet finishers and make the end of the ride feel celebratory.

Special thanks also go to the friends who joined us at the soirée to support the riders and contribute to the festive spirit, even if they couldn’t ride that day. Your presence and contributions are deeply appreciated!

Riders shared stories and warmed up with vegan chili at Cafe chez Iwan

Ben Keenan writes:

This ride was a certifiable butt freezer (which somehow made it all the better). If anyone heard me on the course whining and complaining and/or inventing new suggested names for “Pumpkin Hill,”  I hereby (from the warmth of my office) retract the comments!  Thanks to everyone that shared the miles, especially those that traveled to be there.  Special thanks to Brad for another thoughtfully designed and beautiful course and to Iwan for another great soiree and vegan stew (five stars from the team of reviewers!).  Everyone enjoy the holidays and hope to see you on a ride soon!

George Swain writes:

Thanks again for hosting a great event at your place. I loved the ride - please pass that along to Brad - and the party was great fun. Looking forward to seeing you down the road. I'll definitely be back for more PA Rando rides in 2025.

Mike Riley writes:

Thank you for organizing a fantastic ride.  See you in January. 

Looking Ahead to 2025

The new year kicks off with a 200K brevet on January 4, 2025. Details are available on the club website, and registration is now open for this ride, as well as the February brevet. The full 2025 ride calendar has also been posted, so mark your dates!

Thank you for a fantastic year, and we’ll see you on the road in 2025! 

Welsh Tract Wander Course Notes

A pre-ride of the Welsh Tract Wander 200k was completed on December 1 by Iwan Barankay, Tibor Barankay, and Brad Layman. Congratulations to Tibor (17) for completing his first 200k—a remarkable feat, especially in frigid conditions!

Tibor (left) and Brad were feeling victorious after reaching a spot to eat lunch

The latest cue sheet is VERSION 5, and the RWGPS file was last modified on 2024-12-3 13:13:11 EST. RWGPS file and cue sheets can be found here.

Weather and Gear Recommendations

The forecast for Saturday’s event looks similar to what we experienced during the pre-ride: sub-freezing temperatures in the morning with a slight warm-up in the afternoon. Dress warmly, and consider layering with thermal gloves, hats, buffs, a windbreaker vest, insulated shoe covers, and chemical hand warmers (e.g. Hothands). Avoid waterproof clothes or those that are too airtight, as you will sweat in them on the climbs and then shiver on the flats. Use insulated water bottles or carry them in your jacket pockets or bike bags to prevent freezing. Check out our post on instagram (link) for further tips on how to stay warm. 

EBrevet

We encourage riders to use the ebrevet app to check in at the controls. Search for "ebrevet" by Chris Nadovich in the app store. Your brevet card will have a code to check into the app at the start. Then, you need to open the app at each control, hit “GPS Update” and check in at each control. You can close the app between controls and keep your phone in airplane mode if you prefer. This is not a tracking app - it just allows you to check and upload the time when you are at a control. For any questions, contact the ride organizer.

Route Highlights

This new route has a similar feel to the Tscheschter Kaundi 200k. Riders will escape the city through suburban roads, eventually reaching quiet country lanes and the picturesque farmlands of Amish Country.

Runnymede Rd

Be prepared for some traffic lights during the first 10 miles. Please be patient and obey all traffic laws. After clearing the suburbs near Philly, the roads open up with fewer stops and more scenic stretches.

Controls

The first control is a Wawa near West Chester at mile 31. It does not have indoor seating, so we recommend keeping your stop short to avoid losing body heat—especially with a descent right after.

None of the route’s controls have indoor seating (except the start/finish). For those looking for a warm break, two food establishments with indoor seating are noted in the cuesheet and RWGPS:

• Victory Brewing (mile 61): Plenty of seating and food options (two vegan food options) with a fast service.
• Little Anthony’s Pizza (mile 74).

Bridge Closure (Mile 46.5)

There is a closed bridge on the route near mile 46.5 on PA-82. During the pre-rides, we found it to be passable by walking through the barriers. According to PennDOT, engineers are in the early stages of assessing the bridge and no construction has been planned yet. 

PA-82 bridge over Doe Run is closed to cars but passable on foot

(If the bridge is impassable on December 7, riders will have to backtrack on PA-82 briefly and turn right on Wilson Rd, right on Ryan Rd, right on PA-842/Clomnell Upland Rd, right on PA-841/Chatham Rd, and then left on Greenlawn Rd where you can rejoin the route.)

Climbing and Final Stretch

This route doesn’t have as much climbing compared to other PA Rando rides, but the rolling hills in Chester County can be taxing. The climb up Pumpkin Hill (mile 78, 1km at 8%) might be the toughest. If you’re feeling fatigued, remind yourself that the last 30 miles are flat and mostly follow the Schuylkill River Trail. Given the cold temperature, it is sometimes better to take it easy on the climbs to avoid excessive sweating.

Safety and RUSA Requirements

Riders and bikes will be inspected before the start to ensure that all RUSA safety requirements are met. The ride starts before sunrise and we want you to be safe in the evening! Per RUSA rules, front and rear lights set to “steady,” reflective vests, and ankle straps are required for riding before sunrise and after sunset. A new RUSA rule also requires bikes to have brakes. If you have questions about these requirements, contact Iwan, the event organizer.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday! Stay safe, dress warmly, enjoy the ride, and look forward to enjoying some holiday festivities with your fellow riders after the ride.

Hollywood Hot Dog 200K Ride Report

Preliminary results for the Hollywood Hot Dog 200K brevet are posted on the website. Please review the results and inform the RBA of any necessary corrections. The results will be submitted to RUSA in the coming days and become final pending RUSA certification.  

After days of unseasonably warm and dry weather, the morning of the Hollywood Hot Dog 200K started with appropriately brisk fall temperatures in the mid 40's that, over the course of the day, would rise to about 60 degrees under clear blue skies - great weather for a fall ride. 

The riders gathered at the start as the breaking light of dawn replaced the fading night stars. Many took advantage of the hot coffee, restrooms, and food offered by the international coffee shop that has a location at the start.

This scenic brevet includes a few miles of light gravel on bike paths, crossing the Delaware River, challenging climbs out of Easton, PA, and fantastic food stops for controls. In the late afternoon, a brush fire, fueled by the dry conditions caused by  the 40 day drought, led to a minor re-route but all riders handled the updates with ease. 

The brevet had a strong turnout with 26 starters and 24 official finishers for a 92% completion rate. This was the first brevet for eight of the starters (30% of the field)! At the other end of the spectrum of Randonneuring experience, Chris M. earned another K-Hound award (which requires completing 10,000K of RUSA events in one year) while Mac V. completed his "R60" ride (which means that he has ridden at least a 200K brevet or permanent every month for 5 years)!  

The brevet ended at the restaurant/brewery next to the coffee shop. Finishers, greeted by cowbells, cheers, and applause, enjoyed big plates of hot food and glasses of cold beverages with the hearty gusto that comes from an all day ride with significant climbs. Sitting in the comfort of the restaurant with the warm glow of achievement, stories were shared, photos taken, and tales of longer rides and great adventures, past and future, offered ideas and inspiration to all. I suspect that some, if not all, of the newly minted Randos will be back to take on the adventure and challenges offered by this unique and engaging sport.

Mac Vergara posted this excellent video about the brevet.

Here's what some of the riders had to say:

Graham L.: That was a bit more challenging than I imagined, but I made it with minutes to spare and was met with cheers and applause. First brevet. Fun!

Paul S.: This was my first Brevet and I don’t think it could have gone any better. Wonderfully welcoming riders, excellent fall weather, and a beautiful route. Challenging but not grueling. Maybe let myself cool down a bit too much at Tabora after a bit too much sugar. As the sun set eight of us grouped up in the dark and made fast work of the power line trail and through the suburban neighborhoods. Awesome ending at Iron Hill for some camaraderie. Thanks for the great day!

Photo by Chris M.

Chris M.: It’s always a pleasure to ride the scenic farm roads and enjoy the beauty of the old stone homes. The twisty turny downhills are a blast to let the bike go and double the 15 mph speed limit! 

Mac V.: Nigel, thank you to you and the PA Rando volunteers so much for organizing yesterday’s lovely adventure. You all took care to make sure the route would be fun and safe for everyone. The safety notes about the route were spot on! It was a great adventure through the countryside with folks, both long time randos and new faces, that I’ll be reminiscing about for quite a while. And, it was a fun surprise to see you, Chris N and Janice C riding down Route 29 in the opposite direction, that put a smile on my face!

Joey D: Top notch day in the saddle! Great bagels and conversation. 

Photo by Mac V.

Ben S.: Beautiful ride! Despite knowing about the climbs after Easton (from the Water and Wind 300k), I clearly didn’t heed the pre-ride warning (I know Pat “claims” that he has no relation to Gaffney Hill, I choose to believe that it is a human-made hill created by him to punish overly ambitious Randonneurs). I was completely destroyed by the time I got to Tabora Farms. Despite filling my bottles with cider and eating many donuts, I slowly grinded my way to the end. Very happy I was able to spend Saturday cycling among so many riders—old and new—looking forward to the next brevet! Thank you to all the organizers, the pre-riders, and to Iwan for, among other things, giving me the final push to attend!

Photo by Ben S.

Photo by Ben S.

 

Photo by Ben S.

Iwan B. : Dear Nigel and Pat,

I wanted to thank you for organizing yesterday's brevet. I had a great time, as the weather was neither too hot nor too cold. And the Bangers & Mash at the finish were divine.

Hollywood Hot Dog Pre-ride Notes - part 2

I completed a second pre-ride on Saturday November 2, starting at the same time the event will occur (taking into account the time being set back the next day). It was my first time on the route and it was scenic and challenging. A great course for a cool fall day. 

Be sure to read the original notes; everything there still applies. These are some additions:

• Start: There's a Starbucks at the start that opens early. A good option for Starbucks' stuff and restrooms. The ride organizer may be in there when you arrive. 
• Pennypack trail - There's a port-o-john at about the mid-point of the trail in case the coffee side-affects kick in early. The overall cue for this section is stay on the trail until Byberry Road.
• There are some shoulderless sections of road throughout the route, be aware, be seen, and know when to take the lane if necessary.
• DNR trail - the DNR trail is crushed stone, similar to Pennypack trail. There was a large tree down near the end of the trail, but it is crossable. The Rangers are aware of the issue so, hopefully, it will be cleared by ride date.
• Refuel at Phillipsburg! The following section has significantly more climbing but significantly fewer services.
• At about mile 87.8, on the other side of the second covered bridge crossing, the Tohickon family campground store has food, water, and restrooms. 
• Tabora Farms has fantastic baked goods! Treat yourself!
• Be alert for deer along the Power Line trail especially at dusk and early evening.
• Expect busy traffic in the last few miles of the ride.
• Finally, DON'T TRUST THE BIKE LANE on Fitzwatertown Road mile 119.3 -119.9 (after the 5 points intersection)! Cars park in it and they can be very hard to see at night. Stick to the main part of the road.

See you at the start!

Nigel 

Hollywood Hot Dog Course Notes

Based on a pre-ride by Pat Gaffney, there were some updates and tweeks to the route.  The latest cue sheet is VERSION 3, and the RWGPS file was last modified on 2024-10-29 16:42:17 EDT. RWGPS file and cue sheets can be found here.  Some of the text below was based on comments by Iwan Barankay who pre-rode the course in 2023.

A few miles into the brevet, you are on the Pennypack Heritage Trail (very hard-packed stone, so no challenge for any tires), where Pat Gaffney used to have fun as a kid with his mountain bike in the forest to the right. But now you are on a shared use trail with rules, so please announce yourself to the many pedestrians on the trail walking their dogs, who are invariably called Trooper, Cooper, Hooper, or Blooper.

Soon, carried by memories of the sad fate of the Lenni Lenape, you reach the first open control in New Hope. Perhaps find a coffee or a snack to prepare you for the walk across the Delaware immediately following.

Then comes 12 miles along the flat, featureless river road (aka NJ 29). Please team up with a friend here; or enemy; failing that, prepare music, an audiobook, or a podcast; otherwise, you end up like me, recalling memories I paid my therapist handsomely to forget.  

At Frenchtown, because of bridge construction on 29, you are mercifully detoured onto the D&R trail along the river.  This is a really nice section of the D&L. The only issue is at the end when you make a sharp right onto a gravel road that Tees back onto Frenchtown Rd. The final short section of this gravel is relatively steep, and the gravel is soft. You need to decide: ride or walk. There are no half measures. If you decide to ride, pedal with purpose. If you hesitate climbing that soft stuff, it won't be pretty.

When you reach Milford, the true PA Randonneur thing to do is to get a bagel at Goldberg's right at the corner. Toasted bagels with cream cheese are fast, but fancier stuff with eggs can take a while.

Super special note. Be extra careful with bridges. Especially the METAL GRID BRIDGES OF DOOM. We emphasized them in the cue sheet: Do not ignore our warnings. Slow down. There is a bridge with such a slippery surface that I had to unlock unique ninja warrior moves so I didn't end up kissing the cold metal grid.

After Easton, the real climbing begins, so make sure you have gentle gearing on your bike and enough sugar in your thighs. Whatever glucose or self-esteem you have lost in those hills, you can scrumptiously refuel them at the Tabora Farm & Orchard control.  Restrooms are open (!), and they have a copy of the US Constitution in there so you can reevaluate how you feel about Shelby County vs Holder (2013).

From there, it's an easy finish back to Hollywood. 

Please be careful with the swelling evening traffic in the suburbs. Ensure your lights are on and don your safety vest at Tabora -- even when it is still light.

 

Fall Neo Classics 154/200K Ride Report

Preliminary results for the 19th annual Fall Classic 200K brevet and 154K populaire have been posted on the website. Please review the results and inform me of any necessary corrections.  The results will be submitted to RUSA in the coming days and become final pending RUSA certification.  Seven riders clipped in for the 200K,  and three started the 154K.  Nine of ten total finished in good time for a 90% completion rate of the very challenging brevet and populaire.

This was the fourth running of the "Neo" edition classic routes with an Easton Start/Finish and CCW direction up the "easy" sides of most climbs.

Erin Fulton was so unwise as to ride this difficult course as her first 200K brevet. Welcome to randonneuring.  You picked a doozy of a course to start on!!

Ultra volunteer Bill Slabonik spent the day cruising around the course, keeping tabs on the riders and rendering friendly assistance.  Thanks Bill.

We were graced with rather nice weather for late October. Although it started rather chilly, 40s at the start with frost seen on some pumpkins,  it was sunny and near 70 in the middle of the day. Usually riders are shivering at the end of this Fall event, looking for shelter from the cold and a hot bowl of soup. Instead,  we all sat outside comfortably eating burgers at the finish and some riders wanted salt and vinegar for their heat exhaustion cramps.   

Although a few people complained the Fall foliage wasn't quite at peak, even without the full Fall colors, riders generally reported that the Neo-classic was just as scenic as ever. Scenic, of course, is bike rider code for a steady diet of hills to consume, the climb up Dyer hill just outside Easton being an appetizer for the many hilly entrees ahead. 

Recent PA events have had some mishaps as riders sped ahead of their guardian angels. Thankfully, this time riders were more cautious keeping their speed checked on the many descents. There were no reported mishaps.  Good work!

Bob Dye writes...

It was a beautiful ride on a beautiful day. The cafe experience at the finish was pretty beautiful, too. Thanks to Chris and power volunteer Bill Slabonik for another beautifully organized event.

Fall Neo Classics 154/200K Course Notes

The latest Cue Sheet for the 200 K is VERSION 4, and the latest RWGPS was last modified 2024-10-10 19:20:28 EDT.  

The latest Cue Sheet for the 154 K is VERSION 3, and the latest RWGPS was last modified 2024-10-8 15:53:03 EDT.  

 NIGHT RIDING  may be required for many people on the 200K. You must have full reflective gear (vest, ankle bands) and adequate head/tail lights firmly attached to the bike. Backup lights are strongly recommended.  Riders without adequate lighting and reflectivity will not be allowed to start.

Course Notes

This course is a classic for a reason: classic scenery, classic landmarks, and plenty of classic climbs. Ho boy, are there climbs. I do think this course is the hardest 200K on our schedule.  I think this course is also one of the prettiest. So many classic views. I think I could see orange along the crest of the Mt Minsi ridge. Next week I'd expect a lot more Fall Color. It should be spectacular. 

The 154K is no easy ride either. In fact, if you choose this shorter route you will be treated to some special "bonus climbs" that the 200K riders will not tackle. 

The pavement on almost the entire route is excellent. I've never seen our Pennsylvania roads in such good shape. Smooth blacktop with crisp markings abound. It's a treat to ride. 

Except Coon Hollow Rd. They "improved" this formerly rutted bit of double track by dumping gravel on it. Gravel. Not 2A modified, with the firm grit, like they should have dumped, but clean gravel. I think it's 1B like they use for chip seal. It's pretty soft. I did OK on 38mm tires, and you probably would be OK on 28mm tires if you never stop peddling. If you are not confident in your soft gravel skills, I recommend walking Coon Hollow.

Lake Nokamixon

 

There also were a lot of creepy Halloween decorations. Giant skeletons are a thing this year, it seems. 

Please don't ride faster than your guardian angel.

PA Rando veterans will be familiar with most of the features in this course. Except in THIS version, we ride them all backwards. The climb up Fox Gap (200K only) is a lot easier this way, as is the Mountain View climb. On the other hand, the Wind Gap (200K) climb is a lot harder -- and annoying with traffic -- in this direction. 

With climbs come descents. There are several extended, steep, twisty descents. The biggest of these is the decent off the north side of Fox gap, but there are many others, some of which end in T intersections, some of which have vast sinkholes and collapsed guardrails. PLEASE DO NOT RIDE FASTER THAN YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL. I'm not kidding. There have been some accidents descending on recent PA Rando brevets and I want the trend to stop. STFD! 

I think worst climb, safety wise, is the Wind Gap climb on the 200K. It's not _that_ hard, but there's considerable car traffic. Some of you will climb this in the dark. Oncoming headlights can be blinding. Be aware that the shoulder is limited in spots. Take your time. Stay focused. And if you feel unable to hold your line safely on the shoulder of a dark road, get off the bike and walk -- or just don't ride the 200K event!

The Columncil and Wind Gap controls (200K)  are untimed info controls, so there should be no reason to panic if you find yourself a few minutes past the cutoff at these. After Wind gap the course is mostly downhill. Even totally exhausted, you can easily make up 10-15 minutes on the clock over that segment into the finish -- AMHIK.

Enjoy the ride, and remember what I said about your guardian angel!  

Endless Mountains Liberty Bell Ride Report

The inaugural edition of the Endless Mountains Liberty Bell 1234K is now complete. Preliminary results have been posted to the website.  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.  

Ian and Ben on their way to the Liberty Bell

 

All 5 starters (2 preriders plus 3 day-of riders) finished the first ever Endless Mountains Liberty Bell 1234K, a 100% finish rate. These extraordinarily tough randonneurs  braved mountains, wind, cold, rain, and dark nights to finish this epic grand brevet. In fact, they crushed it -- or rather they CRACKED the EM Liberty Bell with excellent times, well under the limit.  Chapeau to these tough five. Bravo!

 

EMLB1234K finishers, left to right: 
Brad Layman, Ben Keenan,  Ian Flitcroft,  Patrick Gaffney,  Charlie Martin

Special accolades go do Ben Keenan who with this 1234K finish has earned the coveted PA Rando R-5000 award. Ben becomes the latest of only five riders who have achieved this honor, joining the likes of Jud Hand, Guy Harris, Bill Olsen, and Norm Smeal. The R-5000 award requires a PA 1200, 1000, 600, 400, 300, 200 and Fleche. Hooray Ben!

 

The massive volunteer effort to support the EMLB was  astonishing and much appreciated by the riders.  As organizer I was delighted and not a little humbled. Even though I tried to throttle back the volunteer effort when I knew there would be so few riders, volunteers ignored me and went out there anyway to help the small group in a million little ways. Volunteers gave up days of their personal time and drove hundreds of miles to support just three people. It was wonderful to see. Thank you all!

In alphabetical order, the main EMLB volunteers were.

• Ron Anderson [Post brevet beer] 
• James Bondra [Vestal Overnight] 
• Bill Fischer [Vestal Overnight] 
• Pat Gaffney [Philly Start/Finish and Preride] 
• Brad Layman [Philly Start/Finish and Preride] 
• Chris Nadovich [Organizer, Drop Bags, medals, and swag] 
• Joe Ray [On-route support Day 1] 
• George Retseck [Wool event jerseys]
  
• Steve and Susan Schoenfelder [Lewisburg Overnight] 
• Bill Slabonik [On-route support Day 2-4] 
• Len Zawodniak [On-route support Day 1-4] 

Please thank them when you see them. Big brevets can't happen without a core team of volunteers.  

It's also important to mention that the above list does not include many other supporters who offered to volunteer and were held in reserve. Thank you for offering, we need to take a rain check on your generosity. Next time we'll need you. 

Challenge Coin awarded to EMLB finishers

Ron Anderson writes...

Congratulations to all five finishers. And to Chris Nadovich and the PAR team of volunteers who made it happen. I can't believe this event will be run again next year. There are a limited number of opportunities for redemption in this life, and I think I see one on the horizon...

Ben Keenan writes...

Thanks Chris and all volunteers (Brad, Pat, Joe, Len, Bill and Steve) for organizing this event. While the conditions were challenging, the level of care and skill of the volunteers made it for me close to a masterpiece and example of what randonneuring is about. Day or night, a volunteer was there about every 60 miles (less than that in some of the toughest sections) with food, water and supplies. I can’t thank you all enough.

The course was magnificent, even in the rain. Time and again, rolling along a creek or river or down a valley, I was struck by how beautiful it was, pretty as a painting only better because on your bike you get to be part of it. To fellow riders Ian and Charlie, the courage and skill you showed managing a tough route was inspiring, many thanks.

Everyone keep riding and hope to see you out on the road soon!

 

 Charlie Martin writes...

Riders. We had 3 starters for the main ride. I quickly found Ben and Ian to be very capable riders, and I wasn't concerned about their ability to complete the ride despite the challenges we faced. Ian has been around RUSA since the beginning and I extracted lots of interesting anecdotes from him. He's from Georgia so we talked about the SR600 route down there and some of the Audax Atlanta riders we both know. Ben had lots to share about the Pennsylvania and Seattle areas, and I enjoyed chatting and riding with him for parts of days 1 and 3.

We both developed knee pain during the ride and finished it out with medication. I'm pretty sure my knee pain developed due to shifting my riding position after I started developing sores due to the constant wet riding conditions. My knee got worse throughout the ride and seems like it will take a good while to recover after getting home. Due to the difficulty of the ride and the individual challenges we had, everyone generally opted to ride at their own pace and keep making progress. I hung back to ride with people when they were close, but I rode the final day as the lanterne rouge. My time on and off the bike was generally efficient, yet I finished with only a few hours to spare. That speaks to the difficulty of the course and the challenges induced by the weather. I could have created a good deal more buffer if necessary, but it would have involved more and more serious quality of life sacrifices

Support. We had 11 volunteers (including 2 pre-riders who also provided support for the main ride), so riders were swimming in support (not just rainwater). The volunteers were very friendly and attentive to our needs. There was a volunteer waiting at nearly every control to expedite things, and usually we didn't need to go inside to buy anything. 4 separate volunteers provided miscellaneous mechanical support for me. Throughout the event I had a handlebar grip straightened, both wheels trued, my chain lubed a couple times, and my wheel hubs partially serviced. I also borrowed a volunteer's front wheel for something like 100 miles, and I think the same wheel was used by a rider in the recent NY-Montreal-NY grand brevet. After the event my shopping list includes a new crankset, new pedals, a new rear hub, a proper pedal wrench that can provide leverage, PB Blaster, and a SRAM Eagle derailleur battery cover. Someone picked me up from the airport and someone else dropped me off. Separate people made trips to get me dinner before/after the ride. Start/finish accommodations were inexpensive, incredibly spacious (we had an entire mansion to ourselves), and facilitated everyone getting to socialize before/after the ride. The support and organization were simply phenomenal.

 

Pit crew of volunteers work on Charlie's bike

eBrevet. I was excited to use it, and I liked being able to see the progress for Ben and Ian to know how far back I was. Seeing the pre-riders' comments at controls was fun, and I could imagine that being a popular messaging mechanism with more riders. I encountered a few bugs, and then I transitioned to actively QA testing it. I was bummed that I couldn't use it on day 3 after getting it wedged into an unintended state. I had some fun designing solutions to some of the issues and talking through them with Chris.

Charlie Martin

 

 

Photos. https://photos.app.goo.gl/R3V3AMutsYV7tuobA

Endless Mountains Liberty Bell 1234K Course Notes

A full, self-supported pre-ride of the Endless Mountains 1234K was completed by Pat Gaffney and Brad Layman on 12-15 September. Chapeau to these two brave and indefatigable randonneurs for accomplishing this audacious task. 

Not only did they ride the difficult course with panache, they took the time to make detailed notes along the way. Their notes have been incorporated into version 9 of the official route that has a link to the full RWGPS data last modified 2024-09-17 23:09:28 EDT.  For those of you that need the route split to fit into a limited GPS unit, for your convenience we have unofficially split the data into Day1, Day2, Day3, and Day4.  Be aware that last minute route changes might not make it into the unofficial split version. Check the official route info page to be sure. 

You should carefully study the cue sheet that is available on the the official route info page and carry a paper copy (or at least a PDF on your phone). Refer to it!  It's OK if you mostly use your GPS for navigation, but the cue sheet contains important notes, including safety warnings that might not display on your particular GPS. Many cues have comments about nearby available services and riding strategy. Our volunteers have spent many hours curating this route and compiling detailed cues. Use their work to your advantage. Ignore the cuesheet at your peril. Don't ride blindly with only GPS.

Course Notes

The course is very difficult, especially day1. If you have trouble, don't despair. It's not you. Keep riding. Many people hit their darkest times at around mile 166-210. It doesn't matter if you have to walk -- keep moving. If you have one goal for this event, it should be to get through this soul sucking section. If you make it through those difficult miles, you will ride on in relative ease to the first overnight.  Then, if you somehow get your ass back on the bike day 2,  you'll almost certainly finish the whole damn thing. 

Road Closures and Construction

The preriders noted several construction zones and closures along the course. Refer to the cue sheet for details. Based on their experience, generally speaking the course is in good shape and you should be able to get through everywhere without bonus miles. That said, closures on Pennsylvania roads appear and disappear daily.  You should never enter an area illegally or ride where it is unsafe. Get off your bike to walk, or go another way. 

Old Mine Rd (mi 112) is the oldest road still in use in the country. Dating back beyond before the US was founded, this road has been long in need of repair -- but seems to be forever ignored by it's federal caretakers (blame the George Washington administration, I guess).  Nevertheless, this road travels through beautiful countryside along the Delaware and is worth savoring. It's home to diverse wildlife, including many black bears. Old Mine Road is fun to explore. The bears won't bother you but the potholes could swallow a grizzly, so pay attention -- especially on descents. Even the smaller descents have wheel-pretzeling-ditches hidden on them. There's a "closed" section (noted in the cuesheet) blocked of with concrete barriers. You should be able to carry over the barriers and continue without issue, but do be careful. Look out for debris, potholes, and animals.

The Dingman's Ferry bridge (mi 126) is a gem -- and one of the few bridges across the Delaware you can legally ride. Unfortunately, it's often closed for maintenance. We believe it should be open on the day of the ride. The cuesheet notes a possible detour using 206/209 if the bridge is still closed when you get there. This detour adds some bonus miles. Cross your fingers that Dingman's wonderful old bridge is open for you.

Little Pine Rd (mi 350) is a long, gentle descent along the splendid creek for which it's named. After the brutal climbs that came before, Little Pine road is a welcome treat.  At  the end of the road when you reach the control in Waterville, you'll find even a better treat as they have excellent ice cream, albeit dodgy WiFi. Sadly, recent storms washed out some bridges on Little Pine, which are now being repaired. The preriders were able to get through, needing to walk only once, but YMMV. Look out for longitudinal cracks on some of the bridges that could swallow a tire. Should it turn out that this road is impassable, there will be a detour offered that takes 287 to 973 to 44. When you get to 44 on this detour you will be at course mile 367.6 where you can turn left and continue forward on the course. No need to backtrack to the Waterville control if you were forced to take this Little Pine detour on  287.

General thoughts shared from Pre-ride                    

Here's how Brad and Pat described the days.                    

• Day 1 is a long one with a lot of climbing. Expect a late arrival at the overnight hotel. Mile 166 to 210 is a particularly difficult stretch with several steep climbs. The last 28 miles are flat.                               
• Day 2 is pleasant with long flat and downhill sections. The stretch from  Towanda to Liberty has some tough exposed climbs that add up. Once you get to Liberty, there is a nice, long gradual descent to McConnell's General  Store. The last 20 miles of the day are downhill and go by quickly.             
• Day 3 is a blast. The climbs are tough but there are only four. We took advantage of the shorter day with a relaxed meal at the Rusty Rail Brewery. Note that it closes at 8pm. Easy 9 mile ride back to the hotel.     
• Day 4 has a lot of shorter hills and exposed terrain. Last 20 miles on the  SRT will go by quickly. Pat said we went "from endless mountains to endless hills" and that was spot-on.                                                    

Each day ends with a relatively easy and quick ~20 miles.               

 

     

 

   

2024 Rusty Rail 200K Ride Report

 Four intrepid riders accepted the challenge of the 5th running of the Rusty Rail 200k, successfully assaulting the four epic climbs and finishing the event with aplomb, resulting in a 100% completion rate for 2024.  We were graced with two guest riders on the course: Brad Layman and Patrick Gaffney, pedaling their way through the PA Randonneurs' Endless Mountains Liberty Bell 1234K pre-ride.

Brad and Pat arrive in Lewisburg after riding 440 miles

George

Nigel

Paul

Brad

Pat

Rusty Rail 200k Pre-ride Report

A pre-ride of the Rusty Rail 200k course was conducted on September 4th by me.  In 2024, we return to the original route since the bridge on Miller Rd (mile 64) is back in place.  

The roads are generally in good condition, however, heavy regional rain resulted in a few gravel washes that cross the road and deep erosion of a number of the drainage ditches that line the shoulder.

Back Mountain Road (mile 42), that follows the Milroy controle features the usual deep longitudinal ruts torn out by buggy wheels.  Try not to land your front wheel into one of them.  There is also a fun central depression of the lane from shod horse hooves.  I found it best to ride in the the center of the road when possible.  All attempts to avoid riding through the horse poop on this road are futile-adjust!

Try to suppress your inner Wout van Aert and take care on the steep mountain descents!  Past events have seen crashes on both Ulsh Gap and Tussey Mountain.  Please spare me the paperwork.

The route is generally on tranquil roads, but there are a few high traffic areas to note.  For the most part, there is not a rideable shoulder on the Stone Mountain climb on PA-305 (mile 53).  Stay as far right as possible and hold your line as the cars and trucks blast past.  The climb up Tussey Mountain on PA-26 (mile 65) also involves high speed traffic, but there is a wide shoulder to ride in.  I used a full lane on these two descents when my speed exceeded 25 mph.

The PA-45 intersection at the Centre Hall Sheetz controle (mile 87) can be dangerous due to high traffic volume.  I recommend entering the left turn lane, and then using the curb cut on the corner once you cross PA-45 (immediate right turn).  This will get you onto a sidewalk that leads to the Sheetz parking lot.  When exiting this controle, travel south (same direction, away from PA-45) through the parking lot and exit carefully onto PA-144/Old Fort Rd via a left turn.

The Rusty Rail 200k is a beautiful, but challenging ride.  Bonne route and godspeed to all souls brave enough to clip in at the start on September 14th.

Respectfully,

Steven J. Schoenfelder, RUSA #10659

Jo Hays Vista at the top of the Tussey Mountain climb overlooking Happy Valley

PA Grand Canyon Ride Report

 

Depending on which inaccurate forecast you entrusted, the 15 riders who started (and 14 that finished for a 93% completion rate) the PA Grand Canyon 200k were in for a wet day.  No rain was falling at the ride start but as riders made their way North on the Pine Creek Trail, light rain started to fall.  Bob Dye had a minor mechanical issue and decided to return to the start and save himself for another day.

After enjoying the ambiance of the Slate Run General Store, riders started the climb to Colton Point.  The rain started to fall in earnest and came down in sheets for an extended period.  The 1/4”-1/2” of predicted rainfall quickly become more like 1” and, with the ground still saturated from hurricane Debbie, the creeks began to rise.

As riders carefully descended to the staffed control in Ansonia, the rain started to abate and 14 very soggy riders arrived at the midpoint of the ride and were on their way to more gravel, more rain and the impending cross of Babb Creek.

The ride organizer met the leading riders (Patrick and Robert) at the Liberty control and was happy to hear that they had forded the stream without incident.  As we were chatting and enjoying the light rain falling I received an indecipherable (due to the very limited cell coverage) voice mail.  Concerned that something was amiss, I passed Ron and Matt as I made my way to Babb Creek just as Andrew was making his way across:

 

I decided to walk across the creek and wait there to assist additional riders.  As I was drying my feet, I received a text advising me that the stream was unsafe to cross.  Apparently a well-intentioned local had intercepted a group of riders and told tales of impending doom and possible death if they attempted to cross Babb Creek.  The well-intentioned local gave the riders an alternative route “over a small hill”.  I’ve ridden that “small hill” and there is some 10% grade in it…….

I don’t know if it was the same local, but Nigel was given a decidedly worse alternative over an unpaved “small hill” and somehow wound up back at the stream crossing anyway having climbed a beast of a hill and added about 10 bonus miles.  Nigel forded the stream of death without incident and proceeded on route.

Despite this drama (and the hardship of 12 hours in a wet chamois), everyone got safely to the finish with smiles on their faces and good cheer.  This was a tough adventure and all riders should be applauded for enduring this challenge….chapeau!

Drying brevet cards

Preliminary results will be posted shortly. Please review them and let me know if there are any discrepancies. Results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.