Stillwater 200K Brevet Pre-ride Notes

The Stillwater 200K Brevet on February 3 is your next opportunity in the Pa Randonneurs’ R-12 schedule. The ride starts from Pohatcong Shopping Plaza in Phillipsburg, NJ. Start time is at 7AM. All the information, and an online registration link, are on the the event web page. You will find a link to the RWGPS data for the route (last modified 2024-01-28 10:38:22 EST) and links to cue sheets (version 4 is the latest).

Park near 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. 

Joe Ray's Pre-Ride Report

The pre-ride on Jan 27 was the first good all-day weather day in two weeks. The rain cleared out overnight Friday and the wind stayed fairly light. Temperatures ranged from mid 30s along the Delaware River to Milford to the mid 50s on the return leg around Stillwater. The sun made a brief appearance but otherwise it was overcast all day. In other words it was an ideal day to be out.

This route is one of my favorites. The scenery along the way is terrific and the roads generally quiet or with a wide shoulder. There are loads of “water features” along the entire course, such as the intermittent waterfalls on River Road heading to Milford which were especially active after the last few weeks, and the ice sculptures formed by water seeping out of the cliff on Martins Creek Belvidere Hwy on full display. If the temperatures this week are not too warm they may be still hanging around, otherwise there may be some broken chunks of ice on the road.

The course has five controles, plus the start/finish in Pohatcong Plaza. Every location is open, or in the case of the post office in Milford, the bagel shop next door is open.

A winter brevet can often feature loads of branches, leaves and chunks of salt from the most recent storm, but the rain and motor vehicle traffic had cleared all of the sort of hazard away. The only exception was the Pennsylvania stretch between Portland and Riverton where some of the grit was still on the road. Fortunately, there was zero grit and gravel at the bottom of the descent on Riverton Road at the sharp left turn onto Martins Creek Belvedere Highway.

The roads themselves were in good shape, with a few lateral cuts for water lines in Milford on York Road soon after departing the controle. The cuts were all filled with dirt and gravel and were not a problem but simply something to be aware of.

The stretches between controles do not generally offer much in the way of food stops; however I did make a lunch stop a few miles before the Quik Check controle at AG Pizza on Lake Iliff Road and that kids’-portion chicken parm over spaghetti was the one of best Rando lunches ever. The timing was right since the route is not very hilly at all for the next few miles.

There are a few port-a-johns along the way in case anyone needs them. One is on Cemetery Road in Independence about a mile before the controle, across the road from the fire department. During one Stillwater brevet a few years ago several if us had a long chilly wait at the controle to use their bathroom.

Hopefully the weather on February 3 will be as good. If so, then riders are in for a treat. 

RBA Note

The Lafayette Quik Check is a MERCHANT control. Anyone NOT using the eBrevet app is required to get a receipt here. You can make a small purchase or check your bank balance at the ATM. Mark your card with your arrival time and include the receipt. If you are using the eBrevet app, you don't need a receipt, but I still recommend stopping at the Quik Check if you didn't stop at AG Pizza. The QC has an indoor eating area and excellent soup. 

Enjoy the ride and be careful out there.