Keystone Brevet Co. Ride Report

 

Saturdays run of the now 2nd annual Keystone Brevet Co was a success! 39 registered riders with 35 at the starting line. Including the pre-rider (thanks Nick Manta aka the original 650bae), we had 33 qualifying finishers for a 94% completion rate. Two riders, Todd Nisbet at Stacie Brunner (both of whom this was their first brevet!) rode well and came in just a little after the cutoff time to a round of applause from the other riders: it was amazing seeing all the riders complete this challenging course. Chapeau on a great ride to all of the participants and new riders! Following is some of the pictures and reports from the riders. 

 Here are some finishing photos from local rando legend CJ Arayata !

Notable Notes: Congrats to the first time Randonneurs: Brendan Ash, Mark Elsasser (on a single speed too!), Jasen Lo, Jacob Prosser, and Jack Stewart Castner.

 Ag Manta writes:

  What a wonderful day! The route was beautiful and I had a great time riding with everyone.

 

 Jakub Piven writes

Thank you for hosting such a delightful ride on what turned out to be an absolutely stunner of a day.

I started the day off with heavy legs and little sleep. As it does, life and travel got in the way of training rides leading up to this big one, which meant I'd have to take it slow and easy until my legs gave me the green light to pick up the pace a bit. This is something I've grown to love about the brevets I've done this year. You really learn to listen to your body and trust that it will tell you what it needs when it needs it. (Other than food, you just have to keep scarfing things down regardless of how you're feeling.)

As I turned onto Goshen Rd. and hit that first steep hill, I discovered a slow leak in my front tire. While this could have been a non-issue if I had done the precautious thing and refilled the sealant in my wheel before the ride, I had to pull over and wrestle a tube in there in order to continue. With this resolved and having lost the small group I was riding with, I had a short stretch to myself to refocus and find my own rhythm. My reward? Hitting Sunset Hollow Rd. right as my spirits and legs were fully returned to all-in brevet mode. This was the most beautiful stretch of the route for me. Full canopy of lush leaves over the road, with no cars passing and a roadside stream keeping things cool and adding that ambient soundtrack.

The rest of the ride was spent leapfrogging a bit until I linked up with Owen K to close it out in the final third, with him dropping me in the final stretch of Kelly Dr., my legs and mind weary from the trail.

Attaching a picture of Joshua (if I remember correctly) along rolling country farmland. Wish I'd gotten a chance to snap a picture of cyclists riding up the hill right after Morgantown Coffee.

Great ride! Great crew! And what a treat to end with the warm reception at Sor Ynez with tasty food and icy bevs to bring us back to the living.

 

 Maria Thomson writes:

Had an awesome, sweaty day on Saturday. It was a hot one - but thanks to the route organizers for sending us through shady, sun-dappled roads during the hottest parts of the day. Where we lacked shade, the Bob Ross were clouds a welcome distraction. With every passing brevet, there are more and more friends on the ride and I'm ever appreciative of the good vibes and conversation that makes the hills and hours slide by.

 

 

Keystone Brevet Co Pre-Ride Course Notes

We’re really excited for the upcoming Keystone Brevet Co 200k Brevet on Saturday. This event begins and ends at 1800 North American Street and starts at 6:00AM, with rider meeting at 6:50AM and departure starting at 7AM. Please see Event Page for all of the pertinent information. This past week, Nick Manta prerode the course and updated the GPS File and Cue sheet to reflect road closures and updated road conditions. The latest cues are Version 3 and the RWGPS route was last updated 2024-06-12 22:55:15 EDT. Read on for Nick's ride report.

The pre-ride was completed on May 10th and it was a beautiful sunny day. The weather on Saturday looks to be equally as nice.  Due to a closure on MLK drive, the route now follows the Cecil B. Moore west across the city. Cecil B. Moore is a narrow two way street across philadelphia. You will pass Temple University and through the historic Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. The road will be very quiet at 7am on a Sunday but be aware of buses that often stop or pull over for oncoming traffic.  At this time of day the road is very quiet. From there, the updated route takes you along 33rd street and over the historic Strawberry Mansion Bridge and onto the familiar greenland drive and climb up to Chamounix. From there the route rejoins the original course at Wynfield Ave. Front there the route winds through the Philadelphia suburbs on some very beautiful roads. The only other major change to the route is along the Perkiomen trail. Riders who completed this route in the past will be happy to know that repairs to the Perkiomen trail allow us to avoid a short detour and a steep climb. Once you're past the short steep climb on the Perk is flat to the finish.

***Please make sure you have the most current versions of the cue sheet and ride with GPS file! The can be found here make sure you have cue sheet version 3***

Continuing along the route and making my way out of the city, I made a few notes on areas to use caution.

• At Mile 51.6 (R. Onto Bollinger Road) I advise caution when turning since you will be turning onto a gravel road.
• At Mile 70.5 (BL + QR on Kemp Road, Crossing Hanover Road). This is a busy road so please use caution. Additionally, be sure to make the right turn as continuing onward will bring you off course and climb an unnecessary hill.
• At mile 83.9 (L onto Zieglerville Road) the sign is blocked by a bush and not visible. It is the first left after the traffic circle: if you’ve passed Mr. Lees Gourmet you’ve gone too far.
• At mile 85.6, updated Info Controle 4: Look for blue sign for Info answer.

Overall it's a great route and the majority of the climbing happens in the earlier part of the ride. The finish on the Schuylkill River trail will be familiar to Philly riders and is an easy way to make your way back to the city.

Riders and friends are welcome to hang out at Sor Ynez afterwards for food and drinks. 

Here are some photos from Nicks preride!

The riding gets particularly scenic after Morgantown. 

We recommend a stop at Morgantown Coffee!

The course is fairly reasonable by PA standards for climbing but there is climbing right up untill you get on the Perkiomen trail. 

See you Saturday!

-Zack

No Jim Thorpe 600K Ride Report

The PA Randonneurs 2024 SR series concluded this past weekend with the completion of the No Jim Thorpe 600K. Twelve riders started out on a beautiful morning that evolved into a wonderful day to spend on the bike. Low humidity and a lite breeze kept the riders feeling good throughout the day. Day two proved to be just as nice with morning cloud cover giving way to sunny skies as the riders returned to the Chamounix Mansion. Along with one pre-rider, eleven riders finished in good time, for a completion rate of 92%. Preliminary results have been posted. 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. 

Riders ready at the Start

A 600K is a daunting ride and completing one amongst the steep climbs of Easter PA makes it even more challenging. While the grand climb from last year’s edition, Mt. Penn, had to be removed due to trail maintenance in Jim Thorpe, this course still packed a punch. Everyone who saddled up for this ride should be pleased with their efforts.

First finisher, Ben Keenan

 

Photo: Ron Anderson

 

Congratulations to our eight PA Super Randonneurs for 2024

• Ron Anderson
• Pat Gaffney (7)
• Tracey Hinder
• Ben Keenan (3)
• Greg Lang (2)
• Brad Layman (4)
• Sophia Lofaso
• Paul Schack

Two of these riders, Tracey Hinder & Paul Schack, completed their first Super Randonneur series. Welcome to the club!

photo: Greg Jacobs

Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make this ride possible. Without volunteers these rides would be next to impossible to put on. RBA Chris Nadovich and OG RBA Tom Rosenbauer for greeting and supporting riders at the Easton control. Nick Manta and Ryan Stanis for greeting, feeding, and sending riders back on their way at the overnight control. Iwan Barankay for welcoming riders on Friday night, attending to the finish control on Sunday afternoon and cleanup on Monday morning. And Soph, Nicole, & Tracey for helping with Monday morning cleanup

Alex's Pop Tart Cache,  Photo:Iwan Baran

Michael Evangelista writes:  

Sadly, I have no amazing stories to tell (unless walking down S Fireline Rd in my socks counts). But I do want to thank you and the volunteers for putting on another great PA Rando event, and -- even more importantly -- for ensuring there was cold seltzer at the finish. I'll definitely be back for a 200K to finish off my first PA SR Series!

Brad Layman writes:

Thank you to all the volunteers, especially those who put in many hours waiting for us to arrive.

Highlights included stopping next to a peaceful creek in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the pork buns and Italian cookies I brought from Philly, hanging out at the mansion, and the night riding on Saturday. I really enjoy the night riding on Day 1 of 600s. It has a more relaxed feel compared to the 400s since you know there's another day of riding left.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the SR Series happen this year. These are my favorite events on the calendar, and I hope to be back for another one next year. I love how the series pushes me to go farther while getting to share the experience with other randonneurs.

Greg Lang writes

[ED: Greg once again completed the series fixed and brakeless!]

About 200k into the ride I shredded my back tire while skidding down
South Fireline Road in Palmerton. It was a gnarly, white knuckling,
heavy skidding descent. The condition of the tire was a predicament
to say the least. I was not confident it would last for the remainder
of the ride even though I was prepared to ride it to the rim if needed
to finish. For that 75k, I had to find the correct skid patches by
sound and only could skid on half the tire as well as responsibly
backpedal in the right time frames. Luckily, with the help of
Pennsylvania Randonneurs they helped me find a bike shop about 75k
away where I was able to get a new tire. That was a good lesson to
always check for bike shops along the route in case you have a
mechanical problem.

Ben Keenan writes:

Thanks Pat, Nick, Ryan, Chris, Tom, Iwan and all others for organizing this event. It was a fitting end to another great SR series. The early June conditions made for pleasant riding even in the later stages when I tired and was rolling slow. Thanks to all the other riders in the series from the icy first ride in March until now. I really appreciated sharing the miles and hearing your stories. Hope to see everyone at a ride soon!

Greg Jacobs writes:

What a great experience for my first 600k and a great way to cap off a first, albeit not totally PA, SR series. There's no better way to explore than on a bicycle and this route had it all from urban to suburbs to rural and even some stretches in the woods on the various bike trails. A small group at the start meant a fair amount of solo riding but the stars aligned as I met up with Ron A for the last 100K of night riding on Saturday. His companionship and experience were invaluable in both this ride and the 400K in May. Day 2 had ups and downs. The day started well riding through Delco into the Brandywine Valley. The toughest part of the whole event was the climb up Apple Grove through to the controle in Christiana (miles 45-60) as the climbing increased as did the headwinds. From the top of Beaver Dam Rd. it was relatively smooth sailing back east into Philly. Thanks to Pat, Chris and the rest of the PA Rando volunteers (especially the overnight guys willing to carry bikes and dish out meals into the wee hours of Sunday morning). The entire club is a class act and I look forward to more rides in the future.

Ron Anderson writes:

PA Randonneurs "No Jim Thorpe" 600k: Wonderful. Awful. Oh so rewarding in the end. If you're a randonneur you know exactly what I mean. Sorry I don't have more photos to post. Busy riding.

I'm having trouble putting together a coherent summary of the weekend's ride, so I'm giving up and instead you're getting the random thoughts that stick with me from my 375 mile, 2 day tour of Eastern PA.
Day 1 was the Wonderful part. 247 miles in a hilly, challenging counter-clockwise loop from Philadelphia, northeast into NJ, then on to Lehighton and back south to Philly. I had a plan and executed well. Rode strongly, enjoyed the gorgeous route and weather. Listened to the Phillies v. Mets in London (Phils won 7-2!) Such a pleasure to see RBA Chris N. and RBA Emeritus Tom R. at the Easton control. Hooked up with my nighttime PAR riding buddy Greg J. to finish off the final 53 miles back to Chamounix Mansion in the dark. Arrived at 1:37am, feeling good about the day's effort and hopeful for a strong finish on Sunday.
Opened my eyes around 4:55am Sunday, 5 minutes before my alarm. Got myself together and had some breakfast. Day 2 was only(!) a 128 mile loop west toward Lancaster County, with no crazy climbing on the menu. Easy peasy, right?
WRONG!!! Despite the lovely cool morning, my legs would not follow the plan. I had nothing. Completely dead. My mood soon switched to match my energy level. My whole body was in limp mode. At mile 23, nearly 2½ hours into my day I stopped and checked Google Maps for the most direct route back to Chamounix. This was no fun at all. I had to dig in to the old bag of mental tricks to convince myself to keep going. My biggest motivator at that moment was the disappointment I knew I would have felt at not finishing my spring goal: a full PA SR series. So, onward I pushed.
The excruciatingly slow pace and dark mood continued all morning into the afternoon. I was working the mental gymnastics of speed vs. time vs. time limit. It wasn't a rosy picture.
At sometime before 3pm I rolled into the Turkey Hill convenience store in God-Knows-Where, PA needing to eat, resupply and regroup for the final 50 miles home. It was good to see Paul S., whom I'd been leapfrogging all day, there and in a similar state as me. We went about our business and chatted in a subdued tone. Then as we were getting ready to depart in rolled Tracey and Soph, followed shortly by Nicole. The whole Brooklyn Rando Crew was in the house! It was odd (to me) and wonderful how all our moods were immediately lifted. Each and every one of us were genuinely thrilled to be in the company of the group. This took me by surprise. If you ask me, I'll claim to be an introvert, and completely happy to ride solo at my own pace, even for a ride of this length. But the feeling of joy with some good company at this point in the ride was undeniable. We hung out a bit longer while everyone ate and filled waterbottles then rolled out more or less together for the final 50 miles.
The transformation in my mood and performance in that last leg really can't be understated. Suddenly I could roll along at 15mph again. My fears of running out of time evaporated. I was going to finish! We were all going to finish! I made the final slog up Greenland Dr. to Chamounix to stop the clock at 6:59pm. Finished with an hour and one minute to spare. Nicole A. would tell you she came in behind me to take Lantern Rouge honors (DFL!,) but we both checked in at 6:59pm.
A HUUUUUGE thanks to all the volunteers who made this ride happen: Patrick G., Chris N., Tom R., Nick M., Ryan S., Iwan B., and all the riders I shared the road with. You folks ROCK!!!

I'm very proud to have finished off my spring goal and bagged my very first PA Randonneurs

Super Randonneur series (despite having been an on and off member since 2007...) Cheers to everyone who finished this epic adventure!

With the SR series not in the books, PA Randonneurs returns to monthly our monthly R12 series this Saturday with the Keystone Brevet Co 200K. Hope to see you there!