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.