The Ride Your Butt(er) Off for a Cause 161K is coming up on April 11 and serves as the second leg of the Road-to-200K Series. This ride fits nicely between the International Women’s Day 107K held in March and the Tscheschter Kaundi 200K on May 9. It’s a good stepping stone that builds distance and confidence as you work your way toward 200K.
I completed a pre-ride on April 2 and found the route to be in good shape. The RWGPS route (last modified 2026-04-3 07:41:43 EDT) and cue sheet (Version 2) have been updated and can be found here.
This ride starts and finishes at the Chamounix Carriage House. The start time is 8:00 AM, and the finish control closes at 6:49 PM, giving riders 10 hours 49 minutes to complete the course. If you are driving to the event, it is recommended that you park on Ford Rd or at Cadence Cycling Center and ride over to the start. Parking at Chamounix during the event is not recommended.
Club volunteers will have some light breakfast options ready at the start and snacks at the finish. They will also have your brevet cards ready, which include a unique code to activate the eBrevet app if you choose to use it.
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This route has a couple of well-loved café stops that many Philly-area cyclists will recognize. The first is The Buttery in Malvern (mile 23), followed later by the Butterscotch Pastry Shop in Birchrunville (mile 62). Both are great places to take a proper break if you need one, or just grab a pastry on the go. Both cafés have indoor and outdoor seating, along with restrooms. The outdoor seating at the Butterscotch is especially nice on a warm day, with picnic tables set alongside a gently flowing stream, making it an easy place to slow down for a few minutes before getting back on the road.
About eight miles after the Butterscotch stop, there is a Wawa control that serves as the last on-route opportunity to stock up before heading back toward the city.
There is one small update to the controls. The French Creek State Park control (third overall) has been moved from the park welcome sign to the boat launch at Hopewell Lake. The main reason for the change is access to a restroom at that location. This control is designated as a photo control. You will take a photo of your bike in front of Hopewell Lake, and your brevet card will include these instructions. If you are using eBrevet, you can check in on the app as normal and treat the photo as optional, though still encouraged for the memory. As of the April 2 pre-ride, the water fountain there was not yet turned on for the season, but the bathrooms were open (and heated on a cool day).
I want to flag a section of the route in this area that could be easy to miss. Just after the French Creek State Park/Hopewell Lake control, shortly after mile 48, there is a right turn onto a grassy connector that leads to another park road called Entrance Rd. The grassy connector is not open to cars and can be easy to miss if you are not paying attention. Look for a “Service Road Do Not Enter” sign on the left. That’s your cue to turn right onto the grassy connector, then turn left on Entrance Rd. See images below for more detail.
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| "Service Road Do Not Enter” sign on the left side of road is cue to turn RIGHT |
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| Turn right onto the grassy connector, then left onto Entrance Road. |
The course features rolling hills through the suburbs before opening up into some really nice countryside riding. The final 30 miles use the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT). While some riders are not fans of the extended trail riding, it helps keep the overall difficulty in check and avoids turning the end of the ride into a hilly grind.
One final note: take a few minutes to review the route ahead of time so you do not make a wrong turn on the loop at the far end of the course. The loop is ridden clockwise and is straightforward when you are expecting it, but can be confusing if you are not.
Remember to bring your Road-to-200K punchcards if you completed the International Women’s Day 107K. We will stamp your cards at the finish.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on April 11. Thank you for supporting the Boys & Girls Club, which is the charity focus of this event.
Brad Layman
RBA, Pennsylvania Randonneurs
