On Saturday, September 19, 46 PA Randonneurs set out from Philadelphia on three distances: the Oxford Odyssey 200K, Lancaster Loop 300K, and Hex Country 400K. All three routes shared the same opening miles before gradually branching off, giving riders the chance to choose anything from a full day on the bike to a journey stretching well into the night.
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| Riders shared the roads with Amish horse carriages throughout the day (photo by Josh Grossman) |
And we could hardly have asked for a better day for it.
After a summer that gave us plenty of heat, humidity, storms, and other challenges, Saturday offered nearly ideal late-summer riding weather. Comfortable temperatures, a mix of clouds and sunshine, and the first hints of fall made it the kind of day when it was easy to simply enjoy being outside on a bicycle.
Ben Keenan summed up the feeling perfectly:
Thanks Brad, Pat, Dan, Iwan and all other volunteers for organizing these rides. The 300K course was a beautiful and challenging new route and we had a perfect late summer day. A longer ride at this time of year always somehow feels like a bonus and I half expect someone to tap me on the shoulder and tell me riding season ended a while ago.
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| Nick Manna selfie |
Of the 10 starters, including a pre-rider, 9 riders successfully completed the Hex Country 400K. 17 out of 18 starters, including 3 pre-riders, completed the Lancaster Loop 300K. And 24 out of 25 starters, including 3 pre-riders, completed the Oxford Odyssey 200K.
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| Tracey Sikora enjoys the odyssey (photo by Matt Altea) |
Groups formed almost immediately and became one of the themes of the day. Some stayed together for long stretches, while others split and re-formed as riders settled into their own rhythms. On the longer distances especially, riders who had started among a sizable group sometimes found themselves with just one or two companions many hours later.
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| Jasen Lo and Zach Rachell team up for a tube change (photo by CJ Arayata) |
That camaraderie mattered when things didn't go exactly according to plan. Several riders experienced mechanical issues but were helped by fellow riders.
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| Runnymede Rd (photo by Kostiantyn Maistrenko) |
For the 200K riders, the Oxford Odyssey continued south and west through Chester County toward Oxford and Lincoln University before crossing into Delaware and eventually turning back toward Philadelphia. It was a challenging course, packed with the short, punchy climbs characteristic of the region.
The 300K and 400K riders had considerably more countryside still ahead of them. The Lancaster Loop continued west through Quarryville and into Lancaster County, eventually reaching Ronks and Lititz before beginning the long journey back east.
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| CJ Arayata stops for a cold drink at Dan Oh's well-supplied control (photo by Dan Oh) |
At Warwick Township Park, Dan Oh staffed what turned out to be a particularly welcome control, supplying riders with water and snacks at an important point in the ride. His electric pump even helped one mechanically challenged rider finally get back to proper tire pressure.
The stop earned a special mention from several riders including Ben Keenan:
Special thanks to Dan Oh for running an excellent control and re-supplying riders at Warwick Park. That water and snacks came at a critical time and were much appreciated.
From there, 300K riders continued toward the Hopewell Big Woods and the Schuylkill River Valley before turning toward Philadelphia and Chamounix. For the 400K riders, however, there was still another 100 kilometers of Hex Country waiting.
The route turned north and east into the Oley Valley and Reading Prong, adding another substantial loop before finally pointing riders toward home. By then daylight had faded, temperatures had dropped, and the social dynamics of a long brevet had done their work. The big groups of the morning had become small groups and pairs making their way through the night. Riding together made the experience feel like a shared accomplishment and provided both a sense of security and another perspective when decisions had to be made late in a very long day.
Or, as Sean Rich offered in perhaps the most concise review possible:
A PA 400K is an exercise in beautiful brutality!
Eventually, the remaining riders picked up the Perk and SRT for the final approach to Philadelphia. After hundreds of kilometers of hills, country roads, controls, mechanical problems, food stops, conversations, and tired legs, the lights of Chamounix welcomed the riders back after a beautiful September day.
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| Michael Reali (left) and Anthony DiNolfo (right) celebrate with Michelle Sun after she completed her first brevet |
Congratulations to the following riders who reached a new randonneuring milestone this weekend:
- Savva Babikov — first brevet & first 300K
- Peter Eby — first 400K
- Josh Grossman — first 400K
- Dan Kaminsky — first brevet & first 200K
- Alex Main — first brevet & first 400K
- Matt McLoone — first 400K
- Zach Rachell — first 300K
- Sean Rich — first 400K
- Alex Smith — first 300K
- Michelle Sun — first brevet & first 200K
- Josh Stair — first 300K
- Alex Thompson — first brevet & first 400K
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| Savva Babikov prepares for the next leg of the journey (photo by CJ Arayata) |
And congratulations to the following three riders who completed their 2026 PA Randonneurs Super Randonneur Series with their rides this weekend. Completing an SR Series (finishing a 200K, 300K, 400K, and 600K brevet in a single year) is a significant accomplishment and one of the most prestigious annual riding awards presented by PA Randonneurs.
- Anton Lindberg (2)
- Alexa Ringer
- Kate Sparacio
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| Sayantan Khan taking note of what's ahead after checking in with Pat Gaffney (photo by CJ Arayata) |
There was something fitting about holding these rides so late in the season. By September, many cyclists are beginning to think about shorter rides and the approaching end of summer. Instead, dozens of randonneurs spent the day riding 200, 300, or 400 kilometers through some of southeastern Pennsylvania's best cycling country.
There were too many good photos to include in this report. To view photos contributed by riders, visit these Google Photo Albums: Oxford Odyssey 200K Photos, Lancaster Loop 300K Photos, and Hex Country 400K Photos.
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| Jasen Lo (left) feeling a lot better after fixing his double flat (photo by CJ Arayata) |
Jasen Lo writes...
A great day of riding bikes with friends on a beautiful route with short punchy climbs and long bucolic descents. The route really had me feeling like I was coasting more than I had to climb!
The course notes were not joking about the Black Walnuts on the roads and trails. I suffered a rare double pinch flat from steering straight into a cluster of walnuts on the Chester Valley trail at mile 26, and then another one just a few miles afterwards.
But I managed to get back on the road after fellow riders Savva and Marcus graciously spared tubes of their own. I chased the group i was riding with and caught up with them at the Turkey Hill control at mile 75.
Having Dan's electrical pump at Warwick Township Park was huge for getting me back to proper PSI, and it was smooth sailing from there, although our group did suffer the loss of Phil in Phoenixville, despite Zach's best mechanical efforts to keep him on the road.
I count myself fortunate that I was able to recover from a bevy of mechanical issues, and more fortunate that despite these challenges, we all managed to make it back to Chamounix safely.
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| Matt Altea takes a rest (photo by Chris Myers) |
Matt Altea writes...
"Never stand when you can sit, and never sit when you can lie down."
If someone asked me what the perfect brevet riding conditions are, I'd probably respond by describing a day just like saturday. Little overcast, with sun coming through to warm you up, and temperatures that make you not think of the weather.
Saturdays journey started with me hurriedly climbing Greenland Dr to make the start time of 7:00 with the many friends who were also going to ride. In the rush to get checked in and ride off without making any friends wait for me, I didn't check into E-brevet, which made Saturdays ride my first paper only rando experience.
We mostly stayed together, the eight of us riding to the first control, where two of our friends decided to cut their rides short for the day. As we wished them good luck (and as they did) we ripped down N Valley rd to the CVT. As we rode out, the weather started to get warm, and passing under the dark bridge after Exton was like riding into a different world. From busy cycle paths and main line streets to Long stretches of countryside road, farms, and a few crushed gravel sections.
The ride to the next 3 controls would cause us to split up into smaller and smaller groups as we started to fall into our own paces. By the time Chris and I were eating lunch with the rest of the group at control 4, we had gone from a group of 8 strong to 4-5 people. By the time we Rolled into control 5 there were even less of us. By control 6 it was just me and Chris riding together.
The ride back into Philadelphia was eventful to say the least. A couple of close car passes, plus a fire engine and accompanying firefighters waving us on before they backed into the firehouse kept us on our toes until the very end.
Kate Sparacio writes...
Gorgeous day, great company and a fun route with plenty of challenge. Following the Twin Tunnels, Valley Creek Road was an early highlight around mile 33, winding along the creekside and giving us our first glimpse of the beauty and fun riding that was in store the rest of the day. Any time you see the yellow squiggly "winding road" sign you know you're in for a treat, and this route had plenty of them! I was delighted by all the early fall goldenrod and asters already popping in bright yellow and purple along the route, interspersed with lingering late-summer blooms and fields of sunflowers. Thanks to my fellow riders and the volunteers for a lovely day, and for celebrating the completion of my first SR series with me!
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| Root beer stop |
CJ Arayata writes...
Brad, thanks so much for all of the route-making, organization, and logistics to make this past weekend's inaugural events so successful!
It felt great to shake the rust off and get out there for my first 300k since 2019. I was glad to trade the steep 'club classic' climbs for some nice rural rollers, and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of long 1-2% gentle downhill stretches. The weather was perfect all day, and so was the company: myself, Zack, Jasen, Savva, Andy, and Phil.
Unfortunately, the day was not without some mechanical drama. Jasen managed to overcome three flats early on in Malvern but heroically caught up to us by the Quarryville controle. Savva's electronic shifting was starting to become self-aware and needed mid-ride app taming. The biggest tragedy was Phil's wireless RD spectacularly getting caught in the chain and exploding with 35 miles left to go. Zack managed to get Phil's bike single-speeded and we spun in solidarity, resolved to get our friend to the finish. Unfortunately, we only made it another 10 miles to Phoenixville before his rear freehub body also gave up the ghost, rendering his bike unrideable and forcing a sad farewell. My finish is dedicated to the memory of Phil's rear derailleur and hanger!
Some highlights: Seeing both the sunrise and sunset, watching all of the Amish up and early harvesting tobacco, witnessing a bull standing on top of a pile of rubble(???), wondering how much stuff from Bird-In-Hand Re-Uzit we could fit in our rando bags, Dan Oh coming through with the ice-cold Coca Cola, homemade root beer (shout out Maria and Alexa for the tip!), and the camaraderie and good vibes all day.
Looking forward to exploring more of your new routes and instant classics. Thanks again Brad, Pat, Dan, Woody, and all of the the pre-riders for putting together a great ride!
Peter Eby writes...
I did the Hex County 400km pre-ride for PA Rando event coming up Sept 19 since I will be in Chicago that weekend. 15,000 feet by the end but max altitude was under 1000 feet. Lots of 100-200 foot climbs. Some with 14% grades. Ouch. I started the morning with Brad and a pair on a tandem (Pat and Cece). They were pre-riding a 200km route. We rode together until mile 55. And then I was on my own. Because I was the pre-rider, I was also the scout for the upcoming event. Brad, who designs most of the courses out here, and this one, included 25km of a gravel trail from 340-365km for the first time. He wanted my opinion about keeping it and I started at 10:30pm. It was pitch black. No lights at all. Short sight lines, lots of turns and my Garmin was confusing to me for the first time that day. I doubled back a few times and had to move slowly for safety.
I reached the end at 1:40 am, having started at 4:40 am. So 21 hours. And I felt like I could have kept going (I had to ride 6km home anyway). Ultimately, a success! A lot of good equipment and comfort improvements. Still need a few adjustments to gear. I rode through Amish/Menonite country where my father’s father is from. Spent 1km on Eby Rd. Passed some horse and buggies - so I know I’ve got more than 1hp in me. I learned that I can ride alone for 200 miles. And will not be getting BBQ in the middle of a ride next time.
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| Photo by Nick Manna |
Nick Manna writes...
Wow, those were some cute cows!
The Pennsylvania Randonneurs have some fun rides planned to close out the 2026 calendar. First up are the Covered Bridges Fall Classic 200K and the new Tabora Fall Classic 143K on October 17. Then on November 7, we have the Crankin' 200K, featuring a route formerly known as the Welsh Tract Wander. To close out the year, we'll run the Oley Valley–Hopewell Furnace 200K on December 5 along with a holiday soirée (details being finalized).
Note that the November and December 200Ks are ACP brevets and will count toward PBP qualification, as the new ACP calendar begins on November 1. We hope to see you all again soon!
Brad Layman
RBA, Pennsylvania Randonneurs
