Spring Forward 200k

*** Update #1 (3/21)***
The cuesheet has been updated to draft 2, dated 3/20/13,  with several corrections and clarifications.  Be sure to always use the "refresh" button on your browser, in order to update any stale, cached pages.  There is one additional minor correction that slipped through the cracks and did not make it to draft 2: The "SS" at mile 35.9 has recently been changed to a "TFL" -- since this cue was mainly for spotting and caution, it is of little consequence but you can mark-up your copy of the cuesheet, if you like.

*** Original Post ***
The Eastern PA spring schedule begins on March 23rd with the Spring Forward 200k.  Organizer Andrew Mead has put together a beautiful course through the quiet backroads of Lancaster.  The 2013 edition is newly revised with many improvements.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubMar1.html

The Pancake Farm offers a fantastic preride breakfast.  Afterwards, we'll gather at Two Cousin's Pizza down the road from the finish.  Directions are posted on the event webpage.

With just a little over 12 hours of daylight, lights and reflective gear will be checked at the start, unless you have previously completed this course in less than 11 hours.  A course checkout is in the works, so be sure to check for cuesheet updates, which will be posted on the PA Randonneurs website:
www.parandonneurs.com

Organizer Andrew Mead is looking for another volunteer or two to help out with this event -- you can sign-up at:
http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=pa_volunteers2013

Please send me a note by Thursday, if you'd like to join the roster.

*** Ride Roster (as of 3/21) ***

1 Michael Anderson
2 Dan Barbasch
3 Clair Beiler
4 Gavin Biebuyck
5 Bob Burdalski
6 Jeffery S Butt
7 Timothy Creyts
8 Eric Dahl
9 Matthew Farrell
10 William Fischer
11 Nigel Greene
12 Steve Harding
13 Donald Jagel
14 Eric Keller
15 Christopher Anson Knight
16 Robin C Landis
17 Kate Marshall
18 Rudi Mayr
19 Andrew D Mead
20 Frankie Milliman
21 Chris Nadovich
22 Patrick S O Donnell
23 William Olsen
24 Peter C Phillips
25 Tom Rosenbauer
26 Chris Roth
27 Norman Smeal
28 Ivan M Umble
29 Victor Urvantsev

Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k Ride Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130202.pdf
... please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted this week, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

Sixteen riders braved the frigid weather and clipped in at the start. The temperatures started out in the low teens, and never made it past the mid 20F's.  Bright sunshine at the start gave way to increasing clouds, which ultimately brought snow showers later in the afternoon.  Nearly half the field stuck together, arriving as first finishers just as the initial snow squalls struck late in the afternoon. The snow came earlier and heavier than forecasted, which certainly ratcheted up the "winter weather conditions" to a whole new level for the later finishers.  Ultimately, the cold weather gear was not up to the task for 2 riders, prompting an early withdrawal at the Milford controle.  And the deteriorating road conditions prompted another withdrawal, with just 12 miles to go.  While coming up short is a disappointment, it is always better to err on the side of safety and thankfully, everyone made it back OK, despite the challenging winter conditions.

Special thanks to organizer, Don Jagel, who went way beyond the call of duty as a volunteer.  In addition to his volunteer preride (with even colder conditions than Saturday) and getting everyone on their way at the start, Don shuttled 2 riders back to the start from Milford (adding another 90 miles or so to his day).  Thanks also, to organizer Bill Olsen for staffing the finish controle and making sure everybody was safely accounted for.

Chris Nadovich completed his first (and he tells me, his last) R-12.  As the final finisher, Chris saw the worst of the road conditions.  He writes: "...B-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r I r-r-r-realy er-r-r-r-rned this R-R-R-R-12. But if truth be told, I stayed comfortably warm most of the day. Venting tweeks of the shell. Good gloves. Good balaclava. Coffee. Booties. And chemical toe warmers. That was my strategy....
Epic ride! ...By the way, Tom, I appreciated you checking on me periodically as I rode in the snow.  This helped keep my mind in a good place. Following Norman's wheel tracks also helped. Of course, once I found Hope again,the rest was easy.  ..."

Norman Smeal writes: "...A little chilly to be called a great day for a ride, and the added snow fall makes the day a bit more memorable. Thank you Don, Bill and Tom for putting this ride together.
Until the next ride..."

Matt Farrell writes: "...The weather conditions yesterday proved why Hope to New Hope is a great choice for a winter brevet. With minor road ice and temp. well below freezing at the start the route choices were perfect. The group of us Chip, Bill F, Bill O, Tim and Gavin stayed together as a group for most of the ride. It made for a nice day to be in less than idea temps. We were fortunate to finish just as the snow started to fall.  I enjoyed the day sharing stories in the group. It's something that is often missed in my local club rides. Thanks goes to you, Don & Bill Olsen for your work in putting the ride on. ..."

Eric Keller also completed an R-12, composed of all Eastern PA events -- in doing so, he becomes only the 5th person to attain that distinction -- Well done!  Bill Olsen completed his 6th R-12 series, and has extended his streak of Eastern PA finishes to 29 months. Bill writes: "...had conditions at the start looked like those when I drove home, I would have ridden my daily commuter which is a fixie with studded Nokians.  Clair made the right decision to choose not to continue...."

Bob Dye writes: "...A big thanks to you, Don and Bill for another well organized ride. We've 
proved there is really very little difference between the terms bicycle and icicle. ..."

Chip Adams writes: "... Tom, thank you for another great ride.  Thanks to Don and Bill for getting us on the road and making sure everyone was accounted for.   I suffered a minor mechanical when I was approaching New Hope.  My shift lever for the rear D stopped up shifting and pedaled the last 6 miles into the WaWa in my 28.   I never could  figure out how to release the tension.  The cable was still tight so I figured it wasn't broken.  I was pretty sure no moisture had gotten inside frozen.  I ended up releasing the tension on the derailleur and letting it slide outward  and picked up a good cruising mid-range gear.  There it was locked in and I was able to use it between my big and small chainring.  It worked well, but on the flats I couldn't keep up with Gavin.  We had a good group of riders with Matt, Bill F, Bill O, Gavin, and Tim.  We had Jon, I believe, on his fixed gear in there for most of it...
This ride is one of my favorites and I'll look forward to coming back for another go at it next year..."

First time participant Amit Shah writes: "...thanks to Don for helping me with a ride back. Looking back now, I absolutely regret quitting. Should have stuck around and finished the ride! I definitely want to join for March ride  ..."

This concludes the Eastern PA winter schedule.  But Spring is right around the corner, and what better way to kick-off the spring schedule on March 23rd than with the Spring Forward 200k.  Organizer Andrew Mead has made some route tweaks to improve what already was a great tour of Lancaster county.

Also, if you're planning to participate in the Eastern PA Fleche on April 5th, now is a good time to start putting your team together and planning your route.  Route submissions are due by March 22nd.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k

*** Update 2 (2/1) ***
Organizer Don Jagel will be having breakfast at the Blairstown Diner -- you can meet him there to sign-in and collect your brevet card if you arrive early.  After 7AM, you can meet him in the parking lot.

Current forecast is calling for some clipper-type snow showers to arrive on Saturday, but no significant accumulations are anticipated until later in the evening.

*** Update 1 (1/28) ***
The Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k is scheduled for Saturday, February 2. The course routing mainly uses primary roads, since these have the best chance of being cleared and treated for winter conditions.  Hopefully, the warm-up and rain in the forecast will wash away the snow and ice and the roads will dry up before the temperatures drop below freezing again.  If the current forecast holds, it looks like it will be a good test of your cold weather gear. While the conditions look promising for next weekend, weather and road conditions this time of year may cause last minute postponements, so be sure to check back on the website and message board for any last minute updates.

You can walk across the foot bridge at "Foot  Bridge Park" (where you'll be parking your car) and have breakfast at the Blairstown diner.  The finish controle at the Blairstown Inn is just a couple of stores away from the diner.  Organizer, Don Jagel, will meet you at the start and get you on your way and fellow organizer Bill Olsen will be meeting you at the finish. Reminder: With the limited daylight, lights and reflective gear will be checked at the start.

The cuesheet is the same as last year's: draft 7, dated 1/28/12.  Remember to print one out for yourself.

A volunteer pre-ride was completed this past Sunday by Don Jagel and he send me the following report:
"....it was a cold start.  My thermometer said 5 degrees at the start, and it did not get any higher until over one hour into the ride.  There were frost needles on the zipper of my jacket, my tights, and even on my chain.  There was also a strong frost on the tree branches that sparkled as the sun finally broke over the hills to the east.  When I got to Milford the temperature had gotten to a balmy 21 degrees, and continued to rise slowly until mid-afternoon.  It was a pleasant January day for a ride once the early morning cold wore off.

The parking lot at the start was covered with snow and ice, but that should be gone by next weekend.    Depending on the frost and ice conditions, it might be wise to avoid the footbridge at the start. 

Overall road conditions are good throughout the course.  There was a fair amount of gravel/salt on the roads, particularly north of Stewartsville.  The road shoulder still had a dusting of snow in some of the shaded areas at the northern end of the course, but that should also be gone by next weekend.  A lot of ice has accumulated on the cliffs just north of Milford.  Folks should be aware that in winter ice and rocks commonly fall onto the roadway, particularly in the afternoon after some melting has occurred.  Over the years I have gotten pelted by falling pebbles and had a couple of close calls from larger rocks and ice chunks.  Yesterday, one large piece of ice hit the road about 20 feet in front of me, so just pay attention to your surroundings.  Hopefully, with the warm weather this week, most of the ice will disappear.

Route 29 between Frenchtown and Stockton continues to deteriorate in some areas, particularly on the northbound shoulder and lane.  Some potholes have developed, and ice completely cover the shoulder in at least two locations, and was creeping into the driving lane.  Some icy patches were present along the edge of the roadway south of the bridge in Stockton (Rt. 32).  This portion of roadway is pretty well shaded, so may still have some ice next weekend.

All of the controls are good to go.  The cue sheet also appears to be dead on,..."

***Rider Roster (as of 1/31) ***

1 Chip Adams
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Jeffery S Butt
5 Jonathan Clamp
6 Tim Conway
7 Robert Dye
8 Matthew Farrell
9 William Fischer
10 Donald Jagel
11 Eric Keller
12 Robin C Landis
13 Chris Nadovich
14 William Olsen
15 Amit V Shah
16 Paul G Shapiro
17 Norman Smeal
18 Leonard Zawodniak

If you're planning to ride, send me an e-mail to join the roster -- please let me know by the Thursday before the event.
-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Morgantown 200 Ride Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130105.pdf... please let Tom know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted this week, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

Twenty-one riders clipped in for the inaugural running of the Morgantown 200 route to kick off their 2013 randonneuring season.  This new route promised to be kinder and gentler than the Pennsylvania Dutch 200 route we have used to kick off each new year for the past few years.  If this route is any kinder or gentler, then it is not much so.  The combination of a persistent headwind for the 55 miles to Middletown, temperatures that started in the mid-20s and never climbed out of the 30s all day, and roughly 8500 feet of elevation gain made for a tough day.  At least the sun was shining and roads were free from ice.

A strong group of riders including Gavin Biebuyck, Jeffrey Butt, Jon Clamp, Matt Farrell, Bill Fischer, and Norman Smeal set a benchmark fast time of 9:37 on this new route, reaching the finish just as darkness fell.  The rest of the riders took a more leisurely approach, perhaps stopping at the Subway in Columbia for real food or pausing to take in the scenery.   I particularly enjoyed the turn at Middletown and finally having the wind at my back for a while.  The good company of Mike Lutz, Bill Olsen, Clair Beiler, and Pete Phillips made the return trip all the more pleasant. 

Volunteer Bill Slabonik was on hand at the Brickerville and Middletown controles to handle check-in duties and offer friendly encouragement as the riders faced the wind and then at the finish to welcome riders back.   Volunteer help makes a HUGE difference on brevets, so be sure to thank Bill the next time you see him.  He promises to join us on two wheels (or maybe 3) soon.

Misfortune struck for regular rider Doug Haluza when he crashed along Yoder Rd resulting in a broken collarbone, a few cracked ribs, and a trip to the hospital.  Thankfully riders Janice Chernekoff, Chris Nadovich, and John Peltier were nearby and able to contact Emergency Services and stay with Doug until the EMTs arrived.  Doug writes: "In spite of all the other mechanical problems I've had, this is my first DNF on a brevet.... I remember sprinting uphill out of the saddle, and riding in the ambulance, but nothing in-between..."  John Pelteir reports: " ...I was only about 20 yds behind Doug and saw the entire thing. We had just crested a hill on Yoder and as we were going down into a dip before another slightly lower crest, Doug decided to power through the dip and honk up the next rise.  I was coasting and I estimate he was going about 30 MPH.  About 2/3 of the way up the hill it literally looked like his back wheel shot to the right as if it was "sprung".  ....  Afterwards, I did see that the chain was both off the big side of the crank chainwheel and that it was partly sucked up into the rear cogs, so it appears that the crash was likely caused by a jammed chain after a bad shift while climbing out of the saddle...." Chris reports, “I've carried a space blanket with me for the last 5 years -- including at PBP -- never using it ‘till yesterday. As it turned out, the ambulance arrived well before Doug started to chill, but at least I now feel justified for having toted the silly thing 20,000 miles.”  Doug was released from the hospital on Sunday and is expected to recover just fine.  This group then remained on the scene until support crew extraordinaire Bill Slabonik arrived to retrieve Doug’s bicycle.  The calm actions of this trio earned them the Outstanding Randonneur Award for the ride.  I can only hope that they are nearby should I ever need them. 

Don Jagel comments:
"Thank you for putting together the Morgantown 200k (AKA Turkey Hill Tour). The cue sheet was perfect, with great spotting cues, especially since you had not actually completed a preride of the course. Hats off to your excellent car scouting.

We definitely could not have asked for much better weather for the begining of January. After I pushed too hard into the the headwind (you would think I would know better by now), I found myself having to knock it back a bit. This led to an afternoon of slow climbs giving me a chance to take in all of the sights and smells of Lancaster County. On a short climb, after turning onto Stony Lane, I was almost out-pace by a power walker. Definitely humbling, and my low point of the day, although I did have to chuckle at the sad state I was in. The afternoon also led to the "kinder and gentler" (flatter with a slight tailwind) portion of the ride that gave me a chance to recover slightly.

This is a great ride with a nice diversity of terrain, scenery, and Turkey Hill stores. Also, a great thanks to Bill Slabonik for all of his wonderful support and cheerfully meeting us at the controls. The effort Bill put in to making it around the course to greet everyone is really appreciated. I also understand that that Doug hit the deck at some point during the day. Hopefully Doug will have a speedy recovery and make it back next month.
Thanks again,
Don Jagel"

Janice Chernekoff responds:
"I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed yesterday's route very much. The navigation issues that we discussed last night seemed to all occur in the last 25 miles of the route. Until then, the cue sheet worked very well and the scenery along the back roads was peaceful and quite lovely. Even the temperature became mild for a while in the afternoon. My plan had been to get very close to Strasburg before dark but obviously that didn't happen after the accident delay. Last night was long and cold, for you and Bill as well as for us, I'm sure. I'll look forward to riding this route again when it's not quite so cold and hopefully without having to see someone go flying off of his bike. In any case, I wanted to thank you for hosting the ride, and please, could you pass my gratitude along to Bill as well."

Note thet the cue sheet contained a mileage error at mile 123.3 which confused several riders trying to find their way back in the dark. Tom and I have located the source of the error and corrected the cue for future use.

Chris Nadovich also commented on the "kinder, gentler" aspects of the route:
"Thanks for an "interesting" ride through beautiful countryside -- beautiful day and night. I'm not sure about the "Kinder, Gentler" adjectives in the ride description. It was decidedly rolling, as my sore back is now telling me."

Thanks to all who came out to ride and especially those who helped out with our emergency. 

Next up is the Beyond Hope to New Hope brevet on February 2.  Details are posted at http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubFeb3.html

Andrew Mead
organizer

January R12 Brevet

** January 2 Update **
I checked out the route today and an updated cue sheet has been posted (Draft 3) on the website.

The roads were in surprisingly good shape with almost no ice/wet patches and very little runoff.   A couple more sunny, breezy days should eliminate what little moisture remains.  As is to be expected, there is a LOT of salt and gravel around so exercise care when diving into those turns.

There is a bridge closure at Controle #3.  This is an information control at the Cornwall Iron Furnace.  Fortunately, some of the orange barricade netting has been removed since my last visit and it is now possible to get across the bridge (all 10 feet of it) if you walk your bike.

I also added a few "Easy to Miss" notations in the cue.  Take note of these lest you get off course in the maze of roadways that is Lancaster County. 

Saturday looks to be chilly, but tolerable.  Compared to the PA Dutch ride of 2010 it should be downright balmy and calm.

A post-ride eating venue has also been identified to allow time to warm up, chow down, and tell tall tales of randonneuring adventure.  It is the Clubhouse Pizza & Pub located on Main St in Morgantown about 1/2 mile east of the starting location at the intersection of Main and 4th Avenue.  It is located here: http://goo.gl/maps/MMZcS.  Hope to see you all there.

Andrew Mead

** Original Post **
It is hard to believe that 2013 is already upon us and with it the start of a new R12 brevet series for Pennsylvania Randonneurs.  Come kick off the new year with a new brevet route, the Morgantown 200k, on January 5.  Registration opens at 7:00am with riders daparting at 7:30.  Additional details can be found at the PA Randonneurs website, http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubJan4.html.

Veterans of the Pennsylvania Dutch brevet can surely recall how terrain and weather usually combine in some fashion to make this event memorable.  There's not much I can do about the weather in January, but I have worked to develop a route that should be a little more forgiving and less susceptible to inclement weather.  The route starts in Morgantown, PA in a parking lot adjacent to the public library and behind the Holiday Inn.  If you follow this link (http://goo.gl/maps/fcUwV) you will see the parking lot as the U-shaped lot.  From here the route heads generally west, spanning the entirety of Lancaster County along its northern boundary to a turnaround point in Middletown, PA.  From Middletown, the route heads east to Morgantown, tracking generally south of Lancaster along many roads used in the Pennsylvania Dutch 200k route.  Only time will tell if this is truly a kinder, gentler route.

In typical winter fashion, the weather has impacted my ability to properly pre-ride the route when originally planned (on several occasions actually).  I currently have a pre-ride checkout ride planned for Thursday, so check back Friday for any last-minute cue sheet updates.  The only one of significance is a bridge closure in Cornwall.  The bridge is only 10 feet long, so I'll be checking to see whether we can easily get across instead of using the cyclocross move through a creek I used earlier this year.  I'll also be checking on a suitable venue for a post-ride gathering.

Drop me a line if you're planning to clip in.
Andrew Mead
- organizer

Roster as of 1/4:

1 Clair Beiler
2 Gavin Biebuyck
3 Jeffery S Butt
4 Janice Chernekoff
5 Jonathan Clamp
6 Matthew Farrell
7 William Fischer
8 J Scott Franzen
9 Doug Haluza
10 Thomas Hovan
11 Donald Jagel
12 R. Mark Kaufman
13 Eric Keller
14 Robin C Landis
15 J Michael Lutz
16 Andrew D Mead
17 Chris Nadovich
18 William Olsen
19 John Peltier
20 Peter C Phillips
21 Tom Rosenbauer
22 Norman Smeal
23 Keith A Spangler
24 Leonard Zawodniak

2012 Recap

Final results for 2012 have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/Results2012.pdf

Congratulations on all those hard-earned brevets -- collectively, we officially tallied over 83,000 Km in completed brevets.  All those brevets added up to 871 RUSA points, placing Eastern PA 6th out of 50 regions.  Thank you for clipping in and being a part of that success.  But of course, none of those brevets would've been possible, if not for all the volunteers who stepped up and helped out:
- Glenn Ammons 400k finish
- Ron & Barb Anderson 1000k overnight
- Dan Barbasch 1000k overnight
- Bill Blank Apr. R-12,
- Jim Bondra 1000k sweep
- Laurent Chambard 1000k sweep, overnight controles
- Doug Haluza 600k finish
- Bill Fischer 1000k sweep
- Don Jagel Mar. R-12, 1000k sweep
- Eric Keller 1000k sweep
- Mike Lutz Sep. R-12
- Andrew Mead Advisor, Jan., Apr. Sep. R-12 Organizer, 400k, 600k overnight, PA Message boards
- George Metzler Apr. R-12 BBQ,
- Paul Murray 600k setup
- Chris Nadovich 300k finish, 400k, 1000k finish
- Christine Newman 400k finish, Oct 200k food
- Bill Olsen Advisor, Jan. R-12, Feb. R-12, 600k, Jul. Dec. R-12 organizer
- Curtis Palmer Jan. R-12
- Chris Roth Jul. R-12
- Hugo Safar Oct. 200k food
- Bill Slabonik Apr., Jun. R-12, Sep. R-12
- Norman Smeal 400k
- Keith Spangler Apr., Jun. Sep. R-12, 1000k sweep
- Ted Straub Jan. R-12
- Len Zawodniak Feb. Nov. R-12, 600k finish

This was a year of many accomplishments -- too many to list completely -- but some selected ones I'd like to share with you include:
• There were seven Eastern PA Super Randonneurs this year: Dan Barbasch (2nd), Gavin Biebuyck (2nd), Bill Fischer (2nd), Nigel Greene, Eric Keller (4th), Bill Olsen (4th), and Bob Torres.  Well Done!  Honorable mention to the following riders who just came up a bit short in completing their PA SR series: Dan Aaron, Matthew Farrell, Laurent Chambard, Walt Pettigrew, Guy Harris, Norman Smeal, and Susan Rodetis – I hope I can hand out a plaque to you also, next year!

• Bill Olsen clipped-in and finished 4460 km of the 4660 km on the Eastern PA calendar, missing only the 200k in April. Bill also notched another PA R-12 series – his 3rd!  Bill currently has a streak of 27 months going, which is the longest of any PA Randonneur ever.  Norman Smeal, missing just 3 events, racked up 3960 km,.
• Two other riders also completed their R-12 series: Don Jagel and yours truly completed their 2nd.  Eric Keller with a current streak of 10 months is closing in on his first PA R-12 series.
• Several riders tested their limits on longer rides: Fred Collins, Michelle Hughes, Chris Knight, Gary Mass, David Pawlyk, and Chris Roth completed their first 300k. Clair Beiler, Michelle Hughes, Norman Smeal and Susan Rodetis completed their first 400k. Susan and Norman then followed that up with their very first 600k.  Norman then went on to complete his very first 1000k.
• Eastern PA participants were well represented on the grand randonnees this year: S1200: Bill Olsen; CHC1200:  Laurent Chambard, Mordecai Silver; ToC1200: Chip Adams, Michael Anderson, Patrick Chin-Hong, Nigel Greene, Eric Keller, Larry Midura, Maile Neel, Bill Olsen; LC1200 Bill Olsen; RM1200: Patrick Chin-Hong, Larry Midura, Bill Olsen. Of note, Bill and Larry both completed a CAN-AM challenge and RUSA cup – well done!

In 2013, there will be several domestic 1200k's to choose from, including the 2nd edition of the Endless Mountains 1240k – I’m hoping that at least half the field will officially finish this time around.  The Eastern PA region will also be offering many brevets for qualification and preparation including a complete SR series and an R-12 series of monthly 200k’s.  With a grand randonnee on the calendar, I’m especially counting on volunteers to step up to help out. Randonneurs from afar will be traveling to our area and you can help make this a positive experience for them.

-Tom Rosenbauer, Eastern PA RBA

Stillwater Retour 200k Report

Len Zawodniak headed towards the  Lackawanna Viaduct
(photo by Christine Newman)

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results121201.pdf
... please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted this week, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

For the second time in a row, a scheduled event had to be postponed due to weather -- this time, a last minute freezing rain advisory issued Friday afternoon was the cause.  While Sunday proved a much safer day for riding, the mid 50F's that were promised in the forecast never materialized.  Despite foggy conditions that persisted for most of the morning and mostly overcast skies, there can't be too many complaints about the weather for a December ride: the high 30F's at the start were certainly above average, and the adverse winds were limited to the segment from Lafayette to Great Meadows.  The sun did manage to make a brief appearance in the afternoon, warming things up briefly to the high 40F's; and thankfully, the heavy rain showers held off until the last finishers were safely in and eating pizza at the finish controle.

The roster originally had around 24 riders, which is a pretty good number for a December event.  But due to the postponement and dense fog in the morning, only 15 were able to make to the start. All 15 starters made it around the course in very good time for another 100% finish rate: congratulations to everyone, for another excellent result.  The threat of rain in the late afternoon provided a motivation to get around the course efficiently as possible.  The first riders made it in with a time of 8:47, well before the evening rains.  The later finishers saw a few spritzs, but beat the heavier rain showers by a good hour.

Of note, Gloria Safar completed her first PA brevet -- congratulations!

Bill Fischer writes: "...as always, thanks for a terrific brevet Sunday.  Our group of 5 kept things moving and made short stops in an effort to get in before the rains appeared.  I hope everyone else was as fortunate.  Although it remained overcast, temperatures were reasonably comfortable while riding.  It was good to see all the signs of post-Sandy recovery throughout the course.  Happy Holidays to all, I look forward to seeing everyone in January!..."

Bob Dye writes: "...Another hearty thank you to you and Bill for the opportunity to punish myself in bucolic NJ and PA.  I was amazed at the scarcity of traffic. There were so few cars on the road, I thought the world may have ended and we were  the last to find out. I hope everyone who does any of your rides remembers to vote in the RUSA elections....." [Thanks Bob! -- you can cast your vote electronically by following this link:  http://parandonneurs.blogspot.com/2012/11/rusa-elections.html  ]


Christine Newman writes: "...

Thanks for another great ride - and for changing the date so it fit my schedule! 

Although the sun flirted with us only a few times, the rain managed to hold off until the drive home. With the grey skies and the bits of snow on the ground, it truly felt like the first ride of the winter. 

And here is a link to some information about some places along the route. Len was explaining the origin of  the name "Foul Rift" so I hunted around the internet for more info. It's quite the historic region

http://www.njskylands.com/tn_riverroad_093.htm

 ..."

Christine took a number of really great pictures, which are posted here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/canewmandvm/LeRetourDeStillwater200K?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ2RpY797LP1ag#
... there are a couple of photos of tunnels and viaducts which were a part of the Lackawanna Cutoff, an engineering marvel created in the early 1900's.  For a fascinating read on this, check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lackawanna_Cut-Off

Len Zawodniak writes: "...I had a good time riding along with Chris and Christine. The early and extended foggy morning lent a dreamy quality to the landscape. Sounds and colors were subdued. It took 3 years for me to learn to ride fast when I first started Randonneuring, It has taken another 7 years for me to learn how to ride slow! There are so many details that I notice during each minute of the ride, the vast majority are lost in the flow of the road and time. Many are not quite forgotten, but wait to be remembered, like that small farm pond that always seems to be the first one frozen and the last to thaw. New this year was the smell of wood from a backyard smoker. I wanted to see what was in that little shed.
   Much of the time spent riding alone is filled with music, mostly ( for the benefit of the general public) playing in my head. If I were unfortunate enough to pass "Penny Lane " along the course, i would sing it internally for 15 or 20 minutes, blending and warping it seamlessly into other songs bearing only a passing resemblance of a few notes or merged guitar solos. This rides free association trigger award goes to Christine- who told a story about long distance riding with a younger rider, and his statement that the other riders seemed so old. That launched me into a rendition of Little Feats "Old Folks Boogie"- so appropriate for this ride: "You know that you're over the hill, when your mind makes a promise that you're body can't fill" . In this case, If you get over the hill, you're not.   Thanks for another great ride! Len ..."

If you have any other comments to share, you can forward them to me for inclusion on the message board ride report.

Special thanks to organizers Andrew Mead and Bill Olsen for their good advice on rescheduling the event as the weather forecast deteriorated.  Bill also staffed the finish controle, and was there to greet all the riders.

This concludes the 2012 calender of events... and the last couple of events have certainly have been most "eventful", whew!  Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be working on the year-end mailing which includes your validated brevet cards, 2012 season recap, and the 2013 calender of events.  The 2013 season kicks off on Jan 5th with a brand new course compliments of organizer Andrew Mead.  The start/finish will be in Morgantown, PA, and is designed with winter road conditions in mind.  Andrew also promises that this ride will be a bit more kinder and gentler than the PA Dutch 200k we've run in recent years in January (we'll soon find out if that hold true!); Event details we be posted shortly.

And speaking of the new year, John Lee Ellis has sent out this reminder from RUSA-HQ: "..You may wish to remind your riders to renew their RUSA membership (if expiring 12/31) ... before the distractions of the holiday season:
http://www.rusa.org/memberservices.html
That way they'll be all set for that early-season event or permanent. Thanks and happy year-end riding! ..."

-Tom Rosenbauer, RBA