Blue Mountain 200k Results and Report

Preliminary results for the March 24th  Blue Mountain 200k have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results120324.pdf
...please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be sent to RUSA shortly, and then become final, pending RUSA approval.

Despite a rather wet and dismal weather forecast, the day started out clear and sunny with unusually warm temperatures in the 50F's.  By late morning, the increasing clouds were almost a welcome relief from the warm sun, as many riders tackled the climb up Little Gap.  By mid afternoon, the darkening clouds brought on the first couple of drops of rain, but little more materialized other than a few little spritzes that barely wet the roadway.  A pretty stiff east wind apparently did it's part to keep the bulk of the rain to our west.  And for the most part, the wind was more beneficial than not -- especially that downwind leg  from Wind Gap to Danielsville.

35 riders (including 1 preride volunteer) officially finished for another 100%  completion -- congratulations for another excellent result.  Of note, Christopher Knight completed his first brevet, and Steve Harding completed his first PA brevet.  Both of them hail all the way from Delaware, and hopefully, we'll see them clipping in again with us soon.

First finishers Len Zawodniak and John Fuoco made it around the course in 8:21.  John writes: "... it was truly a thrill to get back into brevets ... I realized how much I missed it all: the bunch, the hills, the wind, the potholes, and just how nice it feels to get to the end! I am still sore and tired but looking forward to the next one..."
Len writes: "...Thanks for a great course today!  Exceptional spring weather and Mother Nature was looking good. You know, there is an easier way back to the finish without that last hill... oh I speak heresy ! I meant thanks for helping us all get in a little extra training, which we undoubtedly could use in the spring ... I particularly appreciated the cooling mist that you provided just in time for a tired randonneur to climb that last hill. I did not actually see you doing it, so I presume that it was remote controlled in some fashion. I'll just call it Remote Activated Inundation ( or just "RAIN" for short)...."

Nigel Greene writes: "...I wanted to say thanks to you and the volunteers for another great job on the putting this ride together. The cue sheet route accuracy and road selection made for another memorable day. Even Staat Rd added that particular exclamation point I learned to expect from a Pennsylvania course..."  And once again, Nigel has put together another excellent ride report posted here:
http://eprider.blogspot.com/2012/03/blue-mountain-200k.html
... with a photo album posted here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58781331@N07/sets/72157629660735107/

Mary Johnson writes: "...Despite 2 flat tires -- the ride was great.  Nice course and great company along the ride.  Thanks for delaying the rain! ..."

Doug Haluza this time, had an uneventful ride, which is quite rare for him.  Doug writes: "...So nice to complete an unremarkable brevet for a change--sometimes you bite the bear I guess...."  Doug has created a website if you would like to post your GPS data:
http://www.strava.com/clubs/pa-randonneurs-5417

Joe Fillip writes: "...Very good ride yesterday -- I am particularly fond of the course (with the exception of the last big climb on Staats Road!). And the conditions were good -- wind helped us more than it hurt us, and only a few stray sprinkles along the way. All in all, a good day. ..."

Rick Carpenter returned from somewhere south of the Mason Dixon line to clip in again with us and reunite with some long-time friends.  Rick writes: "...The turnout of so many familiar faces made this ride quite special to me, particularly as it was almost exactly five years ago that I rode my first Brevet - Tom’s ACP “PA 200K”, hosted from the Weisel Youth Hostel back then.  Oh Boy, I can recall my nervousness, trepidation, and excitement leading into this event as if it was yesterday - this being my longest ride ever, and the start in meeting all my qualifiers for entering 2007 PBP.  And having Tom’s and Laurent’s guidance and support throughout made me realize how unique this sport of Randonneuring is.


As often happens during a new venture, a special camaraderie developed between a small group of us; Joe Brown, George Metzler, John Fuoco, and myself.  The four of us anxiously looked forward to seeing what Tom had planned next for us - all the routes were fresh, unknown, and exciting; and of longer and longer distances - yikes!  What fun we had battling rain and wind, rollers and steeps, barking dogs and those other nighttime ‘creature’ rustlings, Pavelka pulling us all through Hawks Nest, eagerly downing cheeseburgers in Wallenpaupack, yacking then losing track & getting lost, racing each other up hills, tucking into those daring descents on Millbrook & Little Gap.  Good stuff.


Seeing this same excitement and enthusiasm yesterday in our randonneurs is truly magical - what a great group!  Whether it’s watching Geoff’s amazing talent in action breaking every ride time, or enjoying Nigel’s & Shane’s essays and pictorial documentation, or cheering-on Ixsa’s tireless efforts and pleasing demeanor, the challenge, enjoyment, and camaraderie shines through.  I wish you all the same rich experiences I’ve come to know from this sport. ..."
Rick's photo album is posted here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rick_carpenter/sets/72157629660442699/


Special thanks to volunteer Don Jagel, who came up with the Blue Mountain 200k route concept.  Don also completed a volunteer preride and staffed the finish controle

And speaking of volunteers, I'm still looking for help on the following events:
300k (May 5)
400k (May 19)
600k (June 2)
1000k (August 17)
Volunteers may pre-ride an event up to 15 days in advance (which allows you to cherry pick a good day for riding, I might add).  Please drop me a note if you can step up to help out.

If you have any other comments or photos to share, you can forward them to me or post them on the message board.

The next event on the Eastern PA calender is the Fleche team event, scheduled for the week after Easter:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA_Fleche.html
And the week after that, will be the inaugural Silver Spring 200k, compliments of organizers Andrew Mead and George Metlzer:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubApr1.html
George has kindly offered to host a post-ride BBQ at Cafe Metzler in Atglen.  In the the next week or so, the start/finish controles are going to be changed in order to make it more convenient to take part in the post-ride festivities; so be sure to check the message board and website for updates.

Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Blue Mountain 200k

*** Update 1 (3/19/12) ***

Don Jagel completed a volunteer preride this past weekend.  Don reports:

"...I could not have had better weather for a mid-March ride.  After the fog burned off, it was sunny with a light breeze for the remainder of the day. I hope the weather is similar next weekend.  When I left Milford in the morning it was quite foggy.  I would recommend that riders be prepared for morning fog in the river valley.  Lights may be a good idea, even for the fast riders that will finish well before dark. You must have spent a fair amount of time scouting the new sections of the route between Wind Gap and Danielsville.  The cue sheet was excellent along the new portions of the route, as well as the areas that you have used for previous brevets.
Items of note:


1)  I stopped in Miller's Market in Danielsville at the southeast corner of 946 and Blue Mountain Drive.  I spoke with Lynn (owner), and she was very nice and happy to accommodate us.  They open at 8:00 AM on Saturdays.  I think this is a better stop than the Shell Station. 


2) A portion of Cherry Valley Road is closed between Rt. 191 and Water Gap because of a road collapse (see attached photo).  Cherry Valley Road is blocked at the intersection of Cherry Valley Road and Greenbriar Road (Mile 80.7) (there is a street sign for Greenbriar Road at the intersection).  Riders should follow the detour by turning left onto Greenbriar Road, then turn Right onto Stone House Road, then left (SS) onto Cherry Valley Road.


3) Sweet Hollow Road is officially closed as you mentioned.  The actual barricaded section is very short, and it is no big deal to walk around the barricades.  When I went through I noticed quite a few bike tracks suggesting that a number of people do go around the barricades.  I think it would be OK to keep the route along Sweet Hollow Road, as long as you mention that riders will have to walk around the barricades."

The cuesheet has been updated to Draft 3 dated 3/19/12 with the following changes:

1) New controle location (Miller's Market) in Danielsville

2) Cherry Valley detour just before Water Gap

As Don noted, we're in a weather pattern with early morning fog, and there is a chance of some rain in the long range forecast -- both situations will require that you have lights and reflective gear.

I'm hoping to take one more look at the course on Wednesday for my own volunteer preride.  Be sure to monitor the website for any last minute changes or updates.

-Tom Rosenbauer

Eastern PA RBA 

*** Original Post ***

The Blue Mountain 200k is scheduled for Saturday, March 24.  Event details have been posted at:

http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubMar2.html

The cuesheet has recently been updated to draft 2 with a couple of minor clarifications and corrections.  However, there is some major road construction on Sweet Hollow Road  -- there's a good chance we're going to have to reroute around this construction project, so be sure to check back on the website and message board for updates.

The start/finish is in Milford, NJ and as noted on the webpage, permission has been granted to us to use the parking lot off of Church St.  (The parking lot is owned by the Medical Supply business that moved into the old bakery location, and they are closed on the weekends).  Breakfast sandwiches and baked goods are available at the Bakery start controle.  The finish controle is next door at Pipolo's Pizza. 

If you're planning to join the Rider Roster, please let me know (via email)  by Thursday, 3/22.

*** Rider Roster as of 3/22 ***

Ron Anderson
Barbara Anderson
Gavin Biebuyck
Joe A Brown
Clar Beiler
Larry E Brenize
Geoff Brunner
Rick Carpenter

Laurent Chambard

Jonathan Clamp

Frederick R Collins
Dawn Engstrom
Matthew Farrell 

Joe Fillip

William Fischer

John Fuoco
Nigel Greene

Timothy Guscott

Doug  Haluza
Jud Hand

Steve Harding
Guy Harris
Cynthia Hearing

Donald Jagel
Mary Johnson
Eric Keller
Chris Knight
Robin C Landis
Mike Lutz
George Metzler
Chris Nadovich

Bill Olsen

Tom Rosenbauer
Chris Roth

Norman Smeal
Bob Torres
Len Zawodniak

-Tom Rosenbauer

Eastern PA RBA

Ready for Spring?

Spring is right around the corner, are you ready?

The first spring event on the Eastern PA 2012 schedule is a brand new course starting out of Milford, NJ on March 24th: the Blue Mountain 200k.  Special thanks to Don Jagel for suggesting the new route.  Event details and registration have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubMar2.html

And speaking of new courses, Andrew Mead has created a brand new one starting out of Gap, PA.  The Silver Spring 200k will be the April R-12 event.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubApr1.html

Between the March and April 200k's, the Eastern PA Fleche will be offered the weekend after Easter.  I've already have heard from 5 teams that have started making plans.  Route submissions from team captains are due by April 1, so freshly minted PBP anciens looking to complete an R-5000 series still have a chance to complete their fleche event this year.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA_Fleche.html

Even though it's been a rather mild winter so far, there's nothing like a good solid week of riding to jump start your cycling season.  There's still time to register for a PAC Tour desert camp:
http://www.pactour.com/desert.htm
... these camps typically fill up pretty quickly, so if you're thinking of going, don't wait too long to register.

John Hughes and Dan Kehlenbach, authors of Distance Cycling, are presenting a free webinar: Kickstart Your Century and 200K Training

They'll provide detailed information about how you should prepare for a first or next century or 200K including how to improve performance. You'll learn how to build baseline endurance through cycling, cross-training, strength and flexibility activities. You'll then learn how to train specifically to peak for an event(s). Along the way you'll learn how to fuel your training and rides.  You can also ask questions.  The free webinar is:

Thursday, March 29
11:00 a.m. - 12 noon CDT

More information and register here:
http://tinyurl.com/7okek8f

One local PA Randonneur who definitely  is ready for spring is Geoff Brunner, who is busy training and making preparations for RAAM this year.  Geoff is looking for 2 additional crew members to round out his team, and is hoping to recruit someone from the randonneuring community.  If interested or have any questions, please contact me and I'll put you in touch with Geoff.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k Preliminary Results and Report

Preliminary results for the February 4th  Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results120204.pdf
...please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be sent to RUSA shortly, and then become final, pending RUSA approval.

Temperatures at the start were in the mid 20F's, but quickly got into the mid 30F's.  The clear skies at the start gave way to overcast conditions for much of the day.  But with high temperatures in the mid 40F's, there can hardly be many complaints about the weather for an early February event!

The unusually mild weather for this time of year drew a record number of participants: a total of 30 (including the 2 preride volunteers) is more than double the number that usually clip-in at this time of the year. In looking over the hometown of the participants, I would say that many points of the compass within a ~100 mile radius were well covered.  In addition to Pennsylvania, randonneurs from New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland were represented.

All 30 riders clipping in at the start, made it to the finish for another 100% completion rate -- congratulations to everyone, for an excellent result.  Of note, there once again were a number of riders finishing their first 200k brevet: Clair Beiler, Cynthia Hearing, Ralph Miller, and Chris Roth.  These riders just need 11 more months of 200k finishes to complete their R-12 and they have one of the tougher months in the bag already.

Also of note, Jon Clamp completed the ride on a single-speed, and Christine Newman joined the "fixed-gear" club on this ride.  Christine writes "...Thanks for a great day yesterday. I have not ridden this route before and I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed all the food controles - the diner, the bakery and the inn at the finish. It was great to see so many familiar faces in the middle of winter..."  Christine also is a member of the "brevet photography" club, and despite the cold weather, managed to get a number of interesting shots posted here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/canewmandvm/BeyondHope200KBrevet02

Doug Haluza once again, overcame mechanical issues to save his ride.  This time, it was the chain.  After breaking it twice, he stopped at the bike shop in Frenchtown to get a new one.  And despite having it replaced by a professional mechanic, it broke for a third time!  Doug writes: "...I remember you saying that this course was going to be easy and we should be done early. Thanks for that! OK, the best part of the day was after my chain broke the first time, and I stopped at Zekes Place in Warren County to get something to drink since my bottles were frozen. They had country music playing and a guy was eating breakfast wearing a cowboy hat. Someone came in and ordered a western omelette. And I wondered where I made a wrong turn and ended up in Oklahoma...."

As Doug notes, this is a fast course.  And a couple of fast riders, Geoff Brunner and Gavin Biebuyck set a new course record of 7:23.  Jon Clamp and Don Jagel also managed to get in under 8 hours.  Don writes: "... Thanks for putting together 200k brevet yesterday.  The route is a very good early season route, particularly if the weather/road conditions turn bad.  Luckily, we had none of that.  Probably the most difficult part of the course is the return trip up Route 29.  It is just a little too flat.  My legs were a bit tight upon arriving back in Frenchtown.  Once the roads started to become slightly more rolling my legs began feeling better.  We arrived in New Hope very quickly, enjoying the general down grade for the entire way.  Norm, Jon, Gavin, Geoff, and myself all left New Hope together.  Geoff, wanting to finish with a negative split, upped the pace and only Gavin went with him.  They soon disappeared from our view.  They did achieve the negative split, and if I am not mistaken, also trounced the PA Randoneurs record for the fastest finish of a 200K.  Congrats to both...."

Bob Dye, part of the upstate New York contingent, writes: "...30 riders for a February Brevet?! Obviously a testament to your charismatic and dynamic leadership - not to mention good looks. Thanks for another great day in the saddle..." [Thanks Bob, but I think if we had one of those rainy days in the mid 30F's, like we had just a couple of weeks ago, the numbers would've been much lower -Tom R.].

Special thanks to volunteers Len Zawodniak, who joined me for the pre-ride, and Bill Olsen, who staffed the finish controle and made sure everybody got in safely.  And speaking of volunteers, I'm looking for help on the following events:
300k (May 5)
400k (May 19)
600k (June 2)
1000k (August 17)
Volunteers may pre-ride an event up to 15 days in advance (which allows you to cherry pick a good day for riding, I might add).  Please drop me a note if you can step up to help out.

If you have any other comments or photos to share, you can forward them to me or post them on the message board.

Next up is a 200k for the March R-12.  The route will either be the Stillwater 200k or a new route out of Milford, NJ.  And looking ahead to April, there is a brand new 200k course compliments of Andrew Mead.  Hopefully, our streak of good weather will continue.

Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k

*** Update 1 (1/28) ***
A volunteer pre-ride was completed on 1/28 by Len Zawodniak and yours truly (Thanks Len, for the wonderful company!).  We had fantastic weather, with mostly sunny skies for much of the day.  Temperatures were in the middle 30F's at the start and topped out around 50F.  Winds were calm at the start and picked up out of the south west as we approached New Hope.   We got a nice boost in the form of a 15 MPH tailwind for the last 26 miles to the finish.  It felt a lot more like a early spring day than a winter one.

The cuesheet has been updated to draft 7 (dated 1/28) with a couple of minor clarifications and a route tweak in Frenchtown on the return leg.  In general, the course is in very good shape, but some extra care should be taken with the following:
-There was standing water under the underpasses and along the cliffs near Milford...these of course might be frozen over when you pass through.
-There is plenty of loose gravel and sand from recent road treatments.
-The northbound lane of Rt 29 is in very bad condition in several spots.

Reminder: With the limited daylight, lights and reflective gear will be checked at the start.

***Rider Roster (as of 2/3) ***
-Chip Adams
-Mike Anderson
-Ron Anderson
-Barbara Anderson
-Colin Bailey
-Dan Barbasch
-Clari Beiler (Guest Member)
-Gavin Biebuyck
-Geoff Brunner
-Janice Chernekoff
-Jon Clamp
-Rick Collins
-Bob Dye
-Matt Farrell
-Joe Fillip
-Bill Fischer
-Ixsa Golliur
-Doug Haluza
-Cynthia Hearing
-Don Jagel
-Mary Johnson
-Bill Olsen
-Jon Levitt
-George Metzler
-Ralph Miller (New Member)
-Christine Newman
-Tom Rosenbauer (volunteer pre-ride)
-Chris Roth
-Paul Shapiro
-Norman Smeal
-Bob Torres
-Ivan Umble
-Len Zawodniak (volunteer pre-ride)

*** Original Post ***
The Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k is scheduled for Saturday, February 4.  The current long range forecast looks promising, but weather and road conditions this time of year may cause last minute postponements, so be sure to check back the website and message board for any updates.

***Please note the new start/finish location has been moved to Blairstown for this edition***

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.  

The course routing mainly uses primary roads, since these have the best chance of being cleared and treated for winter conditions.

There is a volunteer preride scheduled for January 28th, so check the website for any cuesheet updates.

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

PA Dutch 200k Preliminary Results & Report

Preliminary results for the January 1st PA Dutch 200k have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results120101.pdf
...please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be sent to RUSA shortly, and then become final, pending RUSA approval.

Temperatures at the start were around 38F, which was about the high temperature for the volunteer pre-ride just 3 days earlier.  By mid-day, temperatures were well into the 50's.  Hearty upstate New Yorker Bill Fischer even sported short sleeves with arm warmers and knickers since the day was to be "summer-like" for him.  Thankfully, the passage of the cold front held off until later in the day, so those stiff westerly winds did not materialize for the long leg out to Columbia.  Clear skies in the morning eventually gave way to darkening clouds and some rain showers later in the afternoon.  A reinforcing cold front is in the forecast with wind chills in the single digits -- in less than 48 hours after those balmy 50F's!

All 21 riders who clipped in for the PA Dutch 200k (including 4 volunteer pre-riders) made it to the finish, for a 100% finish rate and excellent start to the Eastern PA 2012 season -- congratulations to everyone for being a part of that success.  Thankfully, it was an "uneventful day", and everything went according to plan, due in no small part to the preparations and efforts of organizer Andrew Mead.  As Andrew previously noted, the cue sheet was top notch -- with the many tricky turns through the maze of back roads of Lancaster county, this was a big undertaking -- special thanks to my fellow volunteer pre-riders: Andrew Mead, George Metzler, and Norman Smeal, who all contributed towards making the cue sheet as good as possible.  Thanks also to volunteer Bill Olsen for manning the finish controle, collecting the brevet cards, and making sure everybody got in safely.  With the potential for "epic conditions", which this event has a history of, several volunteers were positioned around the course to greet riders, monitor their progress, and  respond to any eventualities.  Special thanks to these volunteers who stepped up to help out: Bill Slabonik, (on call at Columbia), Curtis Palmer (Lititz controle), and Ted Straub (Honey Brook controle and Conestoga revitalement controle).

Volunteer Ted Straub became a new PA Member in 2011 but has not yet had the opportunity to clip-in for an event.  So this was Ted's first PA event which happened to be in the role as a volunteer.  Ted writes: "...Thanks for taking a chance and letting a new guy, sight unseen, support a ride. I enjoyed the morning and meeting the group, however briefly, on a really nice day! I learned a few things about manning a Controle and being a “waypoint”... at the Conestoga Wagon Restaurant, Bill [Fischer] wins my vote for Mr. Congeniality. Not only for shepherding a first time rider, but also his easygoing, upbeat attitude. The kind that comes from being an experienced, strong rider. A pleasure meeting him, and I wish I could hang at the finish to chat with everyone more when the pressure is off...I snapped some photos that I’ll upload and let you know where to access...."


Bill Olsen writes: "...Thanks for running such a great brevet to kick off the new year. As difficult as the ride has been on all of the previous runnings it didn't seem so difficult with the temperatures in the 50s...although Hilltop Road lived up to it's name and where else but PA can one find a River road that includes a 3.7 mile climb?"

Several riders enjoyed breakfast at the Mt. Penn Family Restaurant to get their ride off to a fully fueled start.  A visiting Maile Neel realized that her helmet had not made the trip up from the DC area.  A quick trip to a nearby 24-hour WalMart solved the problem, though Maile was a little disappointed that there were no more Hello Kittty helmets remaining after Christmas.  You can see Maile's photo album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcn7/sets/72157628691139331/

First finisher, Geoff Brunner started at the back the field, and casually worked his way towards the front as he met up with the other riders.  He reached Lititz just after 2PM, with the main pack not too far behind.  But with an impressive negative split for the final 37-mile leg that was over 16 MPH, Geoff managed to make it in before sundown and set a new course record of 8:25.

John Capriotti completed his R-12 series.  In doing so, John joins a very select group who kicked off their string of 12 consecutive months of brevet finishes with their very first brevet event.  Congratulations, and Well Done!  Incidentally, John's first event was with PA Randonneurs back in February of 2011 -- his R-12 series was book-ended by two of the toughest months in the northeast, to get in a ride.  You can read all about John's first year of randonneuring at his 'Videlos' blog:
http://videlos.wordpress.com/

Joe Fillip writes: "...Tom: A wonderful (and challenging!) ride to start off the New Year. Please pass along my thanks to Andrew for an excellent job in getting us all organized and sending us off at the start (as well as for putting up with this "late registrant"). ... I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to ride with such a wonderful group of riders, and to ride brevets that have been so thoughtfully designed and are so well organized. Great job, Tom. By the way, I nominated you for American Randonneur of the Year before the 12/31/11 deadline. Hope that works out - you certainly deserve it..." [Thanks Joe!  But looking at the list of past recipients of that award, I have looonnngg way to go before I can even think of rubbing elbows with that crowd -- I think my only chance would be if nobody else was nominated. -TJR]

Colin Bailey writes: "...It was a wonderful ride.  I truly appreciate the camaraderie of the others. It is a wonderful group. ..."  You can read Colin's ride report posted here:
http://cascadianrhythms.blogspot.com/2012/01/pa-dutch-200k-my-first-brevet.html

Houston Joost sent me the following note: "...I just wanted to let you know that Jenn, my wife and I and the rest of our family are moving to San Francisco this month. We are very excited and I plan to affliliate with the San Francisco rando club ..." Best of luck Houston, and of course, you're always welcome to join us, if you find your way back to Eastern PA for a visit!

If you have any other comments or photos to share, you can forward them to me or post them on the message board.

Next up is the Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k, which we also ran in February of 2011.  This route is tailored for winter conditions: we'll be mostly on primary roads with good shoulders and gentle gradients to minimize slick road hazards.  With limited daylight in mind, there is minimal navigation.  Hopefully, our streak of good weather will continue.

Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

PA Dutch 200k

*** Update #2 ***
A few more mental notes from the pre-ride:
- I cannot overemphasize the need to watch for icy patches, black or otherwise.  We received a lot of rain earlier in the week.  The temperature was in the low 20s when we started Thursday morning, so we encountered ice in several places.  Some extended fully across the road.  It is supposed to warm slightly by the weekend, but that's no guarantee that all of the icy spots will thaw.

- While this route is well-known to many, it still requires attention to the cue.  There are so many roads criss-crossing all over in Lancaster County that it is very easy to find yourself off course.  The cue is top-notch.
- It is a LONG way from Controle 2 to Controle 3, not just because of the mileage.  A couple of interim oases have been noted on the cue sheet should you need them.  Watch your time.
- You cannot have too much lighting.  You will discover this on your way to the finish, especially if you don't have enough.

I plan to have breakfast at the diner at 7am and will handle sign-in from there.  I'll be in the parking lot afterwards for bike/equipment checks.

Andrew

*** Update #1 (12/30/11) ***
The cuesheet has been updated to draft 11 dated 12/30, with changes from the volunteer preride.  If the current weather forecast holds, temperatures will range from the mid 30F's to 50F's -- the low temperature for Sunday will be around the high temperature we had for Thursday's  volunteer preride, which included unexpected snow flurries for much of the day.  It also looks like a rather stiff south west wind is in the forecast -- this will make the 45 mile leg from controle 2 to 3 rather difficult.  You'll want to bank some time on the way to controle 2, and keep your stop there very short... and finding a friendly wheel to draft behind would be even better.  In addition to the many cautions highlighted on the cuesheet, you should watch out for icy patches.  In particular, underpasses and run-offs from driveways and farms present a hazard in several spots along the course.  Also, there is some precipitation in the forecast for the evening, and you will be descending the colder, north face of some climbs towards the end of the course.

Organizers, Andrew Mead will be at the start to send you on your way, and Bill Olsen will greet you at the finish.  If you arrive at the finish before Bill does, there will be a sign-in sheet at the cashier where you should record your time.  The cashier will sign your card and hold it until Bill arrives.

Reminder: be sure to park your car in the Rita's lot, away from the diner.  And as always, be sure to check back on the website/message board for any last minute updates.

*** Original Post ***
What better way to kick off a new year of randonneuring than by bagging an ACP 200k?  The 4th annual PA Dutch 200k brevet will be held on January 1, 2012 (yes, folks, that's SUNDAY) to start the 2012 Pennsylvania Randonneurs R-12 series.  We will be riding the route that Rick Carpenter championed, but without Rick since he has now relocated to coastal North Carolina.  Unfortunately that also means we'll be missing out on the fine hospitality of Rick and Lora Beth that has made this event so popular in the past.  We will miss Rex greatly and wish him and Lora Beth the very best.  Since the Carpenter's house on the hill is no longer available for brevet duty, the start location has be moved to the Mt. Penn Family Restaurant.  This may be good news for many as that final 500ft climb to Queens Court is no longer required to finish.
Recognizing that many randonneurs may also be ringing in the new year, the starting time has been pushed back until 8:00am.  This also allows participants to enjoy breakfast at the start since the Mt. Penn Family Restaurant doesn't open until 7:00am on Sundays.  Registration details are posted on the PA Randonneurs website.
A course pre-ride is scheduled for Thursday so check back on Friday for any last-minute updates to the cue sheet.
One final note:  lights and reflective gear are MANDATORY for this ride.

- Andrew Mead, Organizer

*** Registered riders (as of 12/31/11) ***

Barbara Anderson

Ronald Anderson

Colin M Bailey
Jim Bondra

Geoff Brunner

John Capriotti
Blaine Chamberlain

Matthew Farrell

William Fischer
Ixsa Gollihur

Doug Haluza

Donald Jagel
Mike Lutz

Andrew D Mead - Organizer/Pre-Ride

George Metzler - Volunteer/Pre-Ride

Maile Neel

William M. Olsen - Organizer

Tom Rosenbauer - RBA/Pre-Ride

Norman Smeal - Volunteer/Pre-Ride
Bob Torres

If you want to join the roster, please send me an e-mail: trosenbauer@rcn.com

-Tom Rosenbauer, RBA