Reading Eagle: Fitness Profile Gavin Biebuyck
Rex
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Our Local PAR Rando Celebrity
For those (like me) who may have missed this back in October, congratulations to Gavin for hitting it big on the local Celebrity scene, and for his promotion of our passion:
For a more legible version, follow this link to the Reading Eagle article:
Reading Eagle: Fitness Profile Gavin Biebuyck
Rex
Reading Eagle: Fitness Profile Gavin Biebuyck
Rex
Monday, November 18, 2013
Le Retour du Stillwater 200k
*** Update #1 (12/5/13) ***
Bob Dye will be greeting you at the start, and signing you in at the Milford Bakery start and checking your lights and reflective gear. The bakery opens at 6AM, and offers some breakfast sandwiches made to order, along with other bakery items. Park your car in the big lot off of Church St -- there are "No Parking" signs posted at the lot, but PA Randonneurs has secured permission to use it for our event. Bill Olsen will meet you at the pizzeria finish controle, but if you arrive before he does, you can get your card signed and left at the counter. I'm keeping a close eye on the rain and snow in the forecast for Friday night and early Saturday morning. At this time, it looks like the precipitation will clear the area before the start. But be sure to monitor the website and message board for any last minute updates.
*** Original Post ***
New PA Randonneur member, Greg Bullock, scouted out the course this past weekend, and reports:
"....At mile 82.1, I did not see a sign for "Airport Rd.". There is a sign for "Pequest Rd.", which looks askew, but nothing for Airport. As the cue sheet notes, it is the "1st L" which we made. It is obviously Airport Rd., as there is an airport on your right a mile or so down the road. ... Also, Some extra caution is advised on the descent on Rte 579 in the dark at the top of Tunnel Rd. That section of road is a major deer haunt after dark. Also, descending Pattenburg-Little York Rd. is also a high volume deer area. The route is exceptional. I'm very familiar with the first 30 miles and the last 30 miles, having lived in Hunterdon, Warren and Northampton Counties most of my life. So, I'm looking forward to the ride... My take-away from this recon, was that I'll be doing some extra ascent training up in the Hunterdon/Warren hills over the next two weeks!"
*** Roster as of 12/6/13 ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Greg Bullock
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Jonathan Clamp
7 J Scott Franzen
8 Doug Haluza
9 Donald Jagel
10 Eric Keller
11 Christopher Maglieri
12 Gary Mass
13 William Olsen
14 Tom Rosenbauer
15 Norman Smeal
16 Eric Smucker
Bob Dye will be greeting you at the start, and signing you in at the Milford Bakery start and checking your lights and reflective gear. The bakery opens at 6AM, and offers some breakfast sandwiches made to order, along with other bakery items. Park your car in the big lot off of Church St -- there are "No Parking" signs posted at the lot, but PA Randonneurs has secured permission to use it for our event. Bill Olsen will meet you at the pizzeria finish controle, but if you arrive before he does, you can get your card signed and left at the counter. I'm keeping a close eye on the rain and snow in the forecast for Friday night and early Saturday morning. At this time, it looks like the precipitation will clear the area before the start. But be sure to monitor the website and message board for any last minute updates.
*** Original Post ***
New PA Randonneur member, Greg Bullock, scouted out the course this past weekend, and reports:
"....At mile 82.1, I did not see a sign for "Airport Rd.". There is a sign for "Pequest Rd.", which looks askew, but nothing for Airport. As the cue sheet notes, it is the "1st L" which we made. It is obviously Airport Rd., as there is an airport on your right a mile or so down the road. ... Also, Some extra caution is advised on the descent on Rte 579 in the dark at the top of Tunnel Rd. That section of road is a major deer haunt after dark. Also, descending Pattenburg-Little York Rd. is also a high volume deer area. The route is exceptional. I'm very familiar with the first 30 miles and the last 30 miles, having lived in Hunterdon, Warren and Northampton Counties most of my life. So, I'm looking forward to the ride... My take-away from this recon, was that I'll be doing some extra ascent training up in the Hunterdon/Warren hills over the next two weeks!"
*** Roster as of 12/6/13 ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Greg Bullock
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Jonathan Clamp
7 J Scott Franzen
8 Doug Haluza
9 Donald Jagel
10 Eric Keller
11 Christopher Maglieri
12 Gary Mass
13 William Olsen
14 Tom Rosenbauer
15 Norman Smeal
16 Eric Smucker
Monday, November 4, 2013
Stillwater 200k Ride Report
Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results131102.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues. Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.
Last year, the November 200k had to be rescheduled because of Super Storm Sandy. And the year before that, we had the Halloween snow storm that downed many trees and left much of the area without power. But this time around, we managed to continue the string of near ideal weather conditions we've had for the recent events. Temperatures at the start were in the high 40F's and warmed up later in the day to the 60F's. Early morning sunshine gave way to some clouds later in the day, and a few riders encountered a brief spritz of rain. Some of the late changing trees managed to keep their colorful foliage despite all the rain and wind from the day before.
All 18 participants made it around the course in good time for another 100% finish -- well done! Of note, Christopher Maglieri completed his first PA event, and joined fellow riders Tom Matragano and Peter Phillips to set a new course record of 7:58. This trio obviously didn't linger too long at the controles!
Jim Holman writes: "...Thanks for organizing the Stillwater 200K this past Saturday. It was another beautiful autumn day with great riding partners and, like you said, it was a very nice route. I like how you scheduled this brevet and last month's brevet so as to take in as much of the fall foliage as possible..."
Mike Anderson, who made the long trip down from the Boston area to join us, writes: "...Thanks again, it was a great ride, and a great time!..."
The 2013 Eastern PA series concludes with the Retour du Stillwater 200k on December 7th -- we'll essentially be riding the same course again, except we'll start in Milford, and ride it in the reverse direction. Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubDec3.html
... as usual, drop me a note by the Thursday before the event to join the roster.
-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results131102.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues. Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.
Last year, the November 200k had to be rescheduled because of Super Storm Sandy. And the year before that, we had the Halloween snow storm that downed many trees and left much of the area without power. But this time around, we managed to continue the string of near ideal weather conditions we've had for the recent events. Temperatures at the start were in the high 40F's and warmed up later in the day to the 60F's. Early morning sunshine gave way to some clouds later in the day, and a few riders encountered a brief spritz of rain. Some of the late changing trees managed to keep their colorful foliage despite all the rain and wind from the day before.
All 18 participants made it around the course in good time for another 100% finish -- well done! Of note, Christopher Maglieri completed his first PA event, and joined fellow riders Tom Matragano and Peter Phillips to set a new course record of 7:58. This trio obviously didn't linger too long at the controles!
Jim Holman writes: "...Thanks for organizing the Stillwater 200K this past Saturday. It was another beautiful autumn day with great riding partners and, like you said, it was a very nice route. I like how you scheduled this brevet and last month's brevet so as to take in as much of the fall foliage as possible..."
Mike Anderson, who made the long trip down from the Boston area to join us, writes: "...Thanks again, it was a great ride, and a great time!..."
The 2013 Eastern PA series concludes with the Retour du Stillwater 200k on December 7th -- we'll essentially be riding the same course again, except we'll start in Milford, and ride it in the reverse direction. Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubDec3.html
... as usual, drop me a note by the Thursday before the event to join the roster.
-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Stillwater 200k
For the November R-12, we'll be running the Stillwater 200k -- although the fall foliage has peaked, there are still plenty of trees with some leaves remaining. A volunteer preride was completed by your's truly on Monday. Temperatures at the start were a chilly 28F but warmed up to the 60F's by midday -- it was certainly one of the best day's of the year for a ride. Now that the former Portland Diner has been reopened as the Portland Bagel and Deli, that is the start location -- it opens at 4:30AM, so you have plenty of time for breakfast there. However, please note that you should park your car at the Portland Park and Ride (see event webpage for map and directions):
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubNov2.html
The finish is at Teresa's Pizza, about one half mile from the Park and Ride: after signing-in at the pizzeria, you can coast all the way downhill from there to the Park and Ride and your car (directions are on the cuesheet).
*** Course Notes ***
The current cuesheet is Draft 10 dated 10/29/13, with some updates from my volunteer preride. In general, the roads are in great shape, with many stretches of freshly paved asphalt -- some sections didn't even have lines painted yet. However, there is some rain in the forecast, so you should be mindful of wet leave hazards that may develop. Additionally:
-Mile 120.9: There is a reroute here to follow the detour for Station Rd: the bridge on Station Rd is under construction and not passable. As noted on the cuesheet, you will be following the orange detour signs for 2 turns. This detour will put you on Rt 94 a bit sooner, and although there is a lot of traffic on that main road, the shoulder is very good.
-Mile 126.9: The route puts you on a road that is closed to car traffic but is passable by foot. You should dismount, and walk past the two barriers. The course routing on State St through this "closed" stretch keeps you off of a busy section of Rt 611 which has marginal shoulders.
*** Roster (as of 10/31) ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Clair Beiler
3 Joe A Brown
4 Jane M Brown
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Matthew Farrell
7 William Fischer
8 James P. Holman
9 Donald Jagel
10 Eric Keller
11 Christopher Maglieri
12 Tom Matragrano
13 Chris Nadovich
14 William Olsen
15 Peter C Phillips
16 Tom Rosenbauer
17 Norman Smeal
18 Bob Torres
If you plan to join the roster participate, please drop me a note by Thursday, November 1st.
And as always, be sure to monitor the message board and website for any last minute updates.
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/
http://parandonneurs.blogspot.com/
-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubNov2.html
The finish is at Teresa's Pizza, about one half mile from the Park and Ride: after signing-in at the pizzeria, you can coast all the way downhill from there to the Park and Ride and your car (directions are on the cuesheet).
*** Course Notes ***
The current cuesheet is Draft 10 dated 10/29/13, with some updates from my volunteer preride. In general, the roads are in great shape, with many stretches of freshly paved asphalt -- some sections didn't even have lines painted yet. However, there is some rain in the forecast, so you should be mindful of wet leave hazards that may develop. Additionally:
-Mile 120.9: There is a reroute here to follow the detour for Station Rd: the bridge on Station Rd is under construction and not passable. As noted on the cuesheet, you will be following the orange detour signs for 2 turns. This detour will put you on Rt 94 a bit sooner, and although there is a lot of traffic on that main road, the shoulder is very good.
-Mile 126.9: The route puts you on a road that is closed to car traffic but is passable by foot. You should dismount, and walk past the two barriers. The course routing on State St through this "closed" stretch keeps you off of a busy section of Rt 611 which has marginal shoulders.
*** Roster (as of 10/31) ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Clair Beiler
3 Joe A Brown
4 Jane M Brown
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Matthew Farrell
7 William Fischer
8 James P. Holman
9 Donald Jagel
10 Eric Keller
11 Christopher Maglieri
12 Tom Matragrano
13 Chris Nadovich
14 William Olsen
15 Peter C Phillips
16 Tom Rosenbauer
17 Norman Smeal
18 Bob Torres
And as always, be sure to monitor the message board and website for any last minute updates.
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/
http://parandonneurs.blogspot.com/
-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA
Sunday, October 20, 2013
PA150/200k Ride Report
 |
| Photos compliments of Dave Linkchost |
Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results131019.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues. Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.
The string of near ideal weather conditions continued for the October 150/200k classic. With the colorful fall foilage peaking, it was a great day to be out on the bike. All 22 participants finished for another 100% finish, with 5 opting for the 150k course. Of note Norman Smeal completed his PA R-12 series, and joined the Eastern PA Honor Roll. Norman has also completed his PA-5000 this year, with his Endless Mountains 1240k finish. Well done, Norman! Also of note, Tom Matragrano completed his first PA event, and I believe, is only his second brevet. Hailing from Long Island, Tom M. told me he was looking to try a hillier brevet than the first one he completed on Long Island -- I trust he wasn't disappointed! Indeed, this fall classic is one of the hillier courses, mile for mile, and Paul Scearce managed to get around it on a fixed gear -- although a couple of the steeper climbs required the 24 inch gear.
Special thanks to volunteer Dave Linchorst, who manned the secret controle on Fox Gap and swept the course to the finish. Dave is a member of the Berks County cycle club, and this was his first experience with randonneuring. And special thanks also to 150k participants Bill Slabonik and Keith Spangler who volunteered and helped out at the hostel finish with the BBQ and cleanup. It's volunteers like these, who really make it all possible to run these events.
Norman Smeal writes: "...Thank you once again for giving us the chance to get together for a bike ride.
Beautiful course filled with river crossings and a few hills. Weather was a bit chilly in the morning, but warmed up nicely. All followed up with some good grilling at the end. ..."
Bill Olsen writes: "...As promised, it was a fantastic day for a fantastic ride with a fantastic group! The hamburgers and chicken at the end WAS the icing on the cake. Thanks again. It was nice to see familiar climbs out of Easton, Fox Gap and Staats, but for some reason I forgot several including Geigel Hill. I'll remember that one for quite some time. ..."
The next event is the Stillwater 200k on November 2nd. Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubNov2.html
... as usual, drop me a note by the Thursday before the event to join the roster.
-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA
-organizer
Monday, October 7, 2013
PA150/200k
The PA Randonneurs fall series kicks off on October 19 and you have a choice of either a 150k or 200k course. The start/finish will be at the Weisel hostel, with breakfast served 1 hour before the start We'll also have the traditional post-ride BBQ, where we can recap the accomplishments of the past year and look forward to the challenges of the coming year.
PA Members can register by sending me an e-mail, and pay the $30 entry fee when they sign-in. Non-members can register by mailing in the registration form posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA150_200K_A.html
With only about 10.5 hours of daylight available, lights and reflective gear will be required, unless you have previously finished the course in less than 9.5 hours.
It's also time to cast you vote for two board members at RUSA-HQ. Bill Bryant, RUSA member #7, is one of the founding members of RUSA and one of the giants of our sport. He has certainly earned one of my votes. There are several other excellent candidates you can choose from as well:
http://www.rusa.org/Download/2013-ballot.pdf ..
... you can cast your vote at this link:
http://www.rusa.org/vote-2013.html
PA Members can register by sending me an e-mail, and pay the $30 entry fee when they sign-in. Non-members can register by mailing in the registration form posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA150_200K_A.html
With only about 10.5 hours of daylight available, lights and reflective gear will be required, unless you have previously finished the course in less than 9.5 hours.
It's also time to cast you vote for two board members at RUSA-HQ. Bill Bryant, RUSA member #7, is one of the founding members of RUSA and one of the giants of our sport. He has certainly earned one of my votes. There are several other excellent candidates you can choose from as well:
http://www.rusa.org/Download/2013-ballot.pdf ..
... you can cast your vote at this link:
http://www.rusa.org/vote-2013.html
Monday, September 9, 2013
Silver Spring 200k Ride Report
 |
| Photo Compliments of Mary Gersema |
Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130907.pdf
Please let Tom know of any corrections or other issues. Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.
We have certainly enjoyed a nice string of great weather on brevet day this summer. Saturday's Silver Spring 200 was no exception. A slightly chilly start soon dawned to beautiful blue skies with light winds, exceptionally low humidity, and a high temperature of 80. It was a much nicer day than the previous weekend's high temperatures and high humidity endured by the pre-riders. Eighteen riders departed the start near Atglen at 7am and headed for the Susquehanna River. I offered my usual pre-ride talk along with a cautionary forewarning of the challenges awaiting them in the second leg and the need to keep a mindful eye on the clock until at least the third control. Most riders sported arm warmers and fingered gloves which would be appreciated during the first few downhill miles along the Octoraro Creek.
Eventual first finishers Gavin Biebuyck, Bill Fischer, Don Jagel, and Norman Smeal took my pre-ride advice to heart and checked into the third control at the halfway mark just over four hours later. These front-runners were closely followed by a large contingent of the rest of the pack led by the tandem team of visiting DC Randonneurs Ed Felker and Mary Gersema. All riders cleared the controle within the time limit. With the recent closure of the Mt. Nebo General Store, we staffed the controle with cool drinks and bananas which everyone seemed to enjoy. We will surely miss the deli and ice cream counter of the Mt. Nebo store, but it was nice to get a live check-in on rider progress and conditions. Organizers like knowing these things.
Midday temperatures were approaching 80 and riders were definitely warmed up as they continued through Lancaster County farmland on their way back to the finish. The terrain softens slightly and allows more time to enjoy the sights and smells of farmland. The field spread out as everyone settled into a comfortable pace. A few strategically placed SPOT trackers allowed us to watch rider progress. And stops. Organizers like knowing these things.
Co-organizer George Metzler once again opened Café Metzler for the occasion. A menu of grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and brats was just the motivation needed to bring the group to the finish. Motivation is high as over half the field posted sub-10 hour finishes, including first-time and now freshly minted randonneur CJ Arayata. Most of the rest were not all that far behind. Several riders posted finishes after long absences from brevets, including Ivan Umble, Chris Roth, and our own RBA Tom Rosenbauer. On the other side of that coin is Bill Olsen who came out to loosen up his legs having just finished the Granite Anvil 1200k a week ago and will be headed out for the Last Chance 1200k this week. I'm pleased to report that each and every starter reached the Café and was served.
Riders enjoyed time at the finish to eat, drink, relax and share stories from their adventure. It's a nice way to finish a ride. Hearing their tales is my favorite part.
Norman Smeal writes:
Thank you for putting on the event yesterday. Nice to finish at Cafe' Metzler for some good home grilling. Great ride, and the ride was not as bad as the profile appeared. The few climbs were not all that bad, Douts Hil Rd. at mile 59 was a kicker. It also did not hurt that it was probably the best day of the summer, perfect day for a ride.
Ed Felker, a.k.a. The Daily Randonneur, has posted a very nice ride summary at: http://thedailyrandonneur.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/a-brevet-in-amish-country/
and his full set of photographs at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8193389@N06/sets/72157635438295369/
Mary Gersema's ride summary is posted on her Chasing Mailboxes blog at:
http://chasingmailboxes.com/2013/09/09/harvest-time-and-200k-brevets/
and her pictures are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gersema/sets/72157635430512899/
CJ's pictures:
https://plus.google.com/photos/105970402842803211625/albums/5921706616700424577
Our next event is the fall classic 150k/200k at the Quakertown hostel which coincidentally includes food at the finish. http://users.rcn.com/
As always, I would like to thank George Metzler for being my co-conspirator for this brevet and for hosting a crowd of hungry randonneurs. Without his help, this would be just another hilly Pennsylvania brevet.
Andrew Mead
-organizer
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