November R-12 Ride Report

Bill O. reveals his secret to keeping his socks dry after 40 miles of riding in the rain: he keeps them in his saddle bag!

Preliminary results for November's Stillwater Retour 200k have been posted at:
http://www.parando.org/PA200k_Results141101.pdf
...Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

It's been a while since we've had "Character Building" weather for an Eastern PA event -- but although the weather forecast had improved from the earlier one with snow and 30F temperatures, it certainly was a day that was a good test of one's foul weather gear and resolve.  The riders set off in the predawn hours with a steady rain and temperatures in the low 40F's.  The steady rain would continue for the next 40 miles and misty conditions and showers would prevail for the remainder of the day, with temperatures never making it out of the 40F's.  But as that old Norwegian chestnut goes: "... there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes..."  All 17 riders who took the start made it around the course in good time, and had good enough clothes for the raw conditions to prevail with a 100% finish rate -- congratulations and well done to everyone for such an excellent result.  Of note, Guillanume G. finished his first official brevet  -- kudos to him for his perseverance and resolve after coming up a bit short last month on the PA150k.  Also of note, Stephen G. came all the way from Ohio to ride with us.  And Stephen joins a distinguished list of riders who ace their first Eastern PA brevet as a first finisher.

Chris N. writes: "... Great ride ... I'm glad I finally had a good opportunity to try out those goofy looking rain pants I paid so much for. I was toasty and happy all morning thinking: Showers Pass 
..."
When I asked Chris to rate the day on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the maximum misery, Chris gave it a 3.  Although we've certainly had worse conditions for a PA brevet over the years, I don't think I'd want to ride anything that Chris would rate a 5 or 6, much less a 10!

Jim H. writes: "...Wet and raw!  A steady rain before the ride and for the first ten miles or so.  Then a light rain to the Portland controle.  Fortunately, the rain stopped for most of the northern part of the course but then returned a few miles before the Great Meadows controle as either light rain or sprinkles most of the way to the finish.  Wet roads throughout. 
This is from the perspective of someone who (1) has never done a truly wet ride further than half the distance of 200k, (2) has never started a wet ride with temperatures in the low 40’s and (3) only has a seat post mounted rear fender and no front fender at all.
Some time after 6am, I arrived to a rainy parking lot with the temperature at 42 degrees or thereabouts.  As I sat in my car for more than a few minutes, I stared at the car windows as they were collecting raindrops and I was calling into question my sanity (CIQMS #1), and briefly considered driving home.  
CIQMS #2.  Setting up the bike in the rainy morning darkness involved a lot of fumbling around and (silently) cursing myself.
Very early during the ride, after ten miles or so, my right shoe becomes waterlogged.  A few miles later, the same thing would happen to my left shoe.  My lower legs become quite cold.  This was CIQMS #3, and I had thoughts of turning around and going home.  I also began to think of a friend who had registered for this brevet but decided not to ride, and how that may have been a wise decision.
CIQMS #4.  We had arrived at the Portland controle to refuel and rehydrate.  As we leave the controle, stepping outside and riding away, I became quite cold and began thinking to myself, “What the heck am I doing out here?”  (Somehow, I warmed up a few miles later and things would improve from there.  The rest of the ride, I would learn that I would be fine while moving on the bike but would get quite cold while stopped at the controles.)
Anyway, my thanks to you and Norm for, dare I say it with the weather the way it was :-), a great ride.  Just a great route.  Some fine late autumn color along the southern parts of the course, and the many trees on the route apparently kept the winds at bay for much of the ride on what was supposed to be a breezy day.  Great riding companions and great finishing controle at the Ship Inn for excellent brew and chew...."

Organizer Norman S. writes: "...its good that there was a ride Saturday or most of us would not have left the comfort of our living rooms.  Thanks to everyone for making my Saturday special and hope to see everyone again in December..."

Bill O. writes: "...Thanks for providing us with another great ride yesterday.  The cool, "soft" day makes for great bike riding weather. As much as I enjoyed my recent bike vacations on the Natchez 1500k and Carolina 1200k, between the ride two weeks ago and yesterday, one realized we have some of the best bike riding country right in our own back yard...literally, as we rode through Port Murray, and along the Musconetcong. [yes, we did indeed pass by Bill's backyard, but you'd have a most memorable climb all the way up Point Mountain Road to get there -Tom R. ]
I particularly enjoyed the new "reroutes" off of 94 and around Lafayette.  Turning onto Vail Road I got that déjà vu feeling and realized that Lenny Z and I had gotten in some bonus miles up on the first Stillwater 200 checkout ride when we missed the right turn off of 658 coming from the other direction.  It is a good thing we didn't know we were only 0.4 miles from 94 if we had taken that right onto Warrington.Road :-)   ...  It was nice that the temperatures never got below the 38F we experienced at the start and I could finish the ride with both pair of socks dry in my back bag. ... See you at the December ride. .."

Ed B. writes: "...I had to stop and let the boys go at 90 miles to eat under a big ol' tree that blocked the rain as I refueled my bonked out brain.  Amazing what 20 minutes of rest, even in the rain will do for you.  My garmin was consistenly reading 35-38F until we got into Hunterdon county......it perked up to 42F ..."

Special thanks to organizer Norman S for sending off the group at the start and making sure everyone got safely in at the finish.  And thanks to Chris N. for collecting all the cards, sign-in sheet, and SPOT trackers at the finish, which saved me a 2nd round-trip to Milford.

The Eastern PA 2014 schedule concludes with the next ride scheduled for December 6th.  The start/finish will be in Blairstown NJ; details will be posted soon.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

November R-12

The November R-12 is on Saturday, 11/1. We'll be running the Stillwater 200k Retour course but with a couple of route tweaks since the July event -- so those familiar with previous editions will once again need to turn off their auto-pilot and pay close attention to the cuesheet!  The changes include a reroute to get you off Rt 94 just past Columbia.  There's also a new controle in Lafayette, which will limit the amount of time you spend on some busy roads on the northern extent of the course.  Lastly, with the limited amount of daylight in mind, you'll take a straight shot down Rt 579 instead of the twisty Sweet Hollow Rd from the top of the Tunnel Rd climb.  A volunteer preride was completed on Tuesday by your RBA and subsequently, the cuesheet has been updated to draft 10, dated 10/29.

The start/finish is in Milford, NJ -- the southern most extent of the course.  Please note that you'll need lights and reflective gear at the start, which is about 30 minutes before sunrise. Organizer Norman Smeal will be sending you on your way at the Milford Bakery start and greeting you at the Ship Inn finish. There is plenty of parking in the large parking lot on Church St in Milford (PA Randonneurs has permission to use the parking lot off of Church St which is now owned by the Medical supply store at the old bakery location). The Bakery opens at 6AM and has breakfast sandwiches along with an assortment of baked goods.  The finish controle and post ride gathering will be at the Ship Inn, a couple of stores down the street from the Bakery.

SPOT trackers will be handed out to a few selected riders. The units are about the size of a cell phone and can be carried either in your back pocket or in a bag, away from the saddle. If you happen to have a personal SPOT tracker, not already listed here:
http://parando.org/SPOT_Links.html
... please send me a link to your SPOT tracking webpage.

Additional event details are posted on the event web page:
http://www.parando.org/R12ClubNov3.html

Additional Course Notes:
-Watch out for deer, especially on River Rd after the start, and on the descent down from the Tunnel Rd climb into the Milford finish.
-Mile 94.1: You'll be turning on to a short 0.2 mile stretch of dirt road that goes uphill.  While it's possible to find a good line to ride between the ruts, it might be more prudent to dismount and walk if you are unsure of your bike handling skills on dirt and gravel.
-The current weather conditions are calling for some cold and wet riding conditions.  It's been a while since we've had a "Character Building Opportunity", but it looks like one is shaping up.  This will be a good test of your foul weather gear -- a good place to start is with a bigger bag on your bike for all the spare clothing you'll want to have.
-With the rain and wind in the forecast, watch out for slippery conditions for any wet leaves on the road.

*** Roster (as of 10/30) ***
1 Michael Anderson -
2 Charles J Arayata -
3 Eoghan Barry -
4 Ed Bernasky -
5 Gavin Biebuyck -
6 Larry E Brenize - Guest
7 Jane M  Brown -
8 Jeffery S Butt -
9 Matthew Farrell -
10 William Fischer -
11 Guillaume Gantard -
12 Stephen Glowacki - Guest
13 Zachary R Goodrich -
14 James P. Holman -
15 Gil Lebron - Guest
16 Daniel McGill -
17 Chris Nadovich -
18 William Olsen -
19 Tom Rosenbauer - Volunteer Preride
20 Norman Smeal - Organizer
21 Bob Torres -

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

PA150k/200k Ride Report

Photo compliments of George Brandt

Preliminary results for the PA200k have been posted at:
http://www.parando.org/PA200k_Results141018.pdf
... and the for the PA150k:
http://www.parando.org/PA150k_Results141018.pdf
...Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

Mild temperatures in the 50F's at the start eventually reached into the 60F's. After a brief spritz of rain in the morning, it was a pleasant day to be out on the bike with a mix of sun and clouds.  21 of the 24 200k starters were official finishers.  Due to an early mechanical, Eoghan B. had to withdraw as a participant but then graciously offered to sweep the course as a volunteer.  Kate and Victor completed 'a 200k' ride, but unfortunately, their GPS was not programmed with the many route tweaks in 'the official 200k'  course; hence, they could not be recognized as official finishers.  All 9 of the 150k starters made it around the course with 8 official finishers.  Of note, there were many first time participants with many riding their very first brevet.  Special thanks to Eoghan B., Matt F.,  Chris N., and several others for introducing the newcomers to the sport of randonneuring.  But with the challenging terrain for both the 150k and 200k, this was certainly an introduction into the "deep end" of the pool.  All the newcomers managed to keep their heads above water and complete the course. However, Guillanume G. finished 25 minutes past the 150k time limit, mainly due to a late start and finding some additional bonus miles near Belvidere. Also of note, Bob T. completed a RUSA cup challenge: one of each type of RUSA event and 5000k over a 2-year period -- congratulations, and well done!

Guy H. writes: "...Thanks for bringing back the great old course with new tweaks. I really liked using Mountain View Road from Stewartsville to get over that ridge. In fact the whole section from Portland to Milford was perfect. .."

Chris N. writes: "... Great new route....  My buddy Joe commented that the spectacular Autumn scenery with dry leaves blowing around in Cherry Valley was like being in an "endless
German car commercial..."

Jim H. writes: "...Thanks for another great ride.  The fall foliage was sensational in many areas with the Lommason Glen climb being especially gorgeous.  Lower Saucon Road and Mountain View Road were real kickers.  As usual, I had great riding companions, and the food at the finish was a boon for this hungry randonneur..."

Norman S. writes: "...What a fantastic day for a ride, weather, scenery, autumn leaves, big climbs, what more could you ask for in a 200k event.  Thank you and the team for putting it all together..."

RAAM finisher Geoff B. writes: "...Just wanted to thank you for your efforts on Saturday.  I really enjoyed catching up with you and seeing and chatting with some of the folks who I hadn't seen in a while.  The course was great, cue sheets were perfect, weather was ideal, food afterwards was much appreciated, and thanks so very much for making the Milford Market the last on-course controle as I was in serious need of a dill pickle.  Their "Barrel o' Pickles" in the back by the deli was was equal to a "Pot o' Gold" for my beginning to cramp calves resulting from all of the climbing.  I loved the course with it's steep climbs and comfortable descents - good stuff..."

George B. writes: "...Thanks for a great day. The course was challenging as I expected and the scenery was beautiful. Thank you for the hospitality and the delicious grilled chicken. .."

Joe D. writes: "...I had a great time on my first brevet.  The course was tough for sure... The
navigation went well except where I made a right instead of a left on one flat road, but that was only an extra 1/2 mile.  The bad one was when I got almost to the bottom of Mountain View I decided I was going the wrong way and I went back up about a mile, then turned around and went down
again...  It turns out I was about 100 yards from the stop sign when I turned.  Oops. .... The weather was great and the roads were fantastic...."

Eastern PA Suuper Randonneur, Greg K writes: "...Thanks to you for all your efforts and the framed SR plaque.  My randonneur adventures for this year have exceeded my expectations and your personal efforts are truly appreciated. ..."

Don J. completed a long streak of Eastern PA R-12 events, and writes: "...I had 25 PA R-12 rides in a row, until missing the October event due to a work conflict.  But I still have a streak going for the RUSA R-12.  I was able to get Bill's Hawks Nest Permanent in yesterday to make it 62 months in a row for RUSA R-12 Brevets. ..."
Don hopes to start a new Eastern PA R-12 streak in December.

Special thanks to volunteers Jim Bondra and Bill Slabonik for helping at the finish controle.  And thanks also to participants Zachary Goodrich,  Bob Torres, and Robin Landis for helping with the set-up and clean-up at the hostel.

The Eastern PA fall series continues with the next ride scheduled for November 1st.  The start/finish will be in Milford NJ; details will be posted soon.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

PA150/200k

*** Update 1 (10/17) ***
According to the latest foliage reports:
http://tinyurl.com/lyb3ags
... the leaves will be ranging from "high color" to "peak".  That being said, with all the rain and wind this past week, many of those colorful leaves are on the ground and could pose a slipping hazard which you should be mindful of.

As noted on the website, you should park your car in the large parking lot half way down the driveway on the right -- Not  the few spots near the house (which are reserved). Breakfast items (oatmeal, bagels, etc) will be available 1 hr before the start.  If you are staying at the hostel on Friday night, early arrivals before 10PM should use the woman's dorm and later arrivals should use the men's dorm.  I'll be arriving late on Friday night after a high school football game, but the house parents John and Gerry Anne will be expecting you.

SPOT trackers will be handed out to selected riders.  If you have a personal SPOT unit not listed here:
http://www.parando.org/SPOT_Links.html
... please send me a link to your tracking page.


*** Original Post ***
The PA Randonneurs fall series kicks off on October 18 and you have a choice of either a 150k or 200k course.  Hopefully, the fall foliage will be in peak color.  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. Registration and other event details are at:
http://www.parando.org/PA150_200K_A.html

With only about 10.5 hours of daylight available, 200k riders will need lights and reflective gear, unless you have previously finished  the course in less than 9.5 hours.

Long-time PA and NJ randonneurs will remember that the design of the 200k course is based on the "Hilly 100 miles" of the 2003 edition of the NJ600k.  It's been run as an October event ever since then, as one of the most challenging 200k's on the PA schedule.  In the never ending quest for traffic-free and scenic roads, there are several route tweaks for the 2014 edition, so those familiar with previous editions will need to turn-off their autopilot and pay close attention to the cuesheet.  The changes start right with the very first turn: instead of left, we'll be turning right from the Weisel hostel driveway and heading to Lower Saucon Valley Road, as a warm-up. After passing through Easton, some additional route tweaks offer some quieter roads on the way to Wind Gap.  After the big climb up Fox Gap, another one awaits you up Lommason's Glen.  After the Montana Road descent, additional route tweaks will take you to Tunnel Road, which is the "kinder and gentler" way up Jug Town mountain.  But in between, another little lump in the form of Mountain View Road awaits you. About half way up the climb, be sure to look out to your left, where a nice vista can be seen through a break in the trees.  The 150k course generally follows the 200k route until Mud Rud, where 150k riders will go directly to Belvidere while 200k riders head into Cherry Valley and up Fox Gap.

A volunteer preride was completed this past week by your RBA, and the cuesheets have been updated as follows:
200k: draft 8 dated 10/10/14
150k: draft 8 dated 10/10/14

Additional Course Notes:
-Mile 40.9 (200k): As you descend the backside of Wind Gap, watch out for some very hazardous sewer grates in the shoulder -- they are actually more akin to wide open storm drains, and will most certainly ruin your day if you hit these at speed. You'll want to take a line more to the left in order to avoid these hazards.
-Mile 111.1 (200k) / 79.7 (150k): There is bridge construction that is closed to cars but is easily bypassed  if you dismount and walk around the barriers. Since the road is closed to through traffic, you'll practically have the road all to yourself.  But as you get closer to the road closure, the road becomes less maintained -- be sure to watch out for gravel, potholes, and debris, especially on the descent and curve about one mile away from the bridge that is out.

200k Roster (as of 10/17)
1 Charles J Arayata - Friday night hostel
2 Eoghan Barry - Guest
3 Jane M  Brown
4 Geoff Brunner
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Joseph (Clifford) Dille - Guest
7 Alfred Dolich - Guest
8 Dwight Engel - Guest
9 Matthew Farrell
10 J Scott Franzen
11 Zachary R Goodrich - Friday and Saturday night hostel
12 Stewart J Gouck
13 Guy Harris
14 James P. Holman
15 Greg Keenan
16 Robin C Landis - Friday night hostel
17 Peter Macholdt - Guest
18 Kate Marshall
19 Daniel McGill - Guest
20 Chris Nadovich
21 William Olsen
22 Laurie Riley - Guest
23 Tom Rosenbauer - Volunteer Preride
24 Norman Smeal
25 Gilbert Torres - Friday night hostel
26 Victor Urvantsev
27 Eva Van Stratum - Guest

150k Roster (as of 10/17)

1 Gavin Biebuyck
2 George Brandt - Guest
3 Janice Chernekoff
4 Guillaume Gantard
5 Gil Lebron - Guest
6 William M Slabonik
7 Keith A Spangler
8 Bob Torres

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

R-12C

John riding with Greg C.

*** Update 3 (10/20) ***
John writes: "...Well yesterday my R12C came to an end. Since last month I learned that my cancer, which had been nicely suppressed for almost a year, was getting smart and growing again. So onto a new, more aggressive chemo regimen I went. Early last week I was down with a fever and wasn't up to par by yesterdays attempt at Crista Borras' North by Northwest perm out of Frederick. A chummy group of 14 set off on a cold blustery day into the North wind. It was evident to me early on that this wasn't my day. Discouraged, I decided to turn back after only about an hour but was encouraged to at least ride the 35 miles to Gettysburg and then head back. So this we did. Brother Art who came all the way from Florida with fiancé Rorie Anderson, as well as Mike Lewis, Greg Conderacci, and Andrea Matney rode into town, took our time truly touring the battlefield and enjoyed a non-rushed sit-down at a coffee shop before heading home with the wind at our backs. 
The really nice thing was what a good time everybody had. Nobody cared one little bit that they didn't get official credit for the ride. Staying together seemed to be the only mortar we needed as a group. 
So ends the R12C attempt on the sixth month. I hope to do more brevets, but will not get one in this month. But I really had a great time. I guess it is the journey after all...."

Congratulations to John on a fantastic R5-C streak -- as far as I know, he's the first to reach that inspirational accomplishment.  I'm hoping he will consider starting a new streak, and perhaps strive to better it.

*** Update 2 (9/22) ***
John has now notched an R-5C with his completion of the Woodbine permanent.  John writes: "... Jon Erwin did a nice write up of our ride and he and Bill Beck did a stellar job of documenting it photographically... I was disappointed that Bob Casciato had to withdraw at the last minute due to an illness in his family, but was elated to have Joe and Jane Brown sign on the day before. Their kindness and good company seem worthy of more than just mere appreciation. Jon Erwin was a surprise, to me, late addition to our crew as well. So with my good old friend, and new randonneuring buddy Mike Lewis, our group of five set off on a surprisingly warm September morning. We would soon be joined by Bill Beck riding north from our turn around in Woodbine. As per my more recent 200s I was escorted by loved ones who also happen to be stronger riders than myself but who were happy to ride my slowish pace without any shows of frustration. I always had a wheel to sit on and a good story to listen to. Also as per my more recent rides I hit a physical and emotional low between the 50 and 90 miles marks. Not being able to do any training rides longer than thirty miles and being literally poisoned two weeks out of every four eats into my conditioning. Fortunately I have some neuro-muscular memory that kicks in and my body is able to accomplish with difficulty what it used to be able to do at the drop of a hat. And the final 40 miles or so see me rebound from my emotional ebb such that some joy if not downright elation emerges from the darkness to leave me with a pleasant memory of the whole affair. On this occasion the strong tail wind out of the South played a big role in our return leg. It is hard to envision carrying this on for another 7 months, so I take em as they come: one at a time.  The next one is also a permanent, Crista's North by Northwest out of Frederick on Sunday October 19th. There is already a small group of good friends committed including my brother Art who is coming up from Florida just for this ride. More are certainly welcome!  -John Fuoco"
Bill Beck's photos are at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wabeck/sets/72157647776782526/#
Jon's RideWithGPS data and photos are at:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3490081
... and Jon's ride report is at:
http://parando.org/JonErwin-1.pdf


*** Update 1 (8/31) ***
John now has an R-4C, with his completion of Eric Keller's "Happy Valley to Buffalo Valley" permanent in August.  Riding companion, Doug Haluza writes: "..The ride went well. Weather was perfect. We stopped at Brookside Bikes, an Amish bike shop in Mifflinburg. It's 3/4 of a mile off the route, but came in handy because I flatted in the lot at the start, and again in Rebersburg. ...Happy to Buffalo Valley is a really nice easy century route if you get a ride back from Millheim instead of riding those last 30 miles. ... you lured us in with this nice gently rolling course until we're tired, then lowered the boom at the end with some nasty little climbs in the Tussey Mtn. foothills! Were your ears ringing today? ;-)  ....."
John adds: "...  Eric, Doug doesn't mince words. And to be honest I joined in slinging invectives unfairly in your direction during the last 30 miles. Of course that was all part of the fun. Great course, lovely day​.. Thanks for putting it together for us. I may revisit it this winter...."
Mike Lewis: also rode with  John, and writes: "... I knew I was in trouble after saying halfway into the ride, 'This course is pretty easy.' On the ride back I rode in silence as I thought about the course design, choosing to heed the adage 'If can't say something good about someone, don't say anything at all.' But I will talk now now and throw your way a big "Thank You" for creating a course that made my second brevet such a rewarding experience. Great company, beautiful day, and a challenging ride through beautiful countryside...."

*** Original Post ***
John Fuoco sent me the following note:
"... I am interested in sending out a note or two about a couple of 200k perms I plan to do in the next couple of months and want to notify and invite other club members to join me. My goal is to do an R12 on chemo. So far its an R3. Don't put any bets down on me but then again don't bet against me either! I am hoping to corral some company with my old friend connections. As it is, I am sick two weeks out of four and unfortunately cannot do many of the R-12 200k's already scheduled by PA and DC hence the need to do permanents..."

John's plans for August through October are::
- Friday 8/29. Eric Keller's "Happy Valley to Buffalo Valley 205K", out of Boalsburg PA at 7 AM. Route #2400
- ​Saturday 9/20, Bill Beck's "Dillsburg-Woodbine via Gettysburg 200k", route #2383, also a 7AM start.
- Saturday 10/18 is set aside but as yet, no route selected.

Best of luck to John on his R-12C quest.  If you would like to join John on any upcoming rides, you can post a comment below or send me an email to get in contact with John.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Brandywine 200k Ride Report

Preliminary results for the Brandywine 200k have been posted at:  

 http://parando.org/PA200k_Results140907.pdf

...Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

What a difference a day can make.

George sent me an email in late June to let me know that he would not be able to take on his head chef role on September 6 due to a family conflict.  I declined his offer to use Café Metzler solo and set about the process of changing a brevet date.  With the help of RBA Tom Rosenbauer and the RUSA organization, the date was shifted to Sunday, the 7^th. 

Fast forward to September 6^th.  I arrive at George’s house a little after 5am with the intention of completing the final course checkout ride.  Neither of our schedules allowed both of us to spend a day together doing a full course checkout ride.  I wasn’t overly concerned as collectively we’d ridden or driven the route on numerous occasions, but the fact that I’d not seen the entire route in one outing bothered me.  The 6^th was my last opportunity. 

Morning temperatures in the low-70s were forecast to rise to 90 in the afternoon.   More troubling was the humidity which was extremely high and predicted to give rise to strong afternoon thunderstorms as a cool front passed.  I reasoned an early start would allow more time in relative cool and allow me to finish before the storms arrived.  George’s day allowed time for him to tag along for the first 10 miles, but he’d have to turn back at that point and I’d be solo the rest of the day.  We set out at 5:30 and spent our time together working on a menu for Sunday.  My cue sheet was damp within the first 5 miles and the early start did little to mitigate the effects of high heat and humidity on my efforts.  Progress was slow, but steady.  I kept hoping the cool front would arrive.  The first rain drops started falling on me as I was checking in at the information control.  The finish was a mere 20 miles ahead and I knew the route well.  I was enjoying riding in the cool rain for about a mile.  Then the deluge began and I had trouble seeing the road ahead, both due to limited visibility and that the road was turning into a stream.  The thunder began and I headed for cover.  It would take 2 more hours for me to reach the finish.  Approximately 4 inches of rain fell along the route in those 2 hours.  Localized flooding was significant.  But at least I felt good about the route and the cue sheet.

Sunday morning broke with temperatures near 60, a high forecast in the mid- to upper 70s, clear skies, and low humidity.  What a difference from the day before.  Twenty-three riders showed up for the start, including several new faces, all anxious to get started on what promised to be a beautiful day of cycling.  A few brief words at the start and they were off. 

George and I watched the SPOT trackers for a while as we finalized the cooking plans for the day.  As expected, the group made good progress in the early miles and was soon enjoying the scenic Brandywine river valley.  With many preparations remaining, we estimated first finishers at 9 hours and set our schedules accordingly.  The SPOT trackers saved us as first finishers Matt Farrell, Jim Holman, and Don Jagel rolled into the driveway about half an hour earlier than our initial predictions.  Riders trickled in for the rest of the afternoon, usually 2 or 3 at a time.  All relaxed and recharged at the Café while sharing their stories from the ride.  All 23 riders returned safely for another 100% finish rate.

Patrick Gaffney rode solo on a single speed while Glenn Ammons went a bit further and covered the distance on a fixed gear.  Patrick’s solo ride left honors for best tandem finish to Vadim Gritsus and Katherine Joubin who piloted a beautiful Co-Motion tandem.  Not surpisingly, they really loved the early miles in the Brandywine Valley and found the Susquehanna River hills very challenging.  Vadim commented that their granny gear had never been so fully exercised on a ride.

CJ Arayata notched yet another PA 200k and commented, “. . .what a beautiful day! Low humidity and low UV, but plenty of sun and mild temperatures. Kudos to Andrew for his self-sacrifice the day prior, and thanks to both him and George for a great new course. Being on such familiar roads for the first segment was a treat, as was passing some West Chester Cycling Club riders who keep successfully dodging my invitations for these brevets.

My knee pain started at mile 25 or so, and I kept saying that if it got any worse, I would throw in the towel. Thankfully, it managed to stay in check, one controle at a time for the next 100 miles, until I rolled back into Cafe Metzler. Jud, Eva and I stayed together for most of the day, until Eva had flatted on her 650c tri-bike about 12-ish miles from the finish. I couldn't stop to wait fearing my knee would tighten up, so I continued on, only to get passed by Joe and Mike. Slow and steady, but another successful PA 200k on the books.”

CJ’s pictures are available at http://goo.gl/M27qga.  Thanks to CJ for bringing along now newly minted randoneuse Eva Van Stratum who completed her first brevet.

From rider Jon Erwin, “Thanks for a great route though some very scenic country. We really enjoyed the route and the bar-b-que!” Jon’s ride and pictures can be seen at http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3407557#

Completing his first PA brevet was Alexander Kojenikov.  He too found the Pennsylvania hills far more challenging than the hills in his native Ukrain.  Alexander hopes to ride PBP next year and believes riding in PA will better prepare him for the rolling terrain of France.  We wish him luck.

Jim Holman writes, "What a delightful and enjoyable course with plenty of great, low-traffic roads.  Highland Rd was a really nice way to start the ride.  Loved riding through the hollows!  Also a real challenge, especially after the Chadds Ford controle, with hills that just kept coming at you one after the other.  Very pleasant and comfortable weather conditions, if a bit breezy in some places - am wondering if you consulted a crystal ball  many days (weeks?) in advance to reschedule the brevet and make sure we did not get Saturday's dreadful conditions (sorry Andrew ).  Thanks for another great ride, and many thanks to Andrew and George for designing the route, organizing the ride and serving the delicious food at the finish." 

Jonathan Erwin writes: "...Thanks for a great route though some very scenic country. ... really enjoyed the route and the bar-b-que! ..." Jon's  RWGPS upload including several pictures is at:  http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3407557#

Joe Fillip writes: "...What a spectacular addition to the PA Rando calendar! Thanks to Andrew and George for all of their hard work in devising this wonderful new route. (Having absolutely beautiful weather on ride day didn't hurt, either)...."

RBA, Tom Rosenbauer writes: "... Thanks for a great addition to the PA Randonneurs routes -- several of those roads were truly great destinations.  I've found that over the years, you can't go wrong with any road with the name "Creek"  in it.  And after yesterday, I'd add "Hollow" to that same category.  That Scalpy Hollow is a real gem!..."

As always, I have to express my sincerest appreciation to George and Erin Metzler for hosting this event.  By my count, this is the 7^th visit to Café Metzler.  It sure makes for a fun brevet.  George also deserves credit for the enjoyable part of the route.  He showed me the initial miles shortly after the 2013 Silver Spring brevet.  I was hooked from our first scouting ride.  From that seed sprung the Brandywine 200 route.  I think it’s a keeper.  Finally, thanks to RBA Tom Rosenbauer for entertaining my initial question about changing the date and handling the ACP and RUSA paperwork to make the change.  Without his efforts, the brevet would have been held on Saturday. 

Andrew Mead

-organizer

Brandywine 200k

*** Update 2 (9/6) ***
The cuesheet has been updated to draft 3 (dated 9/6) with several corrections, additions and clarifications from Andrew Mead's volunteer preride. Andrew's description of his preride: "Epic"

*** Update 1 (9/3) ***
The cuesheet has been updated to draft 2 (dated 9/3) with some minor corrections and clarifications.  There is a preride planned for Saturday, so there might be some additional, last minute cuesheet updates.

*** Roster (as of 9/5) ***
1 Glenn Ammons
2 Charles J Arayata
3 Clair Beiler
4 Jeffery S Butt
5 Matt Eby - Guest
6 Dwight Engel - Guest
7 Jon Erwin
8 Matthew Farrell
9 Joe Fillip
10 Patrick Gaffney
11 Cecilie Gaffney
12 Stewart J Gouck
13 Vadim Gritsus - Guest
14 Matthew Groff - Guest
15 Judson L Hand
16 James P. Holman
17 Donald Jagel
18 Katherine Ida Joubin - Guest
19 Greg Keenan
20 Alexander Kojevnikov - Guest
21 J Michael Lutz
22 Andrew D Mead - Organizer
23 Ralph V Miller III
24 Chris Nadovich
25 Tom Rosenbauer
26 Bob Torres
27 Ivan M Umble
28 Eva Van Stratum - Guest

*** Original Post ***
The Eastern PA summer series concludes on Sunday, September 7th with the inaugural edition of the Brandywine 200K; a brand new route compliments of organizers, George Metzler and Andrew Mead.

Highlights include the meandering along Brandywine Creek, lots of shade, visiting THREE states, riding along numerous roads incorporating the word "Hollow," and an almost unheard of in Lancaster County 3 mile long descent.

Houses, Horses, and Hollows
After a few miles we begin on an uncharacteristically straight and level Highland Road, which follows the top of a ridge into Western Chester County. You gradually lose elevation as you meander along Buck Buck Run Creek, while skirting the edge of Chester County's horse country which once included a 13,000 acre northern connection of famous King Ranch in Texas.

We follow the Brandywine River South from Modena at mile 15. As the river grows and the valley widens you will begin to see the landscapes that Andrew Wyeth made famous in his artwork around his hometown of Chadds Ford which is mile 34 on the ride. As we climb out of the Brandywine Valley on Twaddell Mill road we enter the "House" part of the 200K and enjoy the classic colonial and federal style architecture of Delaware. The Centerville Bakery at mile 38 offers the tastiest treats of the ride which you don't want to miss.  Shortly after refueling, look for this home on left side of Way Rd, its a beauty.

We re-enter PA just south of the mushroom capital of the world, Kennett Square, which produces over a million pounds of mushrooms per week. 100,000 people will be in this town of 6,000 people on this weekend to celebrate the annual Mushroom Festival.  We'll skirt around town to avoid the worst of the crowds.  We hope.

We continue West and South entering Maryland in open farm fields as we reach the Southernmost point of the ride at the Landhope Farm controle. Rather than dropping all the way down to Susquehanna, we will remain up on the ridge following the Susqueahanna upstream, but inland. As we return to PA again we see horses, but rather than leading a pampered life in the stables of Chester County these are work horses used heavily by the Amish.

Having now seen houses and horses, we begin our focus on hollows. There are Tanning Yard Hollow and Scalpy Hollow, both rather bucolic, shaded roads along the way to Buck. You'll want to check your supplies before passing the Turkey Hill oasis in Buck. There aren't many options on course for the remainder of the ride. From Buck, we climb to the top of the ridge for another hollow visit, this time on Snyder Hollow with a glorious 3 mile descent along a little creek. Enjoy. A quick info control as we approach Pennsy Road and then its familiar roads eastward toward Quarryville. Yes, there are a few climbs remaining, but take heart that we bypass everyone's favorite Brick Mill Road and take a much easier path to Nobel Road, appropriately named Mt. Pleasant, for the final roll into the finish.

We know you have worked up an appetite by then. Cafe Metzler will be ready.