Pennsylvania Randonneurs

New Blue Redeux
400K Brevet

Saturday 13 April 2019
04:00 EDT Start Time

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New Blue Redeux 400K Brevet

Saturday 13 April 2019
04:00 EDT Start Time

Start Location

Holiday Inn Express, Easton

90 Kunkle Drive
Easton, PA 18042
(610) 838-2928

 

The Holiday Inn Express in Easton is centrally located near US 22 and PA 33 in Easton, PA.  Events hosted at the Holiday will start in their meeting room, where breakfast is served at the start and a meal is served after the finish. Lodging can be reserved in hotel. Book with them directly.

Parking

There is ample parking all around the hotel.

Suggested parking locations for the start/finish are public places, with theft and vandalism a real possibility, especially in cities. Park during the event at your own risk. Please do not leave valuables in your car during the ride.

Lodging

Riders are advised to make sleeping arrangements at or near the start/finish. Please book a room directly with the Holiday Inn Express or one of the other nearby hotels.

Finish

Join us in the buffet in the meeting room to recount your tales of joy, woe, and epic adventure (some of which may even be true). There will be access to a hot shower, allowing you to clean up after the ride, as well as bathrooms.

Ride Description

Iron Bridge at Swatara GapStarting on what should now be a familiar leg northward along the Bushkill Creek on the Two Rivers Trailway we head toward the Appalachian Mountains and the first control at Wind Gap.  From here, riders will cross the Appalachian Trail at the top of the ridge.  You'll want to pay very close attention to the westward turn on Mountain Rd.  It will be a long climb back up to the turn if you miss it.  Heading west along Smith Valley, the route soon joins what many may recognize as the old Blue Mountain 400k route featuring a midway controle at Blondie's Restaurant in New Ringgold (well, Snyders actually). 

Riders continue to follow familiar roads westward with a few twists.  We exchange the always scenic Summer Hill Road for a similarly scenic Schuylkill Mountain Road as we parallel the Blue Mountain.  There is no control in Pine Grove, but riders may want (or need) to stop and replenish supplies as it's another 30 miles to the next controle.  From Pine Grove, the route returns to the recently repaired Swatera Rail Trail for a gentle descent through the Swatera Gap and our second crossing of the Appalichian Trail.

Upon exiting the trail, you wil explore new roads for a while as the route takes you to an open controle Palmyra.  You can choose from one of several eateries along the route or a convenience store that is located 1 block off the route.  Be sure to note which of the places you used for your controle on your brevet card.

The route turns eastward from here, passing through several small villages along the way. With nearly 50 miles of riding to the next control, riders may want to stop and replenish along the way.  There are good options in both Manheim and Lititz (the Bulls Head Pub is nice if you have time).  Leaving Lititz, the route takes advantage of the recently completed Warwick to Ephrata rail trail to minimize elevation challanges for a while.  The route is heading nearly due east from Ephrata, passing through Terre Hill and the Twin Valley to reach a control in Morgantown.  Here riders rejoin the old Blue Mountain 400 route through the French Creek area to a Wawa controle in Pottstown.

The route continues east to another Wawa controle Phoenixville where it makes a northward turn toward Easton, passing through the Evansburg State Park along roads some may recognize from another PA Rando brevet.  The familiar roads are short-live as the route heads north to the penultimate control in Quakertown (not at the Hostel).  The route picks up the Saucon Rail Trail in Coopersburg for a while before making a final push over South Mountain into Easton.  A final push up the hill through The Children's Home of Easton will bring riders back to the start. Join your fellow randoneurs after the ride for pizza/pasta and to share your epic stories and tales, some of which may even be true, about the day's adventure as we gather at the Holiday Inn conference room.

There are several steep, extended climbs and an endless array of non-flat roads on this route.  A triple or 39x27 is highly recommended.

Course History

DateFinishers
2019-04-1328
Course Record 2019-04-13: Bradford Smith (18:08, 22.1 kph)

General Info

This ride is a randonneur style bicycle event under the sanction of Randonneurs USA and Audax Club Parisian. Completing this event can help you train and qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris and earn RUSA and ACP  awards. You need a current RUSA membership to ride this event. You can sign up for RUSA here.

First time riding with PA Randonneurs? Read an overview of what to expect on your first PA brevet. All participants are obliged to follow the rules for riders as well as local vehicle laws (PA, NJ, NY). Safety is a primary concern. All riders must sign a waiver. Please read these Safety Instructions.

To receive credit for finishing a randonneuring event you must complete a brevet card as required by the rules. PA Randonneurs accepts traditional brevet cards filled out with stamps/signatures and backed up with merchant receipts. PA Randonneurs also accepts Electronic Proof of Passage (EPP), but the only form of EPP accepted  is the eBrevet cell phone app. (Version 1.2.4 minimum required). Your finish time and finish code from the EPP app must be written on the paper card or you will be disqualified.

These events are not for beginners.  The courses are hilly. You may face extremes of weather: heat, cold, wind, rain. The roads are unmarked and open to automobile traffic. There will be night riding in the longer events.  There is no sag wagon. Complete several ordinary century cycling events before starting a 200K brevet;  complete several 200Ks before starting a longer brevet.

Registration

Registration Fee

For PA Rando members: $45
There is an extra $10 charge for registration if you are not a member of Pennsylvania Randonneurs.
Prices include $10 discount for pre-payment.

Includes

A complimentary breakfast buffet will be provided before the ride, and a pizza/pasta buffet will be available after the ride. There will be shared access to a shower, allowing you to clean up after the ride.  A limited number of bunks will be available for "safety naps". If you need full overnight accomodations, please book a room for yourself. No lodging is included, but PA Randonneurs has reserved a limited block of rooms at the Holiday Inn that riders may book. Contact the hotel directly. Use group code RB2.  Click here to make reservations.

Registration is closed for this event.

Schedule

03:00 Sign-in, Bike Inspection
03:50 Rider meeting
04:00 EDT Riders depart

Conditions

Finish Cutoff: 07:00 EDT 14 April 2019 (27 hours)

Daylight Hours

Sunrise: 06:24
Sunset: 19:38

The hours for this event extend beyond daytime. Riding at night without appropriate reflective gear and lights will result in an immediate disqualification. See the rules Article 10 for requirements. See the reflectivity guide for best practices.

Weather

Weather forecast for start location: Easton, PA.

This event runs rain or shine. Rides are sometimes postponed or canceled if there is a significant chance of extreme conditions that threaten safety (e.g. ice, snow, high winds). Check the message board for last minute announcements.

Questions About This Event?

Please click here to ask the organizer a question about this event.

The online URL for this event info page is

https://parando.org/info/event/2019-04-13/400

For all other information about Pennsylvania Randonneurs, visit our web site https://parando.org/