There are special proceedures and restrictions on this event because of the COVID-19 safety plan. Riders must
Please do not forget to bring these items. Be alert for other announcements and instructions. The full set of restrictions and procedures will be described in the PA Rando Blog. Please check often for updates.
Trendy Manayunk hugs the Schuylkill River banks. It has a small-town vibe, with rowhouses, lofts and Victorian homes occupied by young families and long-time residents. Along its hilly streets, the steep incline of "The Manayunk Wall" punishes riders in an annual bike race. Galleries and boutiques line Main Street, while its trendy eateries and boisterous bars evoke the area's Lenape name, "the place to drink.”
The start controle is located in the shared parking lot for the Regal UA Theatre, Cadence Cycling Center, and Fine Wine.
There are no services, food, indoor space, or access to bathrooms at the start location itself, although there are numerous options nearby. The closest 24 hour convenience store for early morning coffee, food, and bathrooms is the Sunoco/Dunkin on 4168 Ridge Ave.
Park in the large lot shared by Cadence Cycles, the UA Theater, and the State store. Park near Main St, away from the stores, so as to allow store customers the closest spots. There are plenty of spots. Alternatively, you can try parking over by the Landing Kitchen on the other side of the Penncoyd bridge. This would be best if you are staying at the Residence Inn.
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.
Immediately at the Start/Finish is the Residence Inn. There are many other nearby hotels. Call them directly to make reservations.
Manayunk contains many fine places to gather after the event that are near the start parking at Cadence. Check your brevet card or the cue sheet for the selected gathering spot for this event.
This event needs volunteers for the following jobs:
Contact Organizer to Volunteer.
This 200 brings you back for another start and finish in Philadelphia. Its name inspired by the Pennsylvania Dutch name for Chester County, the route will take you around Chester County and into Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
The route departs from the parking lot of Cadence Cycling Center and heads south on the Schuylkill River to Center City. You will stop for an early photo controle on the South Street Bridge. The bridge is one of the best—if not the best—places to photograph the Center City skyline, especially if there is a nice sunrise and clear sky.
You will then begin heading west. After riding through West Philly, you will pass through Delaware County via the Philly to Swarthmore route, aka Bicyclists’ Baltimore Pike. This route has street signs directing the way to Swarthmore. A highlight of this section is getting a peek at the creeks, including Cobbs, Darby, Crum, Ridley, Chester, and Brandywine Creeks, that feed into the Delaware River. You might notice a dip in temperature when passing through the creek valleys in the early morning hours. Note that the Wawa in Dilworthtown at mile 32 is the last place to refuel until Cafe Metzler controle at mile 64.
As you reach the western edge of DelCo, you'll fly down Brinton Bridge Rd into the Brandywine Valley and onto Creek Rd, a popular route featured in the Keystone Brevet Co.’s route in November. Then you visit the villages of Doe Run and Spring Dell, an area full of scenic horse farms. For a hearty lunch and a chance to warm up, consider the Whip Tavern about half a mile off the route on Springdell Rd near mile 52 (opens at 11am).
Next, as you cross Octaro Creek you will briefly enter Lancaster County and approach the staffed controle at Cafe Metzler. This controle is familiar to many long-time PA Randonneurs, having served as a controle and start-finish location for many brevets. It is a unique location in that it is located at the home of George and Erin Metzler near Atglen, Pennsylvania. It was dubbed Cafe Metzler in December 2009 when it was the first on-the-road controle for a brevet and featured a pancake breakfast. Some historians may recall that the pancake breakfast controle was just the beginning of the memorable events in that particular brevet, but that's a story for another time. The controle is in the garage located behind the house. Turn into the driveway and coast down to the garage. We'll have drinks and maybe some snacks.
After catching up with George and Andrew at Cafe Metzler, you will head towards northern Chester County passing through the villages of Ludwigs Corner and Birchrunville. You have options for refueling in Ludwigs Corner: a Wawa for convenience items or Grandma Zook’s for fresh baked goods.
Then you will reach Phoenixville where there are plenty of refueling options, including a Wawa on the way into town. You'll cross the Schuylkill River into Montgomery County and return to Philly along the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT). The finish control is across the river from the parking lot at the Landing Kitchen.
Date | Finishers |
---|---|
2021-12-04 | 35 |
2022-11-05 | 45 |
2023-06-04 | 23 |
2024-05-11 | 13 |
This ride is a randonneur style bicycle event under the sanction of Randonneurs USA. Completing this event can help you train for Paris-Brest-Paris and earn RUSA 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 encourages use of the eBrevet cell phone app. (Version 1.3 minimum required) as an electronic brevet card assistant. Nevertheless, you must check into all controls on the app -- or provide traditional proof for each control. Your finish time and finish code from the app must be written on the paper card, along with your signature, or you may 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. Complete several ordinary century cycling events before starting a 200K brevet; complete several 200Ks before starting a longer brevet.
The online URL for this event info page is
https://parando.org/info/event/2021-12-04/202
For all other information about Pennsylvania Randonneurs, visit our web site https://parando.org/