Chamounix, also known as Montpelier, is a historic home located in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Federal-style house was built in 1802 by George Plumsted who was a wealthy Philadelphia merchant, then enlarged to nearly double its original size by subsequent owners after 1853.
We will use the Carriage House for our start, finish, registration, and lodging. The Carriage House is the building on the left before the eyelet loop at the end of Chamounix Drive. Do not confuse the Carriage House with the Mansion, which is partway around the loop on the right.
In our opinion, the safest place to park is the the Hilton/Homewood lot just off of city avenue. Here is a Google map link. Price is $13/day. As far as we know, this fenced-in lot is secure and it's a very short, easy bike ride from this parking area to Chamounix. There are free on-street parking alternatives a short distance away, including along W Ford Rd, that may be reasonably secure because of the residences and businesses nearby.
We believe that immediately outside Chamounix is not a safe place to park, as there have been instances of petty theft in the area. Should you decide to park near Chamounix anyway, do not leave valuables in your car. There should be nothing visible that might tempt thieves. If you must leave clothes and minor gear someplace during the event, it would be best to leave these inside the Carriage House, but please don't leave anything of great value. For Carriage House events, please park cars along Chamounix Drive in front of the Carriage House as shown in this diagram. Do not park back in the circle by the mansion or on the side alley to the left of the Carriage house. Park on the left side of Chamounix drive within easy view of the front porch of the Carriage house. Park end-in, not parallel to the curb.
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.
Riders are advised to make sleeping arrangements at or near the start/finish. Please don't try to drive a long distance before or after a tough brevet. Multiple options are available.
As you approach the finish control there are two buildings in the cul-de-sac eyelet. We are in the Carriage House on the left awaiting you with refreshments and eager to hear your tall tales, some of which might even be true.
This event needs volunteers for the following jobs:
Contact Organizer to Volunteer.
The 2024 PA Rando Super Randonneur series begins in March with a 200K ACP brevet that visits many of the historical covered bridges in Bucks County. This route starts and finishes at Chamounix Mansion Carriage House in Philadelphia.
The second half of the 19th century saw a flurry of activity in terms of covered bridge construction and this brevet invites the riders to cross over - or pass by - eight covered bridges in the following order:
We also added some spice to this route by incorporating the "scenic" Uhlerstown Hill Road that has a peak gradient of 37.4% (!!!) that will make the facinating Buckwampum Mountan Rd seem like a gentle grade.
To power these efforts, you will need refuling options. Once out of the city and past New Hope, the rest of the course is largely devoid of services, so you should consider options carefully. There is a staffed control at about 55 miles in Tinicum Park with a lunch provided by PA Rando volunteers. The next decent option is Tabora Farm (mile 93), a classic cyclist oasis, where you should also plan to stop.
After the gorgeous tour of bridges you will descend back down to Conchohocken and return via a short section of the Schuylkill River Trail to gather for some serious jibber jabber over the dinner buffet at Chamounix.
Date | Finishers |
---|---|
2022-03-19 | 55 |
2023-03-04 | 58 |
2024-03-24 | 57 |
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 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. There is no sag wagon. Complete several ordinary century cycling events before starting a 200K brevet; complete several 200Ks before starting a longer brevet.
Continental breakfast and coffee will be available at the start. Lunch will be served at the Tinicum Park control. A dinner buffet will be available at the finish.
The online URL for this event info page is
https://parando.org/info/event/2024-03-24/200
For all other information about Pennsylvania Randonneurs, visit our web site https://parando.org/