Keystone Bicycle Co. (KBC) is located at 1800 N. American St, which is a shared warehouse space bordered by Berks St. to the north. There is one entrance to access the lot along N American St., near W. Montgomery Ave. After entering, turn right towards the north end of the lot. The entrance to Keystone Bicycle Co. is through the double-doors to the right of the larger garage door, and the shop is the first space on the right when you enter the building. If the outer door is locked when you arrive, call.
Restrooms and a bottle-fill station are available inside, as well as a full bike shop for last-minute spare parts or repair needs. You can leave your bike in the covered bike shelters outside, or bring it inside while you check-in.
The KBC entrance is located behind the fence at the far right end of the building. There are a few parking spots near KBC behind the fence as shown in the parking diagram. You are welcome to park in one of these, but they are limited. If this fills up, there is plenty of free street parking on N. American St. As this is a narrow street, park close to the curb and fold your driver side mirror in. Load and unload your car from the curb side for safety.
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.
There are numerous lodging options in the city of Philadelphia, please book your arrangements with a hotel directly.
Depending on the weather, the finish check-in and gathering will either be directly outside of the KBC entrance at the far north end of the lot, or inside the KBC space. A vegan-friendly Mexican restaurant Sor Ynez is conveniently located on premises and is open until 9PM for dine-in and take-out options.
A bike shop owned and operated by 5 Pennsylvania Randonneurs? Yes, that’s right. Keystone Brevet Co., as they will be known for the day, are very much looking forward to hosting you for the start and finish of this brand new event that heads westward to Chester County.
We first make our way towards the Art Museum via bike lanes and eventually out of Philadelphia through sleepy neighborhoods en route towards West Chester, PA and the fan-favorite Goshen Road. A steep but short climb up and over Skelp Level Road and past the Harmony Hill MTB trails will reward you with an equally short and proportionally fast descent on the way to a well-deserved Wawa controle.
We then trek right through the Heart of Downingtown and onto Creek Road (PA-282), a very popular local cycling route. Be sure to give friendly waves to all the serious roadies as you gain elevation on the way to your next controle outside Morgantown. From there, we skirt past French Creek State Park and St. Peter’s Village on the way to a Schuylkill River Crossing via Keim St. Bridge.
Some refueling options in Zieglersville and an info controle await you before an 18-mile #gravelgrind (suitable for most tires) on the Perkiomen Trail (PT). After this stretch, you’ll be thankful to have your speed back as you join with the Schuylkill River Trail, where you can channel your inner “Commonwealth Crusher” and enjoy a flat car-free return as the sunlight fades into night. There are a few refueling options in this leg if you are willing to go off course in Conshohocken or Manayunk, but the Philadelphia Dynamo Headlight Society fully endorses Chloe’s Corner at the end of the Manayunk Towpath for all your caloric intake (and output) needs.
A quick spin along Boathouse Row will bring you back to Spring Garden Street and eventually Keystone Brevet Co. for the finish gathering.
There are several steep, extended climbs. Wide range gearing is highly recommended. Sections of gravel on the PT are suitable for most tires, but some riders will appreciate wider (32mm+) tread. Please be sure to read carefully the General Info section directly below.
Date | Finishers |
---|---|
2021-11-06 | 38 |
2024-06-15 | 33 |
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/2024-06-15/200
For all other information about Pennsylvania Randonneurs, visit our web site https://parando.org/