Serving as our traditional "rando clubhouse" the Weisel youth hostel is a congenial venue for brevets of any length.
Enter the main hostel driveway off Richlandtown Road. After about 200 feet, turn right on the gravel road before the barn, then another immediate right to park your car in the large, grassy field next to the main driveway. Do not park at the end of the driveway by the hostel building. The parking spots near the hostel are reserved.
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 is available for a nominal fee at the hostel for the evenings before and after the event.
Showers available at the hostel. Join us at the post-ride banquet and share your epic tales and goals for the coming year. Relax in the hostel's comfortable great room or porch. A dormatory in the hostel is available for a nap before traveling home
This 600K brevet comprised two loops that start and return back to the Weisel hostel. The first loop is approximately 400k and head up to the Rt 97 corridor and Hawks Nest. After returning back to the hostel for the sleep-over stop, the second loop is a 200k out-and-back course into the Lancaster area.
Setting out at the hostel start/finish, we head to Danielsville where we make our first crossing over the Applachian Trail at Little Gap. After an exhilarating descent past the Blue Mountain Ski resort, we follow the valley road which offers spectacular views of the mountain ridge off to our right. As we approach Wind Gap, we head up the Allegheny Front through Promised Land and on to Hawley. We then ride along the scenic Lackawaxen River and, after crossing the historic Roebling Aqueduct, join up with scenic Rt 97 for the run to Port Jervis via Eldred (pronounced El Dread on account of the climbs that bracket it). At Port Jervis, we begin our return leg back to the hostel overnight controle -- down along the Delaware River on the NJ side of the DWGRA, over the dreaded Old Mine Road climb, and into the controle in Water Gap. From there it's the usual riverside route through Portland, Bloomsbury, Rieglesville and back to Quakertown.
The route returns to the start/finish hostel at approximately the 400K point. There are 2 showers available in the upstairs bathroom with a sign to indicate male/female usage (bring your own towel). Food will also be available. There is a dormatory available for resting before setting out on the remaining 200K. Sheets are provided but you may want to bring your own pillow. Earplugs and a small flashlight might also be useful. You should plan on packing a drop bag for this stop -- you can leave the bag either in your car or at the hostel.
The second day's loop is an approximately out and back segment. We go out along the Penn ridge, generally descending to arrive at Limerick, PA, a time-forgiving postal controle. Here it is traditional to write a limerick on the postcard. From there we ride directly to Rt 23, which then takes us into the Amish country and to the turnaround in New Holland. The return path follows the more rural PABike Rt "S" to Morgantown, and then steers north through French Creek state park and the hills around Perkiomenville.
As shown in the route profile, there are several steep, extended climbs. A triple or 39x27 is highly recommended.
Date | Finishers |
---|---|
2009-05-30 | 17 |
2010-05-22 | 17 |
2011-05-21 | 25 |
2011-06-25 | 3 |
2012-06-02 | 18 |
2013-06-01 | 13 |
2014-05-31 | 20 |
2015-05-30 | 17 |
2016-06-04 | 9 |
2017-06-10 | 11 |
2018-05-19 | 11 |
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.
The online URL for this event info page is
https://parando.org/info/event/2018-05-19/600
For all other information about Pennsylvania Randonneurs, visit our web site https://parando.org/