Preliminary Results & Reports: PA Fall Back 200k - 12/5/09

[Tom Rosenbauer]

As part of the on-going Eastern PA R-12 series, the Fall Back 200k is being held on Dec 5. We'll be running the same course we did in March: the Spring Foward 200k. But this time we'll go in the reverse direction, to mark the setting of the clocks backward with the end of daylight savings time. Additional details are posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubDec2.html

So far, the following riders are planning to clip in:
Walt Petrigrew
Don Jagel
Christine Newman
Len Zawodniak
Shane Beake
Rick Lentz
Rick Carpenter
Andrew Mead
George Metzler
Tom Rosenbauer
Janet Bodine (DCR)
George Andrews (DCR)
Bill Willis (DCR)
Clint Provenze (DCR)
Theresa Furnari (DCR)
Gardner Duvall (DCR)
Scott Ray
Bill Fischer

... if you're planning to ride as well, drop organizer Andrew Mead a note at:
admead@gmail.com

Regards,

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

[ADMead]

The weather forecast, predicting sunny skies, mid-40s and 0% chance of precip earlier this week, now indicates a chance of afternoon snow showers for Saturday. Oh well, it's December. But the forecast is only a slight chance of precipitation. We should be fine. Temps will remain in the 30s for the day so bring your woolies and other cold weather gear.

The cue sheet stands at draft 4a. This is the "official" route. A couple minor notes you may want to make on your copy.
- Mile 3.6 There is one of our famous "Stop, except right turn" signs at this intersection. The road name is not marked, but you'll be turning right, following the yellow line of the main road.
- Mile 18.2 There is no stop sign for us at this turn.
- Mile 31.2 An homage to Pa Randos normal home turf, perhaps?
-Controle 4 There is a restaurant and a C-store here. The sign-in sheet should be at the C-store counter.

At present 25 riders have indicated they will be riding. A few will be out for #12 in their quest for the R12 medal. There are also a few new riders which I know will be welcomed and encouraged by the seasoned regulars.

I plan to be at the start area around 6:15 on Saturday morning to get an early start on registration. Pa Randonneurs is now an LLC, so EVERYONE will need to sign a new waiver. We are starting prior to sunrise (and most likely will be finishing after sunset), so lights/reflective gear should be considered mandatory.

Finally, the Pancake Farm begins serving at 5:15am. It is located just north of the start on Rt. 272. Great way to start the day in my humble opinion. Maybe I'll see you there.

Andrew Mead

[ADMead]

The weather forecasters are guessing that we might get a bit of snow of snow tomorrow. Or not. Absent a dramatic and certain deterioration to epic conditions, I plan to proceed with the brevet as scheduled. Conditions here in Lancaster have been unseasonably warm of late (it's sunny and nearly 50F as I type), so the chance of a light snow resulting in accumulation on the road surfaces is minimal. Forecasters are not likely to agree on tomorrow's weather until tomorrow morning, so you should check the weather conditions for Lancaster PA and make your own assessment. It will be a good day for wool and fenders.

I plan to indulge in a few pancakes prior to the ride at the Pancake Farm for anyone interested in a pre-ride social activity. They open at 5:15am, allowing plenty of time for a leisurely meal before riding. I'll be at the start area to commence inspection/registration by 6:15.

Andrew Mead

[len zawodniak]

Retrospective weather report: Warmish at the start, with falling temperatures and precipitation for the rest of the day. Expect rain, and snow with accumulations on the most treacherous roads after dark. Fortunately, your glasses will fog up and snow will accumulate on the lenses, rendering you legally blind for much of the course.
Kudos to those who persevered on the course. It was epic, even by rando standards. Thanks to the other riders and the volunteers and...
a big thank you to Andy, my priceless native guide, for getting me to the last controle intact.

[Paul Scearce]

How much Paul and I wish we could have ridden this time. Well, Paul did. Frankly I prefer sunny to overcast and about 60 or 70F. Tell us more specifics! I was so glad it was a safe ride for everyone. There should be some people who are willing to ride in that kind of weather. I don't know why, just there should be some.

--Naomi

[Guy]

I agree with Paul, I wish I could have made it too! Len's description was great. We had 7inches of snow on the deck at 7PM so can only imagine what the roads were like over there.

[ADMead]

The Fall Backward 200k

I looked at the long range weather forecast during the Thanksgiving weekend and noted that the forecast for Saturday’s brevet was sunny skies, 40-ish and a 0% chance of precipitation. ZERO percent; such certainty is rarely seen in a weather forecast. In Pennsylvania. In December. By Friday it seemed certain that we’d be getting snow showers for the better part of the day, but with little accumulation on the roadways since it had been so unseasonably warm. After discussing the situation with Tom, we opted to press on with the brevet as scheduled. After all, 25 riders had originally expressed intentions to ride and only 3 had decided against riding by Friday night. I figured it would be a good day to test clothing and bike setup.

Tom and I met for breakfast at the Pancake Farm. Curtis Palmer had offered to help with bike checks (important when 25 riders may show up) and was there with us. We wondered whether many riders would take a look at the skies and opt out. Len Zawodniak showed up just as I prepared to leave. At least I’d have 2 others to ride with. Well, maybe a few more. I rolled into the parking lot at the start and noticed a large gathering of reflectorized people with bikes. Twenty-one to be exact, including 6 visitors from DC Randonneurs (aka The Severna Park Peloton).

We rolled out in two groups, the first leaving at 7, and about 5 others hanging back for about 5 minutes while the organizer (me) got dressed and ready. Both groups reconnected at the first info controle. Skies were overcast. I hoped that the costal storm would track further east and we’d have an entire day like this. Controle 3 was at Chateau Metzler where we were treated to a first class breakfast spread of pancakes, bacon, coffee, mochas, and bananas. Thanks George and Ivan! I could have stayed there for quite a while. Then I noticed large, wet snowflakes were beginning to fall and figured I’d best get going to have at least a chance of a daylight finish.

There are only 22 miles separating controles 3 and 4. It took less than half of those before my gloves were completely waterlogged. I checked through the 4th controle, ate half of a sandwich, topped my bottles and headed on, still hoping I might beat the dark. Wet, sloppy snowflakes continued to fall disproving any notion that one might stay dryer in the snow than rain. I couldn’t tell any difference. At least the pavement was only wet. I was glad I had my bike with fenders and a long front mudflap.
By the 5th controle at mile 78 I was thoroughly wet. Thankfully wool socks and jerseys were performing well. My double layer tights (polypro insulation layer) were not doing so well and felt wet, cold, and heavy. My gloves consisted of a polypro inner layer and a windblock (and apparently NON-waterproof) outer layer, a combination that was proving to be ineffective. My hands were numbing. Bill Slabonik had offered to help out on this end of the course as he lives in nearby Elizabethtown. If not for Bill, I’m not certain I could have managed to get my brevet card out and signed since my fingers were nearly useless. Bill gave me the run down on the other riders and took care of my card. There were 4 riders ahead of me, Len and Mike were at the controle, and everyone else was behind, though the balance of team Severna Park Peloton arrived just as I was getting ready to leave with Mike and Len.

Mike, Len and I rode together to the Anneville controle. Roads remained just wet, even though the snow continued and the grass was now white. We connected with Clint and George from the DC crowd at the Annville controle and spent time trying to warm ourselves. It was approaching 4 and I knew conditions would get worse after sunset (what sun?). The snow was starting to stick on the road as we left. It would be a long 26 miles home. Mike, Len and I stuck together. Clint and George had reports that the balance of the SP Peloton was 5 miles out, so they waited.

We made decent progress for a while. A few little slips here and there, but none of us fell. Snow accumulation on the roads was measurable by the time we reached Cornwall. We climbed slowly to the top of the ridge, the snow getting ever deeper as we climbed. The wind was dislodging snow from the trees which dumped on us several times. Each time I’d have to stop to clear snow from my face, glasses, and headlight. Finally we reached the top. The road (a state highway) was basically 4 wheel-tracks and we had to descend for 3 miles. I was concerned about traffic. Once we started down, I became more concerned about braking as I seemed to have little. Somehow we managed without incident, all thankful to return to the less trafficked backroads. As we moved away from the ridge, snow on the road surface diminished and we resumed our slow and steady progress. We reached the final controle at 6:30 with big smiles. It took a full 5 minutes to retrieve our brevet cards to make it official. We warmed up for a while before attempting to cross the street to our cars. Mike and Len loaded and took off. I waited and watched for the rest of the riders. The final half hour saw most of the field arrive. I was truly relieved to see the 6-member SP Peloton pull in together at 8:30.

Thanks to everyone who braved the elements to wrap up the 2009 PA Randonneurs R12 series. Even though “it’s only 200k,” every finisher EARNED this finish. The demonstrations of individual toughness (both mental and physical) were amazing. More amazing was the display of randonneuring camaraderie on display as groups formed to watch out for one another and assure a safe return.

Special thanks to George Metzler and Ivan Umble for putting on such a great spread at Controle 3, and to Bill Slabonik for being a friendly and helpful face when we needed it most at Controle 5.

So what did I learn? First, more wool. Polypro just doesn’t cut it when wet. My feet, core, and arms were warm, even though wet. Second, real rain gear. I wouldn’t have discovered how poorly polypro performs in the wet if I could have kept my legs dry. I would have definitely been happier with DRY wool on my back. Third. Gloves. I’m not sure there is a winning combination, but I’m sure that what I’m using isn’t it. Fourth. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the weather forecasters.

Andrew Mead
Event Organizer

[EricKeller]

I went through three pairs of gloves. I was ecstatic to find that I had left the third pair in my seat bag at the Annville control. Those were some of the cycling specific lobster gloves, which I generally don't like much. I also had some chemical hand warmers, which I bought last February before my first brevet. They are cheap and seem to be fairly robust to careless handling. I don't know if it was just the hand warmers, but the lobster gloves worked the best of my three choices.

[ADMead]

Thanks Eric. I seem to recall hearing mention of "retrieving dry gloves from my bag" a couple times during the day.

A couple other points I forgot to make.
Congratulations to Ron and Barb Anderson who completed their R12. I think the Severna Park Peloton had one or two members who also bagged #12. I'm certain those will be memorable medals.

EPIC. I rode for an hour in the snow to complete the Dark Moon 200k in February. I thought that was a pretty epic adventure. Dark Moon's weather pales in comparison to what we endured on Saturday.

21 started. 20 finished. No serious injuries. I'm a very relieved organizer.

Andrew Mead

[Tom Rosenbauer]

Preliminary results for the Dec R-12 event have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k ... 091205.pdf
... please let me know of any corrections, or if you have additions to the notes ... I know there were a number of first-time riders and R-12 completions and I wanted to acknowledge all those milestones. Results will be submitted to RUSA in a day or so, and will then become final, pending certification.

Special thanks to organizer Andrew Mead for an *epic* ride ... and a meticulous cuesheet without errors. Thanks also to the 5-star hospitality offered by George Metzler and Ivan Umble at controle 3 ... those pancakes and bacon got me all the way to controle 6! And thanks to Bill Slabonik for manning the Bainbridge controle ... but if he had been at the Annville controle, I think he would've had a bunch riders looking for a warm shuttle to the finish!

Well, it's very difficult to type this, since my fingers are still tingling from the ride ... if anybody had gloves that actually worked in the cold wet conditions we had, please let me know, so I can get my request in to Santa!

Without a doubt, the weather conditions were about as bad as it gets for riding: wet snow at 35F, along with a pretty stiff wind. For the most part, the roads remained just wet, however the top of the Cornwall climb at the end was the big exception. It actually took me longer to go *down* the climb than *up* ... I somehow got ahead of my riding companions on the descent. As I waited for them part way down, I ended up walking *down* the mountain just to keep warm!!

I will certainly remember this ride for a vey long time. It was a hard-earned brevet with several riders marking R-12 and first brevet milestones as noted on the results. David Zion from Boston is one the riders completing an R-12 -- last January, he rode his 1st R-12 event with the PA Randonneurs to complete a set of "bookends" with us. Along with David, I rode into the finish with Mark Kaufman, one of four first-time brevet riders to brave the elements -- amazing!

Clint Provenza has posted some pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clintproven ... 2191308562

Regards,

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

[jbl]

Congratulations to all the finishers! Epic ride indeed.
On rides like this I actually dread the downhills and eagerly anticipate the climbs.
Respect!

Jon Levitt

[jud]

I feel cold just reading about this.

Jud

[Tom Rosenbauer]

Clint Provenza sent me this report:
Our Winter Wonderland “Loop around Lancaster”

This ride didn’t happen in October (due to bad weather) when we would have had the beautiful fall foliage to surround us. So the “Loop” became our December ride for those chasing the R-12 award. Gardner and Theresa got their first taste of a 200K. Everyone finished together with no time to spare. Here are the details.

We met in Ephrata for a superb dinner Friday evening (biking is a social sport). We closely watched the forecast deteriorate: am rain turning to snow late in the day, 1-4” in some areas, temps to remain above freezing. We thought we had plenty of clothes and hand warmers, so how bad could it really get?

Andrew Mead (PA Rand ride organizer) launched us at 7am Saturday with a dozen others including Bill Fisher from NY as the sun tried to rise. It was hillier the first half (8,363’ total), but we were told it would only be 6,500’ but with a few grades near 20%. I measured a max of 15%, a challenge with only at 25-tooth cog on the rear. Morning temps in the low 40s eased lower throughout the day to 31F at the finish. The rain started about 9am, then turned to snow that never quit.

Since our merry band of 6 (Bill, George, Janet, Gardner, Theresa, and Clint) got off last from the start, George and I soon began our conquest to reel in the leaders. The course record was a tough 7:37. After an information control at mile22, we were treated to hot-off-the griddle pancakes, fruit, Starbucks Mocha, and other delights at [George Metlzer's] home in Atglen PA (a controle at mile 32). By then George and I had caught the leader (Don), who was delivering the sign-in sheets for all the controles that day. We chatted with him for the next 26 miles.

Juggling 6 pages of cue sheets in the snow was a challenge with thick gloves. The Conestoga Restaurant at the 54mile controle was warm and inviting, but George and I were eager to roll. As we crossed Rt 30 ten miles before the Bainbridge controle (78), I needed a break. So we let the leader vanish up a steady climb while we ate and warmed ourselves at the Burger King.

Later, we needed a progress report from our 2 girls and 2 guys. We sent a text and later received word that they arrived at the UniMart (controle at mile 78) only 5 minutes after we left. George and I arrived at the 100 mile controle at 3:50pm. We were on a 15mph pace to have us done well before dark. Bill called at 4pm to say they were only 5 miles out, so we waited over an hour for them to arrive. Gardner was hypothermic and needed a little time to warm up. George announced a snow plow was clearing the road as the sun set (imagine that, so much snow they need to plow it? Oh my). We talked to all the riders at the controle as they came and left. The tandem couple had a large-font, plastic-coated set of cue cards pinned to the captain’s back, making it easier to read. We were last to leave the controle due to a glove malfunction, but we stayed together as the snow continued accumulating. We had “only” three hours to complete the last 25 miles.

At this point, only a few of us had a dry cue sheet for the remainder of the route. Fewer still had a head light to see it and glasses to read it! So we couldn’t ride too far from Gardner. [So glad to have you with us, buddy!]

We devised a count-off system (1-2-3-4-5-6) to be sure we had everyone as we crested each climb. When we didn’t hear from 5 and 6, we backed off the pace. We missed a turn adding 6 miles to the adventure. On a 3-mile descent, braking in the snow required lots of effort. At one point Janet went blasting off the front hitting top speeds but staying upright (well done, JBo). As the cars and trucks passed us, we got sprayed with slush. Our rain pants came in handy.

With just a few miles to go as the clock got closer to 8:30pm (beyond that we all become DNFs) we couldn’t find our turn on Rothsville Rd. I used the GPS most of the evening, which stayed amazingly dry under the map holder. I only wish I had set up the route to the finish before-hand. But it was very useful to confirm the roads ahead since most signs were covered with blowing snow. When I couldn’t get back to “show map” mode, Theresa saved the day by finding the name of the road we were on by reading the business address of a marquee.

About that time Gardner got a rear flat, topped it off with CO2, and couldn’t get his gloves back on. He rode it in with his bare hands. Bill’s front wheel was also leaking air. But TOGETHER, we all rolled into the finish controle at mile 126 (131 miles for us). Ride time: 9:24, only a tad faster than our January perm to Dillsburg when it was 2 degrees but clear. Average speed 13.9mph. As we warmed up over a delicious Italian dinner, Gardner noted the snow in the woods and small towns decorated for Christmas was beautiful. We were all home before 1am.

We each learned a lot about ourselves and our gear. Lights are critical to see and be seen. Staying dry is paramount when the weather is cold and wet. Minding the cues can save you lots of time when there isn’t much time to spare. Test your gear before relying on it.

Congrats to George on completing his R-12. He said he would have sacrificed his bike to finish within the time limit. Janet is now only one ride from her R-12. At dinner, Gardner and Theresa lied and said they’d do another one in January. Actually, I think they are hooked on randonneuring. Bill is about half way to his R-12. I completed mine on the Flatbread last month. After reading this ride report, I would have felt quite guilty had I not been there to help the others finish. For me, this topped the charts for difficulty. Even PBP wasn’t as challenging, just longer.

“Why do we do it?” people ask us at the controles? It’s a strange sort of thrill we all seek in one way or another. Why do people climb Everest, bike across the US, fly to the moon, and do all kinds of other exotic things? Because with careful preparation and training, we can achieve our goals and dreams. And have fun with others while doing it.

A hearty thanks to each of you, Janet (team mom) for all your planning, snacks, van; George for staying with me at the Burger King (I know you were hot to stay on Don’s wheel, but that cheeseburger and coffee were pretty good, eh?), Bill for hanging with the newbies, and Gardner and Theresa for just hanging in there (did you have a choice 20 miles from nowhere?). As a team, we accomplished what would have been nearly impossible for any one of us.

That’s all from me until next time. Here’s a link to all the pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clintproven ... 2191308562
Clint

RBA Tom Rosenbauer comment:
Thanks for the great write-up, and congratulations to each of you for fnishing in conditions that are as bad as it gets. I was very happy that all the participants banded together to keep everyone as safe as possible.

I happened to see this quote in Sunday's paper that was very appropriate for your ride: "... If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together..."

[Tom Rosenbauer]

Rick Lentz sent me the following note:

Tom,

That was one heck of a ride! I am so glad several riders took photos. As if the experience was not enough, the photos just really put a visual record on what we went through. Shane has some good photos of his bike and the ice covered components. As far as gloves, I think we had 21 riders with failed glove solutions. I, like some others, had a spare pair of gloves in my backpack that were very welcome at the 78 mile controle. I suppose one solution is a collection of dry gloves to keep switching to. I also used the men's room hand dryer at controle Anneville to get them a bit drier. My initial gloves were "Heattrac" ones that I bought in Vermont in October. They are warm but all bets are off after they get wet, which was quick in the conditions we had. My backup dry ones were the previous gloves I wear for cold weather and they are Thinsulate. They seemed to work better than the Heattrac. The new "waterproof" booties I had got soaked and were useless after that. I carried a spare pair of dry socks (a recurring theme), that I switched to at controle 5 with the glove change. This time I wrapped the dry socked feet with charcoal toe heaters in plastic bags, followed by a wrung out pair of wool socks, then the shoes and the wrung out booties. This seem to work fairly well. I tossed the worry of my feet sweating and getting trapped moisture in there in the plastic bags knowing the alternative was certain wetness. I got hammered with rain at the Woodbine permanent for my November R-12, so three wet rides in a row has me really wanting for something nicer. But epic rides provide far more stories, don't they?

Rick

p.s. I think Walt completed his R-12 too.

[Tom Rosenbauer]

Shane Beake sent me the following note:

Hi Tom,

WOW!!! I think that about sums up Saturday, definitely the worst conditions I've ridden in.

I have to personally thank Walter Pettigrew, Rick Lentz and Eric Keller for hanging with me
while I had to change 2 flats.

Here's a couple more pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45325491@N ... 950592592/

Shane

RBA Tom Rosenbauer response:
I met up with you at the bottom of the icy descent from Cornwall ... Eic had been riding with me and 2 other riders, and we became separated. We were waiting for what seemed a very long time for him when you arrived. We were getting hypothermic and had to get moving, so I'm extremely grateful that you came along so Eric was able to ride in with another group. I'm very proud of how everybody was looking out for
one another in these exteme conditions.