Pittsburgh Randonneurs

Spring Series, Ghostly GAP Gallivant 600K
2023-05-27 04:00 - 2023-05-28 20:00 (America/New_York) | Homestead Hampton Inn & Suites, 301 W Waterfront Dr, West Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
For 2023, we’ve added a brand spanking new 600K route. It’s a traditional pair of 400k and 200K loops with a hotel control (the Hampton Inn in Homestead) in the middle.
As this is emphatically not a daylight-only ride, lights and reflective gear are mandatory. In addition, a significant portion of the route is on unpaved or poorly maintained roads and trails, so choose your tires wisely.
The first day takes us east through Turtle Creek and Trafford, picking up the Westmoreland Heritage Trail through Murrysville and Saltsburg, where it becomes the West Penn Trail. After passing through the Conemaugh Lake recreation area (including a US Army Corps of Engineers dam and a blocked-off tunnel resembling a side door into Mordor), we’ll make our way to the next controle, the Sheetz in Blairsville. A steady gradual climb over the next 30 miles (much of which is on the Ghost Town Trail) takes us to the Dunkin controle in Ebensburg.
Forsaking trail for roads over the next 80 miles or so, we’ll head south, traversing state game lands on our way to the Fishertown Country Market controle before heading southwest through Berlin(see note for mile 151 below) to pick up the GAP trail in Rockwood, at which point it is (almost literally) downhill for the next 100 miles to the overnight controle. The GAP will take us all the way back through Confluence, Connellsville, and McKeesport to the starting point in Homestead, where we can optionally nap, shower, change into fresh clothes, or whatever before embarking on the next leg.
The second day is a slightly kinder variation of our Weirton 200K route, made nicer by simply removing the Weirton bit :). From the overnight controle, we’ll follow the trail into Station Square (just across the river from downtown Pittsburgh), then over the hills through Carnegie and Robinson to a long rolling stretch on Old Steubenville Pike. In Florence, we’ll controle at the Grab-n-Go, then head south through Burgettstown to a classic jaunt through Hickory and Houston to Mingo Creek State Park. Mingo Creek will funnel us down to New Eagle, on the banks of the Monongahela River. East and south to the penultimate controle at the Donora UniMart, before crossing the river to return on the low-traffic Bunola River Rd side. Finally, we’ll re-rejoin the GAP in McKeesport, for a familiar and easy 10-mile trail return to the hotel.
There will be a room reserved at the Hampton Inn, which will be available for showers and (limited) napping space at the overnight controle on the 27th. If we have significantly more participants than I expect, we’ll look into reserving multiple rooms.
Route Notes
At mile 42, the route follows a causeway across the Conemaugh River. If the water levels are too high, the causeway may be impassable; in which case, an on-road route from mile 39.5 to mile 46.1 is as follows: Leave westbound trail, L on Auen Rd for 1 mile to R on Quick Rd for 1/2 mile to R at T on Clarksburg Rd for 3 miles to R at T on Newport Rd to rejoin route at mile 46.1
At mile 151, there lies a 24-hour Valero convenience store. That is the last 24-hour store on route until the Sheetz in Connellsville at mile 210, so stocking up here is encouraged.
At mile 181.5, the controle is at Mitch’s Fuel and Food in Confluence, PA. Mitch’s closes at 7, as do the majority of the other businesses in Confluence. If the store is closed, feel free to take a selfie if needed for proof of passage.
At mile 192, you’ll be passing through Ohiopyle. Historically, the park rangers have discouraged through travel after dark, so I’d suggest avoiding them if possible.
At mile 210, you’ll controle at the Sheetz in Connellsville. This is the last obvious opportunity for resupply until the overnight control 50 miles later.
At mile 275.6, a 24-hour GetGo convenience store is two blocks off route in Carnegie. This is the last 24-hour store for the next 65 miles, so, if you’re riding quickly, you may wish to restock here, as most subsequent stores along the route are not open until 7 AM.
At mile 297.4, the Grab-n-Go controle is closed from 8 PM to 7 AM. Feel free to take a selfie if needed for proof of passage.
At mile 342.2, the UniMart control is closed from midnight to 6AM. Feel free to take a selfie if needed for proof of passage.

Details
Registration closes: Thursday May 25th 2023
Hotel and parking: We have a room reserved Saturday night at the Hampton Inn (c0ntrole 1, 7, and 10) for pizza/showers/changing/napping. That said, the hotel lot is fairly small, so I’d suggest that those not reserving a room at the hotel park at any one of the nearby public lots.
Inspection opens: Saturday May 27th 3:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver, headlight/taillight/reflective gear
Proof of passage: Electronic proof of passage is strongly encouraged. No brevet cards will be available unless requested in advance.
Ride start: Saturday May 27th 4:00 AM (40:00 time limit)
Checking in from the road: Please be kind to your easily-worried RBA and send me a quick text (412 915-6206) when you arrive at each controle, if you encounter any significant problems, and when you complete. This is especially important for the timing of pizza orders and similar crucial matters.
Overnight Controle: The overnight controle room will be manned by volunteer Jim Logan from 5PM Saturday to 5AM Sunday, then there will be a brief gap in coverage until I arrive around 6 or 7AM; I’ll keep the room open until 10AM or so.
Ride end: I will be in the area, within half an hour’s drive if anyone is in need of support. Otherwise, please just text me when you’ve completed, and send me your proof of passage within the next couple of days so that I can submit the results ASAP.
Cue sheet: Credit to Tom Hovan, Ghostly-Galavant-600K-Cuesheet.xlsx
Route:
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Spring Series, Washington - Cumberland - Washington 400K ACP Brevet
2023-05-13 04:00 - 2023-05-14 07:00 | Washington Hampton Inn & Suites, 119 Murtland Ave, Washington, PA, 15301, United States
For 2023, we’re dusting off one of our oldest routes…the AMCUP (Allegheny Mountains Cruel and Unusual Punishment) 400.
It starts and finishes in Washington, PA, and includes some of the more exciting climbs in the Laurel Highlands. It also includes a mind-boggling FIVE Sheetz controles, although we do reuse them on occasion.
Caveat
Let me start by being very clear: this is the hardest ride we have in our catalog. It includes climbs of Chestnut Ridge and Mt Davis, and is, frankly, unrelentingly non-flat until Meyersdale at mile 150. It has 18000′ of climbing, of which more than 2/3rds is in the first 150 miles.
That said: it’s also a beautiful route, featuring gorgeous views, remote farm roads, and all the Sheetz that anyone could ask for.
Route Notes
We’ll leave Washington PA bright and early, escaping town as quickly as possible via 136. At this hour, it’ll be very low traffic, rolling road all the way to the bank of the Monongahela River and the first Sheetz controle. From there, we’ll cross the Mon and head upriver for a few miles until climbing the ridge and heading through Perryopolis and Vanderbilt on the way to Dunbar.
In Dunbar, the first major climb of the route begins…8 miles of Furnace Hill Rd, before cresting Chestnut Ridge. It’s shaded and pleasant for most of the climb, with only a couple of particularly steep spots…but it is a very long, steady climb, so be prepared.
Once atop the ridge, we’ll narrowly miss visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kentuck Knob (as the road betwixt there and Ohiopyle is too hazardous for official routing), and work our way around some undulating ridge top roads before plummeting to Ohiopyle State Park, the next controle at Falls Market, and a brief respite from climbing on the GAP trail to Confluence. (Note that no services are available on-route after Ohiopyle for nearly 50 miles, although some are available off-route in Confluence.)
In Confluence, we’ll bid farewell to the GAP for a while, and head to our second major climb on Mt Davis Rd. While we won’t go all the way to the highest point in PA, we’ll certainly get within yelling distance thereof. Much like Furnace Hill Rd out of Dunbar, this is a very long, steady climb with a couple of steeper parts; however, it’s more open country, so the views will be significantly more expansive, and shade will be less.
After the main climb up Mt Davis, the route bends south into Maryland and a long drop through Frostburg (and another Sheetz controle) into the outskirts of Cumberland. Rather than fight traffic on the way back up the hill, we’ll pick up the GAP at the Cash Valley Trailhead and take it back to Frostburg in relative ease and comfort.
From Frostburg (see the note of caution and suggestion of alternate route below), another 20ish hilly miles remain before the Meyersdale Sheetz controle. Of particular note: on Sand Springs Rd, we pass directly through a wind farm with a couple of windmills immediately off route to left and right; depending on your affinity for windmills, this may make the poor road surface of Sand Springs Rd worthwhile. Alternatively, those who do not relish potholed gravel roads (or potentially riding them in the dark) should consider the alternative routing for safety purposes.
After Meyersdale, we finally have a real reprieve from climbing…it’s 55 miles of gentle flat riding on hard packed limestone trail from here until Connellsville, with the only real concerns being lack of places to resupply, and (potentially cranky) Ohiopyle park rangers who don’t want to deal with cyclists at night.
Out of Connellsville, it’s a brief grunt over the hill back to Vanderbilt, then following rolling Rt 201 to the bank of the Mon River, and a return to the Sheetz in Monongahela for the last controle. From there, in order to avoid potential boozy post-bar traffic, we take back roads mostly paralleling I-70 all the way to the finish in Washington.
Specific route notes

At mile 26.3, when crossing Rostraver Rd, there’s a sign ahead indicating road closure. It is closed to traffic when crossing I-70 at mile 27.5, but is passable if one wishes to do so. The alternative is a fairly unpleasant detour on Rostraver to a short stretch on the shoulder of I-70 to the next off ramp, then looping around via Tyrol Blvd to Pricedale to Finley.
When coming into Frostburg at mile 133, I recommend considering the time of day and your condition. The on-road leg from here to Meyersdale includes Sand Spring Rd, which is a poorly surfaced at best, and is dirt, gravel, and the odd pothole for much of its length. If you do not have confidence in your ability to make it 20 hilly miles to Meyersdale by dusk, I both grant permission and explicitly recommend that you stay on the trail from Frostburg to Meyersdale, then simply duck down to the Sheez controle before continuing on the trail to Confluence.
When returning to the hotel, there’s only one law-abiding way to do it (Right at TFL by the Amoco onto Rte 19/Murtland Ave, down the hill to make a U-turn at the next TFL and back up the hill). In theory, one might also go straight through the TFL by the Amoco to cross 19 into the construction site across the street, then find a creative way to cut through to the back of the hotel parking lot, or walk the verge of Rte 19 for 75 feet to get to the hotel.

Key refueling options
Mile 19/km 31, Controle 2: Monongahela Sheetz
Mile 43/km 69, Sweet Pea’s Convenience Store
Mile 68/km 110, Controle 3: Ohiopyle Falls Market, no services on route for next 50 miles
Mile 79/km 127, Confluence stores, off route
Mile 115/km 184, Controle 4: Frostburg Sheetz
Mile 150/km 241, Controle 6: Meyersdale Sheetz, no services for next 60 miles
Mile 207/km 333, Controle 7: Connellsville Sheetz
Mile 238/km 382, Controle 8: Monongahela Sheetz

Details
Registration closes: Thursday May 11th 2023
Inspection opens: Saturday May 13th 3:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver, headlight/taillight/reflective gear
Ride start: Saturday May 13th 4:00 AM (27:00 time limit)
Route:
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Spring Series, Castleman's Run - Morgantown - Connellsville 300K ACP Brevet
2023-05-06 05:00 - 2023-05-07 05:00 | Noble J. Dick Aquatorium, Monongahela, 200 Railroad St, Monongahela, PA, 15063, United States
Expanding upon the new Castleman’s Run 200K route, this extends the southeast leg to Morgantown, then skirts the Laurel Highlands to Connellsville. A short flat respite on the GAP Trail leads to Perryopolis and a return to the start via Belle Vernon.
Route is finalized (and has been tweaked to avoid the hike-a-bike due to a missing bridge on Hewitt Rd at mile 24.8), although we reserve the right to make last minute changes based on scouting the day before.
Registration closes: Thursday May 4th 2023
Inspection opens: Saturday May 6th 4:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver, headlight/taillight/reflective gear
Ride start: Saturday May 6th 5:00 AM (20:00 time limit)
Route:

Crush the Commonwealth
2023-04-28 08:00 - 17:00
Utterly unaffiliated with RUSA or the Pittsburgh Randonneurs, Crush the Commonwealth is nonetheless a local ultracycling tradition.

Spring Series, Monongahela - Castleman's Run - Waynesburg 200K ACP Brevet
2023-04-15 07:00 - 20:30 | Noble J. Dick Aquatorium, Monongahela, 200 Railroad St, Monongahela, PA, 15063, United States
For 2023, a new 200K route out of the Aquatorium in Monogahela. We’ll head west, skirting Washington PA, until turning southbound at the West Virginia border through the Castleman’s Run Nature Preserve, heading towards a controle stop at the bustling TA Travel Plaza near Valley Grove. From there, more country roads to the next controle at the Sheetz in Waynesburg, and a return to the start.
Registration closes: Thursday April 13th 2023
Inspection opens: Saturday April 15th 6:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver, headlight/taillight/reflective gear
Ride start: Saturday April 15th 7:00 AM (13:30 time limit)
EPoP: Due to abject laziness on the part of your humble RBA, we default to electronic proof of passage (e.g Strava or other GPS track) in the Pittsburgh region brevets. That said, if you prefer olde-schoole printed paperwork such as cue sheets or brevet cards, I’m happy to provide them…just let me know at least three days in advance of the event, so that I have time to prepare and print.

Route:
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Winter Warmup, Pittsburgh-Weirton-Pittsburgh 200K ACP Brevet
2023-03-25 07:00 - 20:30 | Homestead, under the Homestead Grays Bridge, 149 West Bridge St, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
An old favorite, this classic route takes us through downtown Pittsburgh and points west to a blistering descent into Weirton West Virginia. From there, we’ll climb back out of the river valley to Burgettstown via the Panhandle Trail, then southwest through Houston PA to the banks of the Monongahela River, and back to our starting point in Homestead.
Registration closes: Thursday March 23rd 2023
Inspection opens: Saturday March 25th 6:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver, headlight/taillight/reflective gear
Ride start: Saturday March 25th 7:00 AM (13:30 time limit)
Route:

Winter Warmup, Kittens and Puppies 100K ACP Populaire
2023-03-18 09:00 - 15:40 | Pump House Park, Monaca, 600 Atlantic Ave, Monaca, PA, 15061, United States
In order to avoid the increasingly unpleasant Rt 51, but still enjoy some familiar and mellow Ohio farm road riding, the Kittens & Puppies 100K starts in Monaca, PA at the Monaca Riverfront Park. It’s an out-and-back, wherein we’ll head north through Beaver to a stop in Koppel at Al’s Corner, then to the turnaround at the Subway in New Middletown Ohio, at which point we’ll retrace our path.
Registration closes: Thursday March 16th 2023
Inspection opens: Saturday March 18th 8:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver
Ride start: Saturday March 18th 9:00 AM (6:40 time limit)
Route:

Winter Warmup, Pittsburgh Trails 100K ACP Populaire
2023-03-11 09:00 - 15:40 | Millvale Riverfront Park, 70 Riverfront Dr, Pittsburgh, PA, 15209, United States
To kick off our Winter Warmup, we’ll enjoy a tour of the trail system near Pittsburgh. Only one climb of note, and a simple, pleasant way to explore the city environs without needing to duel with traffic.
There’s some limestone, and the vast majority of the route is on paved trail.
Registration closes: Thursday March 9th 2023
Inspection opens: Saturday March 11th 8:30 AM
Requirements: current RUSA membership, signed waiver
Ride start: Saturday March 11th 9:00 AM (6:40 time limit)
Route:
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June 18, 2022: 400K
2022-06-18 04:00 - 2022-06-19 07:00 | Neville Island Fairfield Inn & Suites, 5850 Grand Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15225, United States
For our spring 400K, we’re dusting off an older route: an out-and-back from Neville Island to the far side of Akron, Ohio.
Starting at the Fairfield Inn & Suites on Neville Island under the I-79 bridge (with a Speedway conveniently located just across the street), we’ll take advantage of the early hour to shoot up 51 through Monaca, then cross the Ohio and head to Beaver Falls. From there, we’ll strike westward through East Palestine and Columbiana to the controle in Salem. 40ish miles of rolling Ohio roads lead to the outskirts of Akron proper. There, we’ll turn north and head for the turnaround in Brecksville, reversing the route from there.

Here’s the preliminary route, pending revision:
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May 21, 2022: 300K
2022-05-21 05:00 - 2022-05-22 01:00 | Homestead, under the Homestead Grays Bridge, 149 West Bridge St, Homestead, PA, 15120, United States
A classic adventure route, this 300K out-n-back includes everything from post-industrial urban neighborhoods to short steep stretches of unpaved trail…plus plenty of Sheetz stops.
Update 05/13/2022: As Bob Gregory noted, it is possible that water levels behind the Connemaugh Dam are high enough that the trail around mile 41 may be a bit more than merely damp. In that case, there’s a detour available starting at the trailhead at mile 38.6; it’s an on-road leg that adds one mile and 100′ of climbing. I will attempt to verify passability the day of the ride; but I will certainly accept GPS tracks that take the bypass.

TLDR: Register by Thursday night 05/19/2022, be a RUSA member, sign a waiver, use Electronic Proof of Passage, and let me know by Wednesday if you want a brevet card, paper cue sheet, or have any problems signing up. Let me know when you’re done with the ride.
1) Are you officially signed up? Registration closes Thursday night. No day-of registration will be offered.
1a) You have to be a current member of RUSA in order to get credit. If you’re not one, please sign up or renew ASAP, and let me know now, so that I can politely nudge the membership committee.
1b) We hate and fear liability. As part of signing up for the brevet, you should have signed a waiver, and gotten a confirmation via email. If you did not, please do so here, or let me know before the ride starts.

2) We’re cutting-edge. We are strongly encouraging use of Electronic Proof of Passage(EPoP), rather than olde-tyme brevet cards.
2a) What’s EPoP? A GPS record of your ride (RideWithGPS, Strava, Garmin…basically, anything that you can send me a link to view and I can use to verify where you were and when you got there).
2b) What if my GPS dies? How do I get credit? As a fallback, I recommend saving receipts from each controle just in case. Pictures of yourself at controles can also work, but only if time/location stamped.
2c) What if I really want a brevet card? Let me know by Wednesday night, and I’ll make one up for you.

3) Want to know where you’re going? By default, cue sheets are electronic. I *might* have a paper copy or two at the start, but, if you know you’ll need one, please print one at home, or please let me know by Wednesday night.

4) What to do after the ride ends? Please text (412 915 6206) or email me to let me know that you’re in, and please send me the link to your GPS track.

Cue sheet, pending final revision (opens in new window)

April 23, 2022: North Park 200K
2022-04-23 07:00 - 20:30 | North Park Boathouse, 10301 Pearce Mill Rd, Allison Park, PA, 15101, United States
This simple out-and-back route starts and ends at the Boathouse in North Park, where the discriminating eye may note the OTB bar and restaurant exists for post-ride refreshment.

Cue sheet (opens in new window)
