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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251018T070000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251018T223600
DTSTAMP:20260405T000813
CREATED:20241015T012124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251016T014356Z
UID:10000063-1760770800-1760826960@pittsburghrandonneurs.com
SUMMARY:Splendid Isolation 200K
DESCRIPTION:UPDATE 10/15/2025: A bridge has gone astray\, so the route has been revised. Please use this one: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52976246 \n  \nBased on the original permanent\, Splendid Isolation takes us through Pennsylvania’s Rothrock and Bald Eagle State Forests: combining remote\, quiet gravel roads with beautiful scenery and a considerable amount of climbing. About 1/3 gravel. Minimum recommended tire is 38mm. \nNOTE: No resupply is available for the first 65 miles\, so stock up at the start. \nRegistration closes: Thursday October 16th 2025 \nInspection opens: Saturday October 18th 6:30 AM \nRequirements: current RUSA membership\, signed waiver \nRide start: Saturday October 18th 7:00 AM (15:36 time limit) \nRoute: \n
URL:https://pittsburghrandonneurs.com/event/2025-200k-rusa-brevet-10-18/
CATEGORIES:200 K,Brevet
ORGANIZER;CN="Tom Hovan":MAILTO:tomhovan3@gmail.com
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250712T040000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250713T200000
DTSTAMP:20260405T000813
CREATED:20241015T011234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250701T163139Z
UID:10000056-1752292800-1752436800@pittsburghrandonneurs.com
SUMMARY:Ridge and Valley 600K
DESCRIPTION:Another new route from Tom Hovan for this year’s 600K! Per Tom: \n\nThe name Ridge and Valley offers a clue to what the riding is like.  The ridge climbs on this ride aren’t easy\, but the valleys offer relatively flat terrain.  In a technique employed as much as possible\, we route through water gaps and around the ends of ridges to stay in the valleys\, but some ridge crossings can’t be helped.\n\nWe start the 1st day heading northeast\, leaving Pleasant Valley\, as we shoot through the water gap at Canoe Creek and take the Lower trail up to Alexandria. The Lower Trail is a gentle start to the day and very usefully cuts through the hills of Morrisons Cove\, and isn’t too terribly long  (17 miles or so)\, and even some of it is paved.  Near its northern terminus it cuts through the Williamsburg Mtn water gap\, and leaving the trail\, we enter Stone Valley.\n\nStone Valley is pretty lumpy\, but there are no big climbs.  But\, then the first ridge climb arrives over Barrville mountain on PA-305 instead.  On the flip side we enter the Amish paradise of Big Valley (aka Kish Valley\, aka Kishacoquillas Valley) for a rolling run to the first control in Milroy.  From Milroy\, we skirt past the 7-Mtns region by continuing northwest through a very quiet “lost” Lancaster valley (a place only visited by campers and hunters) where you slowly gain elevation\, and you jump over the ridge with a spiky\, but relatively low elevation gain (400 feet) ridge climb at the end of the valley.  We pass through the little towns of Troxelville and Penns Creek\, skirt around New Berlin Mountain and enter Buffalo Valley.  We will turn around at the Purple Cow Controle (with a great ice cream and fast food menu).  If their fare doesn’t please\, there is a Sheetz on the route just a few miles later.\n\nNow heading SW we make our way through Buffalo Valley on PA-45 to our 3rd ridge climb of the day past the Hairy John Picnic area (the local version of the BigFoot legend).  If you can hear something other than your own breathing you might catch a mysterious hoot or howl coming from the woods.  Now in Penns Valley\, we follow some very mellow creek roads till we are forced away from them and back into the rolling hills that take us into State College.  We control at a Sheetz in SC (at this point\, most likely eating a later afternoon or evening meal of sorts).  The route then follows more rolling terrain through Half Moon Valley to a stop in Warrior’s Mark\, and onto Spruce Creek. Here\, we have to address a short spiky climb to get us back over to the Lower Trail.  Most of us likely in the dark at this point\, the route retraces its steps back to the overnight control in Duncansville.\n\nOn Day 2\, we head south\, cutting through a water gap in Lock Mountain to Roaring Spring\, then running south through the idyllic farmlands of Morrisons Cove. Just 18 miles into the day\, we tackle the first of two ridge climbs of the day – or actually what is an elevated gap between Evitts Mtn. and Tussey Mtn.  It’s not very long\, but it’s pretty steep. Notable here at the summit are remnants of trenches that the Union Army prepared for a possible advance towards Altoona by the Confederates to take the railroad hub there that never happened.  This brings us into the northern Friends Cove\, then a stop in Everett for our first major control.  Stock up well\, because it’s going to be a difficult 50 miles before you can resupply.\n\nHeading south between Polish Mtn. and Warrior Ridge\, the terrain is fairly lumpy\, but not extreme\, and extremely quiet. Then after a short climb up to Warrior’s ridge\, we follow that ridge till the hamlet of Chaneysville.  The road into Chaneysville isn’t even quite two lanes in a lot of spots since it sees so little traffic.  We cut through Black Mtn water gap at Sweet Root creek and tackle a ridge climb up Tussey Mountain.  This climb is probably the hardest of the entire 600K.  It has a respectable 700 feet of elevation gain\, but most significantly\, it has a few steep bits in the 14-15% range.  With that behind us we have a rolling run down Beans Cove into MD and Rocky Gap Park.  .  A fast downhill to the west shuttles us to the southern end of Cumberland valley and we start heading north again.  We pass Lake Koon and tackle some fairly large hills\, but thankfully no more ridge climbs for the time being\, and finally reach a resupply point at Mom’s Quick stop – an oasis in the middle of a mostly empty Cumberland valley.\n\nLeaving Mom\, we continue on very quiet roads with some large hills\, some over a mile long\, but none very steep.  Most of them are pretty well shaded\, which no doubt will be welcome given the time of day they will be traversed.  Then we pass through Bedford\, and are forced out of the valley up a short\, very steep climb into Briar Valley.  The last big hill of the day awaits\, a partial climb up Evitts mountain.  Luckily we will turn off the climb about halfway up.  Another resupply in Claysburg Sheetz\, and it’s mostly sunshine and rainbows for another fairly flat 20 miles to the finish.\n\nBy the numbers\, the first day at 229 miles is 19 miles short of a 400K and has a relatively modest 52 feet of climbing per mile.  The second day is then\, of course\, 19 miles longer than a 200K\, and climbing is higher at 63 feet per mile.  The 2nd day is also a bit more remote\, with fewer opportunities to stop.  So\, the 2nd day is closer to being equal in difficulty to the first compared to how most 600Ks are structured (the 2nd day is still easier\, but we’re talking relative differences here).  The somewhat benign 1st day is meant to help give people (well\, me) the ability/confidence to start the 2nd day.  At least that’s the story I am sticking with.\n\nSumming it up\, most of the route is rural\, there are only a few busy connectors here and there for limited mileage.  Pavement quality is good overall – no need for fat tires.  There are some big gaps in resupply spots\, so you need to be able to bring at least 75oz of water on board – 90 or 100 would be better if it ends up being hot.\n  \nDetails\nWith a start\, overnight\, and finish at the Comfort Inn in Altoona\, this pleasant 600K offers easy self-support…so much so that we’re waiving all fees for this one\, since there’s no need for drop bag transport or extra hotel rooms. \nFull route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51072979\nDay 1: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50577351\nDay 2: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51073052\nRegistration closes: Thursday July 10th \nInspection opens: Saturday July 14th 3:30 AM \nRequirements: current RUSA membership\, signed waiver\, headlight/taillight/reflective gear \nRide start: Saturday July 12th 4:00 AM (40:00 time limit) \nRoute:\n
URL:https://pittsburghrandonneurs.com/event/2025-600k-acp-brevet-07-12/
LOCATION:Comfort Inn Duncansville\, 130 Patch Way Rd\, Duncansville\, PA\, 16635\, United States
CATEGORIES:600K,Brevet
ORGANIZER;CN="Tom Hovan":MAILTO:tomhovan3@gmail.com
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240705T050000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240706T210000
DTSTAMP:20260405T000813
CREATED:20230907T111825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240626T124830Z
UID:10000026-1720155600-1720299600@pittsburghrandonneurs.com
SUMMARY:Seven Mountains 600K
DESCRIPTION:The Seven Mountains 600K is a new\, ‘adventure style’ mixed surface route\, combining 72% pavement\, 21% rail trail\, and about 7% gravel road.  It starts in Delmont and follows a familiar route to Ebensburg using the Westmoreland Heritage\, West Penn\, and Ghost Town trails.  From Ebensburg you head mostly south towards Bedford\, reaching the highest point on the route as you climb up the Allegheny Front through a wind farm just west of the village of Blue Knob.  You then tackle a swoopy\, nicely paved descent of the Front through Blue Knob State Park.  After controlling in Bedford\, you follow the PA Bike Route S / Crush the Commonwealth route for 11 lumpy miles to Everett.  At Everett you turn north and eventually make your way into Morrisons Cove\, riding through rolling farmland\, where you controle in Williamsburg.  After taking the Lower Trail to its northern terminus in Alexandria you will enjoy what should be a quiet ride through Stone Valley before a challenging gravel climb and descent over Barrville Mountain into Big Valley.  The penultimate controle of the 1st day is in Milroy.  Do your best to freshen up for what may be the hardest part of the brevet which includes the 12 gravelly and mountainous miles through the Seven Mountains area of Rothrock State Forest (although you will only climb 3 of them)\, before stopping for at least a couple hours of sleep in State College. \nThe second day brings a gentle start through the rolling hills of Half Moon Valley. The climb up over Brush Mountain at the western edge of Sinking Valley is a warm up for the day’s main challenge – the climb back up the Allegheny Front past and under the historic Horseshoe Curve and a section of road locally known as The Wall.  Upon reaching Ebensburg\, we reverse our previous day’s path through the Allegheny Highlands\, on what is mostly a downward trending profile. \nFor those keeping track of such things\, this is a minimum 2\, but optionally as many as 5\, Sheetz\, ride. \nRoute notes: \n\nDrop bags will be available in State College at the Ramada Inn (pending confirmation) .  There are 3 other hotels within a one block distance to choose from\, as well.  Plus a 5th option another 3 miles further down the route.\nMost of the non-pavement is pretty benign rail trail\, which you can roll pretty fast on\, but about 20-25 miles of it is more challenging\, chunky gravel that really slows you down.   For these sections\, a tire width of at least 35mm is recommended\, with 38 or 42mm not a bad idea.  This is especially true since this part will likely be done in darkness.\nRoads are marked in Rothrock on painted wood posts that are not reflective and do not particularly stand out\, even in daytime.  Bring a good headlamp to help you find them.  The use of a GPS device (or at least a cell phone with downloaded maps) is highly recommended\, as well.\nThere is no cell phone coverage in Rothrock SF and parts of Stone Valley and even in some areas between Everett and Williamsburg.  The use of a satellite tracker would not be a bad idea\, if you have access to one.\nThe controle in Warriors Mark doesn’t open till 6AM\, so for those early risers or those riding straight through\, note that there are no other places to resupply till you get to Altoona 50 miles away.  Stock up in State College accordingly.\nThe 50 miles between Williamsburg and Milroy is also devoid of any re-supply opportunities.\n\nRegistration closes: Wednesday July 3rd\nInspection and drop bag handoff opens: Friday July 5th 4:30 AM\nRide start: Friday July 5th 5:00 AM (40:00 time limit) \nRequirements: current RUSA membership\, signed waiver \nEPoP: 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. \nRoute: \nCue sheet \n\n
URL:https://pittsburghrandonneurs.com/event/2024-600k-acp-brevet-07-05/
LOCATION:Holiday Inn Express Delmont\, 6552 US-22\, Delmont\, PA\, 15626\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="Tom Hovan":MAILTO:tomhovan3@gmail.com
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