DC Randonneurs

The cue sheet for the Frederick 400K ACP Brevet starting at the Frederick Motel 6 at 4:00AM on May 22, 2010 is now posted in Excel form at Cue Sheet - 20100522 Frederick 400K Brevet (and in PDF form at PDF Cue Sheet - 20100522 Frederick 400K Brevet). Registration and bike inspection will occur from 6:00-9:00PM on Friday evening and 3:00-4:00AM on Saturday morning in the walkway at the end of the motel near West Patrick Street. Park in the upper area of the Motel 6 parking lot, near West Patrick Street. The entrance nearest to this end is closed off, so you’ll need to enter a little further down and then drive back up. Please don’t park along the side of the motel in the area that is reserved for guests.

All riders will be required to show front and rear lights attached to their bicycle and personal reflective gear, as described in Article 10 of the RUSA Rules for Riders. Note that spare “bulbs” are not needed for LED lights. But a second, redundant lighting unit is recommended for both front and rear lights.

The link to the GPS files is posted below. But please read this information before downloading them. Always get a copy of the final cue sheet. That final cue sheet contains the official route, so in case there is a conflict with the GPS file, you should resolve the conflict in favor of the cue sheet. Use the GPS as a handy-dandy adjunct. Keep your wits about you, as the GPS cannot notify you of road hazards — it is up to you to ride safely.

We strongly recommend that you set your GPS to the settings below. We cannot guarantee that these will keep you on the official route, but if you have your GPS set some other way, it is entirely possible that it will take you off route, possibly onto unsafe roads. Go to the Setup->Routing page and set as follows:

Guidance Method: Follow Road
Follow Road Method: Shortest Distance
Next Turn Pop-Up: On
Follow Road Options:
  Off Route Recalculation: Prompted
  Calculation Method: Best Route
  Calculate Routes for: Car/Motorcycle
  Avoid: (set to none – the route itself should control this)

By the way … make sure that your GPS either has maps already downloaded, or select the relevant maps around the routes.

GPS files are posted at GPS Files - 20100522 Frederick 400K Brevet.

Keith Krombel has created a Bike Hit and Run website at www.BikeHitandRun.com.  He also has a Hit and Run Poster available for distribution.  We hope for continued good progress in Keith’s recovery, as well as that his website and poster will yield positive results.

Here is Keith’s recent email:

I am headed up to ride in the Ride of Silence in Frederick this Wednesday, May 19 at 7 PM.  This is a nationwide silent slow-paced ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.  While there, I will be handing out flyers which ask for information on my hit and run incident which occurred last year, May 30, at the end of our 400k.  More information and a download of the flyer is available at www.BikeHitandRun.com.  The downoad is on the Bike Advocacy page.  The original police news release stated that I was released from the hospital the next day, possibly leaving the impression that this was a “trivial” cyclist-bumped-off-the-roadway event and I was only held overnight for “observation”.  I am hoping that with a more realistic picture and the one year anniversary arriving, witnesses might be encouraged to come forward.  But we have to let them know someone is still interested.  Although this is a safety issue that affects all of us, the target market here is Frederick and surroundings.  I am asking the assistance of club members in that area to get the word out that information is being sought by posting the flyer where you work or shop, with their consent of course.  If you would like hardcopy of the flyer, please contact me off list.  Those who don’t live in Frederick might also be able to help by posting the flyer where they live and work.  This is a very mobile area and people from Frederick may work closer in to DC – or further out, as the case may be.

Thank you for your help.  Any suggestions on how to make this more effective would also be appreciated.

Keith

This will be the inaugural ride of Lynn Kristianson’s new “Many Rivers” 600K route, starting at 4AM on June 5 from the Warrenton Hampton Inn. The first 245 miles are based loosely on the 2005 Warrenton 400k, while the last 132 use familiar local roads to and from the fabulous Main Cup in Middletown Maryland. It stays to the east of the Blue Ridge, which does not necessarily preclude some hilly terrain.

Heading south and west, the riders pass through Rixeyville and continue west to Griffinsburg where the route turns south into Madison County. After Madison, there are many miles on VA230, with wonderful Blue Ridge views and moderate terrain, to a control in Wolfsville and then on to US33 in Stanardsville. From there we pick up the very scenic 810 through the foothills in Greene and Albemarle counties. After crossing US250 the route turns southwest to Nellysford on an old painful favorite from past 600k’s, route 635.

In Nellysford the route heads due south on VA6 for several miles and then turns southeast to continue down to the James along the beautiful Rockfish River through Schuyler and Howardsville to Scottsville. Moving east from the mountains, the terrain moderates through Fluvanna and Louisa counties. After a possible dinner stop in Louisa, it’s a straight road due north until we cross the Rapidan and turn east onto the old familiar Algoquin Trail. Bypassing the narrow, dark roads around Kelly’s Ford, instead we head north to Brandy Station and then east to Remington. Crossing US15, 29 and 17 a number of times, we return to Warrenton on Lover’s Lane and Lees Ridge.

The second day leaves Warrenton on Blackwell and Blantyre, heading through The Plains and Middleburg to Snickersville Tnpk and the “hard route” to Purcellville via Lincoln. We continue north on Hillsboro and Mountain roads to Lovettsville and cross the Potomac into Brunswick. Continuing north, we are rewarded with a turnaround at the Main Cup. The return route loops east through Jefferson and crosses the river at Point of Rocks and then passes through Waterford on everyone’s favorite, Loyalty Road. We labor uphill on Hamilton Station and then a brief mile or so on the W&OD brings us back to Purcellville where we reverse the outbound route back to Warrenton.

The Maryland 400K provides plenty of training opportunities (read: hills). Traveling through four states, it forms a clockwise semi-circle to the southwest, west and northwest of Frederick.

Starting at the Frederick Motel 6 (formerly Quality Inn),  at 4AM, riders head south along the base of and then cross Catoctin Ridge and then the Potomac into Virginia at Brunswick. Climbing up to Lovettesville, they continue south to Airmont and then tackle the climb over the Blue Ridge at Snickers Gap. Just east of Berryville, the route turns north and enters West Virginia, traversing mostly level terrain - and many railroad tracks - to Shepherdstown, where several excellent brunch possibilities exist. Riders then head northwest following the Potomac, climbing from and descending to the many creek bottoms to finally cross the Potomac into a control at Hancock. A tough climb up to Tollgate Ridge and series of rollers in the orchards north of town bring the riders into Pennsylvania and the beautiful Little Cove Creek valley. Heading north, they traverse an endless march of rolling hills to a final slow climb halfway up Tuscorora Mountain. There is a fast descent to Cove Gap and then a few more rollers before a short breather north of Mercersburg. The hills return in earnest through the orchards and farmland around Edenville. After the Cumberland Valley Business Park, the trip to Newville and Big Spring follows less rigorous terrain through Amish farms. After refueling and relaxing at Kane’s Subs in Newville, riders will encounter the final climbs through the Michaux State Forest and the truly popular descent into Gettysburg. Just south of Gettysburg, riders pick up the last 40 miles of the 300K to return to Frederick.

Controls: Frederick, Airmont, Shepherdstown, Hancock, Newville, Gettysburg, Frederick

The cue sheet for the Frederick 300K ACP Brevet  starting at the Frederick Motel 6 at 5:00AM on May 8, 2010 is now posted at Cue Sheet - 20100508 Frederick 300K Brevet. Registration and bike inspection will occur from 7:00-8:30PM on Friday evening and 4:00-5:00AM on Saturday morning in the walkway at the end of the motel near West Patrick Street. Park in the upper area of the Motel 6 parking lot, near West Patrick Street. The entrance nearest to this end is closed off, so you’ll need to enter a little further down and then drive back up. Please don’t park along the side of the motel in the area that is reserved for guests.

All riders will be required to show front and rear lights attached to their bicycle and personal reflective gear, as described in Article 10 of the RUSA Rules for Riders. Note that spare “bulbs” are not needed for LED lights. But a second, redundant lighting unit is recommended for both front and rear lights.

The link to the GPS files is posted below. But please read this information before downloading them. Always get a copy of the final cue sheet. That final cue sheet contains the official route, so in case there is a conflict with the GPS file, you should resolve the conflict in favor of the cue sheet. Use the GPS as a handy-dandy adjunct. Keep your wits about you, as the GPS cannot notify you of road hazards — it is up to you to ride safely.

We strongly recommend that you set your GPS to the settings below. We cannot guarantee that these will keep you on the official route, but if you have your GPS set some other way, it is entirely possible that it will take you off route, possibly onto unsafe roads. Go to the Setup->Routing page and set as follows:

Guidance Method: Follow Road
Follow Road Method: Shortest Distance
Next Turn Pop-Up: On
Follow Road Options:
  Off Route Recalculation: Prompted
  Calculation Method: Best Route
  Calculate Routes for: Car/Motorcycle
  Avoid: (set to none – the route itself should control this)

By the way … make sure that your GPS either has maps already downloaded, or select the relevant maps around the routes.

GPS files are posted at GPS Files - 20100508 Frederick 300K Brevet.