Back Roads Century Bike Ride 2015
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Topic
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Post here if you are doing this ride and would like to connect with other participating cyclists
What: Back Roads Century Bike Ride
When: Sunday, September 20, 2015
Where: Shepherdstown, WV (60-90 minutes from DC metro area)
Parking: Free parking at Shepherd University
Cost: $60.00 – General Public, $35.00 Potomac Pedalers
Distances: 21 (two routes), 54, 64 & 100 miles
Who May Participate: The Back Roads Century is open to the public
Number of Riders: Registration is capped at 2,300 participants and we sell out every year
What’s Included: Cue sheets, food and drink at rest stops, support & gear, post-ride party with food and entertainment, rider numbers mailed to your home
What’s Optional: Event t-shirt for $10.00 and event jerseys for $65.00 – available in men’s short sleeve, women’s short sleeve and women’s tank top
(And don’t forget, there will be HOT SHOWERS AND TOWELS available SUNDAY after the ride courtesy of Shepherd University. Yep, no driving home in sweaty bike clothes!)http://www.potomacpedalers.org/default.asp?page=brchome
Online registration closes on August 31stWhat: Antietam National Battlefield Ride and Tour
Where: Starts at Shepherd University – Parking Lot A
When: Saturday, September 19, 2015 – 1:30 pm
Distances: 14 or 32 miles
Cost: Free
On Saturday, September 19th, the day before the Back Roads Century, Potomac Pedalers will be hosting a FREE ride and tour of Antietam National Battlefield. The Battlefield is located in nearby Sharpsburg, MD, just 5 miles from Shepherdstown, WV. The ride starts at Shepherd University (same as Sunday’s Back Roads Century) at 1:30 pm.
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Some pics from BRC2015…
Team Blokes-Broads-Bikes-and-Brews (B4) @ the Moulton Park rest stop:
The official “all routes” map for WVA (which I got to see at the organizers’ meeting the night before as I was the coordinator for the ride marshals). This map had a lot more detail, and the hazard spots noted on it:
The coolest “banana” cycle of the day:
Team B4 @ the post ride party, Shepherd University, overlooking the Shenandoah River
I tried to do the Antietam Battlefield ride (40 miler) the day before, but it was perhaps the most poorly organized and managed group ride that I ever rode. The Pack got shredded at the first climb. There were no marshals, rest stops nor sweepers. The cue sheet fell apart at mile 14.5, where two turns on either side of a steep climb on a major highway were listed at the same mile maker on the cue sheet. The second turn (right) was suppose to take us into the Park along the Shenandoah River, but instead we were told to go left, back across the highway, and into the town of Harper’s Ferry. At that point, mass confusion set in and it was every rider for themselves.
I decided to sweep and formed an ad hoc group with a bunch of “Babes on Bikes,” Jenn, Joan and Leslie, whom kindly inducted me into their Club as “babe magnet” for the day, and adopted my riding partner, Denise, and me:
We tried to pick up the cue sheet again at Harper’s Ferry, which took us over the foot bridge across the Shenandoah River, and down a switch back stair case – – where we encountered mountian bikers and baby carriages coming up the opposite way making it really useful to assume various yoga positions with your bicycle – – down to the C&O canal, which we rode along until we found a water fountain and a boy scout troop with a map that allow us to chart an alternative route back to Shepherdstown WVA.
We then did a tough climb up from the C&O tow path to Harper’s Ferry Road and “Garmined” our way back to the bridge that crosses the River into Shepherdstown. We missed several turns along the way because I was enjoying the descents so much and blew them off.
In the end it turned out to be one of my more enjoyable rides, meeting the Babes on Bikes, seeing incredible scenery, going on an adventure, all on a gorgeous day. Sometimes things have a funny way of working themselves out when you stay on your bicycle [emoji605] [emoji4]
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