so the october centre PA ramble is a scant 2 weeks away. i know i have been training by not riding at all, probally consuming too many adult beverages, and eating cider donuts. take that lance!

so for those who don’t know (although i assume we steadily lose rather than gain readers) the ride starts through rolling farm country. after a short climb into the mtns, we eat lunch a nice view over looking a river valley. from there, 15 miles of dirt mtn roads with all the climbing you want and maybe even some you don’t, and suddenly you are back in farm country, just a few miles from the finish.

what this ride isn’t:

fast

competitive

serious

worth ten points on some racing circuit

worth telling friends about afterwards, cause no one has heard of it

timed

extremely, gratuitously hard

its just a casual roll through the rural landscape that surrounds state college. christine’s not coming, so we need anouther girl if we are going to get mel to come. she doesn’t like 7 hours of just bike boy company. actually i would be interested in getting a rough head count, for spoke card purposes. all i have for sure right now is me, starmer, and deller, and maybe a fellow from harrisburg or two. bone, scott? are you still interested? scott, i’ll have starmer email you.

here is a link back to the previous post, which might have more info and pictures (link).

as for details and ect, i cribbed this from last years ride.

So here are the details: Meet at 209 whitehill st Lemont, PA 16851 @ 8am(ish) on saturday. we leave @ 9. cue sheets to all that need them. plan for an all day ride. this will be a casual, non racepants ride, with only a few hammerheads who dont know what a granny gear is. massive amounts of rain will only serve to shorten the ride by about 20 miles. bring lunch food, riding food, at least 2 water bottles, (refills availible halfway thru ride at lunch break…) warm morning clothing, maybe a poncho/rain coat/rain pants/shoe covers depending on weather. its been about 50 degrees here in the AM, until about 10, so dress appropriately. bring cameras, fall is in full bloom here. bring spare tubes, tire boots, the dirt roads are not in good shape. plan on drinking beer and eating prospectors bbq after the ride. bring say… 10-20 dollars for the communal beer/food fund, depending on what kinda drunk eater you are. directions to my house: from state college: take college ave east towards the mall. about .33 of the way to mall, turn right up towards lemont onto elmwood st. at the light in lemont go straight for about 100 yards, turn left on whitehill, we’re the 3rd house up, red brick, big porch. kudos to those who ride to the ride. silent death stares for those who dont. from DC/b-more ect… once you get on 322, from harrisburg, stay on that for many miles (youll see signs for state college repeatly.) as you start to get closer, say within 10 miles, start looking for the lemont/oakhall exit. take that exit, go left at the stop sign (at the end of the exit) and go pretty much exactly 2 miles, then go right on whitehill st. 3rd house on left, brick, blah blah blah. if you get to a stop lite, you went 100 yards too far. scroll down for a list of recommended stuff to bring/be equipped with. a small tail light and hbar lite wouldnt be a bad notion, either.