A Route Preview...

I'd like to give prospective riders a little preview of the route, so you have an idea what to expect on ride day...

Of course, the route starts and finishes at Mercer County Park in West Windsor. The park is centrally located in the state (more or less...) and offers access to many fine roads for cycling to the north, south and east. The park is a regular starting point for more than a few Princeton Free Wheeler rides, including most holiday "all paces" rides.

The route basically consists of two clockwise loops -the first going north into Hunterdon and Somerset counties, and the second heading deep into the pinelands of Burlington county. I said from the very beginning that I wanted to offer up a course that was not too severe, and I think I've done a pretty good job of meeting that goal. The northern loop is, of course, the hillier of the two, but it doesn't really traverse any major climbs. I'd describe the terrain as rolling to moderately hilly, with the most challenging portion being the road between Frenchtown and Whitehouse Station. When my wife Barb and I prerode the northern loop on our tandem we only needed to engage the assistance of the granny gear once or twice, as I recall. The southern loop can best be described as F-L-A-T - flat! Okay, okay, there probably are a few mild rollers along the way - which will likely sting the legs a bit at that point in the ride - but, it's possible that the biggest hill you'll face in the southern loop is a bridge over the Turnpike.

In order to give you a more detailed look at exactly where we'll be riding on Saturday the 20th, here is a list - in order - of some of the municipalities / locales we'll be riding through or near. If you follow along carefully on a map, you can get a pretty good idea of just where the route goes.

Northern Loop:

Mercer County Park
Hamilton
Lawrenceville
Pennington
Harbourton / West Amwell
Mount Airy Village
Delaware Twp.
Stockton
Bull's Island Recreation Area / Kingwood Twp.
Frenchtown
Everittstown
Alexandria Twsp.
Mount Salem
Landsdowne
Allerton
Round Valley Recreation Area / Clinton Twp.
Whitehouse Station
Readington
Branchburg Twp.
Neshanic
Hillsborough Twp.
Harlingen
Griggstown
Rocky Hill
Kingston
Plainsboro
Grovers Mill
Dutch Neck
Edinburg

Southern Loop:
Edinburg
Windsor
East Windsor Twp.
Ely's Corner
Perrineville
Millstone Twp.
Clarksburg
Red Valley
Prospertown
Colliers Mills
Plumstead Twp.
Whiting
Manchester Twp
Woodland Twp.
Chatsworth
Southampton Twp.
Medford
Eayrestown
Newbolds Corner
Smithville
Jacksonville
Mansfield Twp.
Columbus
Georgetown
Chesterfield
Extonville
Allentown
Washington Twp.
Finish! - Mercer County Park

It has been a labor of love putting the route and corresponding cue sheet together, and I really must say that I'm quite pleased with the end result. I believe the GSDC '09 route does a very nice job of showcasing some of the great roads and terrain that we (the Princeton Free Wheelers) have available to ride here in Central Jersey. There really is quite a variety of geography right nearby our home turf. I hope everyone who comes out to join us to "do the double" finds the route as enjoyable as I do.

Finally, I owe a big thanks to fellow Free Wheelers John Powers and Neil Cherry for their help in the creation of the Garden State Double Century route. John assisted on the northern loop and provided me with some routing tips from the '97 Jersey Double. And Neil is simply the "King of the Pine Barrens." Neil is responsible for designing large portions of the southern loop, and transformed my first draft from an out-and-back course to a more aestetically pleasing loop passing through Whiting and Chatsworth. Neil's near-deserted roads through the pines are some true gems of the Garden State.

I hope this preview has piqued your interest in the GSDC. Come on out and join us on Saturday, June 20th for a full day of fun on the bicycle, and see for yourself why I enjoy talking about the route so much...

RSVP to rwanderson@optonline.net by Wed., June 17 if you plan to ride.

RSVP, S'il vous plait...

If you plan to come out and join us at the inaugural Garden State Double Century on Saturday, June 20, 2009 please send me an e-mail to let me know. I'd like to start to get an idea of how many riders I can expect. Let me know if you're interested in the full 201 mile double century or the 1/2 double option, as well as whether you are a Princeton Free Wheelers member or not. I'd also like to be able to contact ride participants via e-mail to alert you of important updates to the blog, and to send out copies of the cue sheet when the time comes.

Please send me out a note to rwanderson@optonline.net or contact me on my cell phone at 609-731-9894.

Thanks,
Ron

The Nuts and Bolts

Here are all the basics you'll need to know about the upcoming Garden State Double Century. Most of the info hasn't changed from my "Announcing..." post back in February, but I'll go ahead and restate the basic facts and provide some additional details on a few subjects:

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009 - No rain date!!!

Time: 5:15am SHARP!!! Please arrive early enough to sign in and get yourself together. The ride WILL leave the parking lot at 5:15am sharp - we need to make good use of all the available daylight to insure everyone gets back to Mercer County Park safely before dark.

Location: Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ, Ice Skating Rink parking lot. A map and directions to the meeting point can be found on Google Maps at the following link - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=40.258806,-74.636006&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=18&sll=40.258733,-74.635743&sspn=0.001949,0.002328&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=18
It appears that port-a-potties will be available at an adjacent ball field about 1/4 mile away. There are indoor bathrooms with running water less than a mile away at the marina, but it's likely they won't be unlocked at the time we'll be gathering in the morning.

Ride Leader: Yep, still me - Ron Anderson - rwanderson@optonline.net 609-731-9894

Ride Pace: Ron & wife, Barbara will lead at a "B" pace. We aim to keep an average speed between 15-16 mph. If we keep the solid "B" pace and limit our time off the bike to no more than 2 hours, we'll get the group back to Mercer County Park before dark with just a little extra time cushion. If anyone wants to ride at a faster pace, you are welcome to do so - just be aware that you'll be on your own as far as navigation goes. In fact, I encourage faster riders to go on ahead if they like, and form "groupettos" to work together and help each other through the ride. Due to time constraints and available daylight, no rides slower than B pace will be offered.

Course: HaHa! This subject calls for a separate post! Putting this course together has been a labor of love for me, and as such I'd like to give it some special attention with it's own post. For the moment I will rehash what I stated in an earlier entry: The ride starts and finishes at Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ. Tentative plans call for a northern loop to Frenchtown and Whitehouse Station followed by a southern loop deep into Burlington County, with a bailout option near the halfway point. Every effort is being made to put together a scenic, "rider friendly" course, with no gratuitous climbing. The main obstacle in this day will be simply the mileage, NOT the leg-breaking climbs.

Entry Fee: There is NO entry fee for the GSDC, however you MUST be a Princeton Free Wheeler member to attend the ride. It was decided when I first presented the idea for the double to the PFW board at their February meeting that club membership should be required due to insurance concerns. So, it shall be... If you are not already a PFW member, you may sign up on-line at Active.com at: http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1665494&assetId=dd69eb2d-5825-4e19-9836-2bc0f7101317 or download a membership application here: http://www.princetonfreewheelers.com/join.htm
Individual one year membership is $20 - $30 for a family.

Support: No support will be provided at the GSDC! Riders are expected to be self-sufficient! The course is routed to provide ample opportunities to purchase food and drink along the way. Stores, delis, etc. will be noted on the cue sheet. Riders should carry enough cash to purchase supplies (a debit card, in case of unforeseen trouble isn't a bad idea, either.) Make sure you carry enough waterbottles and/or a Camelback to keep you hydrated throughout the long day.

No SAG will be available at the GSDC! There will be opportunity to bail out at the halfway point, where the course passes by Mercer County Park to begin the southern loop, however should you decide to quit before or after that point, I have no one lined up to retrieve riders from the course. Riders should be reasonably sure of their ability to complete the distance before they clip in in the morning. I urge everyone to have some sort of contingency plan to be picked up (family, friend, etc.) should they find themselves unable to complete the full distance. If it should become absolutely necessary, I will be available to pick up a DNF rider or two after the ride is completed, but this will certainly involve an extended wait for the rider needing rescue.

Cue Sheets: All riders will be expected to carry and use the cue sheet. The course will NOT be marked on the road at all. It is customary that many (most?) PFW rides do not use a cue sheet, but over a route of this distance I consider it a necessity. I've made every effort to ensure the the cue sheet is complete and accurate. Some people may prefer a more "minimalist" cue sheet, but I'm of the school of "more information is better." I will make the cue sheet available to all GSDC riders 10-14 days prior to the ride via e-mail. You will be free to re size it, change the font, laminate it (which I highly recommend,) study it, memorize it - in short do with it what you like, as long as you carry it with you and use it on ride day! The cue sheet will be available as a Word document (.doc) formatted to fit nicely in a small size BarMap cue sheet holder. I will have copies of the cue sheet available at the start.

1/2 Double Option: I'd like to invite riders who aren't quite up to riding the full 201 miles to come out and join us for the northern loop of the double. Just like the full length Garden State Double Century, the northern loop starts and finishes at Mercer County Park (the Ice Skating Rink parking lot,) but comes in at a more manageable 98.8 miles. Come ride a century with us (almost) and still have the afternoon to yourself! The northern loop is a lovely ride in it's own right (if I may say so...) and although it does circle through Hunterdon County, the climbing is not too severe.

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I expect to post additional entries to the blog about the route, and ride safety over the next week. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have at rwanderson@optonline.net. If you'd like your question answered in a public forum, so that all can see, you may post your question at the "Comments" section of this blog.

One Month from Today...

Sorry for the extended period of radio silence folks. The Garden State Double Century is (despite appearances here at this neglected blog) alive and scheduled to roll out of Mercer County Park at 5:15AM on Saturday June 20th.

A beautiful course has been put together, test ridden, edited, rearranged and put back together again!

I just wanted to get this quick blurb out to let folks know that the ride shall go on... More details to follow shortly, very shortly (really, I'm not kidding.) The long Memorial Day weekend should provide an excellent opportunity for a certain reluctant blogger to update his much neglected space.

Hope you've been getting the miles in...

Why? Just, Why???

As I presented my idea to the PFW Board at their February, someone asked me a very legitimate question: Why??? Why, exactly would you want to organize a double century? 100 miles not enough for you? ...and doesn't the Central Jersey Bicycle Club ( http://www.cjbc.org/) offer their "Longest Day" double century at just about the same time of year?

The short answer is that I enjoy long distance riding, and I think (hope!) there might by enough interest in the local cycling community to justify organizing a double century.

The long answer, well...

My wife Barbara and I have come to enjoy some "ultra" distance riding over the past three seasons on our Burley - we're randonneurs (http://www.rusa.org/.) We have completed quite a few brevets (long distance rides) on the tandem, including organized rides of 600 km on three separate occasions (I'll leave it to you to convert that to miles...) We participate in these rides most often with the Eastern PA ( http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/) and NJ Randonneurs (http://www.njrando.com/.) We thoroughly enjoy ourselves on these long distance adventures, but there are several reasons regular, sane folks might balk at trying a brevet; most notably, the often severely challenging courses and the prospect of riding at night. Barb and I would like to share our love of long distance riding with other like-minded cyclists, in a less intimidating format. We want to make it as "easy" and enjoyable as possible for aspiring "ultra" riders to take on the challenge of riding 200 miles in one day.

It's true that the CJBC does hold their well established "Longest Day" double century annually in June, but that ride has some inherent logistical obstacles that might prevent some riders from giving it a try. The fact is, you've got to arrange to get yourself and your bike to the start at High Point and arrange to be picked up in Cape May at the end of the day. The point-to-point nature of the course almost requires that you have some sort of support team to help you through the day, and to be available should you run into difficulty along the way. I'm not trying to bad-mouth the CJBC ride or position the Garden State Double as competition for the "Longest Day," just offer a "kinder, gentler" alternative the won't present such a problem getting to and from the start and finish points.

The Garden State Double aims to offer a scenic, not-too-terribly-severe ride that gives riders an opportunity to ride 200 miles in a single day, and finish with smiles on their faces and a "Super-Sized" sense of accomplishment.

Why...?

...for the fun it!!!

Announcing...

the inaugural edition of the Garden State Double Century!!!

First the basics:

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009

Start Time: 5:15am sharp!!!

Location: Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ, Ice Skating Rink parking lot

Ride Organizer / Leaders: PFW member and experienced randonneur Ron Anderson is organizing the event, and plans to lead a "B" paced group together with his wife / stoker Barbara.

Ride Pace: This will be a multi-paced ride. Ron & Barbara will lead at a "B" pace. We are seeking volunteers to lead B+ and A groups. Due to time constaints and available daylight, no rides slower than B pace will be offered.

Course: The ride starts and finishes at Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ. Tentative plans call for a northern loop to Frenchtown and Whitehouse Station followed by a southern loop deep into Burlington County, with a bailout option near the halfway point. Every effort is being made to put together a scenic, "rider friendly" course, with no gratuitous climbing. The main obstacle in this day will be simply the mileage, NOT the leg-breaking climbs.


The Garden State Double Century is being organized as a regular Princeton Free Wheeler weekend club ride (though on a grander scale than normal!) As such, there will be no entry fees, and minimal support will be available on course. Riders are expected to be self sufficient during the day, and reasonably sure of their ability to complete the course before sunset. The course will be routed so as to offer opportunities to purchase food and drink at regular intervals along the way. Cue sheets will be made available to all riders either by e-mail, or through this blog in advance of ride day. All riders will be expected to carry and use the cue sheet. Riders are required to be Princeton Free Wheeler members.

This here blog will be your central source for any and all information, and updates regarding the Garden State Double Century. Check back every so often, as I plan to make regular updates, and announcements as additional details of the ride are ironed out. If you have a question or comment you would like addressed in a public forum, feel free to contact me using the "Comments" section of this blog. You may also direct questions to the ride organizer, Ron Anderson by e-mail at rwanderson@optonline.net.

I'd also like to publicly acknowledge and thank John Powers and Neil Cherry, both PFW regulars and veteran distance riders, for helping me get my idea for a PFW double century off the ground. John served as my liason to the PFW organization, and Neil is a mapping / routing whiz, who continues to help me refine my original draft of the route. Both men helped me consider and address logistical issues that come with organizing a ride of this length. I'm sure their continued support will help me put together a memorable ride. Thanks go out, also, to the PFW Board, who listened to my idea at their February meeting and extended their encouragement and support.

Wanna Do The Double???

Wanna do the double???

Are you a certified mileage junkie? Organized centuries getting to be old hat? Looking for a bigger challenge?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then reserve Saturday June 20, 2009 on your calendar for the inaugural edition of the PFW - Garden State Double Century.

The Garden State Double will be a regular PFW weekend ride leaving from the Mercer County Park Ice Skating Rink parking lot at 5:15am on Sat. June 20. This will be a multi-paced ride organized by PFW member and experienced randonneur Ron Anderson. Ron and his wife / stoker Barbara plan to lead a "B" paced group on their Burley tandem.

So, circle June 20th on your calendar, and start logging those base miles... this promises to be a double sized helping of fun!!