EM1000k Ride Reports and Pictures (2010 edition)

Photo by Ed Felker

Preliminary results of the EM1000k have been posted on the website. ... please let me know of any corrections or other issues. Results will be submitted to RUSA shortly, and then become final, pending ACP certification.

The 2010 edition had many improvements over past events, one of which was the superb weather which has been in short supply this summer. I did get a few comments about busy roads on certain sections -- clearly, some new traffic patterns have developed over the past year. Unfortunately, a big change has been all the trucks for the gas fracking going on in the northeast that has impacted a very wide area. While the truck traffic was especially bad between Towanda and Canton, it really was the safer alternative due to the poor road surface on the side road previously used on past editions -- the road cuts I saw on the scouting trip would most likely have caused some crashes, due to the soft gravel fill that was hidden by shadows at the botoom of some of the descents. The good news is, that road is scheduled for a resurfacing by the end of the year. So that section, along with some other high traffic areas, will be some route tweaks we'll look at for next time.

Special thanks to all the volunteers who did a superb job of supporting the riders:

Jim Logan (Hallstead, Lewisburg)
Guy Harris (Course Sweep)
Dan Barbasch (Hallstead)
Ron Anderson (Lewisburg)
Gilbert Torres (Quakertown)
Christiane Torres (Quakertown)

... these events would not be possible without the volunteers who step up to help out.

Mary Gersema writes: "...Thank you so much for the epic adventure and the care you took in putting together this unforgettable ride. Seriously, my knees will never forget it!  Your cue sheet was very clear and we had no issues following it. The volunteers were EXCELLENT and helped facilitate our successful completion of the ride.  It's so motivating to know that while you are out on the course, there are people looking out for you, carrying you gear and supplies forward, and rooting for you.  From what I have seen of your events, you value a high completion rate, and that is evident in the support you provide and the hard work of your volunteers.  Helping out at this kind of event is very intense, and the volunteers can get as sleep-deprived as the riders.  My words cannot adequately express my appreciation for their time....I love our framed medals. Please thank your kids for putting those together. Thank you again for the wonderful ride..." 

Read Mary's Ride Report and be sure to Check out Mary's photo albums:

Day 1 

Day 2 

Day 3 

The other half of Mary's tandem team, Ed Felker, has also posted a ride report.

Christine Newman writes: "...I just wanted to thank you for encouraging me to ride the EM 1000K Brevet. I am not sure either one of us actually believed I could finish in the allotted time but we both faked it pretty well!  The route itself was really beautiful. I usually find myself cursing you out at some point during most of your brevets but that didn't happen once this time. Maybe I was more mentally prepared. Or maybe it was because  "TRO" Cafferty was not included. The second day was my favorite and it is just amazing to me that such beautiful countryside exists relatively close to home. The bucolic scenery made the miles pass by quickly (well, relatively quickly; we know how slow I am ). The volunteers were wonderful. It was so nice to see a familiar and smiling face at the controles, in the middle of the night or the middle of nowhere. Guy, Jim, and Andrew were wonderful as were Ron and the volunteers at the overnight controles. At the first overnight, when I managed to deflate my tire instead of inflate it, the volunteers were knights in shining armor who pumped my tire for me. I am sure an immense amount of planning is involved in staging this event and I want you to know I greatly appreciate the effort you put into making the route scenic, safe and enjoyable. The controles are well thought out and the support is fantastic. I know how much you care about your riders and that is a very comforting thought in the middle of the night. And the rider tracking and blog updates were much appreciated by my family and friends. Thanks for believing in me and making my success possible! "

Bob Casciato writes: "...The amount of work and coordination it takes to host an event like this is huge and you and your team did a fantastic job.  I would be lying to say that I am not disappointed at how my event ended.  I know I made the right decision but it still hurts knowing you were properly prepared and feeling strong.  At the end of the day, there will be plenty more events and the most important thing for me is to get my arms around this issue.  I’m seeing my cardiologist today and hope I can begin that process. Again, I thank you for your incredible effort; without people like you we would not have our sport..."

Larry Midura writes: "...Just a quick thank you for your superb organizational efforts that went into making the 1000K brevet a success.  I enjoyed the climbing challenge of your route, and of course, the fellow riders. I did leave the hostel in the early am darkness to head back to New York, and as I was driving up Clymer Road near the hostel, I did encounter Mark Shanahan on his last grunt to the finish - he looked fine..."

Volunteer, Jim Logan, has posted his photos .


And 2009 EM1240 participant, Jerry Phelps, writes: "...It’s been almost a year since I so ignominiously DNFd the Endless Mountains 1200km. Since then, I used that failure as motivation to ride more, do more challenging terrain, and push myself harder on rides. And it has paid off—this past weekend I did the Bicycle for Life 1000km here in NC. The group of five I was in on the entire course finished first in 58:13. Now of course, this ride had about 1/3 of the climbing as the PA 1000, but it was challenging in its own way with high heat on Friday and headwinds on Saturday for about 150 miles. I just wanted to thank you for kicking my ass last year, and giving me the motivation to get better and faster. And I’m serious about that—not being facetious at all. Hope to see you on a ride again someday..."

*** Update 9/29/10 ***
George Swain continues to make good progress with his recovery... the latest updates are posted here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/georgeswain

-Tom Rosenbauer

Eastern PA RBA