The Weather; it must be an April Fools Joke!  Did anyone catch the snow falling this morning?  Anyone else still waiting for global warming this spring?  While tomorrow should be better, many of the roads we will travel don’t get much sun, so even if it is warmer outside, be prepared for sloppy conditions overall, and icy spots.

Got Fenders?  If you got ‘em, sport ‘em!  Any type of mudguard will probably make things more comfortable for you, and those around you.  If you have one of those seat post mounted tail flaps, please position them low enough so they deflect your rooster tail somewhere other than the face of the rider behind you (just keeping spray of your back is selfish…).  If you are riding full(er) fenders, make sure you have sufficient clearance for the occasional rock and debris to float through.   For those who think fenders are not PRO, think again.

Got Booties?  Even though the rain might subside, and the temperatures will rise, it might be a good day to wear a light set of “Belgian Booties” in order to keep your feet drier and your shoes cleaner.  Nothing says miserable like wet feet (or hands for that matter, so spare gloves are in order too).  Don’t have the real thing?  An old set of socks with a cleat cut out work really well as overshoes.   You too can be a low budget superstar. 

Registration/package pick-up:   will be at Holicong Middle School 2900 Holicong Road Doylestown, PA 18902-1427.  Registration will open by 7:30 AM.  The ride starts at 9:00, but don’t wait until the last minute to register; otherwise we will all start late…

All riders must sign a USAC waiver.  For On-Line Registered riders, we will have waivers pre-printed, complete with your info, in binders according to your last name.  On Saturday morning, queue up according to last name, find your waiver in the binder, sign it, collect your bib number, and goody bag, and get ready for the ride. 

For riders registering on-site will need to complete a USAC waiver.  We will have blank waivers available on-site, but suggest you download one  and complete it before arriving at the ride.   

Parking & Directions:  See http://foolsclassic.com/directions

Parking is at the Holicong Middle School and Holicong High School parking lots.  Please do not park in the Holicong Middle School Bus parking lot, adjacent to registration. 

Cue Sheets:  The official cue sheet is attached.  Please print one out for yourself; it will help us save on printing them unnecessarily.   Although our courses are well marked (see below), please bring a cue sheet; it has important contact info if you run into trouble along the route.   The Cue Sheet should be your primary form of navigation.

We did a drive of the course today, Tinicum Township is a complete mess construction project wise, but we are pleased to report that the construction on Dark Hollow Rd in Tinicum Township is complete.  There is a beautiful new road surface for us to ride on.

This was key, as Dark Hollow was the entry point to many of the dirt roads on the course.

The only obstacle remaining is the bridge on Headquarters Rd. over the Tinicum creek is closed to motor vehicles.  It is passable by bike & foot, but we'll need to manouver around the jersey barricade in place. 

The course will be marked tomorrow, and the maps updated, with URLs and GPS data being released by Wednesday.  Cue Sheets will probably be available on Thursday.

Water, water everywhere, and not a bridge to cross! 

We had a Fools Classic training ride yesterday, which took in several sections of this year's course.  We encountered several roads with construction, particularly in Tinicum Township.  There were a few bridges out, that were just fine a few weeks ago.  Melting snow must signal the start of construction season. 

What does this mean?  We don't know yet.  We will be speaking with Tinicum Township & PennDOT to learn more about their schedules. 

Regardless, the ride will go on as scheduled on April 2nd.  It might mean some rerouting or a new course design, marking the course in the days before (we planned to do it this week); we'll keep you apprised. 

We are pleased to announce our partnership with Strava.  Built for Cyclists, Strava offers an on-line service that allows you to:

Get Faster
Strava gives you detailed analysis of all your rides, climbs, and favorite segments based on your GPS data. See how you improve over time.

Get Motivated
Compare your times with friends and other riders who cover the same ground. Compete without having to be in the same place at the same time!

Get Outside
Strava benefits all avid cyclists. Discover new places to ride and share your experiences with your friends on Strava.

All pre-registered participants will receive a complimentary 3 month membership to Strava.  Strava is also contributing a Garmin Edge 500, which will be the Grand Prize in our Raffle! 

Strava is setting up our route on their website, so if you ride with a compatible GPS device, you’ll be able to upload your data and compare your ride with others.

The Febrauary 18th edition of The Intelligencer had this cover story about a dirt road in Nockamixon Township that is under threat of being paved. 

While we have never used this road for the Fools Classic (it is just a little too far away), it has been in our plans for another route (the Total Fool).  We'd hate to see it be paved over.  A decision will be made on March 16th. 

Special thanks to Bob Scharle, one of the original fools, for alerting us of this news. 

Construction hits us again!  Welcome to Pennsylvania, "the Bridge Out State" (it is better than some of the other slogans they've put on our license plates). 

Two years ago, a bridge on Geigle Hill Rd. was removed, cutting of our easy access to 3 dirt roads. 

Last year, Tinicum Towship resurfaced all of our precious roads in their township. 

This year PennDOT is repairing one of the bridges in Carversville.   I suspect we will need to detour around it.  You’ll know when we announce the final route. 

One must continually wonder when they will finally get around to repairing the bridge on Pineville Rd that has been closed for >4 years…  At least we can ride over that one!

You’ll work up quite a thirst during our spring classics, but fear not, River Horse Brewery in Lambertville has renewed (and expanded their sponsorship) of our series, so you can slake your thirst following the events.   River Horse is a founding sponsor of the Hell of Hunterdon, and generously have expanded their support over the years to our other events. 

Cold River Horse will be served following the Hell of Hunterdon.  Unfortunately school policy prevents us from serving alcohol at the Fools Classic and Fleche Buffoon, but we’ll make sure you get River Horse to go. 

For it's 5th anniversary, the Fools Classic returns to it's traditional weekend.  The event will take place on Saturday April 2nd.

We are working on a new start/finish venue in the Holicong/Buckingham area, so please stay tuned.  We will release this as soon as possible.