Randonneuring: A Long Bicycle Ride

Contact: Mark Wooldridge

E-mail: mdwrhw@yahoo.com

Randonneuring is a cross between bicycle touring and racing. Rides don't stop for darkness, rain, etc.; a prescribed minimum pace is enforced to ensure that riders reach control points along the course within a time limit. You can stop for as long as you want to eat or sleep but the clock ticks on, counting down towards the time limit to be at the next control point. Finish order is usually not important or even recorded; finishing within the time limit provided is the focus of the event.

New material:

Brevets and other rides in 2009

My experiences in randonneuring:

1999: brevets, Paris-Brest-Paris 1999

2000 brevets
2001 brevets
2002 brevets
2003 brevets, Paris-Brest-Paris 2003
2004 brevets
Paris-Brest-Paris 2007
2008 brevets
2009 brevets
2009 Tandem Tour in Burgundy
2010 brevets

The rides can vary wildly in difficulty depending on weather conditions and location, although they are all intended to test primarily endurance. Pictures from two of the brevets I completed in 1999 indicate the wide range in weather conditions, showing a cold 200k with strong headwinds and a mild 300k:

The result of the ride requirements is a tough but achievable ride that is generally both sociable and athletic. The rides are frequently fun, even! Read on to see my fumblings through the sport.

The climax event of randonneuring is the Paris-Brest-Paris ride, which occurs every four years. The most recent PBP was in August of 2007; the next will be in August of 2011. Other 1200+ km events that have been run include: the Boston-Montreal-Boston, the London-Edinburgh-London, the Rocky Mountain 1200, and most recently the Davis Bike Club's Gold Rush Randonnee. The LEL and the Goldrush are both scheduled for 2009. PBP is much larger in terms of riders (about 5400 in 2007, to be limited to 5000 in the future) than the other events, however. In 2000 the BMB had 127 riders who started (104 finished), and the Rocky Mountain 1200 has had even fewer riders.

To qualify for the PBP you must complete four official rides called "brevets" in the year of the event. Go to Randonneurs USA for more information regarding where the brevets can be found in the US; UK and French links can be found at Links to Paris-Brest-Paris Resources. A number of the series are held every year. The time limits for the individual brevets are as follows:
200 km in 13 ½ hours (15 km/h or 9.3 mph)
300 km in 20 hours (15 km/h or 9.3 mph)
400 km in 27 hours (15 km/h or 9.3 mph)
600 km in 40 hours (15 km/h or 9.3 mph)
1000 km in 75 hours (13.3 km/h or 8.3 mph) -- Not required for PBP qualification
1200 km in 90 hours (13.3 km/h or 8.3 mph) -- Not required for PBP qualification

Several series of brevets from 200 to 600 km are put on in Texas each year (usually beginning in January or February and concluding in May). Rides are put on near Dallas, Houston, San Angelo, Amarillo, and Austin, although not all brevet distances are hosted at each location. Information about the rides and contact information is provided at the Randonneurs USA website.

Guidance and further amusement can be found on these pages:

Links to randonneuring organizations

Other PBP Stories (located at other sites).

Finally, my How-To page gives some tips and links useful for riding brevets and longer events.

Click on the photos on the linked pages to get enlargements and comments on the pictured scenes.

© Mark D. Wooldridge, February 2003.