ACP PBP'11 Brochure Posted

RUSA has posted the new Paris-Brest-Paris brochure from the Audax Club Parisien. The brochure has quite a lot of info about pre-registration, qualifying, registration, inspection, start times, and many other details. Some salient ones:

• Event is August 21-25.
• Starts are:
  • 5pm (80h)
  • 6:30pm (90h)
  • 5am (84h)
  This is earlier than in years past for the 80h and 90h riders.

Pre-registration in 2011 is available starting as follows, depending on your longest ACP brevet in 2010:

• 1000km* - April 3
• 600km - April 17
• 400km - May 1
• 300km - May 15
• 200km - May 29

*A Randonneurs Mondiaux 1200km+ event such as the Last Chance may be substituted for a 1000k brevet. This is a change of policy from what the ACP earlier stated.

General registration starts June 4. Pre-registrants keep their place in line, as we understand it, so long as they satisfy their qualification requirements by late June.

This is a very well-done and content-rich brochure, so please have a look if you may be interested in PBP'11.

-jle

Eau de Hell Week Beckons in BC!

Our friend and six-time Last Chance 1200k finisher (oh, and multi-time record-setter!) Ken Bonner wonders if some of us might like the chance to earn Super-Randonneur status in one week on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Here is an evocative Eau de Hellweek photo from the BC Randonneurs website:
This week of fun (you have an entire week to complete the series) starts April 10, right in the middle of our second snowiest month. This series has been held for the past three years, so they most likely have all the kinks ironed out. Ken also organizes the VanIsle 1200k, scheduled this year for July 21-25, another scenic ride you might enjoy:

Intrigued? Contact Ken and the BC Randonneurs for details!

-jle

Cascade 1200 Registration Opens February 1

Is a 1200k in your plans this year? The Cascade 1200 is one of three 1200k's offered in the US in 2010, and is a well-designed, well-supported, very scenic event. The website has announced registration opening on February 1, with riders accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Details will be emerging on what registration entails, how the waiting list will be managed, qualification requirements, etc. In the past, the Cascade has required riders to have completed a Super-Randonneur series in the recent past, not necessarily in the year of the event.

I rode the Cascade in 2008 and can heartily recommend it. I'll be putting together some "rider perspective" notes, recollections, and tips ... stay tuned. If you have questions about this year's event, you may contact the ride director.

-jle

Is It Winter Yet?

Some folks start off the New Year with a plunge into icy waters - but they soon scamper out. Randonneurs opt instead for riding 9-11 hours in arctic conditions before calling it a day. Here is Michelle Grainger on the Platteville Poke-Along on January 2nd, skirting a wall of snow near Masonville (click to enlarge):

Late fall bode some nice days for riders like Tammie Nakamura and David Groat, just finishing their Roggen Roundabout below. It was David's first Permanent, but he's a veteran of the Black Forest 300k and Denver-Aspen. And yet, Tammie N. and Irene Takahashi were our first of the year randonneuses, with a chilly Kersey Kick on New Year's Day!

Ah, to milder times a mere month ago, when folks could stop to snack and gather oxygen molecules at their leisure in the outdoors:

Have some winter stories? Let me know!

And best wishes for happy riding in the New Year! AN IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you are thinking of going to Paris next year, or earning a RUSA award this year, make sure your RUSA membership is current now.

-john lee