Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - First brevet success!

Completed the Minnesota Randonneur's Cry Me a River 200k brevet. Although, I actually rode 241k due to a brevet card being temporarily misplaced. :) Great fun, wonderful people, can't wait to do some more.

Bruce

Glad you enjoyed it, but be careful. It's addictive and next thing you know you might be riding through some village in France at 2 a.m.

I've done bonus miles, but that is fairly impressive. Nice job on completing. Name of the brevet sounds intimidating

Outstanding. So, when is your next one?? :thumb:

Congrats! With a 241k under your belt, 300k will be no sweat. :thumb:

I actually rode 241k due to a brevet card being temporarily misplaced. :)

Never lose your brevet card.

And if your control is a McDonalds, don't accidentally throw it away with your Egg McMuffin scraps. 'Cuz then one of your fellow randonneurs will take an embarrassing photograph like this...

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/dglenday/100_4332.jpg

:lol: :lol:

Yeah, that's one problem with getting the route card stamped at McD's. It's REALLY important to have "an established procedure for handling of the route card at controles." I usually keep mine in a pouch around my neck. As soon as it's signed/stamped, it goes directly back into the pouch! And don't lose that route sheet, either. They don't usually paint Dan Henry's in a brevet. Although, once you're at Paris-Brest-Paris, you don't need the route sheet, you can just follow the reflective arrows. Those French route sheets are impossible to follow anyway, if you're used to North American directions! Once you see them, you'll see what I mean. Good luck and have fun!

Luis

I don't think I would have dug through the trash for mine, especially on a 300k. Most RBA's have ways of taking care of lost brevet cards without dnfing you. I know a guy who was "accommodated" at PBP for loosing his card back in 2003. They don't like to do it (so don't make it a habit) but in extenuating circumstances they will.

Ihberhardt's suggestion of the pouch around the neck works great and has the added benefit of helping to keep you a bit warmer on cold nights. You do have to be a little careful at PBP just following the arrows if you are a little slow because the faster rider have a habit of taking souvenir's home, including those arrows leaving none for the latter riders. The conscientious randoneur will only take the outbound arrows leaving the inbound arrows for later riders.

I really liked the pouch they give you at PBP. I was just thinking I need to dig it out of the box it has been living in since last year to use next week

As it turns out, I didn't actually lose it, it really was just misplaced. When we arrived at the 3rd control, I reached into my handlebar bag, dug around, no card. Hopped off the bike, to get a better view inside the bag, removed the contents, tried to get my heart rate under control, felt like puking, asked the other more experienced riders what they thought (consensus was it would be fine to ride the rest of the way together and explain to the RBA and that it probably wouldn't be a problem). I concluded after the discussion that completing the ride without the card would not be in the spirit of randonneuring and this being my first brevet, riding back to the last control would serve the purpose of forever searing into my memory banks to always make sure you have your card. After apologizing to the other riders, and began the return trip to the previous control, found the counter guy, who told me he didn't think I left it and nobody had turned it in. Dejectedly, I unpacked the handlebar bag, again. Upon removing the last item, I noticed a ruffle of what previously appeared to be the liner of the bag. However, it wasn't just a liner, it was a pocket in the back of the bag, and within the pocket, a brevet card was neatly stationed. The most frustrating part was that the control I backtracked to was the half way point, so advancing to the next control, only to return and still only be half way, an hour later was a bit of a downer. Here a few pics:

268527268528268529268530268531268532268533268534268535

As it turns out, I didn't actually lose it, it really was just misplaced...

Good for you! sounds like you have the right attitude. Sometimes those little backsteps like getting lost or having to go back and get your brevet card can be a little disheartening but it's just part of the game. ;)

That is impressive. Congratulations! Are you trying to qualify for something? Keep it up!

Congratulations!


And regarding the card ... on one or two occasions, I've misplaced my card and I've had controls sign my map instead. The ride organiser just stapled the map into the card, and all was good. But it may depend on the ride organiser.

congrats! I just finished my first 200+ ride (not a brevet) and I'm really excited as well.
I think we can say we've reached marathon level in cycling right?

That is impressive. Congratulations! Are you trying to qualify for something? Keep it up!


Hope to do the Super Randonneur series next year.

Bruce