perspiration

My first goal coming into the year was my first imperial century by May, but as this goal seems closer than I thought, I figure why not shoot for the stars?? Randonneuring is one of my top bike priorities and where I want to take my cycling as I continue to improve.

I'm 23 and this is my second year "seriously" cycling. Last year I lost weight, did one century and CX racing at the end and over the winter I continued to lose weight. I slacked some on riding over the winter, but with the weight gone I feel about at the same level I was at last year. I need some more saddle time on long rides to get other issues sorted (butt endurance, etc) but my legs are feeling pretty good in general. I feel I could do a 100k ride now at speed, and did a 50mi ride over the weekend that gave me confidence with this.

I'm wondering, how reasonable of a goal is it for me to do a SR series by the end of the year if I begin training in earnest right now, today? I figure you have to set big goals to get you motivated...I'd be happy doing a 200k

StephenH

Check your local randonneuring calendar and see when the required brevets are, first. I would think you could do it. It helps if the club is reasonably supportive, and I'm not familiar with the local rando scene.

perspiration

Looks like they run May-June from this website:
https://www.glrrando.org/

I guess I would probably start May 19th, depending on how I feel by May.

Homeyba

I started my first SR series seven months after I got my first bike and finished it that year. If you can do the scheduled rides and are in half-way decent physical condition it is definitely doable. The hard part is the part between your ears. If you have it there it shouldn't be a problem. It'll help if you have some motivated friends to do it with.

lonesomesteve

There's really only one way to find out. Sign up for the first 200k in your area and see what happens. If you can ride 100k comfortably then most likely you'll survive the 200k. After that, just take it one ride at a time. If you finish the 200k feeling okay then give the 300k a go. If the 300k doesn't kill you and you're still having fun, then go for the 400k. Many people (most about twice your age) have done an SR series in their first year of randonneuring. You don't need to train for the series, just train for the 200k. The 200k will train you for the 300k, and so on.

Have fun. Don't over think it, just go out and ride.

k7baixo

Remember, 50% of any brevet is 90% mental. Good luck to you!

unterhausen

I was going to say how hard could the brevets be, but then I realized that there are a lot of hills within 300k of Chicago. The good thing about an SR series is that they build up in distance, and if one is too much, you don't have to ride the next one.

surreycrv 

I set out to ride a 100km populaire, but hesitated on the 30 km ride to get there, and then to get home (boy was I a chicken ). Rode another 100km populaire, then joined the club and rode a 200km. Which led to the 300, then the 400, then the 600. That was one year after starting to cycle again. As posted, each brevet is your training for the next longer distance, and a reason they are scheduled in that order. Unless you have the experience you should't just dive into the longer ones first.

Oh, and all any brevet is, is a series of 50km segments. 200km=4, 300km=6 .......

unterhausen

I always look at it as a series of 50 mile segments until I have 200k left, and then I say, "oh, that's just a short ride"

My first 200k was in February a few years back, and later that year I finished an SR series. I wasn't in great shape when I started, that's for sure.

perspiration

Thanks for the inspiration everyone, I am definitely doing this. I've been saving and planning for a cross country tour in 2014 but that may need to hold off for PBP '15 (dreaming big)

kg1

I am a lot older than you, and not particularly fit. During most of my rides I cruise at around 17 mph. As others have said, you ride the 200, and if that goes ok, you ride the 300, etc. That's how I did my first (and only) SR series. Each ride builds you up for the next. The time limits on these rides are such that if you can keep the pedals turning, you will finish under the limit.

I have done the GLR rides, and they are beautiful. Rural WI has great roads with almost no traffic. The rides are pretty hilly but much less so than they used to be. Now they head south into IL where before they went further west and north into the Ocooch Mountains (short but steep -- each a body blow on a really long ride). Still, the last 200k of the 600k route is pretty brutal (almost cruel).

There are some really interesting people doing those rides. I hope you have the chance to meet some of them. If you measure the worth of an experience by the amount of room it takes up in your memory, these rides are very much worth doing.

Good luck.

kg1