PBP Preregistration Begins on Sunday!

Yep...the time is here.... Riders who went long in 2010, notching a 1000K or longer, will be able to begin the preregistration process on Sunday, according to the PBP website, the day after Al's 200K.

Those who did shorter distances in 2010 will have to wait longer for preregistration. But those riders should be fine.  USA's entry quota for PBP 2011 is currently set at 719. That's a lot of openings...




The preregistration timetable is as follows:

ACP/RM Longest Event in 2010		Pre-Reg. Opens On...
1000 KM or RM1200+		3-Apr-11
600 KM		17-Apr-11
400 KM		1-May-11
300 KM		15-May-11
200 KM		29-May-11

Preregistration will reserve a place for PBP 2011, subject to availability. During the preregistration period, available places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have not converted your preregistration into a definite registration until June 19, 2011 at midnight (French time), you will lose your reserved place. You can still apply for registration, but without priority.


The preregistration can only be made through the Internet with mention of rider affiliation, rider license number and homologation number of the longest BRM ridden (nonexhaustive list).


You will receive a confirmation email with your application number as soon as your preregistration form is validated by the organization.

A secure payment option will be presented at the end of your preregistration and / or registration. No payment by wire transfer, check or cash will be accepted.The preregistration fee is €30, non refundable and deducted from the final registration fee, estimated to be €100 +/- €15.


3-29 Edit: Clarifying info from Mark Thomas on the SIR list:

The instruction page for PBP pre-registration can be found at http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/pbp2011/index2.php?lang=en&cat=inscription&page=comment_sinscrire1 and includes the pre-registration schedule.
 The instructions indicate that riders will need rider affiliation, rider license number and homologation number of longest 2010 brevet, but I'm fairly certain that for riders' whose affiliation is "Foreign" (i.e., non-France), the rider license number is inapplicable.
 RUSA members can find the homologation numbers of any 2010 US ACP (200, 300, 400, 600, 1000) or RM (1200 or longer) events by results search on RUSA website. Homologation numbers for non-US RM events can be found at http://www.lesrandonneursmondiaux.org/homologations2011.html. For non-US ACP events, riders will probably need to consult the event organizers.
 Bengt from Sweden posted today that you will indicate your choice of start time at pre-registration but that it can be changed with the final registration in June.
 You'll need a credit card for the pre-registration deposit and your certificate number. I think that the registration is supposed to open on 4/3 at midnight, which would be the previous afternoon here. No need to rush, however, because it's not possible for the US quota to fill up this weekend. We just didn't have that many 1000/1200 riders.

NC Rando Reflective Vests

Branson is taking the lead on potentially customizing reflective vests for NC Randonneurs. These would look great at PBP '11 and lots of other brevets.

Thanks to the generosity of Mark Thomas with assist by San Francisco RBA Rob Hawks, we will have customized PBP vest samples at the start of Al's 200K next Saturday. These vests are the same make as those offered by PBP, but with customized graphics. I'm gauging interest in placing an order of customized versions for NC Randonneurs. Here are some photos of Mark's sample vests in the 4 colors offered. They look sharp!

Three advantages of a customized vest for PBP:

• 1- It satisfies the new PBP standard for reflective wear (the Sam Browne belt does not)
• 2- You can break it in now and be used to how it feels by PBP
• 3- It tells the world you're a NC Randonneur

If there's enough interest for an order after Saturday's exhibition, we'll work out details of cost and timeline. Come early to the start of Al's 200K next Saturday and check them out!

A few pix, courtesy of Mark:

Lori McKenna

I slipped off this weekend to see Lori McKenna at a small club in Asheville. A terrific show. The highlight: Sweet Disposition from her new album, Lorraine.



Here's a video with Don Was....

One More Reason To Ride A Long Brevet This Weekend....

As if you needed a reason....

Adrian Videos

As we gear up for Yo Adrian's service tomorrow (and don't forget the time change), I poked through Adrian's YouTube channel. Below are some of the videos he posted. Enjoy and see you tomorrow.

Adrian Edgar Hands / Memorial Celebration on Sunday

The obituary of friend Adrian Hands is below, with information about memorial events on Sunday.

Adrian Edgar Hands

Adrian "Yo A" Edgar Hands, 47, of Eunice and Lafayette, LA, and  Raleigh, Durham and Carrboro, NC, died of complications of ALS on February 3, 2011.

He is survived by wife Padmini Srinivasan Hands; children  Ian and fiancée Mary Rozas, Shanti Hands, and Ravi Raghuram; mother Carolyn Claudette LaFleur; father Edward Bryan Hands and wife Hilda Hands; siblings Jason, Eddie Beach and Morgan Hands, Josette and Stephen Dupre, Debbie Sigh, Lowry Fowler and Jolie Goodreau and husband Brennon; in-laws Ramesh Srinivasan and wife Surekha, Bhavani Iyer and husband Subramanian; fourteen nieces and nephews; cat Romeo; and numerous very dear friends at the Chain Ring of Fools, NC Randonneurs, NCBC, TarWheels, Recyclery, 1304 Bikes, SGI-USA and BSG Buddhist Associations, and all over the world from France to China to India to Bulgaria.

Adrian Hands was a tireless bicycle advocate and 2003 Paris Brest Paris Ancien who embodied the philosophy that every ride is an adventure. He traveled far and wide to pursue his love of randonneuring, including brevets in China and Bulgaria. He successfully completed PBP in 2003 with a time of 88:55. His ride report of that adventure stands as one of the best accounts ever of this legendary event. Adrian is the founding spirit behind La Société Adrian Hands, www.adrianhandssociety.com. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to 1304 Bikes in Raleigh, http://www.1304bikes.org/donate.html.

Adrian's many interests included randonneuring, urban planning and mass transit, bicycle commuting, cycle rickshaws, Open Source, International Festival, Spark Con, Foundation for Peace, UN Association of Wake County, Handgun Control, Habitat for Humanity, Amnesty International, and WUNC Public Radio, ACLU, SPLC, global climate change, community building and service to the needy. Adrian most recently resolved the GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 78514, the oldest bug in Eye of Gnome, using his knees to type in Morse Code, inspiring many through his efforts. See: http://tinyurl.com/4m67vfv.

The memorial services to celebrate Adrian's life will be on Sunday, March 13, 2011 in  Raleigh, NC (SGI-USA, 6307 Chapel Hill Road), at 3 p.m. preceded by an outdoor gathering and ride start in Hillsborough, NC (meet behind the courthouse at 9:30 a.m.) The family appreciates cards and visits at Hands Family, 200 Purple Leaf Place, Carrboro NC 27510 (call 919 539 6315) or phands@gmail.com.

Jerry's Streak

According to RUSA stats, there are 10 members who have 5 or more R-12 awards, which is earned by riding 12 consecutive months of sanctioned events of 200K or greater.

This weekend, I was fortunate to ride with Jerry Phelps, the guy who will soon be #11 on that list. Jerry has an impressive streak going, with an uninterrupted 60 months of 200Ks. I've been with Jerry on lots of rainy, cold rides, but Saturday was none of that. Instead, four of us basked in morning sun and seasonably comfortable temperatures throughout the day, with a trailing wind that showed us the way home. We rode Dean's Tar Heel 200, taking time for a Subway break in Tar Heel and a milkshake stop at Andy's in Steadman. A fine time was had by all. Ian, still aglow from his successful 1000K, showed up at the finish with a cake to mark the occasion. Camaraderie and icing on the cake!

Congratulations to Jerry from all of us, and long live the streak!

Girl Talk: The Video

I first heard Girl Talk in Capn Ende's car on the way to a bike ride. So there's your connection. Here's a seven-minute video trailer to that record, and the story behind it. If seven minutes don't cut it, here's more info on the 71-minute music video.  Some things never change -- it's hard to engage your typical New York commuter.....

Oh, my....

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.