NC Randonneurs in the News...

Teri Saylor, who writes for Raleigh's News & Observer, did a nice write-up of PBP by interviewing Robert Bergeron and another local rider. Story here.

Robert is a new rider who came up just short of the finish line in Paris. I enjoyed listening to his adventures along the way. Robert also shared a PBP write-up on Martin's blog. You can read it here.

I've also learned Robert has been making news on the international front. During the interview he showed us a newspaper from Saint-Martin de Pres, which ran a picture of Robert posing with the locals. That's a real keepsake. Then, Mark Thomas sent along the video below. If you watch it at around the 41 minute mark, I believe that's a glimpse of Robert talking briefly then walking along the road. Note his NC Rando reflective vest.

Robert, congratulations on a tale well told, and we hope to see you at the Year-End event.

One final note: While watching the video, I saw the rider that Ian helped. You'll see Ivan, a rider from eastern Europe (his kit says Slovenia but he may be from Russia), at around 31:13. You'll also see Ian's green bungee cord. The story: several of us stopped to take a picture at an interesting PBP marker sign. Ivan came riding up, head bent over and suffering from obvious neck pain. Ian took a bungee off his rear rack and hooked it to Ivan's helmet to help him overcome Shermer's neck. We saw Ivan at the finish, so all worked out well. A picture I took of Ivan is below the video.... And here's another post that shows the PBP sign.

Well, another final note: Thanks to Martin for scanning and sending along the newspaper pix of Robert. It's below. Looks like the French moved Robert to the West Coast -- California, Carolina. close enough....


PARIS BREST PARIS JUSQU'AU BOUT DE LA NUIT from blankonthemap on Vimeo.

Q&A -- Our Man Branson

Our riding buddy Branson is crushing it on fixed gear this season. On our recent flèche, Branson spun his way at 35 mph down Mount Mitchell and tackled a 3,000 foot climb from Rosman to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Respect!

 Off the bike, Branson is a devoted dad and the creative talent behind the NC Randonneurs logo. In an e-mail Q&A, Branson said he's planning PBP on a fixed gear. Read on to find out how he trains and who inspires him.

1. Why fixed this season? What is the appeal for you?

Why fixed? Guess I fell under the same spell so many others have- it's simply a lot of fun! So quiet, so responsive, so efficient. That direct connection to the bike is a great feeling. It's like I'm part of the bike instead of being perched upon one.

 2. When did you first ride a fixed gear?

Fall of 2008. I bought a 1983 Trek IS 400 touring frame and converted it to a fixed-gear/singlespeed for commuting. Survived a few crashes around the neighborhood before tentatively taking to the streets. Pretty soon I didn't want to ride anything else. In February 2009 I rode my first fixed brevet- Tony Goodnight's Harrisburg-Laurinburg-Harrisburg 300K.

3. Your form this season is fantastic, with the successful completion of a mountainous flèche and strong finishes on several brevets. Describe your training regimen this year...

Maybe commuting with a little boy in a trailer is the next big thing! He loves it too so it's a win all around. Other than that, I've just really upped the intensity of my rides- fewer, shorter, harder efforts.

4. Your goal is to do an SR series and PBP on fixed?

Yes. PBP has been the goal all along but I'm still not sure I can have fun riding it fixed. Until our flèche a couple of weekends ago I had never ridden more than 300K fixed. If the NCBC 600K feels good and I stay healthy, then it's on to PBP.

5. Your gearing?

Currently I'm riding 45x14 with a 45x16 on the flip side. I'm going up to a 46 for our NCBC 600K and if it works it'll stay there for PBP.

6. Which is tougher -- up or down?

For me- down is tougher! It's just very tricky to get the keister up out of the saddle to stretch when the bike's headed downhill and legs are thrashing.

7. Who do you draw inspiration from?

My wife and son, my parents, Jerry Branson Kimball, Adrian Hands, Charly Miller, Spencer Klaassen, Emily O'Brien, Jake Kassen, Kevin Kaiser.

RUSA on Facebook

RUSA recently launched a Facebook page. If you have a Facebook account, you'll find RUSA's page here. Head on over and friend 'em today. The latest announcements include the Showers Pass jacket promotion and the new PBP '11 window stickers available from the RUSA store.

Moonshine 100km, November 21, 2009

As part of a year-end celebration that included an evening get-together and awards ceremony, NC Randonneurs could start the day with either a 100km or 200km brevet, both leaving from and finishing at the Natty Greene Pub and Brewing Company located in downtown Greensboro, NC. Just a block from the pub stands its namesake: a tall statue of General Nathanial Greene, an important Colonial figure who figured centrally in the theme of this year’s ride (lead-in picture). Greene was known as George Washington’s “most gifted and dependable officer” after whom many places are named, including Greensboro.

By the title of my post, you can decipher which route I chose. But that still leaves some explaining. Could I have deviated, as the title might imply, a bit off course? After all, wasn’t this supposed to be the Natty Greene 100km? What’s this moonshine monkeyshine business?

Cyclists gather just before dawn for our sunrise start.

Our small splintered group managed to get out of town after a few false turns. For whatever reason, our cue sheet was in English. But the two guys “leading” our splintered group were P-B-P anciens and I think they must have still been thinking in French. They were able to save us though when, at mile 2.7, they spotted something in French: Lafayette Avenue. We were back on track! After finally reaching one of the few level portions of the scenic course—that wiggled from side to side and up and down up to Madison, NC, before returning to Greensboro another way—I was able to pull out my camera and catch a picture of Chuck riding into a slight headwind.

After crossing the Dan River Bridge at the outskirts of Madison, I turned onto Market Street, a few blocks from the control. But my direct progress was thwarted, since the street was cordoned off and a throng of people was gathering in the downtown area one block ahead. The look on my face when a passer-by informed me of the nature of the hullaballoo must have confirmed her suspicion that I was not from around there. The first clue may have been the fact that I showed up at the annual Moonshine Festival dressed in lycra with water bottles on my bike. But luckily, giddy with promise, no one was paying me any attention.

Blend in or not, I just had to gratify my curiosity and conduct some cultural research. A task made easier, since I was obliged to find my way to the control to get my card signed for ride credit! Off my bike, I threaded my way along the barricaded street past pedestrians admiring antique vehicles. Could they have been involved in bootlegging at one time or another?

The sweet aroma of home-cooked stew led me directly to the control. Though not yet ready, the cooks offered me a taste as I stood nearby admiring their work. I didn’t want to disappoint and relished their local version of Brunswick stew. Upon my inquiring what ingredients they used, one of the cooks rattled off a list of known common ingredients and then with a twinkle in his eye added: “And for taste, a little rabbit, squirrel, deer . . ."

The sweet aroma of Brunswick stew!

Inside the Dan River Coffee House (control), I ordered—surprise!—coffee. I sat sipping by the warm fire looking out the window mesmerized by the steam liberated from the cauldron that tantalized helpless passers-by.

I was awakened from my momentary reverie by the arrival of RBA Tony Goodnight and additional riders.

Diligent Tony stopping in and taking a moment to see that everyone is accounted for and doing well.

One of the riders, Bill, from Tennessee had the coolest jersey of the day, at least from my biased viewpoint as a physiology instructor. Not only, that, Bill shows us the proper way to drink coffee—in a cup and saucer!

He even has the pinkie finger thing down, or is it up?

The Republic of Anaerobia jersey replete with coat of arms and motto in Latin. I’ll get you started on the Latin lesson. Just fill in the blank. It reads, “I came, I saw, I _______ .”

Gotta get going. I almost forgot that the clock was ticking!

We spot more cool vehicles as we leave town.

Hey, let’s sneak a peek inside this jewel!

“Hey, somebody throw the ‘fresh’ ‘possum in the stew that's under Jethro's left front tire!”

Climbing out of the Dan River basin and then crossing several tributary creeks made riding on the return interesting. Sort of like visiting the Republic of Anaerobia again and again. I think I’m a naturalized citizen.

A little later, as I approached one intersection, I spotted a couple of cyclists who didn’t appear to be just taking a break. A road sign was missing.

Good old-fashioned navigating with a map! After a team meeting in survival orienteering, we were soon on our way, all the more confident we were on track. I’ve noticed the scenery is much better when you know you are on the right track!

First things first. When I arrived back at Natty Greene's . . .

I got my control card signed.

And then sat down where I wouldn’t stink up the place on the veranda outside . . .

to a post-ride bowl of hot, hot chili and a cold, cold glass of water in the shadow of General Nathanial Greene standing guard.

I’m celebrating the fact that today’s ride put me just over the 5,000 RUSA km mark, my publicly stated goal for the year.

Thanks to all my riding buddies this year and to the RBAs, Permanent owners, and ride volunteers for making it possible!

Oh, yeah, back to the question of whether or not I deviated off course. That’s what I was told by two cyclists who finished after me but who were in front of me leaving Madison. But then they said they were joking. They’d stopped for a break at a convenient store, setting up the leap frog. What are riding buddies—even newly found ones—good for if they can’t pull your leg? Interestingly, my new friend Steve said over our bowls of chili that of all the types of cycling events in which he’s been involved over the years randonneurs are the friendliest cyclists.

With that, I guess there’s nothing more to say, other than . . .

Let’s ride!

North Carolina Bicycle Club Randonneurs RUSA Anniversary Ride, 2009

Anniversaries mark important historical events. But they are also celebratory occasions. So, too, was the second consecutive locally celebrated RUSA Anniversary Brevet on Saturday, August 15, marking the 11th year of Randonneurs USA, or RUSA for short.

It was great seeing a number of newbies, but also the oldbies who’ve become a great support structure for NC randonneuring! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet all of you. So you’ll have to come back again!

A special thanks to RBA, Alan Johnson, for organizing and hosting this NCBC event. By all accounts it was another successful anniversary brevet. Although Mike O quipped that Alan was losing his touch with the weather, since there was no rain!

Aside from the lack of rain, everything else was clicking today: the cool morning temperatures; the midmorning overcast skies; the great job done by the volunteers; the relaxing post-ride celebratory picnic at Morrisville Community Park; the upbeat enthusiastic riders . . . Just back from L-E-L, Mike D looked relaxed sporting a cool T-shirt with the L-E-L logo. RBA Tony Goodnight was there as well.

We can’t say enough about volunteerism and its importance to RUSA events. A number of volunteers pre-rode this event last Saturday on a sweltering day. Others took time out to help with the picnic and other duties. The water at the corner of Chicken Bridge and NC 87 in the white Styrofoam coolers, still cold on the return in the afternoon sun, was a nice touch, Jerry and company! Thanks to all the selfless volunteers for making this another successful anniversary ride.

Riders filing out on the 200km ride before sunrise at 6 AM.

It was nice to see a number of newbies tackling their first 200km brevet today. I’m disappointed that I didn’t have a chance to meet them all. But congratulations are in order, anyway!

Three riders at Snow Camp tackling their first 200km event, from left to right, Lynn, Scott, and John.

Although I finished with a time of 9:33, I got off to a sluggish start, probably due to the fact that I hadn’t ridden in a week. At any rate, I liked the pre-dawn start. Due to overcast morning skies, I wore reflective gear and burned my flashing taillight all the way to Snow Camp.

I teamed up with Mike O just past Snow Camp and we took turns pushing the pace to Siler City. We rode pretty much together for the remainder of the ride. His company made the miles go faster in more ways than one. Mike has ridden most of this area and can tell you where each road goes that we pass. He’s also good at spotting hawks, deer, and interesting items along the road.

Here is one interesting item we saw. Ever wished you’d had your camera when you saw that UFO no one believed you saw? Well today, I was prepared.

Here’s the picture that I’m forwarding to NASA and more importantly to Mulder and Scully.

Since I’m not an engineer or a physicist, I can’t offer an educated opinion about the technical sophistication of this contraption. But as a biologist, I’m thinking there may be the possibility that the Clampett gene pool may be “out there” somewhere.

Mike O on the return.

Watch out, Mike! My tandem riding buddy, Mt. Fuji, is about to pounce!

Note my bike listing to the left? Toting Mt. Fuji all across creation is no easy task. Maybe the reason for my slow start and struggle up Jack Bennett hill today. That’s my story, at any rate.

Congratulations to all for yet another successful anniversary ride! We hope to see you and everyone else sometime soon! Let’s ride!

A New Kid in Town: Kerr Lake Loop Permanent, July 3, 2009

I knew it was going to be a special day. All three of my riding companions—Alan, Byron, and Mike—have RUSA numbers so low they look more like baseball stats. It was also a holiday, or, at least, almost a holiday. We saw one cyclist on Bike Route 1 south of Oxford with a flag attached to his handlebars that confirmed as much. And then there were the flags lining the Kerr Lake Dam. The lunch at Rose’s in Boydton, VA, where Mike and I ordered the tuna salad sub special on a hot tip from Branson. Two state-line sprints . . .

But let’s back up to the beginning. There was this “new” guy named Alan, pictured here, that shows up to ride with us. At least I thought he was new, since I’d never personally seen him before on a RUSA ride.

After the Oxford, NC, control at about mile 111, just when the rest of us thought we would settle into recovery mode for the remainder of the ride, Alan throws down a challenge, jumping out in front. The rest of us just couldn’t let the new kid on the block go uncontested. It turns out that the dude executes one monster pull along Cannaday Mills Rd all the way to the Tar River, on aero bars no less, as we hold onto our helmets!

“Aero bars Alan” pulls us along Cannaday Mills Rd.

Check out Byron’s blog here for an account of the ride and some pictures of a great day on the bikes. Thanks fellows! Oh yeah, it sure is great to have the new kid to hang out and ride with!

A Rider Cap

Want to be the first on the randonneur block to have one of RUSA's new cycling caps? Too late, pal! We've already placed our order, and the mailman delivered the goods yesterday.

I ordered two cotton ones -- one to wear, and one to lose. Maxi tried one on when she got home from work. Her verdict? "Those look pretty good," she said. "Not as nerdy as I thought they'd be." Haha! High praise from my Fashion Queen, who is still not quite used to the idea of Men in Tights.

The caps are truly sharp. My bald head is already thanking me for protection from the summer sun.

Order yours today through the RUSA store. They come in two flavors -- wool and cotton. Don't miss your chance to look like riding buddy Byron, who has not been seen without a riding cap since 1938. Here's his pix from last year's fleche.



A big tip of the cap to Mr. Jerry Phelps, the guy who got the RUSA cap project off the ground.

Great Southern Randonnee

RUSA President Mark Thomas is Down Under this week attempting the Australian Great Southern Randonnee. Here's to tailwinds!

Here's his photo at the start.

Also, the sponsoring club has live updates of rider progress. You can check them out here.

Randonneuring in the News

Yo Adrian, the source for all things cycling, sent along these links to two randonneuring stories.

The first is a good overview of the sport by 3x Ancien Gary Koenig. It's here.

The second article chronicles the attempt by Spencer Klaassen and Dan Clinkinbeard to ride RUSA's longest permanent. They start their journey this Sunday.

RUSA 10th Anniversary Ride Picnic

Post-ride photos.

RUSA 10th Anniversary Ride

What a great day for a ride!

RUSA's 10th Anniversary celebration kicks off this morning with rides taking place across the country.

Here in N.C., we had 34 riders show up for our 200K, which rolled out of the Morrisville parking lot at 6 this morning. A 110K populaire gets going at 10. Riders from both events should finish up at around the same time, and a picnic is planned at Morrisville's Community Park.

I pre-rode with Chuck and Branson last Saturday so I could practice my short-order cook skills today. I set the alarm early so I could see everybody off this morning. Lots of familiar faces were at the start, including: Glenn from Virginia, who I hadn't seen since Dinge on last year's PBP; Shenandoah vets Lin and Jon; Paul from Charlotte; locals Jerry, Branson, Dean, Wes, JoAnn, Byron, John, Gregg, Mike, Paul, Gary & Sara; and new faces including Vance from Greensboro and some names I did not catch. And of course: Fearless Leader Al and his lovely bride.

I'm one of the first on the Web with shots of RUSA's anniversary celebration, but you're likely to see hundreds more photos nationwide as ride reports from about 25 events begin to roll in.

Let the fun begin!

Q&A with Sara Huston | On Camaraderie & Crossing Jordan Lake

Continuing our newcomer series, RTP recently caught up with Sara Huston, who rode several of the NC brevets this year. Fearless Leader Al says he was especially struck by Sara's unflagging enthusiasm, even as she rolled in from a soaking rainstorm or an exhausting night of hills.

Sara says she really enjoyed night riding. And her ability to ride past the 200-mile mark "blew my mind," she says in her interview.

Count Sara as the latest convert to the sport of randonnuering -- she promises to be back next year. That's good news for all of us.

Sara did the series with her life and riding partner Gary, another welcome addition to the NC series. Look for his interview in the coming days.


RTP -- Tell us about your cycling background.

When I was a kid and even into college I rode my bike absolutely everywhere – I loved riding my bike (my first 10-speed: a red Schwinn Traveler II). But then I went to graduate school in Pittsburgh, and the idea of riding in the city unnerved me, so I pretty much hung up the bike for a bunch of years. (Ironically, Gary really got into long-distance riding while he was in grad school in Pittsburgh). Gary got me back into riding again, around 1996, after we were both living here in Raleigh. He had already done his first century, but he would go out with me on little 5-mile rides around the neighborhood. I think my first organized ride was in 1997, my first metric century was at the 1999 NCBC fall rally, and my first full-week Cycle North Carolina was in 2001. I love multi-day rides and I love climbing (even though I don't do either quickly). I've completed CNC and Bike Virginia a bunch of times, among other multi-day rides.

RTP -- Before this year, what was the longest ride you'd done?

105ish miles – last October I completed my first "solo" (not on a tandem) century at the Shenandoah Fall Foliage Festival in Staunton, VA (one of my absolute favorite weekend rides). That area of Virginia is not flat, and it was a challenging route. But I finished strong, and that gave me a huge amount of confidence for tackling my first 200K. By the way, my goal for 2008 was to complete a 200K. I had no intention whatsoever of attempting a 300K, let alone a 400K. But my experience on the 200K showed me that it really was a safe environment in which to fail, so I should just go ahead and go for whatever I felt relatively confident in completing.

RTP -- What got you interested in randonneuring?

Like I said, I really love multi-day rides – traveling long distances over the countryside under your own power, being out in nature, sticking with it during the rough times, thoroughly enjoying the "no chain" times, all of that! I love it! And randonneuring seems like taking all that to another level. Also, the time limits in randonneuring are achievable for me – I'm not a fast rider, and a lot of century rides want you off the course in 6 or 7 hours. Getting into randonneuring has taken me several years – I've been thinking about it, getting up my courage to try it for several years. And then reading and hearing all the P-B-P reports from last year, horrendous rain and hypothermia and kidney stones and all, and it just sounded glorious and gave me that little extra inspiration.

RTP -- Did you need any special equipment for those rides?

My most special equipment is Gary. Seriously, he is my secret weapon. The things that stress me out on a ride don't fluster him, and he always helps me to put things in perspective. I think that sometimes goes both ways. I think we help each other keep going when things get tough (often by knowing what NOT to say). And we have a blast when things are going great.

RTP -- What adjustments did you have to make, if any, to your bikes?

Before the 200K I swapped out my stem (sorry, correction, Gary swapped out my stem) for one with a little more rise (I have some non-bike-related neck/shoulder issues). That took a little tweaking, but I've got it now where it's great. My main changes between the 200K and 300K had more to do with me – more core strength work to help take pressure off my hands, testing out protein drinks, since I had some issues with nutrition on the 200K, and moving my cleats to help with toe numbness (still working on this one). I did invest in more lighting before the 300K (I have serious generator-hub envy). Before the 400K I put some "half-fenders" (fenders that don't go under the brake, for bikes with very little clearance there) on my bike. Worked great! The 400K was dry as a bone!

RTP -- Do you think you had the right kind of bike?

For the most part. I've been riding my pink carbon-fiber Trek Pilot 5.2 WSD – not exactly your stereotypical randonneuring bike, if there is such a thing. This bike fits me great, which is probably the most important thing, is light (when I'm not carrying my kitchen sink), and rides and handles great. It doesn't have great clearance for fenders, but I've see some hardware work-arounds for that, and I may try that to get full fenders on there. The big thing I think is to get some stronger, higher spoke count wheels – I haven't had a problem yet, but I feel like I'm on borrowed time. And maybe a generator hub while I'm at it…

RTP -- Did you like/dislike night riding?

This was a big unknown for me. Turns out that I absolutely love it. I love being out at night in general, anyhow – the moon and the stars and all the night sounds and everything looks mysterious. It's so peaceful and you feel like you have the world to yourself. And riding at night, I feel like a kid who's snuck out of the house after bedtime to go for a bike ride.

RTP -- Did your ability to ride those long distances surprise you?

I totally blew my own mind. Yeah. The 200K, not so much. But the 300K, definitely, it took several days for that to sink in. And the 400K just blew my mind. I still don't think I believe it.

RTP -- What was the biggest personal challenge about riding that distance?

Thinking that you can't possibly do it. I just kept remembering the advice in the RUSA handbook to not think about the total distance, but just focus on the distance to the next control, or store, or whatever. The hardest moments for me were on the 30 miles from Siler City to Seagrove on the 300K. Despite 13 years in N.C., I am a New England girl, and don't do so well in the heat, I need time to acclimate every year. That was the first decently hot ride I had done this year, and I kept overheating, having to pull off and dump water on my head – it was bad, really, really bad. Somehow I managed to get to the Seagrove control. I didn't think I could recover enough to finish. But some time in the A/C, some Gatorade and salty chips, and I was ready to ride again. The 30 miles back to Siler City weren't so great either – just wanted to lie down in a ditch by the side of the road – looked so cool and inviting! But then we left Siler City, and we had a tailwind, and the sun went down, and I just felt awesome – I mean just ridiculously fabulous – the final 60 miles. That taught me that I should never count myself out.

RTP -- You most pleasant experience during those rides?

Crossing Jordan Lake, at all times of day and night, and all different conditions was one of my favorite things. But I think the absolute most pleasant was that 60 miles, mostly at night, from Siler City to Morrisville on the 300K. The night was beautiful and the weather was perfect and it was just awesome.

RTP -- Any revelatory moments (as opposed to hallucinations) after spending 24 hours on the bike?

Just that 24 hours on a bike could actually be so much fun – not that I had fun every minute of it, but overall. But moments that have stuck with me – smelling the wisteria while crossing Jordan Lake on the 200K; watching far-off lightning after nightfall on the 300K; the silvery shadows of the large herd of deer that crossed in front, behind, and in between Gary and me on the 300K; crossing Jordan Lake on the return of the 400K at almost the exact time (7am) that we had crossed it on the way out 24 hours earlier – that was like some kind of time travel, like you were in those two moments at the same time, a little strange.

RTP -- Any rookie mistakes that others should avoid?

Don't let the weather report scare you away. Gary and I let the threat of thunderstorms deter us from a 200K attempt on the tandem in 2006 and we regretted it ever since. That regret got me to the start line of this year's 200K, for which torrential rain was predicted (and which never materialized, we had some rain, but nothing bad). Be prepared for the weather, but don't let it intimidate you. Go for it!

RTP -- Complete this sentence: Randonneurs are ___________.

Just Awesome. Really, I had heard all about the camaraderie and all, but y'all take that above and beyond. Everyone has been supportive and encouraging and so many have gone out of their way to help us be successful in our brevet attempts. If I can mix a southernism with a northernism without the sentence spontaneously combusting: Y'all are finest kind. Thank you!

RTP -- Will you be back next season? If so, any goals?

Oh yeah, I plan to be back. Gary and I are planning to do some permanents during the rest of this year, and also the August 200K – I'd like to get a few more 200K's under my belt. And next year, well, I'll decide on goals later this year, but it'll probably involve improving times and maybe attempting a 600K (although I may need to find one in a cooler climate – say Alaska?).

Shenandoah 1200K now under way...

Several of the N.C. randonneuring crew, including 6 PBP veterans, are heading up to Fancy Gap, Va. this evening, to man the control at Mile 440 of the inaugural Shenandoah 1200K. The ride started early this morning.

The RTP crew will be taking lots of pictures, and we'll update the blog, if possible, during the ride. We'll also be calling in updates to our good friend Ed Felker with The Daily Randonneur, so be sure to check out his site over the weekend.

Best of luck to all the riders. We're pulling for you.

Update: Bill Beck, a DC-Rand member and a volunteer at the Gettysburg Control, sent this report and a link to photos and a captioned slideshow:

The Shenandoah 1200 started from Leesburg, VA at 4AM on Thursday, June 5. These pictures are from the first control in Gettsburg, PA, which was open from 7:12 to 11:16. The lead pack of about 15 riders arrived at 7:51, and the lantern rouge at about 10:04. All the riders who passed through the control seemed to be doing well. Conditions in the morning were pleasant with no rain and temperatures rising into the low 80s. But temperatures later in the day were predicted to rise
into the high 80s, with substantial humidity. (Temperatures in the mid-90s with heat index around 100F are predicted for Saturday.)

Best of luck to all of the Shenandoah 1200 riders, and especially our fellow DC Randonneurs! -- Bill

Friday noon update: The Tar Heel randonneuring crew is set up at Fancy Gap, and we're hanging out with the Hillsville bunch. The crowd: Branson, Jerry, Byron, Chris, Annette, Susan, Claire, Jim.

We've just heard of a high DNF rate because of oppressive heat in the Valley. As many as 14 riders out of 56 that started have dropped out.

We don't expect to see the first riders until late this afternoon.

More later. In the meantime, here are a couple photos from Fancy Gap control. Click on the picture and you'll be directed to the google album Branson uploaded.

Sweet Virginia: Lin Osborne and the Shenandoah 1200K

There’s nothing like a goal to motivate you. This season, Lin Osborne has his first 1200K in his sights – the Shenandoah 1200K – and he has been riding with real purpose. I’m one of the many riders who can attest to his fitness – he kindly towed me home on April’s 300K. Lin has been getting in lots of weekday riding with a daily commute of more than 30 miles, and he’s been doing it on a carbon bike that has the look of a classic randonneuring rig.

As Lin packs his bags for the trip to Virginia, he made time for a quick Q&A with RTP. As you’ll see, his sense of humor is still intact. Several members of the NCBC crew will be working at the Fancy Gap control, so it's a sure bet that Lin will have the best cheering section. Lin, we're rooting for you!

This is first 1200K. What attracted you to this event?

To quote the old real estate saw, "Location, location, location."
It's a regional event so I don't have to travel as far or take as much time from work yet I've never seen the Shenandoah Valley. So, it's close enough to be accessible but still is a new adventure. The fact that I'm much closer to home for my first 1200 km randonnee also makes me feel more secure. If I'm successful in my back yard, I'll have confidence to tackle events across the continent and abroad.

Tell us about your training. Have you done anything different this year than in other years?

I haven't followed a structured training program in about 20 years when I gave up racing. Since that time, I've "just been riding" but for the last six years that has meant commuting to work every week day. I ride amazingly little on the weekends unless I'm going out with the local randon contingent. The main difference between this and former years is that I have a new job that's twice as distant as before. I now ride about 32 miles a day and the terrain is considerably more rolling than my former route. I believe it's made me stronger.

Which bike are you taking and why?

A heavily customized 2007 Trek Pilot 5.9. Why? Well for one, I can't seem to keep more than one bike in rideable condition at a time. ;) But even if I had another bike up and running, I'd still use this one due to its low weight and smooth ride quality. I lucked up and was able to purchase a bare frame and thus built it the way that made sense to me for randonneuring, not the way Trek stocked it on the peg. To me, "makes sense for randonneuring" means high spoke count wheels, mudguards, higher bar height plus bar-end shift levers coupled with a 50/34x13/34 drive train. Yep, a one-to-one gear on carbon fiber. It may seem excessive but then I've heard there are a couple of hills on the Shenandoah route. Also, I've commuted on this bike since last November so I know what to expect from it. It's served me well on the brevets so I'm not going to switch now!

Like everybody else, you probably have a bit of nerves. If so, how do you deal with those?

Scotch and melatonin...no, wait.... Seriously, I try to visualize the ride, visualize the fun and adventure I'll have and the new friends I'll meet. I've tried to anticipate how I'll subdivide the route into ride segments between drop bags and gauge the gear and nutrition I'll need to carry and what I'll need to send ahead. I've tried to project an average speed, when I expect to arrive at the drop points and how long I plan to spend at each. In other words, I've developed both a vision for the ride and an event strategy that makes sense to me at least on paper. And well, now it's time for the scotch and melatonin...no, wait.... In truth I think once we're underway and I can develop a rhythm, my nerves will calm.

Are you planning sleep stops or straight through?

I understand that I'll need to sleep but I plan to ride as much as possible and to not lose time at controls. I expect to enjoy beautiful scenery but for me this isn't a sight-seeing trip.

Do you have a daily mileage goal?

I don't have a specific daily mileage goal. Instead, I plan to ride to Harrisonburg (drop point), pluck what I need from my drop bag, rest for a few minutes and then ride to the next control (mile 266). I'll rest longer there before continuing to the turn around at Fancy Gap. I hope to arrive in Fancy Gap by Friday afternoon/early evening. Once there, I'm sure I'll need to rest for a few hours. Afterward I plan to ride straight through back to Harrisonburg, rest, and then ride the final leg back to Leesburg. This is the paper plan, at least. We'll see what the route says about that.

Any other goals on this ride?

Enjoy the company of new riding partners, of the people I meet 'en route' and to enjoy the view. Oh yes, and to finish...can't forget that.

Do you feel our local brevet series prepared you for this event?

That's hard to answer since I've been randonneuring for three years but have only ridden NC brevets. It's difficult for me to gauge how well prepared I am since this will be my first "away game." This I can say: the prime benefit of the local brevet series for me hasn't been physical preparation. That's come from daily riding. Instead the brevets have given me the opportunity to observe how experienced randonnuers/randonnueses approach long-distance cycling. I've learned a lot from my riding partners since my first brevet, a little through talking and a lot through observation. I ride brevets considerably faster now than when I started and I credit as much to being exposed to knowledgeable, efficient riders as to fitness gains from the NC series. A large measure of credit will go to the NC randonneuring contingent if I'm successful on this ride. And if I'm not successful, only I not the brevet series will be responsible.

Have you picked up any helpful pointers from your fellow riders?

Absolutely. A couple have verbally advised me on how to approach the event, confirming that I should stick with what I know and that I'll mainly need more of what I require on shorter distances. (Thanks Branson and Paul!) Given what I've heard, read and observed, I'm convinced that riding as fast as possible while remaining within a sustainable limit is the best approach to success since speed creates opportunity for future rest without running up against the time limit. I'm also convinced that it's important to decide what to carry versus what to leave at home. As others have said, this is essentially risk assessment. I plan to cover the common scenarios (tires/tubes) plus a couple of potential show stoppers (chain, der. cable) but otherwise plan to ride as light a practically possible. Of course, everyone has a different definition of "practically possible" and I tend to carry more gear than others but I don't want to haul unnecessary luggage through Virginia hill country. I'm counting on a base set of clothing and repair items that I'll always carry and then resupply nutrition, shorts/jerseys, and any other needed consumables from my drop bags. Based on what I've been told and picked up elsewhere, I think this is a sound strategy. I sure hope it is.

Lake Loop / May 24 / Structures