Randonneuring differs from other long-distance riding in that one is constantly navigating an unfamiliar route, often with lots of turns, and one has to be prepared to ride (and navigate) in the dark. The methods for doing both have advanced enormously since I began riding brevets in 2005: Halogens have been replaced by LED bulbs, and navigation has been greatly aided by GPS devices (a leap forward that cannot be over-emphasized).
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Now that I've decided to try PBP in 2019—and fortunately this decision came at least a year and a half before it's August 18 start-date—my first concern is being denied entry. I'd hate to plan and train and day dream for nothing.
Being turned down can happen for two primary reasons: 1) The organizers decided to cap the number of riders from the USA, and this number turns out to be greater than the number of registrants; and 2) you fail to complete the required Super Randonneur series in 2019 before the cut-off date for qualifying rides. It's too soon for me to worry about #2—that will have to wait until late next March when the ride calendar begins. So what can I do about Worry Number One? Other than simply hope that no one who completes the qualifiers is turned away, I can take advantage of a rule that says, The longer you ride in 2018, the sooner you get to register in 2019." If you complete a 1000 or 1200K in 2018, you can register beginning 1/14/19; 660K begins 1/28; 400K, 2/11, etc. So the first order of business on my road to PBP '19 is to complete a 1000K this year in order to insure entry in the case of an imposed cut-off. Given that 600K is the longest brevet I've ever completed in my 12 years randonneuring, this is a big ask of myself. And the fact that so far this year the longest ride I've completed is an unofficial 200K, it looks even more daunting. But in two months there is a 1000K in Ontario that's very flat, so that's where I'm heading! Hopefully between now and then I'll get some long rides in! ![]() Today I took an important first step on the road to Paris. No, I didn't buy a new bike, or book a plane or a hotel. No, I didn't complete my first 1200K—I've yet to do that, after three attempts. In fact, I only logged 40 miles today, just tooling around town. What I did was to start this blog—and while each word I type won't get me more prepared, or add to my needed amount of funds, they will make this far-off, far-above-my-current-ability goal that much more a reality. And so it begins. Watch this space. |
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