Originally Posted by
surak
I've done solo and group ride/mass event long distance rides, but don't know anyone who rides ACP/RUSA events. Is this a bad year to try it due to the way they might be run differently during the pandemic?
Also, what are some key differences between shorter single-day randonneuring and general road riding? I've ridden some RUSA routes that I've found on RWGPS. At least near Seattle, they're quite similar to popular routes that other groups and solo riders would also do, so I'm wondering if there's anything else to it other than having official checkpoints.
1. Single-day RUSA events typically come in three varieties: 200k (125 miles), 300k (186 miles), and 400k (250 miles). All have “official checkpoints” as you say. And I'm not aware of other long single-day group rides that have such checkpoints. Another key difference is probably the length of such rides. One might actually find a non-RUSA cycling event that will last 125 miles. But I serious doubt a longer ride than that can be found. RUSA events claim to be unsupported. And to some degree they are. But non-RUSA cycling events that take up a whole day typically are highly supported by the event organizer(s). Yet another difference between RUSA and non-RUSA cycling events is RUSA requires a membership fee and an entry fee to enter. Non-RUSA events typically only require an entry fee.
2. Whether 2021 is a bad year to become a RUSA member and tackle a ride lasting between 125 miles and 250 miles probably depends on why you want to participate in a RUSA event. Anybody is free to design a cycling route that lasts between 125 and 250 miles, ride it, and have a story to tell afterwards. As you say in your question, you've looked at brevet routes that RUSA uses and you don't see any difference between them and routes that non-RUSA riders have devised. I suspect you want to join RUSA so you can meet some new cyclists and increase your social circle. Socializing on the bike in 2021 is limited due to Covid-19. So you won't be meeting nearly as many people at a RUSA event in 2021 as you would have in let's say 2018 or 2019.