ThermionicScott 

I didn't see a thread, so I guess it's my turn to start one! Since RUSA opened up its season in November, a buddy of mine was able to scratch off an ACP-approved 600k in December while still in decent shape from the summer. So I'm already feeling way behind as we start off the new year.

How about you folks? Let's post about news, plans, triumphs, and failures in here...

downtube42

January 1st I did the Oregon Randonneurs Wine Country 200 brevet, so that gets my December R-12 ride checked off, plus a head start on my PBP qualifying SR series.

It was foggy and right around freezing at the 8AM start, and temps dipped down to 28 according to my Garmin. Sure enough we encountered a bit of ice in the first segment. I thought the guys were being a bit overcautious, until I felt my rear wheel slide sideways an inch or so; that woke me up. Six of us rode together until the 100k route split off, then it was down to five. I've ridden a boatload of solo miles on brevets, so it was kind of nice to ride with a group. We stuck together for the duration, with just a couple splits and regroups from hills and phone calls and such. The route was pretty flat, with under 5k climbing and nothing steep at all. The sun popped out and it warmed to the upper 40's, but then started dropping fairly quickly as the sun got lower; the days are pretty short in the PNW. But dang, sun, little wind, and no rain makes for a glorious PNW winter day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8323348746

PBP is the focal point of 2023 for me, with a side helping of fixed-gear P-12 that started in December and my ongoing regular old geared-bike R-12. Next up: pre-register for PBP this Friday.

I do have visions of possibly a fixed-gear 200 this summer, but that's just crazy talk.

clasher

My knee is still giving me occasional twinges so I am really unsure of what next season is gonna bring. Only 65 days until the first scheduled 200 for our club, and 100 for one I'm the organizer. Got a full series + a 1000 on the calendar before July... my series and the 1000 are my A events for this year, will probably register for PBP when they let the 600 finishers go in a few weeks. I probably won't book my plane tickets until I get my series done and I feel like my knee is in good shape. If I don't manage a series I'll probably still go to France and do some touring instead.

downtube42

I was up in the Seattle area over the weekend for a family event, so I bugged out early Sunday for a 100k. I started a P-12 in November to go along with my ongoing R-12.

Just a 100k, but between poor choices and weather, it was perhaps worth a mention. Good news: I finished inside the time limit.

We left Portland Friday evening, first stopping a mile from home for dinner waiting for the I-205 bridge traffic to clear. There I realized I'd left my GPS at home, and decided to just navigate with RWGPS on my phone rather than take an extra ten minutes to go home and pick it up. Bad choice #1. Navigating with a phone in the rain, in an unfamiliar city with 1 billion unmarked bike paths. Led to 3-4 bonus miles, many stops to consult the phone. It was an adventure.

Actually prior to bad choice #1 was bad choice #0 - choosing my SPD Lake winter shoes combined with platform pedals on my commuter/cx bike. Led to feet sliding around the pedals, settling in with my arch directly over the pedal spindle. At least it was a distraction from the phone navigation fiasco.

Bad choice #0.5 was the commuter/cx bike itself. The bike was generally fine, but I've had issues with seatpost slippage. I thought I had that solved, but nope. The seatpost slid down probably 2 inches over the course of the ride. Corollary bad choice was not having the correct allen wrench for the seatpost clamp. Low saddle + arches centered over spindles = major distraction from the navigation.

Aside from that, things went pretty well. It rained most of the day, with a bit of break mid day and even a glimmer of sunshine. Goretex shakedry jacket worked great; in particular the ability to zip up from the bottom was great for regulating temperature. I made use of the new RUSA perm rules, where I started off-route near my hotel, rode to a control, rode the route from that control onwards, then from the prior control rode back to my start. That added a few miles, but made the logistics simpler. Total miles was about 80, and I finished with a bit of time to spare.

antimonysarah

Was in the Netherlands for non-cycling reasons, decided what the heck and brought my brevet bike with me and did a 200k with Randonneurs NL last weekend. Really lovely weather for the location & time of year (upper 30s/low 40s for most of the ride, although with a 9am start the finish for us slowpokes was well after dark, when it gets a lot colder. Even some sun for a little while. It was a very different brevet-riding experience -- about 80% or so on bike paths, including these little country lanes where the road is dirt and the bike path is paved. (One of which was through this sort of desolate windswept landscape that felt more like Arizona than anything else, which I hit just at twilight when it was this lovely shade of melancholy.)

I did spend about 20 miles or more being slowed down by mud under my fenders (the route was entirely paved but one of those side-path-to-dirt-roads had gotten splashed); I'd stopped to extract it but hadn't got it all, and figured the rest would work its way out, which it didn't. (I finally stopped and found a stick and extracted the rest, at which point riding got much easier again.)

Finished just under 11:30, which is slow for me on a flat 200k, but since I took a lot of the second half of last year off completely after a hamstring injury from the previous summer just wouldn't heal, and was doing this on basically no miles, I'll take it. I felt strong, if slow, throughout, stopped to take pictures and eat a more leisurely lunch than I usually do on 200ks,and the only thing sore afterward was my shoulder, which may have been more to do with work ergonomics before/after the ride.

Edit: add some pictures!

A pretty canal overpass.

We went through the town of Baarle-Herzog/Baarle-Nassau, where we crossed the border between Belgium and the Netherlands several times, and I got some frites and hot chocolate for lunch, because if I'm playing bike tourist, of course I'm going to have stroopwafels in my handlebar bag and stop for frites!

Modern windmills in an industrial area along a canal!

Historic windmill just at dusk!

The famous Hovenring, the suspended bike traffic circle, about ten miles from the finish as it was starting to get cold; I stopped, took a photo, and put my warmer gloves on before tackling the last stretch.

downtube42

Cool! Sounds awesome. I just found I'll be in the Netherlands for business in March, and I'm checking out the options. My wife will probably go along. I have not broached the topic with her yet.

antimonysarah

I was in your wife’s shoes on this trip, actually; I was able to work remotely; my spouse was on a business trip. They have a ride about every other week it seems, and they were very welcoming. No real cue sheets, but a very accurate GPS track without cues-get good routable maps, and they have EPP options.

GhostRider62

I have not cyclied as much as I would like in the Netherlands. It used to kill me going from the airport to my client watching groups of riders on beautifully paved cycling roads/wegs. I would just stare and dream. Heaven. Someday I am going to visit a family friend who owns a massive tulip farm way up north of Amsterdam. I was going to do the race around the Netherlands (RATN) but an accident and covid did me in. Just tell your wife that cycling in NL is like getting to visit heaven for a moment.

unterhausen

I never would have thought of riding a brevet in the Netherlands. This time of year you might run into headwinds.

France has a map of all their brevets. Pretty impressive, I didn't realize there were so many. https://map.audax-club-parisien.com/...bKk7V8P6WoHxbo

twolve

I just registered for our local Minnesota Randonneurs and got my RUSA number, I am looking forward to lots of riding this spring and summer.

downtube42

Just approved https://rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=4660

I'm super excited to ride it once the snow clears. The toughest bit is the first 100k, which has no services at all, and 6k feet of climbing and 5.5 miles of gravel descent. It also includes the most beautiful part of the ride; remote, forested, with spectacular views. The second half, around the east side of Hood, is highway shoulder miles with views of orchards and lavaflows. The stretch from 100k to 150k is another tough segment with no services, that climbs to the highest point on the ride at about 4,700 ft. Almost all of this route is used in the Oregon Six Passes SR600.

The mapped route from 150km to 175km is the shortest downhill, and straight down SR26, but there's a quieter albeit longer and harder option. Still Creek Rd is longer, gravel, and up/down rather than a fast downhill, but pretty and quiet. Barlow Pass Rd, used on the outbound leg, parallel's SR26 and is much quieter. While I ride it I'll probably opt for the pavement rather than gravel, but take Barlow Pass Rd. I've ridden that gravel segment, and by that point in the ride I'll be ready for an easy descent.

downtube42

This past weekend I rode a 100k pop and a 200k perm. I'm out of the country for the rest of the month, so this was my best chance to keep the R12 and P12 going. It's not looking like rides in the Netherlands or Ireland are likely to fit in my travel schedule.

Saturday looked to be colder and rainy, with Sunday clearer, so I opted for the 100k Saturday and 200k Sunday. The pop is close to Portland, and bailouts are easy with various transit options.

This was my fourth time riding the Portland Three Rivers 100k; three of those, including Saturday, fixed gear. This is a route I submitted last December specifically to provide a flat 100k suitable for fixed gear. I opted for counter-clockwise per wind predictions (windy.com), and that turned out well. From the start I headed east to Troutdale to cross the Sandy River, the first of the three, just upstream of where it empties into the Columbia. Views of the Sandy are limited, and sadly there's no view of the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia. The route along Marine Drive, paralleling the Columbia River, is particularly exposed to wind and really sucks if it's a headwind. The control at Kelley Point is at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, and a few decent views can be found in the park. The southbound leg along the Willamette river had a bit of crosswind, is also exposed but not nearly as long and arduous as along the Columbia. I flatted along the Willamette, exposed to the wind as I ended up replacing a tube. I used a large tree as a wind break, but that air coming across the river was cold. I got pretty chilly. The last stretch on the Springwater Corridor trail, along Johnson Creek (not one of the rivers) is well protected from any wind. I had nary a drop of rain all day, and clothing was perfect. It took me five hours flat (no pun intended), which included one food stop and the flat repair.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8660882273

I invited local randos to ride both rides, and two took me up on the 200k - Portland to Olympia. I booked Amtrak for the return, while they somehow dropped a car on Olympia on Saturday. My back wheel slipped on ice just outside my garage, as I headed out at 6:15am to catch the bus downtown. We departed Sisters' coffee shop a little before 8am, with temps just above freezing and a very slight headwind as we headed north. Once out of Portland, the first 50 mile leg is up US30 to Rainier and across the bridge to Longview. With recent record snowfall, the shoulder was littered with gravel - sharp volcanic rock - leaving about 6" between the fog line and the start of the debris field. Traffic was so-so, making for a little stress but not too bad. We took turns pulling into the slight wind - a nice change from the times I've done this ride solo. Descending the bridge into Longview, I felt my rear tire getting bouncy. Sure enough I had another puncture, and one that didn't seal. We stopped at a convenience store and I worked on the tire while my partners bought food and drink. I plugged it and re-inflated, but noticed sealant seeping around the bead. Not good. We took off, hoping it would seal up as I rode, but no dice. The beads were seated, but I guess not fully so, and I couldn't pump fast enough to get them fully seated. I guess that's where CO2 may have helped. After two or three rounds of pump-and-ride, I eventually gave up and tubed it. After Longview, our slight headwind turned into a gentle tailwind, and we made decent time. One more stop at Winlock (home of the allegedly world's largest egg), then some climby bits before Centralia, then fairly flat the last 30 miles to the finish. I was feeling Saturday's 100k fixed gear ride as we went through the hilly segment. We got into Olympia right at 5pm, for a 9:04 time. Forecast called for light rain much of the day, but we only saw a couple sprinkles, thought it was overcast and threatening all day. Strava says it got up to 48, but I never felt that warm.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8667587901

My partners had a two block ride to their car, but I had a ten mile ride to the Olympia/Lacy Amtrak station. I punctured again on the way to the train, front tire this time, but it sealed up before losing any significant pressure. Brand frickin' new Gravelking slicks. Good hard ride though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8667722148

NJgreyhead

NJ Randonneurs’ Batsto 200k brevet is set for this Saturday March 25 at 8am.
Unfortunately it looks like the weather gods will not be smiling down upon us.*
It is a rain-or-shine event, of course. Could be a long day. Hoping for the best.

*(I am not riding; will be manning Control #2, the Wawa in Buena, NJ 54 & US 40.)

NJgreyhead

Update: Despite the windy, wet and raw day, 33 riders finished (out of 34 who started, with 20 DNS's). Kudos. Thankfully, the threatened thunderstorms never materialized.

GhostRider62

Thank you for volunteering on what was a pretty cold, rainy day. Not miserable but 20 no shows tells the story.

Although I finished the first PBP qualifier successfully, orthopaedic pain got the better of me but am not reverting back to the recumbent, yet at least.

Sometimes when cold, wet, and in pain, merely finishing is as good as it gets although being less than an hour behind a 4 time Charly Miller rider, I only sucked a little.

Thanks again!!

ThermionicScott 

I'm signed up and have a hotel room for the Iowa Randonneurs 200k this weekend. Forecast is for temps in the mid-40s to mid-60s and winds gusting around 20 MPH all day. I've ridden in worse.

IAR has a new RBA as of this season. Really glad he stepped up, and as his name (Greg) is the same as the previous one, that will be easy to remember.

twolve

I have my first MN Randonneur gathering this Saturday, which is both a meeting for everyone joining and interested in joining, followed by a 100K ride. I'm a little apprehensive as I have been recovering from a knee injury (all good now), and all my riding has been fat biking here and there (we got 8.5" of snow last Friday!) but I will do what I can and am looking forward to it. On the bright side, forecasts are calling for a high of 61 degrees here.

ThermionicScott 

Well, this was a bust.



About 10 miles into the ride, my rear tire started going soft. I topped it off with my pump every ~5 miles until I could get to the next gas station. Thankfully, after checking the tire and installing a different tube, it held air for the rest of the ride. That 20 mile wind was a killer at my current level of fitness. The ride featured 10-15 mile stretches against or into that wind, holding me to 8-12 MPH. I missed the turn to the control at the 23 mile mark (cue sheet had a different name for the street than the signs.) I stupidly ran out of water at the 53 mile control, scouting around a dying little town for available water. Apparently the city park's water fountain had been removed, and the pump handle was locked, so I ended up going to the bar and ordering a Coke with a successful plea to fill up my water bottles as well. At the 61 mile mark was an optional gas station stop, which I took to use the restroom and slam a chocolate milk. During the next 14 mile stretch directly into the wind, I realized that I wasn't going to make it to the control in time unless I poured everything I had left into it. At a slight downhill, I tried to shift into my big ring, and to my surprise, the drivetrain locked up. I looked down, and the chain hadn't jammed against the chainstay or at the rear derailleur. The chain was still running on the small ring, but the front derailleur plates had completely separated! I briefly considered pressing on, just stopping to shift the front by hand, but quickly decided to take it as a sign that this ride wasn't going to happen. I didn't have a light to read my cue sheet when it would get dark in 4 hours, anyway. So I called around for a ride, and limped into the next control town with 83 miles for me. What a great thing it is to have friends all over!

Lessons learned? 1) I should have replaced that worn rear tire sooner -- the tube had not just one, but two pinholes. 2) Fuel harder -- I was nibbling on snacks along the way, but I needed more calories for the work I was doing. 3) Top off those water bottles whenever possible! 4) Be in better shape -- regardless of everything else, the ride shouldn't have been as hard as it was. 5) Preview the route and add notes if roads have multiple designations. 6) Bring my helmet light/flashlight for the cue sheet even if I don't think I'll be riding into night. 7) Our new RBA is very keen on EPP and I don't blame any RBA for that, so it's time to buy a GPS unit and learn how to use it.

Time to patch some tubes.

clasher

Started off my season with a flat 300k. It started with a wicked tailwind and I put a lot of time in the bank. It was -3C at the start, and got up to 8C I think. Rode with a group of 8 doing a rotating paceline, it's definitely a good way to cover ground quickly. Fitness is kinda hurting though, the wheels came off (figuratively) with 50k to go, as things got cold and I ate subway with 40K to go.

Andrey

Nice report.
I hate using cue sheets on brevets. I could not stay focused reading the cues, always get lost. I prefered riding with someone who knew the courses, but still getting lost together sometimes anyway.

The best decision for me was investing in a GPS a few years ago(Garmin 530) and a bone conducting headset.
Now I just listen for the instructions on my headset while riding and looking at the map on the screen. I can ride the unfamiliar routes all by myself now without getting lost, just need to make sure batteriees last.
I know some riders do not use cue sheets at all, depending on GPS devices only. I still bring the cue sheet, just for emergencies though.

P.S. I would love to have the Garmin 1040 Solar, but the price is steep.

ThermionicScott 

Thanks! One thing that helps me get through difficult situations is the possibility of at least getting a good -- hopefully funny -- story out of it.

I seem to be wired with purist tendencies, and being able to follow a cue sheet is one of those things I feel like I should be able to do. (And that using a GPS is "cheating.") But it's easy for me to lose my place and miss turns, so the obvious thing is to admit that I'm an idiot who would be much better off with a GPS telling me when to turn. Like you, I have way better rides when I'm with someone who knows the course, or has a GPS. Time to go shopping!

NJgreyhead

"I missed the turn to the control at the 23 mile mark (cue sheet had a different name for the street than the signs.)."

This is a failure on the part of the route organizers. It should not happen.
Randonneuring should be able to be successfully done without GPS devices.

Crista the Randonista is pretty good about checking out street signs (including those that are non-existent) before approving a new permanent route. Kudos to her.

ThermionicScott 

In fairness to the organizer, I was using the cue sheet generated by RideWithGPS, where the route lives. So this one is on me. If I had studied the route a little better beforehand, it would have been obvious.

downtube42

The next three weekends I'm intending to ride a 400k, 300k and a Fleche. The first two are PBP qualifiers, so pretty much needed. This on the heels of a three weeks of business travel including a week sick in a hotel with COVID. I have 50 miles of riding in the last month.

It's going to be rough.

ThermionicScott 

Audacious. Bonne chance, @downtube42.