the curious randonneur: 07/23/10

Friday, July 23, 2010

Dreaming of My First 1000k

Photo courtesy of Geoff Swarts and his Green Hornet Randoing blog.

I am itching to do a 1000k. And the wacky thing is I haven't even done a 600k yet! How crazy is that?

Well, I am working toward the Seattle International Randonneurs Sept 24 Crater Lake 1000k, and Geoff and Vincent Muoneke just pre-rode it. To see their pre-ride report, check out Geoff's website.

Thanks, guys for putting all the details together, and for whetting the appetite. I am both terrified and excited. Perfect!

I may end up having a work conflict, but otherwise, I plan to be there!!

Keep it deeply blue,

CurioRando

What the heck is a Randonneur?

In General

In general terms, the French word randonneur is what in English we'd call an ambler or a rambler.

In Cycling

In cycling terms, a randonneur is a long distance cyclist who participates in non-competitive, organized cycling events called brevets. Brevets are typically 200k, 300k, 400k or 600k in length with specified time limits. The grandpapa of all is the Paris Brest Paris event which is 1200k in 90 hours. It is held every four years; next up is this August 21 - 25.

In France

Randonneuring began in France when the limits of cycling as a practical form of transportation were being explored and the bicycle was perhaps the central form of transportation for work and leisure for the masses.

As for me...

See my first post (May 31, 2009) for more on why I began this blog, and my personal randonneuring objectives.

Of Interest to the Curious

Friday, July 23, 2010

Dreaming of My First 1000k