 Alberta Randonneurs
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What is Randonneuring?
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Randonneuring is ultra-distance, endurance cycling.
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Riders challenge their physical and mental
abilities by riding set distances in a prescribed
time frame.
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The most common type of Randonneuring event is a
brevet, referring to the certificate (brevet) the
rider receives upon successful completion of the
event.
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Typical brevet distances are 200km, 300km, 400km,
600km and 1000km in distance.
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Longer events known as randonnées can range
from 1200km to 3000km in distance.
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The most famous of these and longest running
cycling race/event in history, is the 1200km
Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) which first ran on
September 6th, 1891.
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In 2003, there were over 4000 riders in PBP from 28
countries.
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Of the 83 Canadian entered, Albertans recorded the
fastest times by single Canadian male and female
riders.
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But fast times are not the primary objective for
all Randonneurs.
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Finishing an event within the time limit is the
most important goal of Randonneuring.
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Riders compete against the clock, themselves,
terrain and environment (especially the weather!).
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Being first is never the paramount goal and
participants certainly pair up or group together
during the events.
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However, it is not unheard of to see riders pushing
themselves and each other to see who can clock the
fastest time or be pushed to a personal best for an
event.
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Provided one finishes within the time limit for the
event, Randonneuring permits cyclists to "do the
ride at the pace of their choosing."
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Whether you are an avid cycling tourist looking for
the next challenge, an Ironman-Triathlete or
competitive road racer looking for options to
enhance your training, or you are just a little bit
eccentric and obsessive about cycling,
Randonneuring may be your next big challenge.
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You need not be fast to be successful; in fact, the
best Randonneurs are steady, consistent and know
how to budget their energy.
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Riders are encouraged to work together as they
compete against themselves, the weather and the
route.
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The theme of Randonneuring is to promote individual
health, goal setting and personal achievement.
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If you want high adventure, friendly camaraderie
and memorable experiences in some of the best
scenery in the world, come out and try Alberta
Randonneuring -- you will never look at
cycling the same way again!
RIDE SERIES
AR offers two separate series of rides:
- the Populaire Series consisting of ride distances
of 50, 100 or 150 km.
This event is now offered only once in the early part
of the season as an introduction to randonneuring and
so riders can select only one of the distances as their
populaire
- the standard Brevet series consisting of rides with
distances of 200,300,400,600 and 1000 km.
The standard Brevets are conducted under the rules of
the world governing body - Brevets Randonneurs Mondiaux
(BRM).
Each ride in the standard series serves as a qualifier
for the next longer distance.
Populaires are not mandatory (though recommended) for
qualifying for the 200 km ride.
TIME LIMITS
50 km - 3.5 hrs - 14 km/h (8.9 mph) average
100 km - 7 hrs - 14 km/h (8.9 mph) average
150 km - 10.5 hrs - 14 km/h (8.9 mph) average
200 km - 13.5 hrs - 15 km/h (9.2 mph) average
300 km - 20 hrs - 15 km/h (9.3 mph)average
400 km - 27 hrs - 14.8 km/h (9.2 mph) average
600 km - 40 hrs - 15 km/h (9.3 mph) average
1000 km - 75 hrs - 13.3 km/h (8.3 mph) average
1200 km - 90 hrs - 13.3 km/h (8.3 mph) average
