DC Randonneurs

Despite once again a good turnout, the second attempt to achieve a quorum did not produce 15% of the membership. The executive committee met and unanimously felt that because of the changed nature of the membership requirements i.e. ( all riders must be members therefore members include folks living great distances away.) that the quorum requirements would be waived and that they would be revised to be more easily achievable in the future. The new officers are as follows: Bill Beck replacing Lynn Kristianson as treasurer. Steve Ashurst is the new secretary replacing Ed Felker. Bill Clayton and Paul Donaldson join Chris Mento and Nick Bull on the ex committee replacing Jeff Magnuson and Gordon Meuse. I would like to thank the departing officers for their time and service. Special thanks to Gordon and Lynn for all the time and effort that they have spent over many years promoting Randonneuring in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

At the Woodbine 200K on Oct. 20th we were reminded that randonneuring can be dangerous as two of us crashed from common hazards. Carl Wakefield slid out on debris at a corner and went down. Bill Beck happened along and Carl went to the hospital and received stitches for his cuts. I was tackled by a playful St Bernard and we both went down hard. I think I landed on the puppy which helped minimize my injuries. I got up sore with some road rash and bruising. After checking that the puppy, the bike, and myself were in fairly decent condition I was able to continue. Please try to be aware of these and the other hazards of the road especially as we head into the winter riding season with the additional concerns of wet leaves, icy spots and more pot holes. Thanks to Bill Beck for a great job coordinating and being patient as I limped around the course more than an hour and a half behind anyone else. 22of 23 starters finished. Bill Arcieri, Jeff Magnuson, Chris Mento, and Mark Vinnette all completed their R-12 requirements by finishing. Congratulations to all.

We gathered at the “Center of the Universe” Ashland, Va for the November Brevet of the Month. Despite the cold and damp temperatures, 30 riders from 6 states showed up for the Tappahanock 200K. Jane Brown became our newest randonneur completing her first brevet. Three other experienced brevet riders also completed their first DC Randonneur Brevet. The course being somewhat flatter then usual produced some fast times. I hope that the riders took time to notice the very colorful fall scenery. Thanks to Paul Donaldson for coordinating the event and to Susan Auburn for getting up at o’dark thirty to do registration and then spending the afternoon and half the evening checking in riders. All 30 riders finished within the time limits and Tom Reeder completed his second consecutive R-12. Way to go Tom.

The December Brevet of the Month will take place on the 1st of the month, beginning @ 7:00 a.m. from the Super 8 in Middletown, Va. This is an out and back route to Harrisonburg, Va that Bill Beck dubbed the Polar Express because of the weather at the first event on St Patrick’s Day. The out part of the route will be a preview of some of the roads that we will be using on the Shenandoah 1200K. The road to Harrisonburg is very scenic and wind could definitely play a factor in the difficulty of this brevet.

Speaking of the Shenandoah 1200K, we are in need of a logo. The design should reflect the scenery and rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley. If you think you or someone you know can create the logo that best defines the Shenandoah 1200K, please submit it for consideration. There is a cash prize (TBD) for the chosen design, not to mention the pride and recognition that comes with it. So if you or someone you know has a creative mind this is a good opportunity to show the randonneuring world some of your creativity. [Editors note: Submission information will be posted on the dcrand website in the near future.]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone,

Matt Settle, RBA

The DC Randonneurs continue to impress! Two weeks after PBP, 13 riders that participated in PBP 07′ were back on their bikes riding a 200K Brevet. When most riders were either recuperating from PBP or sulking about what went wrong, the DC Randonneurs are out riding and enjoying the challenge and camraderie of the Brevet of the Month. Mark Brewer, one of the newer DC Randonneurs, came out and completed his first brevet and had a great time doing it. I’m hoping some of the other new members follow Mark’s lead and do their first Brevet before the year is over. Several other members with schedule conflicts completed permanents in September to keep their R-12 asperations on target.

The inaugural Appalachian Double Cross 1000K started from Paris, Va and went to Athens, OH and back. There were 3 starters for this epic ride: Bill Arceiri, Ray Skinner, and myself. Unfortunately Bill hit a big rock on the shoulder of US33 the first night and it damaged his rim to the point it wouldn’t hold the bead of the tire. Ray and I struggled through the hills, wind, heat and fog to the end. Ray finished around 1 a.m. on Tuesday and I finished about 6 1/2 hrs later with 20 minutes to spare. I’ll write a short ride report soon.

The next event is the Woodbine 200K beginning @ 7:00a.m. 0n October 20th. Registration begins@ 6:00 a.m. The brevet fee is $10. Bill Beck has once again volunteered to be the event coordinator for this route that he designed. This out and back route passes through Gettysburg on its way to the turn around in Dillsburg.

The November Brevet of the Month is The Tappahanock 200K which begins from Ashland, Va. Hope to see some of our southern members who don’t get to the monthly brevets on a regular basis. It is also a very good choice for a first brevet as it is the flattest of all the courses that we offer. This is a Paul Donaldson designed route that crosses a lot of the little streams and rivers that flow into the Rappahanock River. Paul has also agreed to be the event coordinator for this brevet.

On Friday October 19th at 7:30 in the Glen Echo Town Hall we will have a GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING to elect new officers and to preview plans for the Shenandoah 1200K and the rest of the 2008 schedule. Please try to attend as we need 15% of the membership to achieve quorum. This is also another chance to provide input and help shape the final plans. Light refreshments will be served.

Matt Settle,
RBA

Attention!!

I’m pleased to announce that the RUSA board of directors has approved a modified version of the Shenandoah 1200K proposal. Starting from Leesburg the first Shenandoah 1200K will take place June 5-8 2008. It will take the efforts of many of us to insure that this is the high quality event that everyone can be proud to be a part of. There is a lot of work to be done over the next few weeks and months and many volunteers are needed. Steve Matney and Chris Mento have agreed to be co-directors of this event. Please contact either of them or me to help us fill-in the blanks. Anyone with graphic design or advertising skills would be especially helpful. How about some ideas for the logo?

We will have a general meeting of the DC Randonneurs at the Glen Echo Town Hall on Friday, Oct. 19th @ 7:30 p.m. We will detail the progress to date and hopefully fill in more of the details with member input at that time. In addition, 2008 officer elections will be held. The by-laws require a 15% quorum, so please plan to attend. To quote one of my favorite writers “It is such an exciting time to be a DC Randonneur.” Thank you for the help that I know you will deliver. DC Randonneurs have always exceed expectations.

Congratulations to all who made it to Paris for the 16th edition of Paris-Brest-Paris. It is an accomplishment that many dreamed of six months ago and for many reasons did not realize the dream. Getting to the starting line of PBP is itself a very high achievement of which we can all be proud. The 16th P-B-P was a battle of survival and attrition. I sure hope it goes down in history as one of the wettest, windiest PBP’s. My previous 2 experiences at PBP included much more pleasant riding conditions, but as randonneurs we ride regardless of conditions and cope the best we can. I have participated in 9 grand randonnees, this was the hardest and I took longer than on the previous 8.

My advice before the start was to get some time in the bank and enjoy the ride. Most of us were not fortunate enough to be able to do this in the conditions we faced. I was one of the old fat guys that managed to survive. Condolences to those that gave it their all and then some and still didn’t make it back to St. Quentin within the time limit. Sometimes it just isn’t meant to be and we live to ride another day. You all have much to be proud of. Hope your recovery is going well.

I’d like to offer special recognition for a few of our riders who overcame unusual problems and prevailed to the end. Clint Provenza riding Bob Sheldon’s borrowed bike and all new gear because the airlines lost all his stuff. Linda Gaudette for continuing and finishing after being assaulted by a crazed Spaniard.

As a group the DC Randonneurs did very well. Depending upon how you do the counting we had DNF/DNQ rates from 16 to 23% all much better than the field as a whole. I think everyone that registered as a DC Randonneur at least made it to Brest. Once again, good job everyone.

Our next event is the Slanesville 200K this Saturday beginning at 6:30 a.m.  Hoping many PBPers show up to tell their PBP stories and many of our newer members might take the plunge and do their first 200K and begin the road to the next PBP. Registration is $5 and begins at 5:30 a.m. Sleeping space is available at the Lebanon Church Community Center Friday night. Ed Felker and Mary Gersema will be leading a 100K “fun” ride starting at 8:00 a.m. over the same course as the 200k. On Saturday night we will have a general meeting and outline the plans for the coming year, including the proposed Shenandoah 1200K. Also more details of the Appalachian Double Cross 1000K will be presented. That’s all for now. Hope to see many of you at Lebanon Church this weekend.

Matt Settle, RBA

The second running of Gappity Gap was held on August 4th. Seven randonneurs returned from the first year’s total of 17 finishers. They were joined by 17 riders attempting to complete Gappity Gap for the first time. Randy Mouri was the first one back to Sperryville in a time of 9:05. Roger Hillas and Keith Krombel were the only other riders able to finish in under 10 hrs. This was similar to the inaugural run in which John Nusbaum, Jeff Magnuson, and Keith were the only finishers under 10 hrs. Gappity Gap is an extreme challenge and anyone completing the course should feel good they were able to finish and be proud of that soreness I’m sure you had on Sunday. George Winkert should feel especially good for completing the course that he had came up short on last year and at the same time became the latest DC Randonneur to achieve R-12.

The inaugural Appalachian Double Cross 1000K will take place on Columbus Day weekend Oct 6-9. This will be a true epic event. Think Gappity Gap over and over again and again. The Fall Foliage should be spectacular and the downhills exciting. If you can’t make it to France this is a challenging way to top off the year. More Details coming soon.

The September Brevet of the Month will be the Slanesville 200K on the 8th leaving from Lebanon Church Community Center @6:30 a.m. Floor space for sleeping will be available at the community center on Friday night. The Brevet fee is $5. Registration begins at 5:30 A.M.

There will be a General Meeting beginning @ 8:00 p.m. We will review the year. Outline plans for the coming year. Choose volunteers to assist the RBA in implementing the brevets and promoting randonneuring in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Hope to see some of you at the PBP send off get together at Dave Bernings.

PBP is upon us, and many DC Randonneurs will be going to France for the premier amateur cycling event in the world. Everyone should be physically prepared for the terrain. The true challenge of PBP is not as physical as it is mental. Try to arrive at the starting line not only rested, but also confident that you are prepared for the challenge you are about to undertake. Bring your desire, determination, and perseverance to get you through the inevitable low moments you will experience. If you find yourself considering quitting…quit considering it. If you find yourself thinking you must quit, consider again. You probably have some options that will keep you going. Becoming a PBP ancien will be worth the struggle and hardship that you must endure to achieve this cherished title. Crossing the finish line at PBP for the first time is a moment you will always remember and can’t adequately be described in words. Bonne chance, Bonne route to all the PBP hopefuls.

Matt Settle, RBA