Gainesville Cycling Club 2013 Brevet Series

Enjoy the Challenge of Longer Rides!

Enter your name into the Great Book beside Charles Terront, PBP's first finisher.

Date	Time	Distance	Time Limit	Map/Cue	Cost
February 2	7:00AM	200 km	13:30	200k.zip	$25
March 2	5AM	300 km	20:00	300k.zip	$30

Note:The event administrator recently shattered his femur in a solo bicycle crash, and a reduced ride schedule will continue through 2013, a non-PBP year.

The maps and cue sheets are the 2012 routes. Final versions won't be available until the Tuesday before the event. Hard copy will be provided at check in, but presbyopic cyclists may want to print an enlarged version. Rumor has it the latest AcrobatReader has this capability.

Background

Brevets are longer, self-paced rides ridden by randonneurs (tr: ultratourists). A sequence of four brevets of increasing distance qualifies the rider to enter Paris-Brest-Paris, the oldest bicycling event on earth. The next PBP is scheduled for 2015, but in the off years other surrogate 1200K rides stand in its stead.

Brevets are not races; published results traditionally list the finishers alphabetically and may not even include their times. For example, you'll have to look toward the bottom of the BMB 2006 finisher list to find GCC's own Andrea "the Italian Stallion" Tossolini, who was only the second cyclist ever to complete the gruelling ride in less than 50 hours. Andrea was unable to convince the officials to sort by first names!

However, there is a time limit. This limit includes the minutes spent eating, fixing flats, and on the longer rides, sleeping. All but the shortest brevet (200 km/125 miles) require some night riding, and good lighting is essential. Along the route, riders are required to stop at controls to get an authenticating stamp on their brevet cards. Each control has its own time window within which the authentication must occur to avoid disqualification. Riders should also anticipate one or more secret controls whose location will not be revealed in advance.

Unlike traditional century rides which may feature rest stops every 20 miles or so, the Gainesville Cycling Club brevets are unsagged and minimally supported. Controls are mostly convenience stores, and riders who abandon will likely need to provide their own transportation back to the start/finish.

Randonneurs are a hardy lot. These rides will take place rain or shine, wind or cold, sleet or snow (although the last two are extremely rare in Florida). The course is not marked. Finding one's way is part of the fun. Getting lost is sometimes part of the experience.

Requirements

Each rider will be covered by the Gainesville Cycle Club's special event liability coverage as required by RUSA rules. (This coverage is secondary to any personal liability policy you may have. It provides very limited medical coverage. Today, a broken collar bone can set you back $20,000. Don't even ask me about shattered femurs!) Please assess your own risk tolerance. Each rider must sign a waiver of liability before the ride start.

Each rider must present their machine for bicycle inspection. Lights should be affixed, correctly aimed and working. Inspections and rider check in will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 PM the evening before the ride at the primary motel (See below) or after the ride start on the morning of the ride.

Randonneurs USA membership required before the ride to use the brevet as a qualifier. RUSA rules apply. Most notably, helmets are required. Membership in Gainesville Cycling Club is not required, but those who ride all four brevets will save a few dollars by joining.

Preregistration is not required, but riders will not be able to register or have their bike inspected on the day of the event until preregistered riders have departed, and the control windows must still be respected.

Registration

To save $5 per ride, and get the benefits of Gainesville Cycling Club membership, prepare a club membership application before registering for a Brevet. Send the Membership Application in with your Brevet Registration to the address on the Brevet Registration form.

You can enter all the brevets on one form or submit a separate form for each brevet. Please preregister. If decide not to ride, just notify me before the start, and your registration fee will be cheerfully refunded.

If your printer is not working, copy the registration number, events entered, and your name onto a piece of paper and submit that with your check to:

Jim Wilson
GCC RBA
620 NW 27 Way
Gainesville, FL 32607

Accommodations

Out of town riders: The venerable Rush Lake, our primary motel for the last few years, is out of business.

This year, we'll descend upon the Paramount Plaza, 2900 SW 13th Street, a few miles further south. I've negotated a (supposedly) discounted rate of $69/night (+tax = $79.37, but check their website for sale prices which can occasionally be lower). Mention the Gainesville Cycling Club to get the quoted rate. The event weekends don't conflict with other significant happenings in Gainesville, but I recommend you make your reservations well in advance.

Reservations: 1 (877) 992-9229. Streetview/Map, or for your GPS: 29.624131,-82.340055