All–

(1) Looking forward to a great ride tomorrow with some old friends and new folks. There are 39 of you signed up — which is awesome! Please let me know ASAP if you have registered and can’t make it or, alternatively, if you signed up by don’t see your name on the list on the events page.

(2) Save yourself some time and check in for the ride this evening at the hotel, from 6pm to 7pm. Get your bike inspection taken care of there, too — ankle bands plus reflective sash or vest plus lights all required.

(3) The cue sheet was posted Wednesday morning to the events page, following the preride. The route checked out well. The only thing of note — other than the usual rough pavement through the forest — is that part of the trail had standing water on it. It was a short, not deep, and could be easily navigated, but just keep a sharp eye and use good sense, as always.

(4) As usual, you’re totally on your own during the ride — live off the fat of the land — but you will receive a royal welcome on your finish. We have dinner and beverages awaiting you.

(5) Travel safe and see you tonight/tomorrow morning!

-Paul

All–

(1) The prerides of the 200 and 300 for this upcoming weekend were successful. The final cue sheets are published to the events pages for each ride. I’ll also have copies at the start/rider check-in. There were changes to both routes. The 200K saw only a minor change, as the construction at Lakeshore and Hooks in Clermont is completed and we don’t have to go through the neighborhood there. The 300K route has changed from the prior version both out of and into Tavares because of construction on Lakeview east of SR 19. Outbound, we’ll use SR 19 to Orange. In-bound we’ll do essentially the same thing, although Bates is more pleasant than Orange at the hour most will return so note the slightly different routing there.

(2) There is a potential change to the 300K route, which is that there is construction on John Anderson that may require a detour back to A1A north before returning to the route on High Bridge Rd. Follow the detour if it is in effect and be careful.

(3) Please check the registered riders lists to make sure your name is on it. If it should be and it’s not, please let me know. Similarly, if you can’t make it, please let me know that, too. There’s still time to get signed up, so hope to see you there!

(4) There will be dinner following both rides (and beverages, of course!), but you should plan on no volunteer support of any kind during the ride itself. Stores in addition to the controls where sustenance can be had are indicated on the cue sheet. If you DNF, please have a plan for your return to Tavares that does not rely on ride volunteers. No one will be left in the countryside, but it may be many, many hours before someone is able to fetch you.

See you in Tavares,
Paul

Here are our upcoming rides for the 2018 brevet season:

Jan 13 —  ACP 200 km
Jan 14 —  ACP 300 km
Feb 3 —  ACP 300 km
Mar  3 —  ACP 400 km
Mar 23-25 — flèche
Apr 21 — ACP 600 km
May 4-6 — ACP 1000 km
June 2 — San An 100K
Jul 27 — ACP 200 km (night ride!)
Aug 18 — ACP 200 km (RUSA 20th Anniversary)
Sept 8 — UAF 200 km audax ride
Oct 13 — UAF 300 km audax ride

All–

(1)  We now have Central Florida Randonneurs jerseys! Design, info, and ordering information here. Sixty bucks plus shipping. For Cracker Swamp veterans, these are the same manufacturer, material, and sizing. Tell your friends and order as many as you like. We’ll keep the order open through December 15; they’ll ship directly to you and you should have them in time for the February brevets. Big thanks and shout out to David Thompson for both the design and logistics. These would not have happened without him stepping up and volunteering to do the leg work so, next time you see him, please give him a big thanks!

(2) 2018 Brevet details will be posted in the coming week. And we’re still shooting for a final brevet in 2018, a 100K over here in Pinellas County.

(3) Don’t forget to renew your RUSA Membership for 2018 and, while you’re at it, to vote in the Board election. Less than 20% of RUSA members bother to vote, so you’ve got some real influence here.

(4) Enjoy the good weather and see you on the road,
Paul

1.  We’ve got a weekend of 200Ks coming up. If you’re not registered yet for them, get on it. It’s a good opportunity for those new(er) to the sport to give the longer distance a try or to practice back-to-back long rides. The audax ride is a totally new format and is an opportunity for some end-of-the-season camaraderie and fellowship. Both rides start at 7am sharp! Register for the RUSA brevet here; and the audax ride here.
2. If you’re planning on staying at the Inn on the Green (or anywhere in Tavares), make your reservations ASAP. There’s a fishing tournament that’s unexpectedly coming to town and rooms are selling out fast!
3. For those doing the audax ride, watch this space for some additional details on Thursday.

All–

(1) If you’ve not seen it yet, the cue sheet was posted Wednesday night on the Events page and it’s also here.

(2)  The route is the first 600K of the Cracker Swamp, with two big changes and a minor one. First, we don’t go out to the wildlife refuge because the Haul Over Canal bridge remains closed. We stay on US 1, and remember that south-bound, that’s under construction in places, and rough in others, so be careful. Second, the ride turns around in Salt Springs (to make things an even 600K). The control will be a postcard control but there are plenty of stores there for you to obtain supplies. The minor change is that we’re using the Starbucks in Satellite Beach as a control (Cracker Swampers will recall that we used the park and staffed the control).

(3)  Say a weather prayer. It’s going to be very hot, very humid, and very sunny. This’ll make for a tough ride. It also makes for good fire weather, as those of you who live in the area know. Part of SR 46 was closed on Tuesday. I’m monitoring the weather and fires; we may need to make some last minute adjustments, but the ride will remain on.  I can’t stress enough, though, how important it is going to be to slow down and stay hydrated as you get into the afternoon. This isn’t just a message about finishing the ride, it’s about being safe out there.  Please, take it super easy. You can crank the pace up again after the sun goes down.

(4)  Dinner (ziti) at the overnight. Y’all are on your own during the day, though you will likely spy me out there at times.

(5)  Register for the Audax ride yet?  Get on that; it’s gonna be epic. Our lunchtime eats have been upgraded to the Smyrna Yacht Club.

-Paul