All y’all–
After two years of relative dormancy, here’s where we’re at:
(1) Our first proper brevets were held over the MLK Jr. long weekend. We had 27 complete the 200K and 9 hardy randonneurs completed a seriously wet, windy, and cold 300K the next day. 100% finish rate on both rides. You guys are awesome!
(2) Next up for the ACP brevet calendar are the 400K in March and a 600K in April. Registrations are either up on the website or soon will be.
(3) We’re also playing host for the Gainesville club this year, administering their 200, 300, and 400. Thank you to Scott Manning and Susan Gryder for stepping up and being the boots on the ground to run these events. Please support them by riding those events and offering your help to them if you can spare it. Florida is best served by having three independent, healthy randonneuring clubs offering brevets and whatever we can all do to help keep it that way, the better off we — and the sport — will be.
(4) We had our first audax brevet in two years earlier this month. Seventeen folks including some brand-new to randonneuring enjoyed a glorious day and even some ouzo in Tarpon Springs. Next up on the UAF (audax) calendar is a 400K in March and a 600K in May. Those are special rides. The 400K rides like a large fleche. We did one three years ago and it drew 16 people. It was a total blast. There has never, ever been a 600K audax held in the United States (and I believe one has not been held outside of France). So that will be a very special ride. It’s 2x300K, with a legitimate overnight and meals, all in under 40h. If you miss this, well . . . you’re doing randonneuring wrong.
(5) Speaking of special stuff, PBP is next year. It sounds like it’s far off, but it’s not. Your ability to participate will be determined, in part, by the longest ACP brevet you complete in 2022. So if you want to do PBP, I recommend that you ride at least a 300K this year to ensure yourself a spot on the ride.
(6) I know I have a ton of stuff to send back to you all. Medals, brevet cards, … it’s an impressive stack on my desk. The weather sucks today and so I’m diving into that. It’ll take weeks to get through it, but it’s coming. I’m going in; wish me luck!