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Randonneurs by Rob Welsh AMERICAN RANDONNEUR ® RIDE SMARTER not harder pg. 10 RUSA introduces new RBAs pg. 30 HUFFMAN: a pocket adventure pg. 14 winter 2012 • vol. 15 #4 What’s Inside: RUSA President’s Message ® Mark Thomas . page 4 American Randonneur Magazine RUSA News Volume Fifteen, Issue Number 4 – Winter 2012 2012 RUSA Event Schedule . page 12 New Members . page 13 RUSA Board of Directors 2012 Board Elections . page 20 President: Mark Thomas Vice President: Jennifer Wise 2012 ACP Event Schedule . page 24 Treasurer: Eric Vigoren New RUSA Regions . page 30 Secretary: Mike Dayton Board Member: Rob Hawks 2012 American Randonneur Award Nomination Form . page 33 Board Member: Lois Springsteen RUSA Awards . pages 43-46 RBA Liason: John Lee Ellis RUSA Notes Committee Chairs Safety Committee . page 19 Brevet Coordinator: Lois Springsteen Medals and Awards Coordinator: John Lee Ellis Dart Populaire Announced . page 48 Membership: Don Hamilton Webmaster: Don Bennett Permanants Committee Chair: Crista Borras Columns Newsletter Committee Chair: Will deRosset Miles to Go: Ride Smarter, not Harder by Miles Stoneman . page 10 Rules Committee Chair: John Lee Ellis Dr. Codfish: November In August by Paul Johnson . page 18 Team Event Committee Chair: Paul Johnson Routes Committee Chair: Dan Wallace RBA Questionnaire: Pete Dusel by Jennifer Wise . page 28 Souvenirs: Jennifer Wise What We Ride: Mark Thomas’ travel Randonneur . page 34 American Randonneur is published quarterly Features Submissions: [email protected] by Tim Lucas Advertising: [email protected] Cascade 1200k . page 6 A Pocket Adventure (AK Solstice 600k) by Max Huffman . page 14 Goalsetting: Achieving the C-M R-60 by Jan Heine . page 38 American Randonneur Magazine Editor: William M. deRosset RBA’s Corner: Minnesota Randonneurs by Rob Welsh . page 49 Graphic Design Team: Michelle Cavallaro / Jonah Spivak Advertising: Clayton Scott Production: Mike Dayton (Editor Emeritus; RUSA Board Member) RUSA Board Liason: Jennifer Wise (Editor Emeritus; RUSA Board Member) Editorial Committee: Joshua Bryant, Paul Rozelle, Maggie Williams On the cover RANDONNEURS USA, INC IS A TAX-EXEMPT 501(C)(3) Todd Teachout, former NON-PROFIT CORPORATION San Francisco RBA, rides in the Diablo Range. Photo courtesy Velocia. American Randonneur is a publication of Randonneurs USA, Inc. 13543 160th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052 USA Website: www.rusa.org email: [email protected] p. 34 Phone: +1 206 612 4700 © 2012 All Rights Reserved American Randonneur ~ Winter 2012 3 From the President by Mark Thomas Co-op. I have always encouraged randonneurs to think We have five great candidates for the two at-large of themselves as members of a cooperative, an organi - board positions (two of the six such positions are zation which is operated and owned by its members elected by the membership to three-year terms each who share in its benefits. As a volunteer-driven, mem - year) and two candidates for the RBA Liaison position ber-managed organization, Randonneurs USA works (which is filled annually by vote of the RBAs only). I well because our riders consider themselves members encourage you to vote, which can be done easily by of our co-op. Riders of many other kinds of cycling mail or online. events may see themselves as customers of events sold by third party vendors, but that relationship would At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I also en - work poorly for us, in my opinion. The richness of courage everyone to volunteer in some capacity. As is brevets, permanents, and awards available to us bears readily apparent from the 2013 calendar in this issue, witness to the success of this approach. we have a very full offering next year. I'm sure that the organizers of these events would be grateful for assis - Member involvement ranges tance. In addition to event help, many opportunities also exist to help the RBAs or regional clubs - maintain - from assistance provided to a ing a local website or mailing list, for example. At a na - fellow rider on a brevet to tional level, RUSA has many volunteer opportunities, including needing assistance with this newsletter. volunteering for RUSA at a Please contact me or any other board member if you national level. can help out. Randonneuring exists here because of the efforts of our And all of us can help randonneuring by promoting volunteers. We are grateful for all of their efforts and I the sport to new riders who would benefit from, and offer a heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed. I contribute to, our unique cycling niche. would like specifically to thank one of our super vol - unteers. Jennifer Wise, RUSA member #1, is finishing See you on the road. up her term on the RUSA Board of Directors. We'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who has given more to RUSA - from her instrumental role in its founding Mark nearly 15 years ago to her current role as administrator Mark Thomas of our well-stocked store of safety gear, logo merchan - —RUSA President dise, and awards. Thank you! Members have their annual opportunity to select board members. In this issue, you'll find the ballot as well as statements from a great field of candidates, all of whom are significant volunteers to our sport already. 4 American Randonneur ~ Winter 2012 Available now, the Grande Route from Tout Terrain. Chrome-moly frame and fork, integrated rear rack, clearance for 35mm tires and fenders, disc brakes, fittings for dynamo light wiring and “e Plug” charger, many component options, and wheels built by me. e bike pictured here is our medium size demo fitted with Ultegra 10 speed STI triple gearing, Berthoud fenders, Schmidt dynamo hub and lights, and Berthoud leather saddle on a Nitto NJS-P72 seatpost. I’ve left the steerer extra long for fitting many different test riders. Drop by and take it for a spin. Send me an email and I’ll reply with a spreadsheet listing many component options and pricing. See the URL below for photos and info. Peter White Cycles 24 Hall Rd. Hillsborough, NH 03244 603 478 0900 Phone 603 478 0902 Phax www.PeterWhiteCycles.com/ttgr.asp Cascade 1200K: Rainy Pass by Tim Lucas The Cascade 1200K was held June 23 to June 27, 2012. Tim Lucas traveled from the Tar Heel State to enjoy the adventure and bring us back this ride report. Day One: I stayed at the base motel in Monroe, Wash - Smooth asphalt, a wide shoulder, and easy turns make ington Friday evening. Breakfast at 5:00am and 80 cy - it fast and furious. clists from around the world roll out at 6:00am for an epic randonneuring adventure. A cloudy, cool morning Clear Lake (mile 170) is our final stop before the quickly produces cold rain that lasts several hours. I set - overnight control. We’re frigid. I’m shaking badly from tle in, getting as comfortable as possible. Pedal hard, stay the cold descent. I have to hold my hot chocolate with warm; weather will change eventually. The long climb both hands to keep from spilling. Volunteers ply us with into Mt. Rainier National Park keeps the engine warm. warm stuff. I recover a bit, but pedaling is the ultimate Exiting the park to the south, we cruise along a creek be - cure. We ride around the huge lake, then to Naches (mile tween cascading waterfalls on both sides of the road. At 208), arriving at 11:00pm. Shower and fresh clothes. times, the sound of rushing water is so loud you can’t After a dinner that includes hot soup, it’s off to the gym carry on a conversation. It’s a very mystical place. for sleep. The air mattress in my drop bag comes in handy. Three hours’ sleep. We have lunch in Eatonville (mile 95). I’m riding a bit with Ed from Portland, OR. We stop at Subway with Day Two: Awake at 4:30am. Blueberry pancakes, hot off several others. Ed is one of those guys who always car - the griddle. The support is awesome. The pancakes are ries a big smile, no matter what’s going down. Finally, the best ever. Rolling at 5:30am. We’re doing an out-and- mid-afternoon, it stops raining and we’re in Packwood back to Lodgepole campground near Chinook Pass, 45 (mile 140), at the base of White Pass, where a 17-mile, miles into the wind. Volunteers serve more food and cof - 2800-foot climb awaits. Three hours later, I reach the fee. Back down to Naches. Now we head east of the summit and take some pics to prove I was there. Now mountains into the high desert plains. In previous years, it’s whee! time. This is my favorite descent on this trip. temps soared into the 100s here, but today it’s only 85F; 6 American Randonneur ~ Winter 2012 pleasant, after yesterday’s cold rain. We ride long rollers the brakes while others fly by. Sunset is a bad time for and then shallow grades that permit recovery. dodging deer. First flat at mile 305. Glass in the rear tire. Packed up and At the bottom, it’s 25 miles to the overnight control in ready to go, I notice the flat front tire. I remove a thorn; Mazama. I do sprints, trying to stay focused, and catch must have been from the tumbleweeds that occasionally up to Matthew from Southern California on his recum - blow across the road. Two flats from different objects at bent. I usually don’t ride well with others because I cycle the same time. an inconsistent pace, but I chill a bit and make a friend. We stop a couple of times and walk around to clear our I see snowmelt irrigation of many acres of hops.
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