SIR General Meeting notes
Fleche USA NW
Furnace Creek 508 Results
Super Brevet Scandinavia, "The great ferry race"
BC  1998 Brevet Schedule
"Spokesongs" - book review by Larry Ricker

A randonneuring friend, Bengt Sandborgh ,see his account "The Great Ferry Race" in this issue, has made this proposal:  "My idea is for a friendship much like the exchange students programs.  My club (FREDRIKSHOFS I. F.) would invite your club (Seattle International Randonneurs) to Stockholm where we would be your hosts.  We could take care of all your arrangements here, guide you in Stockholm, propose cycling tours and brevets etc. etc..  In another year you would do the same for us when we come to Seattle."

Wow! how’s that sound?  I for one am interested in both going to Sweden and in hosting guests.  At this stage it’s strictly an idea with the details to be worked out but Bengt and I are anxious to know who would be interested.  This is not a commitment.  Realistically, with ’98 a qualifying year and PBP in ’99 it looks to happen in 2000.  Please let me know your thoughts and interest level.  This is an excellent opportunity to make new friends, expand your citizenship and experience a most civilized culture.  I hope to have a discussion at the next GM.
  PS.  And no language barriers.

John Wagner

It was a gorgeous fall afternoon when 7 SIRly riders left from Larry’s home to delight in a 40 Km Mercer Island loop.  Afterwards, 24 randonneurs, potential randonneurs and guests socialized, ate an assortment of delicacies and sipped delicious refreshments.  Sometime after 8 Larry opened the business portion of the gathering.

Bill gave the "State of the Treasury" report (contact Bill directly if your interested in the numbers.)

SIR ’98 Brevet series dates of:
April 4th  - 200 Km
April 18 & 19th  - SIR Fleche
May 9th  - 300 Km
June 20 & 21st  - 400 Km
July 18 & 19th  - 600 km
were proposed and accepted.

SIR ‘98 officer nominations of:
RBA  - Larry Ricker
Treasurer  - Bill Dussler
Newsletter  - John Wagner
were unopposed and accepted.

SIR ’97 certified brevet results and Medallions were still forthcoming from Syracuse.  Ron distribute certified brevet cards to those who finished events in B. C. Canada.

Larry proposed that SIR make a donation to League of American Bicyclists in response to a one time plea for financial help needed to offset debts incurred in fighting IRS harassment.  After some discussion the amount of $100 was proposed and accepted.

’98 brevets routes were discussed.  A request for no ferry travel was made inabsentia.  Ron suggested moving the 400 Km start from Issaquah to Monroe to help assure descending Snoqualime Pass in daylight.

Larry asked for ’98 brevet organizer applicants;
Max volunteered to put on the 200 Km with help from Rick
Don volunteered for the 400 Km
Ernie volunteered to run a 100 Km intro. to randonneuring sometime mid March in conjunction with his CBC ride

Larry announced the next SIR General Meeting will be held early January ’98, at Teo’s Mia Roma.

Larry suggested a reduction of the SIR membership fee.  It will remain at $7 for electronic newsletter and $15 for printed USPS delivery.

Max initiated conversation on promoting randonneur events and volunteered to distribute a flyer containing our ’98 brevet schedule and basic randonneuring info. to various health clubs.  An updated ’97 Bike Expo hand out was the suggested media.  A new member introduction packet was briefly discussed.

Adequate time did not allow for critiquing the SIR charter.  Larry and John agreed to examine it with a copy being included in the next newsletter.  A vote is expected at the January GM.

Ernie spoke of two legislative initiatives that could effect cycling.  The first is that Washington State may require a permit for bicycle racing, i.e. timed events on public roads, this should not randonneuring.  The other is a bill sponsored by Congressman Bud Schuster from Pennsylvania banning bicycling on all federal highways.  Ernie suggested we write letters and make some calls to our elected officials to protect our rights.

Potential new members attending were: Lynne Vigesaa, Debrah Lowe, Bill Prichard and Joe Soy.

Note:  Since the GM Terry Zmrhal has agreeded to run the 600 km and Ken Carter the 300 Km.

SIR is proud to sponsor one of, if not the very first Fleche in the United States.  Be a part of history in the making and ride the Fleche NW.  Wenatchee and the bucolic setting east of the Cascades will be the venue or at least the finish location with banquet brunch.  Details on that exact location shortly.  The Fleche fee is $25 per team.  So, if you get 5 members it’s $5 ahead.  Check out the Fleche Rules and get a team together.

Furnace Creek 508 (22nd edition) is a non-stop 508 mile bicycle race from Valencia to Twenty Nine Palms via Death Valley and the Mojave Desert.  The race course included 35,000 feet of total elevation gain and temperatures in the 50's at night and 90's during the day. The event also serves as a qualifying event for the Race Across AMerica (RAAM) cycling event.

Women's Solo Division (4):

1) Seana Hoopoe Hogan, 38, San Jose, CA 30:03:30 (and four time finisher)
2) Bernadette Hawaiian Owl Franks-Onoy, 38, HI 41:43:56 (RAAM Qualifier)
Sheherezade Albatross Adams, 24, Oakland, CA DNF (gave it her all/time limit)
Marie Hornet Handrahan, 45, Mesa, AZ DNF (lost her sting/ability to eat)

Men's Solo Division (25):

1) Justin Panda Peschka, 22, Chandler, AZ 28:42:02
2) Andrew Blowfish Bohannon, 32, Sunnyvale, CA 32:40:30
3) Harold Toad Trease, 42, Jemez Springs, NM 32:46:46
4) Dwight Shark Bishop, 42, Butte, MT 33:20:46
5) Peter Penguin Pop, 48, Malibu, CA 34:14:21
6) Charlie Lizard Liskey, 41, Somis, CA 36:11:00 (RAAM Qualifier)
7) Paul Elephant Evans, 45, Asheville, NC 36:49:05 (RAAM Qualifier)
8) Thomas Mt Pigmy-Possum Maslen, 35, Menlo Park, CA 36:56:22 (RAAM Qualifier)
9) Lubomir Heron Hristov, 38, Tustin, CA 38:28:24 (RAAM Qualifier)
10) Drew Otter Olewnick, 37, Brooklyn, NY 44:26:00 (RAAM Qualifier)
11) Tim Kinkajou Kinkeade, 32, Moscow, ID 44:49:47
12) Zoran Meerkat Musicki, 43, Upton, NY 45:00:45 (RAAM Qualifier)
13) Terry Tree Slug Zmrhal, 26, Redmond, WA 45:13:48 (RAAM Qualifier)
Rick Amoeba Anderson, 44, Woodside, CA DNF (stomach)
Dana Brittle Star Bradshaw, 34, Tahoe City, CA DNF (flu)
Dan Horse Dibb, 40, Long Beach, CA DNF (lost a shoe)
Clayton Grasshopper Gardinier, 45, Sandy, UT DNF (stomach)
Gary Kudu Kliewer, 43, Ft. Morgan, CO DNF (tired)
Charlie Mandril Miller, 36, San Francisco, CA DNF (back)
Aaron Raccoon Rumple, 35, St. Louis, MO DNF (stomach)
Scott Sawfish Scheff, 23, Sherman Oaks, CA DNF (knee)
Charles Springbuck Schroyer, 45, Morgan Hill, CA DNF (knee problems)
Brian Stork Sidwell, 29, Santa Cruz, CA DNF (could not deliver)
Perry Swan Smith, 47, Costa Mesa, CA DNF (beamed up)
Scott Snake Smith, 35, St. George, UT DNF

Mens' 50+ Solo Division (6):

1) Reed Flamingo Finfrock, 51, Springville, CA 34:52:34 (and four time finisher)
2) Del Spider Scharffenberg, 52, Portland, OR 42:15:26 (97 DV Cup finisher)
3) Gale Dodo Dominy, 58, Phoenix, AZ 47:18:50
Charles Gecko Giles, 57, Tucson, AZ DNF (dehydration)
Ron Sparrow Shepston, 50, Silverado, CA DNF (dehydration)
Burt Wildebeest Ward, 57, La Habra, CA DNF (stomach)

Men's Tandem Division (2):

1) Caribou: Mike Moseley, 43, Bakersfield, CA and Bob Smith, 45, Bakersfield, CA  36:45:25 (RQ)
Hyenasaurus: Rick Heiss, 40, Bakersfield, CA and Tom Davies, 53, Paradise, CA  DNF

Men's Team Division (4):

1) Team Klondike, Pasadena, CA: Ken Wiener, Gary Oisha, Victor Gonzalez, Brian Glueck -1st men's and 2nd overall:  24:59:30
2) Team Barracuda, Coronado, CA: Jim Blauer, Jeff Davis,  Doug Kipperman, Mick McLeod -2nd men's: 26:36:42
3) Team Whippet, Whittier, CA: Jerry Wildermuth, Ron Byrum, Santiago Ramos, Kevin Kester -3rd men's: 28:42:57
Team Bison, Bakersfield, CA: Mike Wracher, Greg Giltner, Kerry  Ryan,  Mike Marotta -DNF (accident)

Mixed Team Division (3):

1) Team Hammerhead, Bakersfield, CA: Joe Petersen, Ron Jones, Pam Traynor, Kris Woolsey -1st mixed and overall: 24:13:38 (new mixed team record)
2) Team Quail, Bakersfield, CA: Roehl Caragao, Frank Lobre, Vickie Rigby, Susan Schima -2nd mixed: 25:53:24
3) Team Camel, Redlands, CA: Maureen Bowman, Terry Hutt, Bob Lugo, Virginia Lugo -3rd mixed: 33:41:32

The second edition of the SBS was held July 12 to 15.  Start in Fredrikshamn, Denmark and finish in Kristiansand, Norway, a +1200 km Brevet.

We where 45 starters most of which had chosen to do the race in a co-operative fashion.  That means we had: Pre-booked accommodation after each day with dinner and breakfast.  Baggage shuttle between overnight places.  Everyone re-started at the same time every morning.  But the Brevet was still according to ACP rules with a maximum time of 90 hours.

The first day (355 km) will go down in history as "The big ferry race" as we had 3 ferry crossings.  We where making very good progress down the eastern coast of Jylland as we had a light tailwind.  The first two ferries were across narrow inlets on the coast (ride time app.  15 min.  each).  Of course we manages to miss every ferry with a couple of minutes.  During the second waiting time we had time to shop for food and refill our water.

When we came ashore from the second ferry we had, according to the route sheet, 67 km to the next ferry.  That ferry departed every hour on the hour.  If we rode the 67 km in 2 hours we could make the 2 pm ferry.  The av. speed so far was slightly over 35 kph so it looked as we might would make it.  But the route became more hilly and we made a wrong turn in a village so the time was running out.  When we had made the 67 km we had 2 minutes to spare but here we found out that the ferry terminal was another 4 km further.  Foul language and disappointment!  But I said: Let's press on.  It might be delayed or something.  When we saw the terminal the ferry was still in and cars was driving aboard.  At the check-in point our baggage van was parked and the driver was inside the terminal.  As he was supposed to buy our tickets we assumed he had already done that so we rode straight through.  An official stopped us and told us to wait.  He talked a lot on his walkie-talkie and I heard he talked about cyclists.  Danish and Swedish is related but it's quite difficult to understand when they are talking fast.  After a while we got the impression that it was OK for us to ride aboard and we went up the ramp.  Someone was shouting "stop, stop".  But all 16 of us thought "Is he meaning me?  NO!" and rode on.  Before we had stowed our bikes the ramp went up and the ship sailed!  A nice dinner in the restaurant during the crossing (40 min) and we where beginning to feel good again.  I don't think I have ever ridden as hard as we did after the wrong turn when we where trying to catch up lost time!

Safely ashore on the island of Sjalland we had 170 km to Helsingor and the first overnight stop.  As the time was only 3 pm we felt rather good about ourselves.  Riders who had given their best to catch the ferry was beginning to drop out of the group.  We arrived at the Helsingor Youth Hostel at 9.30 pm.  Now we were only 5 guys in the first group.  But where is the van?  A phone call to the drivers cell phone told us that he was delayed and was not due for another hour.  We took a shower anyway, who needs soap?  After dinner the van arrived, we changed and went to bed.  It was not easy to fall asleep.  My heart was pounding and I was all keyed up.  355 km on 11 hours (running time) takes it's toll.  I could hear the soft clicking of riders arriving for a long time.  During breakfast the next morning we heard the full story of the chaos of the last ferry.  Because one of the two ferries servicing the route had broken down half of the departures had been canceled.  And as a result of this all reservations had been annulled.  We were indeed very lucky (and bold) to have managed to get on the 2 pm ferry.  The last riders had started to ride the last leg 7 pm.  One of our club mates had arrived 4 am and she was not last.  The van had not been able to get a place at all and had to be driven a long way around to take another ferry.

During breakfast one rider approached me and said: Don't you have a red Cannondale? You have a flat front tire.  I quickly changed the tube and checked the tire for pieces of glass etc.  Nothing.  Strange, as it was clearly a piercing puncture.  We started the second day (319 km) by gently rolling down to the ferry terminal to catch the 7:11 am ferry to Helsingborg and Sweden.  The boat ride is short (20 min), we are soon on our way to the first checkpoint.  As usual the group thinned out after the first hills and we were soon about the same group as yesterday.  The first control was at Hishult.  A very small village as it turned out.  We were all looking for an open shop or gas station to get our cards stamped.  We saw a shop and turned sharp right into a smaller road to get there.  In the turn it felt as my front fork was broken and I was sure I was going to crash.  I managed to stay upright and found out what the problem was.  Front tire puncture again! I gave my Brevetcard to one of my friends and fixed the flat.  The shop was closed so the card was finally signed by a man who was having morning coffee with his family in his garden.  I pretty shure they where sick with crazy cyclists by the end of the day!  Now we where riding in Smaland.  Lots of big woods and very far between houses.

The group had by now thinned down to 8.  One Dane, one Frenchman, 2 Norwegians and 4 Swedes.  We made up a great team, everyone about the same strength.  In the afternoon the route started to get more hilly with several long dragging climbs.  This surprised me a little.  It's amazing how harder hills get if you don't expect them!  Finally we arrived at the overnight checkpoint.  First again.  Todays statistics: 319 km on 10.48 h (rolling).  Rather slow compared to yesterday but still ok.  The dinner at a nearby restaurant really tasted good.  Before I went to bed I patched up my 2 spare tubes.  The 3rd day started with a really big breakfast at the same restaurant as the day before.  It's amazing how much food 40 hungry Randonneurs can shovel in!  Today we had 292 km to cope with.  The ride was rather uneventful, exept I had a third front flat!  I really should have bought a new front tire.  In the afternoon we crossed the border into Norway.  The first checkpoint in Norway was at Halden.  We had a rather long rest at a gas station.  The route sheet for the Norwegian bit was very thorough, clearly written by someone who had test ridden the route several time.  It said "Long hard climb for 2 km out of Halden".  When we had almost made it to the top, Hakan cried out "Hell!  I left my Camelbak at the gas station!"  Our laughter followed him down the hill!  In the evening we had a ferry crossing again over the Fjord of Oslo.  The final checkpoint for the day was a Camping Park where several cabins had been booked.  Todays statistics: 292 km on 9:49 h (rolling).  The last day was rather different from the first 3.  Today we mostly rode on the heavily trafficated E18 road.  On the first edition of SBS, the last day was on a Sunday.  Very much traffic with people going home from their country cottages.  This year it was Tuesday.  Very heavy traffic with lorries.  I don't know which is best.  Norway is the most mountainous of the Scandinavian countries and we had several hard climbs during the day.  We also had the only rain for the whole Brevet, a small shower about 20 min.  long.  It was really good to reach the finish in Kristiansand.  We had 268 km and 9.38h for the day.  For the total Brevet: 1235 km on 41:16 h rolling.  Total time 82:30 hours.

Super Brevet Scandinavia is a nice ride through 3 countries.  The flat farmlands of Denmark, the big forrests of Sweden and the mountains and fjords of Norway.  One problem with 3 countries is with the currencies, your wallet soon begame a mess of different coins and bills.  For a Randonneur the "Euro", a common European currencie is a great idea!  The ride lacked perhaps an overall responsible person.  Now one people was responsible for each country.  This can explain the lack of "marketing" for this ride.  The route sheet was clearly better for some parts (i.e.  Norway).

For you technically interested here is what I rode:
Frame: Cannondale 2.8
Group: Shimano DuraAce 9-speed
Gearing: 12/23 39/53
Wheels: Hope hubs.  Mavic Reflex rims, 32 DT Revolution spokes, alloy nippels.  Conti GrandPrix 23 mm
Pedals: Shimano PD-747
Shoes: Shimano SH-A100
Handlebar: 3TTT Forma SL, Two layers of "Cork Ribbon" tape
Saddle: Turbomatic Titanium
Lights: never needed!

The new Dura Ace group is a dream.  It works flawlessly.  Shifts crisp and accurat every time.  Several of the Campagnolo Ergopower riders complained about sore right thumbs after the ride.  The little button you use to rear up-shifts is perhaps a little hard to push for so long rides.

Only 2 years to Paris!
 

Biography of Bengt Sandborgh   Bengt has been cycling for 17 years.  It all started when he and his wife to be bought 10-speeds and went on holiday to Scotland.  With little experience to draw on they each strapped on 40+ Lbs of camping equipment and quickly found their low gear of 45X24 hardly enough, especially when negotiating the Scottish highland.  The trip was a great learning experience and they never looked back.  In 1988 Bengt entered the "Vatternrundan", a 300 Km loop around Sweden’s second largest lake.  Initially the distance appeared formidable but accompanied by 14,000 other entrants he found his niche.  Looking for an even greater challenge Bengt qualified for and entered PBP in 1995.  Riding comfortably he finished in 66h 44m and even slept 6.5 hrs the last night.  Excited about the next PBP he say’s in a couple of months you can ask "are you coming to Paris next year?"   Bengt is 39 years old.  He and his wife have 2 children, a son aged 9, a daughter aged 7 and a Golden Retriever.  He lives just outside Stockholm on the island of Lidingo and bicycle commutes 10 Km year round to his job as IS-manager for a firm of Civil Engineering consultants.

 

ISBN:  0-9656792-6-8; paper; 3 maps, 23 photos, 5 1/2 by 8 1/2, 144 pages, September, 1997.

The front cover grabs you with three color photographs on a black background. One is of the author on a heavily-loaded, fat-tired bike, grinding up a rock-strewn path (road??), fighting to keep the front wheel in line.  You might guess that the locale is one of the emptier parts of Eastern Washington, but it's Rama's Gate, South Africa.  Another photo shows an urban street scene in Slovenia:  festival posters on a kiosk in the foreground, window shoppers in the background, and a blurred image of an anonymous cyclist with a sport coat and a backpack heading for an unknown destination.  The third and most prominent is of four little girls.  Two are sucking on a finger in the universal gesture of shyness.  Another is very coy, an obvious flirt.  A tiny one smiles serenely.

These set the tone for the rest of the book, which is a series of 59 "commentaries" written originally for KUOW, the Seattle public radio station.  They are short - none more than 2 pages, some barely one.  The author calls them  "songs of the road," hence the book's title.  I see them rather as expertly composed, colorful, word pictures.  You can read them in any order, as few or as many as you like, as if you were leafing through a photo album.

A few of the pictures capture the challenges of cycling in exotic places.  There is real danger, as in "Highway Robbery," where Weir and his cycling companion are clubbed and robbed by three bandits, or "Ultimate Chewy Toy," in which Weir rides through a game park in South Africa, not realizing that he's making himself attractive bait for free-roaming lions.

More often the subject is a friendly chance encounter.  Weir spends at least as much time off the bike as on, getting himself involved in parties, weddings, meals, discussions, serenades, relishing whatever the local social scene has to offer.

An SIR member looking for ways to beat a personal best in a 1200 km brevet won't find this book helpful, but it's written in the true spirit of randonneuring.  The main negative is that it's only 140 pages long, and there's plenty of white space, little character development.  A few hours and it's finished.  In that sense the list price of $11.95 may seem a bit steep.  On the other hand, it beats the price of a ticket to Capetown, Calcutta, or Budapest.

The publisher offers a discount price of $9 each on group purchases of 5 or more copies.  I'd be happy to coordinate an SIR order if there's enough interest, so if you'd like one or more copies, let me know.  Or order direct from the publisher:

Pineleaf Productions
7812 Stone Avenue N.
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 729-9171 (voice)     -0681 (FAX)
[email protected]
 

 

RSVP (or e-mail) Larry to let him know what you'd like to contribute, how many will attend.  Larry will provide chili and beer.  There will be an optional slide show after the business meeting.  If you have 35 mm slides or prints to share, we'll add them to the program.
 

Call Larry with your ’98 officer nominations.   To date we have:     RBA:   Larry Ricker     Treasurer:   Bill Dussler     Newsletter Editor:    John Wagner

Proposed '98 brevet dates:     200 Km    April 4th     Fleche NW    April 18 - 19 th     300 Km    May 9 th     400 Km    June 20 - 21st     600 km    July 18 - 19 th

’97 RM1200

Leier, Brian   Bates, John   Stary, Peter   Wood, Stuart   McLeod, Grant   Smith, Glen   Bingle, Michael   Carter, Ken   Johnson, David   Duberson, Philippe   Gorton, Jim

68:20   75:15   75:15   75:15   78:04   78:04   81:25   81:25   81:25   81:50   81:50

Kuchenmuller, Manfred   Prefontaine, Real   Wiegand, Michael   Wasik, Larry   Van der Meer, Bill   Arscott, Deirdre   Nichol, Keith   Nichol, Ross   Street, Roger   Harkleroad, Don   Houlford, Mark

81:50   81:50   82:52   83:52   83:55   84:40   84:40   84:40   84:40   85:18    85:50

Smith, Karen   Krichman, Ken   Adam, Kevin   Bonner, Ken   Crone, Eileen   Crone, Neil   Desrosiers, Jean-Louis   Himschoot, Ron   Jones, Tony

85:50   86:03   DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF

•  GM minutes, approved brevet dates and sundry comments from the general meeting
•  Start your engines - announcement of ’98 SIR fleche
•  Complete Furnace Creek 508 coverage
•  A Swede’s account of Super Brevet Scandinavia
•  Member stories and contributions
•  SIR newsletter should be back on the web, just a different address... Notice forthcoming

For me Scandinavia is not so much about historical landmarks, spectacular scenery or haute cuisine as it is a land of legends, equality, civic pride, efficiency and beautiful women.

It was the afternoon of August 23, 1995 day 3 of PBP. I was in the process of selecting a juicy pastry at a boulangerie break when this guy next to me asked "Do you needed water?" this was my introduction to Ingvar of Sweden. We rode the rest of the day, finishing together and have been friends since.

Christmas ’96, I received a package from Ingvar that included an invitation to ride the "Super Brevet Scandinavia." A 1200 kilometer (Km) brevet starting in Denmark, traversing Sweden and finishing in Norway, details were sketchy but it looked enticing. The riding would be audax style (in groups), with three nights of sleep at hostels and included dinner and breakfast at each. The date was early July which at 60 degrees of latitude meant about 19 hours of daylight and probably no night riding. Another section referenced 6 different ferry crossings. I sent in my $232 registration and notified Ingvar to expect a visitor.

Taking a page from expedition mountaineering practices of trekking to base camp for local acclimatization and additional physical conditioning I find it effective to prepare for a 1200 kilometer event in a foreign country by bicycle touring for a couple weeks just prior to the ride. Not only does this acclimate you to the culture it toughens the butt and conditions the digestive to local fare. The plan was to fly into Oslo, Norway’s capitol and cultural center, then cycle 600 km southeast to Ingvar’s in Huskvarna, Sweden. Ingvar took care of the logistics of getting to and from the brevet which entailed a combination of 3 ferries and 300 Km of driving. I’d return home via Stockholm about 350 Km northeast from Ingvar’s.

For 3 weeks prior to departure I watched, in horror, the daily Scandinavian climatic forecast of rain. Armed with this information I purchased a new rain jacket and crossed off taking sun block. On the flight over I sat with a young lady from Portland, OR. She was going to visit her sister who choose Oslo to raise children in a "social and civilized environment." In the weeks following, most everything I experienced supported this premise. In fact, a recent survey of 52 nations rated the Scandinavian countries at the top of the index as the least corrupt. Arriving in Oslo it was warm and sunny and remained so for the entire trip. Civilized, very civilized.

In Oslo, my first destination was the Haraldsheim hostel on the opposite side of town and just off my city map. It felt good to be cycling on European roads again. I find them find far superior to ours with smooth surfaces, no debris and courteous drivers who revere cyclists. I quickly found the road system to be well organized with 3 "Ring" loops numbered 1, 2, and 3 circling the city, each with a increasing greater diameter. Each ring has a parallel bike/walking path with a maze of interconnecting paths. I dare say Scandinavia has more kilometers of bike paths than roads and to this end they are well utilized, doubling as ski trails in winter. An added factor could be gasoline costing between $4 - $5 a gallon. Another discovery was 1.) if I stood holding a map and looking lost no one would stop to assist but if I asked for help it was always acknowledged and 2.) 9 out of 10 Scandinavians I met spoke nearly perfect English. Although their occasional use of words left me scrambling for meaning, i.e. "accumulator" instead of battery and "fetch" rather than attach. Something that always made me smile was when I’d be wearing my "Magic Spoke" cycling jersey walking around town, and out of a crowd I’d hear a voice said "Magic Spoke", they love to practice their English.

For Scandinavians physical activity is more a way of life than a hobby; consequently the females, the population I was most aware of, were very trim and fit. Add fair complexion, blond hair, un-suspicious, fun loving personalities and you are in very desirable surroundings. I dedicated considerable time formulating these observations. Another charm of Oslo are its many parks. The most famous, Vigeland Sculpture Park, was my favorite. Filled with brass and granite statues created by Gustav Vigland’s view of the humanistic life cycle, I call it Goddess Park for on a sunny day the local females flocked here for unencumbered sun bathing. One morning, on my way to visit the famous Homenkollen ski jump, built in 1892 and hosts of the world’s oldest ski festival, I was getting hopelessly lost in Oslo’s north hills. Stopping to ask a carpenter for directions, he motioned to follow him as he got in his van and drove to the ski jump access road. At the time I was awed by this act of courtesy but as my trip progressed I found this civil attitude to be quite normal.

It was a tough decision to leave Oslo but my time was finite and I had people to see and places to go. The first 125 Km of the trip south was on the E6 bike path and not always easy to stay on coarse due to the sheer number of intersecting trails. This turned out to be a godsend for navigating practice, much of the brevet would use similar bike paths. Along the way I stayed at hostels. They were conveniently located, clean, inexpensive and served a great smorgasbord (the Brits. call it buffet) breakfast. Meat, cheese, bread, herring, coffee, juice, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit and more. I ate it all, in quantities enough to last most of the 150 Km I traveled each day. Cursing the herring in the afternoon, I always went for it the next morning. One particularly memorable hostel was run by Audrey, a most charming young lady. Located in a postcard setting on the edge of Uddevalla bay. I could have stayed here for days. Carrying about 25 lbs. of gear in 2 rear panniers, a rack pack and large soft back pack, I was prepared for the worst and much of what I hauled about never saw the light of day due to splendid 80 - 85 degree weather, thank you gulf stream. Two things the Swedes have in abundance are trees and lakes, both help moderate the temperature and make the riding pleasant. The national colors should be blue and green not gold. At the request of a friend, I stopped at the delightfully picturesque town of Trollhattan, home of SAAB AG, and added another 15 lbs. of stuff from the SAAB museum gift shop onto my already aching back Now only 200 Km from Ingvar’s on the south end of lake Vattern, the second largest lake in Sweden, I was getting anxious for our reunion.

Since I had called from Uddevalla, Ingvar was expecting me. We met at the front gate of Husqvarna factory which consisted of a half dozen multistory red brick buildings looking more like offices than a manufacturing complex. He asked if I’d like a shower and ushered me to the company exercise room. I noticed all the apparatus prominently displayed the Husqvarna logo. When I asked about this he just chuckled. With the brevet still a few day off I explored more of this beautiful area by bicycle and Ingvar arranged for me to tour the Husqvarna works and the fascinating museum. Originally founded at this location to make black powder and then rifles in 1620, they have progressed through a multitude of high quality machine products. Currently the core business is manufacturing top rated chain saws, lawn mowers and trimmers. Ingvar and his wife Anita were extremely gracious and I felt very comfortable in their home. For Scandinavians stability is ingrained and they tend not to be very transient. Ingvar, for instance, completed his education and works where he grew up. I’m not sure exactly what Ingvar’s job is at Husqvarna other than a problem solver but he’s fluent in 4 languages, is a pillar of knowledge and highly respected by both customers and co-workers.

We’re heading to catch the ferry from Goteborg to Frederikshavn, Denmark where the brevet starts. Our bikes are in the back of Ingvar’s Volvo wagon, he knows this road well since it’s a regular brevet route. At about half way we stop at a gas station/grocery they use for a control and munch down a sandwich Anita packed for us. Ingvar would never consider the distraction of eating while driving. At the ferry terminal 15 other Swedish randonneurs are waiting. We’ll be taking a fast ferry which looks to be designed for James Bond. It’s sleekness belies its size, which dwarf our own Washington ferries. During the 1 1/2 hr excursion I’m introduced to the other Swedish randonneurs but quickly forget who’s who with names like Bengt, Gosta and Risto. Solveis is the lone woman registered. That one’s easy. They appear to be from either the Stockholm or Goteborg clubs and the excitement is high. Ingvar’s very pensive and not feeling well. He’s suffering from nasty congestion and head cold he caught completing recent 600 and 500 Km rides in pouring rain. He and Anita are scheduled to leave for a holiday in Greece the day after we return from the 1200 and he’s not keen to jeopardize that trust. Where the French take the month of August for holiday most of northern Europe take time in July.

In Frederikshavn we are put up in recently remodeled Danish navel barracks. It’s like staying in a Holiday Inn, complete with satellite TV. As soon as people settle in the Tour de France prolog can be heard in every room. After dinner in the mess hall Johannes, the Danish organizer, held a group meeting where he introduced each of the 44 participants, then speaking Danish talked about bla... bla... bla. I couldn’t help notice one Dane sucking madly on a cigarette and another puffing away on a pipe, what kind of people are they? Peter, a 2 pack a day guy, is from Copenhagen and turns out to be really nice. We ride most of the brevet together but I never did get used to his lighting up at every stop sign. He claims he’s quitting in 3 months, yea right Pete! Most look to be in their 40’s with a couple old timers and all are lean and tough. Murdo, the only Brit., from Edinburgh, Scotland is the baby at 36. Klaus, the only German, is very formidable looking in his lions main hair and Antoine, the only Frenchman, rode with Ingvar and me on the last leg of PBP. The bicycles they ride are very egalitarian, with a few hi-tech carbon fiber and titanium mounts. A contingent of 6 Norwegians is due in on the morning ferry, then we can start. They bring their own characters to the game, one rides in animal skins, the Norwegian equivalent of Jeremiah Johnson and another goes nearly naked. I keep waiting for the Viking horns to appear.

The Brevet.

Each of the 3 countries are responsible for their own section of the brevet. That includes devising a route, printed material, controls and overnight stop. The first day we cover 352 Km in Denmark - Frederikshavn, in the north to Helsinger, in the south with 3,900 feet of elevation gain (FEG) and 4 ferry crossings. Day two we start by ferrying to Sweden and head north, finishing at Vargarda, with 319 Km and 4,500 FEG. Day 3 continues north in Sweden, crossing into Norway and finishing on a ferry to Horten with 282 Km and 4,300 FEG. The last day we head southwest to finish up at Kristiansand, Norway covering 262 Km and 8,000 FEG. Each day the ends at a Hostel with an evening meal, shower and sleep. A smorgasbord breakfast is served at 6 AM and we’re on the road by 7.

The Danish section is on bike paths and I suspect anyone without a Danish guide struggled to stay on course. Riding with a pack of Swedes and Norwegians we "have nots" kept going astray or stopping to ask directions. The joke was "10 kilometers and lost again." I lead in the beginning but find it mentally tiring to correlate 12 character unpronounceable names to our map while riding. The Danish countryside was flat and the ever present power generating wind mills an ominous sign but the wind was at our backs or from the side. I noted a number of new homes with classic thatch roofs and asked why? It seems it’s a show of wealth, that you can afford the outrageous insurance. I suggested that a Mercedes in the drive might be a better choice.

Taking ferries on a brevet sounds romantic but an Achilles heel appeared at the Ebeltoft 2 hr crossing. One of the two massive ferries was out of commission and the schedule was backed up 3 hrs. On the more popular crossings the demand exceeds ferry capacity during the summer months so reservations for a specific time and date are required. On this day reservations be damned, the ferry master was personally directing who would load. It was looking grim so I encouraged Ingvar, who was pretty well disgusted with this Danish operation so far, to slither up to the front and make a break for it, asking for forgiveness rather than permission (viva America.) Safely aboard we settled down to some serious smorgasbording in the dinning room. With all the time lost getting lost we arrived at the hostel, about 1 AM. Sandwiches and drinks were waiting then a hot shower and sleep. Some of our group stayed up talking and waiting for those who missed the ferry. Tomorrow morning we take a ferry into Sweden and sanctuary.

The Swedish terrain is rolling hills and country roads no bicycle paths. I start out with the fast group, at 30 -35 kph, which numbers about 25 and stay with them until the first control. They are a lot more serious than the group I had been with but I came to ride with Ingvar so waited here. Ingvar’s congestion is worse and he’s not enjoying the ride. The Swedish organizer, Bengt-Goran from Goteborg, is with this group and keeps the pace a respectable 25 -30 kph but he takes horrifically long breaks, especially for lunch. This weights on Ingvar, a man of little patience. When we arrive at the Hyltebruk control, a Pizzeria, Pizzas are on the tables waiting for us, whoa! It seems Bengt-Goran called in an order on his mobile phone while on route, what a guy. Riding in a group, taking leisurely breaks with good food and getting a nights sleep seemed more like touring with friends than riding a brevet. I could get used to this.

The next morning at breakfast, Ingvar announces he’s bagging it. His cold has only gotten worse and at this point we’re only 100 Km from Goteborg and his car. I ask to go with him but he insists I continue with the brevet and call him when I finish so he can pick me up. I’ll miss Ingvar. He’s a good friend and dependable companion. Our final day is in Norway and it turns very hilly. The hills are short, none exceed a kilometer but sometimes are very steep. It’s our shortest day but it’s going slowly. Occasionally we’re on bike paths, deja’vu. At times when the group would be conversing in native tongue all I could picture is the muppets’ Swedish Chef speaking. Klaus, a middle school teacher from Hamburg, Germany, and I conversed about his experience of just starting randonneuring this year and plans to tour North America next year. Seattle is on his itinerary, our new friendship will continue. It’s mid-day and for the first time the sky looks threatening. As we pass a couple of bus shelters Bengt-Goran motions to us to crowd into the shelters. A few minuets later the sky opens up with a deluge of rain. After 20 minutes the sun comes out and we’re on our way, none the worse. One habit I had trouble adjusting to is this peeing in public thing they do. "They" appear to be totally at ease with it, any time, any place. On one break a Swede was leaning against a post box peeing when a car pulled up and an elderly lady gets out with a letter in hand. As she approached the post box she notices this guy taking a wizz and got so flustered she drove off forgetting to mail her letter. They all had a good laugh but left quickly.

Our last 50 Km was on the heavily traveled E18 highway and got pretty stressful. We would just crawl up the hills and with little to no shoulder; the traffic would crawl with us. A few of the monster trucks voiced their annoyance with a toot of the horn when it was safe to pull by; they must have been late for a ferry. We pulled into Kristiansand at about 10:40 PM, just in time to hand over our control cards, swig some Champagne and head for the night ferry to Hirtshals, Denmark. This slow ferry is the size of a small ocean liner with all the amenities. Once on board I showered and then on deck 5, found a soft spot on the hard floor to nap. My well deserved dream sequence was rudely interrupted by this dude sitting cross-legged and poking at my chest. As my eyes opened he immediately introduced himself in perfect king’s English as someone from Somalia. I guess he just wanted some one to talk with and I appeared to be a captive audience. He eventually got the hint and left but not before a group of drunken Danish revelers from the lounge came dancing by, hollering at me to get up and party. Unknown to me, Johannes had reserved a $70 stateroom in my name. He claimed he paged me but I was on the floor in la la land. In the dining room at breakfast I met most of the returning Swedes and Danes. Two Swedes, Carl and Kari, and I formed a pack to ride together the remaining 50 Km to Frederikshavn and our last ferry back to Goteborg. Carl, who is 58, was the first Scandinavian I noticed with any body piercing. Looking at his navy tattoos I bet he earned his gold earring rounding the cape, the original rite initiated by 17^th century pirates. Using Karl’s mobile phone, I called Ingvar from the ferry.

Back in Huskvarna, the task for me was getting to Stockholm for my return flight 3 days hence. The buses recently stopped transporting bicycles due to space constraints and the trains wanted up to a week’s notice for large packages. The latter, was disappointing as I looked forward to taking the high speed train since reading it rivals the French and Japanese trains in speed (250 KPH) and comfort. If I bicycled, I’d have little room for contingencies or time to explore Stockholm, the Venice of the north. As usual Ingvar came to the rescue, air freighting my bike on his account. We said our good-byes and in no way could I thank him enough for his hospitality. He was off to Greece with Anita and I to Stockholm.

Stockholm is built on a archipelago connected by either bridges or foot ferries. Buildings appear to rise from the water and mine did. For the next couple of days I resided on the hostel ship Gustive Af Klint (named for a historical Swedish naval hero) moored to the sea wall across from Gamla Stan, 13^th century old town Stockholm. The location was perfect for exploring the historical inner city. My bunk was situated next to a portal I could crack open at night feeling the sea breeze or when exhausted from walking, lay gazing at the beautiful city framed with sail boats. A real treat was sitting out on deck with dinner watching the evening air show of 15 brightly colored hot air balloons drift in formation over the city. One, with a massive gondola basket and sponsored by a restaurant served dinner to it’s passengers while tethered in place at 1,000 feet. How do you top that for an evening out or is it up? After maxing out on museums I just walked through parks and obscure neighborhoods. I was greatly impressed with the vast number of play areas. One park was hosting a boccie tournament complete with live music and jumbotron to keep score. In another people young and old competed at chess, less the music and scoreboard. Roller skating half pipes and hockey rinks abound along with basketball and tennis courts. Children’s areas were brightly colored and meticulously kept. Dogs lay at their owners feet in restaurants and Pubs. What a wonderful living city. Residence and tourists alike were out in force walking, talking sitting and spending, some partied till well after the sun came up by the sound of the live rock music at a nearby Pub.

I did experience 3 incidents that were unique in my cycling career. In Oslo, while crossing an intersection a goon driving a BMW (yes, they have a few) turned in front of me, grazing my front wheel and sending me to the pavement. Pedestrians screamed in horror but neither by bike or I were damaged, my helmet absorbing the impact. The second happened late in the day as I entered Huskvarna on a bike path. After exiting a underpass I failed to negotiate a sharp left. The combination of sand on the corner, my vision adjusting to the bright light and the high weight of my backpack sent me terra-firma bound. Tired from the days 150 Km trek I instinctively stuck out my left hand to break the fall (bad dog), which it did. This is good way to break your collar bone, which I didn’t. The next morning my hand was swollen the size of a small grapefruit. Again my helmet saved the day, less some whiplash and fortunately Mr. Hand functioned well enough to get me through the up coming brevet. Numero 3 - day three of the brevet. We were crossing a bridge in single file. I was the second from the end and slowing for a turn when the last guy in line "star gazer" crashed into me. Again fortune was on my side as I fell to the right and on the guard rail. The other option falling left was less gracious and into the traffic lane. The only damage other than some abrasions, sliced open skin and bleeding was a broken rear wheel spoke and of coarse it was on the drive line side. The group was wowed as I installed my emergency Park kevlar string spoke and we were on our way in short order. Had the accident been more serious the Park tool could be applied as a tourniquet.

The flight to Seattle was uneventful except when passing over the Canadian Rockies. I couldn’t help notice the low snow level and wondered if my friends who rode the Rocky Mountain 1200 had as marvelous a time as I did?

Our Treasurer, Bill Dussler, projects a surplus of about $800 at the end of the year. Next year we should be able to reduce our membership and ride fees without cutting into this surplus significantly.

The LAB provides our insurance coverage (a real bargin) and advocates for cyclists nationally.

A dissenting point of view holds that we should not reward incompetence. I don't know much about the LAB's past performance. Perhaps our funds would be better spent elsewhere.

If you have an opinion on this one way or the other I'd like to hear from you. If there seems to be significant support we will vote on it at an upcoming meeting.

Larry

Proposal for 1998 brevet schedule. Results to be published in the October newsletter.

Schedule a 1997 year-end meeting around the end of October or early November. This meeting would finalize the 1998 schedule and other matters (such as the date of the 1998 kick-off meeting, officers for 1998, etc.). People who don't wish to attend in person could just send in comments and votes. My proposal for the meeting date is Nov. 5 (Thursday). That's close to the date we used last year.

Have fun, ride lots, hang around the pool.

Anything else we feel like talking about

We had 7 riders attempt this year's SIR 600 km, with 5 of them completing the brevet. After some last minute course changes, we had a 5 a.m. start in Snohomish, and a counterclockwise route over Stevens Pass first, followed by a run up to Winthrop, and then a crossing over Washington Pass and finish back in Snohomish. The Roddens were again very generous in letting us park vehicles in front of their home and putting up with all the early morning activities that these rides entail.

Dave Johnson and Ken Carter, who rode the course as a pre-ride on the weekend of 14 July, had a very good ride. They choose a weekend that was rain-free! A most amazing feat this year! (But alas, their good fortune didn't carry over to the RM1200). Dave and Ken "motored" into Winthrop around 7 p.m. Saturday night, enjoyed a sit-down meal, and then checked in to a motel for a good solid 6 hours of sleep (this is when us slow folks really get envious!). They departed Winthrop around 4:30 a.m. and made the long haul over the North Cascades to the Newhalem control in about 5 ½ hours on very empty stomachs. By the time they got to Newhalem the rest of the world was up and they were able to replenish their stores. The only disparaging words I heard from either Ken or Dave regarding their ride was that "it clouded up a little on the final leg"!. Geez! Don't say that very loud around Kendall, John, Ron, Don, or Ken Krichman!

These 5 intrepid souls ventured out the following weekend and had to endure some of the heaviest rainfalls recorded in the State this year. The ride started out under some very threatening skies. For the most part though, the riders were able to get over Stevens Pass and into Leavenworth without having to cope with a lot of water, at least not a lot in reference to what was to come! From Leavenworth up to the Chelan area it was just one humungous thunderstorm! At times the rain turned to sleet or hail. The fruit crop south of Chelan was totaled and there were reports of the Columbia being covered by ice (hail) at one point. And through all of this, these guys kept riding! At one point John did seek shelter at the McPollands but the worst of it was over by then. Around the time that John was getting his mitts dried, Kendall found himself between two storm fronts, and in trying to stay ahead of one, nearly overran the other! (Kendall did overrun about a third of a Seattle based tour that was doing a 4-day loop around the North Cascades. They were riding from Leavenworth to Winthrop on Saturday. Some of us others ran into these guys later in Winthrop and attempted to do some proselytizing. Maybe we will have some new recruits next year!)

By the time the riders neared Pateros, the skies started to lighten and the roads were drying out. As they neared Winthrop, they were treated to a very pretty sunset. There always seems to be an enticement out there to keep you going after enduring those trying moments (that is, if you have a mind, or the energy, to look for it!). In Winthrop we had a BIG double wide, double long, trailer rented. It was about 2 blocks from the Duck Brand saloon. So when these guys came rolling in we were able to have BIG burritos waiting for them. These guys were also able to get some serious snooze time. But when they woke around 3:30, two of them were feeling the effects of the previous days labors. One of John's achilles had swollen up during the break and with a pending trip to Scandinavia and a 1200 km on the line, John choose to join the support crew. Ron was presented with a sore knee when he awoke. This was something that had started to develop as he had crossed Stevens Pass the day before. Ron elected to "try it out" and did so all the way to the top of Washington Pass before deciding also to join the support crew. (Ron also had a repeat planned for the upcoming RM1200 to consider.) At this point we had 3 riders on the road, and 3 "riders" in the pick-up truck. So what do you do when the support crew equals the number of riders on the road? Head to the next control and drink coffee and shoot the breeze! That was sure easy for us!

After the Newhalem control the "support" crew headed for the barn, Kendall motored in solo, and Ron and Ken teamed up and finished together - little did they know that they would be riding a good portion of the RM1200 together!

Congratulations to Dave, Ken C., Kendall, Ken K, and Don on their completion of this 600 km! And for all but the Doc, these individuals all completed the SIR 1997 brevet series. Way to go guys! (The good Doctor would have been in the group also, but he ran out of tubulars with less than 20 miles to go on the 400 km. Hey Doc, any truth to the rumor that you are going to get a calf tattoo to commemorate your accomplishments this year - Rando super 5000 and RM1200?)

Mr. Don, or perhaps in this case, MR. DON, deserves special recognition for his accomplishments this season. MR. DON completed his first every rando series this year, and did so under some very trying conditions. All but one of the scheduled brevets this year was marked by heavy rainfalls and generally cold conditions. MR. DON persevered through all of them, and then went up to Canada and finished very strongly in the RM1200! From what I've heard, this ride had conditions that were worst and more prolonged than any of the brevets! So a hearty hurrah for MR. DON! (p.s. were are still tallying up all the flats per kilometer ratios so that due recognition can be given in that quarter too!)

At the Finish Line SIR 600 km Results  

Kendall Demaree	35:11
Dave Johnson	37:02
Ken Carter	37:02
Dan Harkleroad	37:20
Ken Krichman	37:20
John Wagner	DNF
Ron Himschoot	DNF

  Timberline Lodge ride and Club Critique ’97 Ride Date: September 13 - 14, 1997

Reservations ($) are currently being accepted. We need a minimum of 8 and can accommodate 12. First come first serve, priority to SIR members. The cost is $25 for a bed in the Timberline Lodge Chalet room and sag from Hood River to the lodge. Payment guarantees a bed. The actual cost may be less depending on group size. If we don’t get the requisite minimum sign-ups by August 25th the reservation will be canceled and money collected will be returned. Transportation from Seattle to Hood River, OR and return, and meals are not included in the $25 cost. Ride sharing is encouraged.

Ride description: Start at the board head (colloquial for wind surfer) capitol of north America, Hood River, OR. Meet at the Hood River Hotel 9:30 AM for breakfast or be ready to roll by 10:30. The climb to Timberline Lodge, at 6,000’ on Mt. Hood, is approximately 50 scenic farm and forest miles. This route is much easier than any of our brevets and remember what goes up goes down the next day. The sprint finish is a nominal 8% grade, after which cold drinks, a hot shower and clean cloths await you.

If you haven’t been to Timberline before you’ll be hard pressed on what to do after settling in. A few choices are: soaking in a hot pool or swimming in a cool one -- both out doors -- examining the beautifully constructed lodge and 1930’s period artwork, relaxing in the lounge clutching a well deserved drink while peering up at the 11,000’ Mt. Hood summit or hiking above or below treeline. At some point we need to critique SIR’s past season, see the May newsletter for details, and formulate next year’s brevet dates along with who will assist in administering the club and brevets. Dinner and buffet breakfast are in the lodge restaurant are not to be missed.

Sunday’s return can descend directly to Hood River or if the east wind goddess is resting, a beautiful 90 mile circuitous route via Zigzag, Sandy and the Columbia Gorge is a cycling treat. Please call John Wagner at 782-8965 to make arrangements for payment or if you have further questions.

Here’s an article that was posted on the [email protected] mailing list that I though you all might enjoy. It first appeared in the AUK magazine Arrivee a year or two back. Reprinted with permission of the author of course.

Reflections of a Lanterne Rouge by Lynn Goerings-Nayle

One of the aspects of the ethos of AUK which appeals to me, and, I am sure, to many others, is that speed is of little importance. There is no distinction between those who dash round a 200 at near evens and those of us who trundle back to the event HQ up to six hours later. We are all recognized as having done the ride, and are all entitled to buy the self-same medal and claim the same number of points (if we're into that sort of thing).Many of us (me included) gasp in awe of those who can finish the Elenith or the Brevet Cymru in daylight, ride the Great Eastern in two days, or stop in mid-Wales for full B & B on the way back from Anglesey. It must be marvelous to be so fit. But aren't these legends of the road perhaps missing out on something? Might not there be something to be said for spending weekends at a more leisurely pace? Well, dear reader, I have spent many a long hour ensconced on my Brooks pondering this question, and at last I can bring you the results of my musings.

What is it, you ask, which makes a rider gravitate to the back of the bunch? For my own part, I am sure it is a natural talent for being slow. No matter how hard I try, that is where I end up at the end of the day (or well into the next day sometimes). Using the latest titanium components makes no difference. Doubling my effort makes me twice as knackered, but still leaves me firmly at the back of the field. Others, though, have to put in an enormous effort to remain behind the rest. One notable example has to go to extraordinary lengths to handicap himself and suppress his natural speed - including consumption of vast amounts of alcohol, welding bits of old railway line to his trike, and carrying enough spares to build a complete bike. On two wheels he goes like the clappers.

Some habitual speed merchants occasionally choose to see how the other half lives. I recall a Brian Chapman Memorial a few years ago, when Ray Haswell, certainly nobody's slouch, made a titanic effort to overcome his natural speed, and was one of the last to leave each control. He even managed a few hours B & B somewhere in North Wales. Part of his tactics included two giant banana splits with chocolate sauce at the Tre'Ddol control.

In contrast, many is the speed merchant has made the mistake of zooming round a ride, only to realize at the finish that his team-mate who is giving him a lift is still several hours from the finish. Not only that, but the kit-bag with the dry clothing is locked in his car and the keys are also several hours from the finish in the saddlebag of the aforementioned travelling companion.

I need hardy remind you, dear reader, that there will be a huge advantage for the more sedate rider in the recently announced Banana Skin Spotting competition.

An important consideration for everyone, in these days of belt-tightening and austerity, is the matter of money. Let us take a simple example. A elementary calculation will reveal that someone riding the Windsor-Chester-Windsor at 27 kph will be frittering away his or her 4 pound entry fee at a rate of 17.763 pence per hour, while the more stately among us, arriving back at HQ, with half an hour to spare, will be expending at a rate of 10.126 pence an hour. That amounts to a clear profit of 7.637 pence an hour! I will leave it for you to consider the total for a Super Randonneur series. And just think of the fortune to be made from a Brevet 5000!

Many riders begin their Audax careers by riding shorter randonnees and progressing to longer and longer distances, getting fitter and more confident as they do so, and completing the distances in ever shorter times. Eventually, they can confidently complete even the longest distances well inside the time limit. They become blase - the rides no longer present a challenge. Or, as is often said in controls as the last riders prepare to leave, "Any fool can do these rides if he's fit, the real challenge is when you're completely UNfit."

Every four years the numbers of riders in all events swells as they do their PBP qualifying rides, culminating with a flat-out 600. They keep up their impressive mileage and strict diets until late August, perhaps doing a 24-hour, a York Arrow and a clutch of permanents. Then, taking into account the advice of previous participants, they ride the PBP itself, usually with hours, if not days, to spare. Now, I ask you, what sort of a challenge is that?

Here's what you should do: ride the bare minimum of qualifiers, then switch to a diet of chocolate cake, chips, and cherryade for eight weeks, chucking your bike into the furthest recesses of your garage and forgetting it entirely. Then, once in Paris, acclimatize with plenty of late nights and red wine. It helps, if starting at 10.00 p.m., to spend the day riding into the centre of Paris and standing about in the heat of the day. On no account should you take it easy and rest. Only with such careful preparation can you call it a real challenge, and get a genuine sense of satisfaction, of achievement against all the odds, when you finish the 1200 km with ten minutes to spare.

I do not expect my thoughts as set out above to change anyone's riding habits, and it is unlikely that we will see crowds of accountants and pot-hunters fighting to be the last out of cafes, but I hope you will see that there is more to this game than fast times, fitness, and personal bests.

• Thanks to Tom Brett and Kendall Demaree for their 600 km reports (you can look forward to Kendall’s in the August newsletter). Its great reading about the same ride from two different perspectives.

• I need some reports from the Rocky Mountain 1200 riders. Don’t count on someone else to write it!

• Don’t forget to contact John Wagner for the September 13 & 14^th SIR weekend. Next year is the first of the PBP qualifying years and getting organized now will leave us the time to enjoy the riding next year.

• If you get a chance, check out the RAAM coverage at http://www.ultracycling.com

• If I don’t get any good ride reports, you are going to have to read about our tandem mountain biking adventures.

On May 17, the official date for SIR's 300 km brevet, Kendall Demaree was otherwise engaged, and Larry Ricker set his alarm clock for 5:15 AM but forgot to turn it on, waking up at 6:30 as the ferry to Winslow full of intrepid randonneurs was pulling away from the dock.

When John contacted a disappointed Larry on the following Monday to arrange delivery of the brevet cards, Larry asked about the possibility of a makeup. John thought it would be OK, and included three unused brevet cards and a route sheet along with the documents from the official day. Larry then sent out a "fool wanted" call by e-mail asking for someone to go along on either the Saturday or Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend. Tom Brett nibbled tentatively, but had already done the ride on the official day and his bike was a bit worse for wear. After further consideration, he sent his regrets on Friday morning. Larry figured he'd be riding alone, but just as he was giving up hope, Kendall answered the call. They agreed to go for it on Sunday.

It was overcast and cool but calm as they rolled off the Winslow ferry. The clouds never really went away, but it never really rained either. Kendall took the lead, where he was to remain for 99.9% of the time. As they cruised toward the first control, they discussed their goals for the ride. Both really wanted to make it in before dark, which meant finishing in about 14 hours, the median time for the original group. Given the difficulty of the stretch from Bear Creek to Bangor, and Larry's recent 200 km performance (over 10 hours including the infamous detour up "the other Cherry Valley Road"), the 12H09 time posted by the fastest riders, Ken Carter and Rick Hippe, seemed like a remote possibility at best.

But with Kendall pulling and Larry doing his best to hang on - not always succeeding - they cruised into the Quilcene control (at the 75 km mark) in 2.5 hours, then into Union, the halfway point, with an elapsed time of 5H20. Twelve hours suddenly seemed tantalizingly doable.

Larry fueled up, wolfing most of a plate of lasagna in 10 minutes. Kendall had a slice of pizza and the leftover lasagna. It was about 50% cheese, 40% meat, and 10% pasta. Consequently, the leg to the next control was one of the low points of the ride, but those greasy calories were to come in handy later on.

Once they passed the state park on the Belfair-Tahuya road, the cars disappeared. It turned out that a small slide had closed the road just east of Tahuya. Fortunately, the closure was easy to circumvent on bikes. Then came the 20 mile rough-road challenge through the woods. It was fun at first -- quiet, cool, no cars. At about the 5-mile mark they rounded a corner and surprised a small black bear, which crashed off into the brush. It got old after that though. After plenty of grinding ascents and bone-rattling descents, they were grateful to reach smooth pavement, despite the nasty hill around the next corner. Larry struggled up that, but his morale came back on the fast run down to Seabeck, which they reached at 5 PM.

They were about 30 miles from the finish, with the Anderson Hill yet to come. Kendall suggested that they could take it easy the rest of the way in, but Larry figured he didn't really mean it. There were subtle hints, such as when Larry walked over to the porta-potty for a quick one and came out to find Kendall standing there holding both bikes, ready to roll.

When they got to the Anderson Hill, Larry put it in low and ascended at about 5 mph, barely fast enough to keep his bike upright. Kendall was waiting patiently at the top. That behind them, and with Kendall seeming just as energetic as ever, they agreed to shoot for a 12H finish.

The final hour was a blur. With smooth roads, little wind, the drafting effect of the constant stream of cars, trucks, and motor homes roaring by at 60 mph, Kendall down on the aerobars, and the "heading for the barn" phenomenon keeping Larry from blowing up, they rolled into the ferry terminal in a total of 12H01. Fate was kind. The waiting ferry had just loaded the last cars but still had room for two more bikes.

In retrospect, Larry learned some important lessons about going fast. First, get a faster rider who is willing to pull the whole way. Second, avoid mechanical problems and flats (tires lined with Mr. Tuffys, etc.). Third, minimize time off the bike by eating on the move. Total time for all stops, including the four intermediate controls, traffic lights, etc., was 48 minutes. Not exactly a relaxing randonnee, but the next day was a holiday...

Simplicity: The cue sheet is pretty simple. Head east on highway 7, turn left at highway 1, turn around at Cache Creek. Makes the cue sheet for most 200 km brevets look like a Tolstoy tome, by comparison.
Usual apprehension, at the starting line. Good to have Harold and Tim turn out to encourage us on our way.
Heightened apprehension, at the starting line, due to the threatening skies.
And they're off! Eight of us departed Pitt Meadows at 6:00 a.m. Four others had left the previous day. Eight more would depart in an hour. Lots of flexibility!
Appreciation at falling in with Karen, Larry and Lauren (sp?).
Heightened apprehension, by Mission, due to skies that turned out to be more than just talk.
More heightened apprehension, when we came out of the Sea Bird Island Café and felt cold.
Relief, when Hope brought us hope (i.e. it stopped raining, once and for all).
Apprehension, as we got onto highway 1, from being infected with Karen's concerns about the seven tunnels.
Apprehension when a truck pulled very close to Larry and me.
Relief that I'd had the good sense to put the triplizer on the retro bike!
Slight concern when I could no longer keep up with the gang.
Challenge to know how much to wear. It was hot on the climbs and cool on the descents. And the Fraser Canyon was certainly hilly!
That's entertainment! There was a vintage car rally and a chopper motorcycle rally taking place somewhere along the route, so lots of older cars were to be seen, and way too many motorcycles were to be heard.
Satisfaction at reaching Spence's Bridge. Appreciation when Karen said we should dump whatever we didn't need for the ride out to Cache Creek and back. Good thing not everyone was as brain dead as me! Here highway 1 leaves the Fraser River Canyon and follows the Thompson River Canyon.
Agony from some of the hills on the last leg, out to Cache Creek.
Amusement taking a break from the focus of a brevet to meet a friend at the restaurant, in Cache Creek, and try to squeeze in an intense, albeit often delightfully humorous, conversation.
Excitement seeing the riders who arrived an hour after us arrive at the restaurant, in Cache Creek, while we were still there.
Excitement heading back toward Spence's Bridge, as the sun was setting. I'd assured the gang that it was o.k. to not wait for me. I knew I was a slow poke and I didn't mind being out on the highway alone, at night.
Excitement seeing Doug and Susan, on their tandem, descending into Cache Creek.
Excitement phoning Martha, from a phone booth in Ashcroft, and, while talking, noticing a sliver of a crescent moon setting behind the mountains.
Magic and wonder as night fell and the stars came out in the canyon. I thought that if I hadn't been so brain dead, if I hadn't needed to get to sleep (and damn soon), if I hadn't needed to get up at some ungodly hour and do another 250 k, it would have been nice to just spend the night out in the canyon. But, the faculties were fading quickly, so I didn't dwell on that one.
Amusement at a bike light that seemed to stay behind me for quite some time, then suddenly made a rapid acceleration when we had a very slight downhill. I knew this could only be one thing - the tandem!
Relief that my lights all were working fine. The current arrangement was an evolution of the slightly less than satisfying Rube Goldberg arrangement on the fleche.
Sizable relief at arriving in Spence's Bridge. Joy at seeing lots of beds in our room ... though, I would have had NO trouble falling asleep on the floor!
Euphoria when taking a shower! Life can be good.
Sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Big relief. I heard Larry up and about and so I sat up in bed (not TOO painful). Then he told me he had only got up to go to the bathroom and we could go back to sleep for another 40 minutes.
Ouch! Alarm goes off at 4:00 a.m. Well, I didn't feel too badly, though I had apprehensions because I could still remember the major bonk, last year, riding from Spence's Bridge to Boston Bar, for breakfast. I ate my stale onion bagel and a third of a power bar. The gang cautioned me to NOT fill my water bottles with the local stuff but Lauren offered me some sweet juice drink, which I gladly accepted. Larry and Lauren commented on the loud motorcycles and fireworks, during the night. Karen and I hadn't heard a thing.
Bonksville. Ugh. We were all suffering on the hills, even though, over all, we were descending. At one point, at 5:00 a.m, with no traffic and with two lanes in our direction, a long, fast moving truck came over slightly onto the shoulder. I noted that the gang gave him the thumbs down sign. How civilized, these Canadians. If I had thought he would have noticed I would have given him some other sort of sign.
Sheer, unrelenting agony. Twice I had to get off, on the hills. I couldn't do much walking, in Look cleats, but I simply couldn't pedal anymore. There was no steam in the boilers.
How do you spell R*E*L*I*E*F?
B*O*S*T*O*N**B*A*R!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was born again, from breakfast. Again, lots of fun when the 7:00 a.m. Saturday departees arrived. There was a group of Ross, Dierdre, Ken (?) and Manfred.

The gang of four was back on the road. Well, soon the gang of three was climbing toward Hells Gate (probably so called because it's pure hell getting up the thing) a ways off in front of me. I entered the first of the seven tunnels. It was a curved tunnel - the worst! I'd almost made it through when a truck came roaring up, from behind. He didn't move over, probably due to the curve (he'd have no idea if he could take the on-coming lane). As he entered the tunnel he hit his air horn - in case I couldn't hear this roar! Just as he was on top of me he hit the horn again and nearly pierced my ear drum!

Relief at reaching Hells Gate. Relief at getting through the twin tunnels, near the top, with little traffic (and NO trucks!). Oh what a feeling. I came out of a tunnel RIGHT BEFORE a huge platoon of vehicles (incl. trucks and RVs) came through. Timing - it's everything.
Oh joy, oh rapture - not going to stay long at this "control." I countered that this wasn't a control but she'd have none of it. She pointed out that earlier in the ride she'd been put in charge of cracking the whip!
Surprise - and lots of testosterone. Just as we pulled out of the 7-11 we say the now gang of three coming. We all fell in together and you could feel the adrenaline. Several of us took strong pulls before the pace line disintegrated. Eventually the gang of three became the gang of two, as Karen and Lauren pulled off the front. As they moved away Manfred commented that they probably felt the need to move more quickly because they had started an hour before. I "thanked him" for reminding *me* of that! Ross and I were chatting, as we all became more social in the last few kilometers. He mentioned that he was retired. Wow. How do these guys do it? Maybe I'm too young for this stuff!
Peace. We finished! The store even had ice cream bars!

I jumped in the car and headed south. I made it to the rest area, south of Bellingham, before having to sleep. Two and a half hours later I was awaken by the loud idling of a truck cab. It was time to get out of there. In traditional randonneuring magic, that sleep had completely restored me and I quickly finished the remaining drive to Seattle.

Reservations ($) are currently being accepted. We need a minimum of 8 and can accommodate 12. First come first serve, priority to SIR members. The cost is $25 for a bed in the Timberline Lodge Chalet room and sag from Hood River to the lodge. Payment guarantees a bed. The actual cost may be less depending on group size. If we don’t get the requisite minimum sign-ups by August 25th the reservation will be canceled and money collected will be returned. Transportation from Seattle to Hood River, OR and return, and meals are not included in the $25 cost. Ride sharing is encouraged.

Ride description: Start at the board head (colloquial for wind surfer) capitol of north America, Hood River, OR. Meet at the Hood River Hotel 9:30 AM for breakfast or be ready to roll by 10:30. The climb to Timberline Lodge, at 6,000’ on Mt. Hood, is approximately 50 scenic farm and forest miles. This route is much easier than any of our brevets and remember what goes up goes down the next day. The sprint finish is a nominal 8% grade, after which cold drinks, a hot shower and clean cloths await you.

If you haven’t been to Timberline before you’ll be hard pressed on what to do after settling in. A few choices are: soaking in a hot pool or swimming in a cool one -- both out doors -- examining the beautifully constructed lodge and 1930’s period artwork, relaxing in the lounge clutching a well deserved drink while peering up at the 11,000’ Mt. Hood summit or hiking above or below treeline. At some point we need to critique SIR’s past season, see the May newsletter for details, and formulate next year’s brevet dates along with who will assist in administering the club and brevets. Dinner and buffet breakfast are in the lodge restaurant are not to be missed.

Sunday’s return can descend directly to Hood River or if the east wind goddess is resting, a beautiful 90 mile circuitous route via Zigzag, Sandy and the Columbia Gorge is a cycling treat. Please call John Wagner at 782-8965 to make arrangements for payment or if you have further questions.

As I packed the rain gear for the 400 km brevet, my wife begged me not to go. Well, OK, she didn't beg, but she made it clear that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of riding on busy highways at night in the rain. I patiently explained that we'd be very careful, had lights, good shoulders to ride on, etc., etc., but she wasn't convinced.

I arrived at Paul Fredrich's house at 3:45 AM after fumbling around trying to find it, even though I'd been there before. An omen? But the weather was "not too bad" and the group enthusiastic. We left on time at 4 AM.

I stayed with the lead pack for a while, but I was feeling the effects of the 300 km makeup with Kendall Demaree the weekend before, and gradually dropped off the pace. By the time we turned away from Lake Sammamish I was riding alone, trying to find a comfortable rhythm. The sun actually came out for a second or two in Carnation, but as I made the turn for Monroe I could see dense gray clouds massed to the north. First it was light rain with the feeble sunlight still strong enough to cast a rainbow in the middle of a cow pasture to the east. Then the big drops were beating on the pavement. I had only gone 50 km of the 400 and was already soaked. Great!

By the time I pulled into the Monroe control at 75 km it had eased up a bit, but only a bit. Seeing several other dripping randonneurs, and walking through the puddles they'd made on the floor of the mini-mart didn't do much to cheer me up. John Wagner suggested that I ride with someone, but I wasn't in a very social mood. I decided to stop at a restaurant to reconsider over some pancakes. It was about the last intelligent thing I did.

A little food and hot coffee can do wonders, and this time was no exception. Several determined-looking riders rolled by as I ate and watched. One (Ron Himschoot, I think) waved to me through the window as if he were having a good time. I decided to go a little farther.

A few miles up the road I noticed that one of the guys who had just passed was talking to someone on the phone. It was Greg Cox, apparently wiser than I, calling it a day.

A few miles farther and I caught Ron and Don Harkleroad. It wasn't hard; they were stationary. Don was fixing a flat, his second or third of the day, with many more to come. We rode together from there on.

Fast forward now, past the bowl of lukewarm chili in Skykomish, the tiring but satisfying climb over Stevens in cold drizzle, past the thrilling descent through Tumwater Canyon with real sunshine and the river roaring through the rapids, past the break at the control in Leavenworth where we hooked up with Bill Dussler and consumed enormous sub sandwiches, past the long grind on US 97 with John Enzweiler offering encouragement and cokes at the summit, past innumerable breakdowns and delays with Don somehow keeping himself from throwing his rear tire (if not the whole bike) off a cliff in disgust. It's 9 PM, and we've just rolled out of the Cle Elum Safeway. I'm a little bummed after watching Ron and Don devour a bag of jo-jos and another bag of chicken strips -- each -- with very satisfied expressions. My meal choice (non-fat pasta) had been clearly inferior.

It's getting dark. We pull onto I-90, climbing toward the pass. Soon it's raining and getting colder. Hordes of semis, motor homes and cars are blasting by us, raising a gritty mist, fogging our glasses. My light is working intermittently at best (batteries not well secured in their holder). Unfortunately, good vision is critical because the shoulder we're on is full of potholes, tire chunks, wood, large rocks, muffler parts, drainage grates -- everything but smashed bikes, and I expect to see one of those soon. I'm thinking, "This is crazy, really crazy." The climbs are OK, at least I feel like I'm in control, but the descents are another story. The wet, black pavement soaks up the light. Unless the debris is a contrasting color, it's invisible. I hit several large objects with no warning, almost falling. I start to slow down. The other three are either much more confident or are seeing a lot better because it doesn't seem to faze them. Soon their tail lights are out of sight.

Now I remember something Ron had said about wanting to get through a snow shed in daylight. Soon I'm finding out why. I roll up to the entrance and stop. No shoulder, pitch dark, still plenty of traffic. I'm wearing a large reflective triangle and have a blinking rear light, but figure that by the time a truck driver saw me it would be too late unless he had a clear lane to move into. Not a comforting thought.

I wait for a break in the traffic. Finally there's a short one, and I go for it. As I pull out for a sprint (or what passes for one at that point), I see a car in my mirror. It's coming around the corner fast in my lane. I try to move to the right to get out of the way and hit a crack or some debris. The bike almost goes down in front of the oncoming traffic. I unclip my right foot and somehow maneuver onto the pile of sand that has accumulated along the edge of the right-hand lane. The car passes as I stand there holding my bike with my back pressed against the tunnel wall.

Breathing hard, I wait for another break and for my hands to stop shaking. I get back on and pedal, not looking back this time, finally out the other end and dodging rocks to reach the shoulder. I can see the lights of the pass ahead now, but it's too late. I'm still fine physically, but I've had it mentally. I can't imagine making the long descent to North Bend safely.

I finally catch up to my group, which is taking advantage of the yellow cone of light at an exit ramp to put on more rain gear. I explain that I'm quitting. They aren't. I ride the last 2 miles up to the pass on the dark, quiet frontage road, check into the motel, call my wife (who is very relieved), take a shower, wake up six hours later to more pouring rain, call my wife again. Two hours later we're heading home in the car.

It's sunny in Issaquah when I stop at Paul's house to pick up my other car. I learn that Don and Ron finished at the 24-hour mark, but Bill had two flats in quick succession and took an offer of a ride in from North Bend. I learn that Rick Hippe had fallen near the beginning of the ride. I remember hitting a big transition in the pavement (caused by repaving) at about the same location. It was dark then, too. No other injuries. It could have been a lot worse.

We need to reconsider this route. John Wagner has suggested starting in Monroe. That would be better. Even with all of my group's delays, we'd have made it through the major climbs and descents in daylight. But let's face it, I-90 is a drag at best, no matter when you're riding it. Ken Brooker's route last year was less difficult (only one pass), but much safer, with very little traffic. The last leg was along the Columbia, which was fine in the dark. Maybe there are other possibilities closer to home. Meanwhile, the descent from Stevens with the US 2 traffic on the 600 km is looking much less appealing to me.

Johnny B. posted this message to the [email protected] mailing list.

John William Hathaway, a Randonneur with multiple claims to cycling fame, passed away on June 6, 1997. An article on the life of this remarkable Randonneur is available on the Randonneur Info site:

http://www.announce.com/bluegrasscyclingclub/BRM/English/jhobit.html

Condolences to the BC Randonneurs and all of John's friends and family. JVB

Posted to [email protected]

Hello.
British Columbia cyclists said goodbye today to a great Randonneur, truly one of those who fully earned the capital "R" in the word. The memorial service for John Hathaway, who recently died of cancer at the age of 72, was attended by about 50 of his friends, amongst them (in spite of a record-setting downpour) about 20 or 30 cyclists who made the journey to pay our last respects to a man who inspired several generations of riders who came into contact with him. A sizeable bunch of the bikies were in the Procession of Honour organized by Bruce Hainer of the Vancouver Bicycle Club.

I was very honoured to have been asked to help as an usher, and was delighted to be able to greet his (and my) old and new riding mates, folks from the local bicycle industry, and friends of the family. Among the attendees were the other three B.C. cyclists who, with John, made up the first successful Canadian team at Paris-Brest-Paris (1979): Dan McGuire, Wayne Phillips and yours truly.

Harold Bridge, now Vice-President of the Randonneur sector of Cycling B.C., spoke from the heart and stirred many a memory with his stories of the John we all knew and admired. Harold, still fit and keen at 70, cycled over from a far suburb of Vancouver, B.C. bringing along over a dozen of John's medals and other memorabilia.

A tandem riding partner of John's from the 1980s, Peg Mercer, literally blew us away with a stirring a-capella rendition of "Amazing Grace".

If there were tears, they were certainly of joy: the joy of knowing we had all been touched by John's unique and unforgettable personality and spirit, and also of knowing he was now out of pain and in a safe place.

At the reception, messages received by e-mail and fax from people who could not attend, among them Jennifer Wise, current President of the Brevets Randonneurs Mondiaux, Robert Lepertel, the first President and guiding light of the BRM, and webmaster extraordinaire Johnny Bertrand were read in part, and a scrapbook was circulated.

Special thanks go to the hard-working volunteers who helped organize the service: Harold, Bietta Harritz (co-executor of the estate, along with Harold), and former Vancouver Bicycle Club president Henry Hulbert, who truly took John under his wing when he needed a helping hand in the tough final weeks of his life.

The celebration became truly joyous with adjournment to a local eatery, where many more stories of our good friend were swapped and savored.

John: you would have loved it had you been there... but come to think of it, you were--in our hearts!

Gerry Pareja
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
[email protected]
Past President, Cycling BC, 1981-83
Past VP, Brevets Randonneurs Mondiaux (1991-95)
Paris-Brest-Paris brevet, 1979

Here’s an idea! How about a fall 200 km over here on the Eastern Washington side? We can make an "official" brevet or just a fun social ride. In a recent RCC newsletter, Prez Ron Himschoot suggested not giving out maps so you fast folks have to stay with the folks who know where the ride goes. Sounds good to me! Any interest? Give me an e-mail at [email protected] or a call at 509-886-1166. Laura

Thanks to Larry, Duane and John for their ride stories and articles. I’m sure with the 600 km and STP next month I should have even more from everyone else. Happy riding!

Brevet start time: 4:00 AM (Sign-in by 3:45)
Location: Paul Fredrich's House
23841 SE 30th, Issaquah, WA
(206) 391-2557 (Call John Enzweiler with any questions, number below)

Time limit: ~27 hours to complete this brevet
Brevet Cost: $20 for SIR members, $25 for non-members; $8 for medallion (medallion is optional)

Requirements: Working regulation lights(front & rear) and reflective garments. Fenders and aerobars are optional.

This is a challenging unsupported ride, Weather conditions in the mountains are unpredictable. Be prepared for temperatures as low as 30 and as high as 100. Rain is not uncommon and headwinds are prevalent later in the ride.

The route descends the Issaquah Plateau, crosses the Snoqualmie Valley into Monroe, heads up Highway 2 over Stevens Pass into Leavenworth, crosses back on 97 over Swauk Pass into Cle Elum where you jump on the shoulder of I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass into North Bend where you depart from I-90 and take 202 and some back roads with a final climb back up to the Isaaquah Plateau.

Any Questions? Please call John Enzweiler @ (206) 861-1766 or email [email protected]

Please RSVP to John Enzweiler if you plan on participating.

Ed. Note: Did you know that on this side of the mountains Swauk is called Blewitt Pass? Apparently DOT or someone in Olympia tried to change the name, but it didn’t work. So officially your going over Blewitt Pass for this ride. Unofficially, you are the ones on the bike, so you can call it whatever you like. (Besides, Blewitt comes up Blowout on my spellchecker and who wants to ride their bike up Blowout Pass. Have a great ride.

The fleche is a 24 hour team ride followed by a social gathering. Each team designs it’s own route, covering a minimum of 360 Km. Eventually all teams converge for a group banquet, this years destination was at Harrison Hot Springs (HHS.)

Team Flesh-lings members: John Wagner, Bob Holloway (Madison, WI), Ken Krichman, Larry Ricker and Tom Brett.

Our route:

KM Control Time
00. HHS - Start 9AM Sat.
68. Sumas 12 Noon
134. Sedro Woolley 3PM
199. Marblemount 6PM
264. Sedro Woolley 9PM
312. Bellingham 11PM
351. Sumas 6AM Sun.
419. HHS -Finish 9AM

One and a half weeks until the Fleche - "My Left Foot" swelled up without warning or reason to the point I could barely walk. My doctor just said "duh!" The good news was pedaling felt therapeutic. Four days of ice and elevation got things under control.

One week until the Fleche - Harold Bridge, B. C. Fleche director, called informing me that our first and last legs’ stated distance was not the shortest possible route, consequently reducing our overall distance below the required minimum. I was not so upset that this segment which we’ve been using for the past 5 years was in question as I was over the late notice to add more kilometers.

Day of the ride - The ride went almost boringly according to plan, with only casual excitement when Larry’s rear tire blew-out at 5 AM Sunday. We hit each control within 10 minutes of our original estimate, working hard at not falling behind schedule. At the start the weather changed from a drizzle to sunshine and blue sky. About the time the team was congratulating me for summoning up such splendid weather the head winds started, by Sumas it was pouring rain. With the wet roads Ken, the only member without fenders, was sent to the back. We never saw a shadow again until approaching the finish. Our team covered 419 Km and availed ourselves a comfy 5 hour motel break Saturday evening. With 9 other teams entered this year, you expect to cross paths. We had time for only a wave, when passing in opposite directions on SR 9 the Kendall, Dan Wood and Ken Carter team, who were on their award winning 630 Km journey.

Finishing Sunday morning we merited a soak in HHS pool before the awards banquet where you switched to endurance eating at the best $16 buffet in the northwest. This banquet has to be a big looser for the HHS hotel when 38 hungry cyclists descend on their dinning room, I easily consumed my entry fee with just the red meat coarse. It’s always a pleasure meeting and eating with the friendly BCR’s. This year they distributed a first edition Fleche Pacifica lapel pin. I caught Dan between trips to the buffet table and asked if he was still on for our pre-riding the 300 Km next week, he responded "Only if we ride slow."

A rewarding time was had by all on top of Tom and Ken qualifying for Super Randonneur 5000. Bob will be after knocking off a 1000 Km this July. They are the 5th, 6th and then 7th Americans to achieve this honor.

Once again the Olympic peninsula provided the setting for a scenic and challenging SIR brevet and what a difference a little sunshine makes.

The 11 riders participating in this years 300 Km brevet were blessed with 55 - 65 degree temperatures, little wind and mostly blue sky. It looked a little threatening over Mt. Walker but the cloud cover worked to cool off the climb. Two broken spokes and a broken rear derailleur cable were the only anomalies and barely slowed the guys down.

Dan and his companion Suzanne provided large doses of encouragement and support at designated controls and the finish. The tough three tier Anderson Hill became a little more challenging for Rick when his rear derailleur cable snapped on the last grade putting him in a 42 X 13 gear for the steepest section. At the top a quick thinking Bill, using his RPI acumen, jammed a two bit piece into the parallelogram, providing Rick a more usable gear for the remaining 35 kilometers to the finish. Speaking of Bill, whenever I saw the lead group he was usually up front pushing the pace on his shiny Colnago.

Ken C. rode strong but objected to the numbingly rough surface on Dewatto Rd. Tom was with the lead group until he broke a spoke on the scenic Dewatto section. Tom’s buddy Dr. Ken was chasing most of the day until the Seabeck control when lack of sleep the night before and too little caloric intake finally took it’s toll. By the way Ken, was that a hacksaw blade I saw in your pocket?

John looked his normal thundering self until Seabeck. By this point the gravity of the accumulated elevation gain had -how you say - "slam dunked" him. Davie wasn’t far behind, his extra credit miles were the difference.

Wayne, the most senior rider by a long shot, continued to ride impressively. Relatively new to cycling, he initiated himself with the 200 last month and finished the 300 in fine style.

At the finish Ron and Don looked as fresh as they did at the start, confirming that pacing your speed and eating/drinking before you "need to" pays dividends. Duane looked to be in similarly good shape but admitted to be "laughing on the outside but crying on the inside."

Congratulations to each finisher for a safe and successful event. A special thanks to Dan and Suzanne for a full day of support.

The 600 km is scheduled to start on 6/21/97 at 4am. It will be a clockwise loop over the North Cascades, down through Winthrop, Wenatchee, and then over Stevens Pass. The start/finish location is still up in the air. The traditional location has been in the city of Snohomish. Have been considering moving the start/finish up to Arlington. The chief reason for this is to enable the riders to be better positioned to get over Stevens Pass on Sunday before traffic builds up too much. A draw back to the Arlington start/finish is that the fast riders could have a long haul from Leavenworth to perhaps Gold Bar without any services - in the middle of the night, but I could set up a control at Stevens Pass for them. If we had an Arlington start/finish, I would arrange for a motel around Cashmere (roughly the 250 mile mark). I would like to know how many riders are planning to do this ride, and what there preferences are for the start/finish location.

Please contact me at 425-775-6732 to express your interest and preference.

The intent is to hold end of year planning meeting and social ride in September. The purpose is to review what SIR accomplished in ’97, keeping what worked, changing or eliminating what didn’t. This listing (agenda) is a start, please add to it or offer your comment on any subject area. Your input is essential to the success of your club.

Start now, while your thoughts are fresh. Call or send them to Laura so they can be posted to this listing.

Next year starts the two year qualifying for PBP ‘99. The smoother SIR operates the more you’ll enjoy puttin’ in them kilometers.

200 Km 4/12 Rick’s Cherry Hill
300 Km 5/17 John & Dan’s Tour Tahuya
400 Km 5/31 Johnny E’s Wild Ride
600 km 6/21 Tom & Dave’s Cascade Adventure

• Do we want to use these routes again, with or without modifications?
• Was the Start/finish location satisfactory?
• Were the controls well placed and functional, i.e. available food, drink, toilet and shelter from the weather?
• Was the cue sheet and control card accurate and readable?
• Did the ride date conflict with another event?
• Did the finish location encourage you to stay and socialize or did you just feel like bugging out?
• Was the entry fee appropriate?
• Do you have a particular route or date in mind for next year?
• Do you want more events, if so, what distances?

• Was the content appropriate?
• Did it convey the information you wanted?
• Were the number of issues sufficient and publishing dates timely to the events?
• Was the delivery system, Web page and regular mail, satisfactory?
• Did you enjoy the reviews and other commentaries, do you want more or less of these?
• Was the format easy to read and follow?

• Was the location conducive to attending?
• Was the site suitable for our purposes?
• Did the meeting accomplish your/our objectives?
• Do you want more/less general meetings?

Suggestions for:

• 1998 Nominations/volunteers for the 1998 SIR officers
• Regional Brevet Director
• Newsletter Editor
• Treasurer
• Does SIR need a formal charter to lay out the rules for its operation? If so, should officers serve for specified maximum terms (to encourage more members to serve as officers)?

**Comment from John Wagner: Should we vote on term limits on officers to insure diverse member participation in running the club?

• What do you want that you didn’t get?
• What did you get that you didn’t want?
• Was the dues structure for the club unfair, too expensive, too low
• Would you like SIR to be more widely publicized?
• Do you think the membership list should be made public, e.g., posted on the web page?

Route sheets are recommended to be in the following format for rider convenience:

• Column 1: The total mileage. In the US we prefer to use miles.
• Column 2: The leg mileage. This is the distance from the location on previous line to the location on this line.
• Column 3: The location and turn instruction. Also denote controls with "CONTROL" and use bold font.
• Column 4: Total kilometer distance. 1.609 times column 1.
• Column 5: The leg distance in kilometers. (This column is optional.)
• Use 12 point font so it is easier for people to read while riding.
• Organize route sheet layout so you can fold into a "zip-lock" plastic bag and see all the turns to the next control. The rider can refold at each control to see the turns to the next control.
• Accuracy to +/- 0.1 miles is sufficient for each turn, but try to keep an accurate running total. It is hard to determine distances within +/- 1 percent, but a +/- 3 percent error is not very good.
• It is nice to bring some plastic bags to the start to hand out for protecting control cards.

The new and improved SIR 300 Km brevet is a variation of an old favorite, the Hood Canal 200 Km. An extension at Belfair takes you on a scenic tour of Tahuya and points north.

The start and end is at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal on Bainbridge Island. Entry paper work will be handled during the half hour ferry excursion from Seattle.

The route follows SR 305 north to SR 3, to SR 104 crossing the Hood Canal, then turning south on SR 101. Shortly after Potlatch you head east on SR 106 before turning onto the old Belfair Hwy. at Belfair. Here a short out and back insures the required overall distance is met. Now for the fun part. SR 300 takes you west to Tahuya. A series of scenic back roads meander north to Holly, Seabeck, and Bangor. At this point your hankering for the easy return via SR 3 north and 305 south to an awaiting Washington state ferry to whisk you home.

You will experience some of our states most spectacular vistas and terrific cycling roads but there are no free miles on this one. The first 180 Km you climb about 4,000ft the next 85 Km you pick off another 4,000ft. The good news is the last 35 Km are relativity flat with a downhill finish, yippee! This route is a test, enjoy it and revel in your accomplishment.

Brevet start time: 7 AM
Location: Bainbridge Island ferry terminal parking lot.
Time limit: 20 hours to complete this brevet.
Brevet cost: $15 for SIR members.
Requirements: Working regulation lights (front & rear) and reflective garments. They will be checked and monitored.

Recommendations: Start riding hills now, please make sure your bicycle is in excellent working order for parts of this route are very rural. Fenders are encouraged - aerobars are scorned and a proper randonneuring attitude is essential.

Our ferry leaves at 6:20 AM from the downtown Coleman Dock for Bainbridge Island. Street Parking is available south of the ferry terminal. Please allow sufficient time to catch this ferry, if you miss it you miss the brevet.

Any questions? Please call (206 782-8965) or e-mail John Wagner: [email protected]
This Brevet is brought to you by Dan Wood & John Wagner Associates, no guarantees are implicit or implied.
Note: A 200 Km option ending in Bremerton is available. Please call me by May 10th if you are interested in this option.

The 400 km will start somewhere in the Redmond/Issaquah area. The exact location hasn’t been determined yet. SIR members who receive their newsletters via US Mail, please call John Enzweiler @ 206-861-1766 for the start information. E-mail members, I will forward the information to you, and post it on the web site, as soon as it is received from John.

The 400 km will take you over Stevens (Highway 2), Swauk (Highway 97) and Snoqualmie (Highway 90) Passes.

SIR is now on the Web. E-mail members, you will find the newsletters posted there at about the same time they are mailed out, I’ll send you a brief note to let you know the new newsletter there.

Some of the areas are still non-functional, but please check it out and pass on any constructive criticism you have to offer. Anything else you’d like to see on our web page? Let me know. We update it at least once a month, curiously about the same time we upload the current month’s newsletter.

Planned additions include a "Links" page to other Randonneuring Sites (including International Randonneurs and BC Randonneurs) and a Calendar page for SIR rides, as well as brevets scheduled by our neighbors north and south should an SIR date conflict with something else on your calendar.

Pertaining to a suggestion I made for a end of season ride to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Other than having a terrific ride and social weekend my intent was to use the over night stay at this magnificent setting for a year end SIR business meeting. The agenda might include a review of what SIR did this year, i.e. brevet routes, after ride socializing, newsletter content, general meetings and what if any improvements can be made for next year. Nominations for the 1998 board positions and brevet organizers should be addressed and 1998 brevet dates need to be set, having them ready for Syracuse in November. The adage "failing to plan is planning to fail" looms, so please contribute and volunteer. Your suggestions and input are valued, whether you attend or not. The date I’m planning for is September 13 - 14, let me know if that works. Please contact Laura, Larry or me with your input. I’d like to see a living list of your input to this agenda appear in the newsletter each month. Thanks, your contributions make SIR what it is.

The 10 person bunk room has been reserved at Timberline Lodge for the evening of September 13. The cost per person will be $20 - $25 for room and sag. Sign up is on a first come basis, I am now accepting deposits now. We need a minimum of 8 for this ride.

The second topic is the SIR jersey. We need someone to take on this activity. It entails coming up with a design(s), contacting a number of jersey vendors and collecting price and delivery information, getting SIR approval for the design and unit cost, then soliciting members who want to purchase (pre-paid) before placing an order. This jersey is not necessarily targeted for PBP; in fact it would be nice to come up with a SIR logo to be used on future designs. Anyone with ideas or interested in pursuing this activity please contact me at 782-8965. If you want a club jersey we need a volunteer.

It looks like a few of our die-hard SIR riders (and brevet organizers even) haven’t quite made it to the mailbox. Somewhere in these pages is the SIR Roster.

Texas highways are straight and made for speed. That’s good since we’re hankering to get the hell out of Dodge. Our first day’s destination, the mile high town of Fort Davis, is about 400 miles west. Along the way we had time to stop and explore the spooky Caverns of Sonora, and an Ozona double burrito lunch. By Alpine, Greg and Rick were eager to ride the remaining 26 miles in the dry warm mountain air. After checking into our motel, Beall, Pat, and I rode out to meet them, just as they approached this old west rustic town.

For me, the next days ride was worth the coming to Texas. After discussing whether to do the climbing first or last we headed out on the 80 mile "Davis Mountains Loop" with the McDonald observatory at 6,700 feet our first stop. Passing a sign banning motor homes, you know serious suffering lies ahead. The grand vista from the observatory was speculator during daylight and I imagined viewing our galaxy at night. I believe Greg said it took him 43 seconds to descend the bump I took 20 minutes to climb. The rest of loop was fast rolling high desert hills. Later we got to practice our echelon technique before turning the corner for an downwind 25 mph finish. At one point we passed beneath the womping sound of giant 60 foot blade wind driven generators. Fort Davis was also memorable for the locals we encountered from the professional artist, painter of western history, to a 80 year old man known as "The Traffic Cop" because he drove his Chevy 20,000 mile a year up and down main street at 20 mph, thus keeping the tourists in tow.

The next day we rode along the famed Rio Grande tackling a 15 percent mile long climb out of Laitias. At the top Beall was utterly speechless from chasing down Pat. Rick was down and back up the other side before we all recovered to do the descent. Our last grand excursion was in Big Bend National Park. Unfortunately, time ran out before we could extensively explore this majestic park. Arriving back in Fredericksburg at 5 PM, it was still raining. Tom claimed it cleared up just after we left.

Hell Week pros: good camaraderie with serious cyclists, great cycling roads and routes, residents courteous to cyclists, Nick sells a vast array of cycling stuff, refreshing and interesting culture and lots of red meat.

Hell Week cons: weather downright ugly and not what promised, room and board over priced, no mechanical support, no sweep vehicle if you broke down, facilities too crowded because all of Texas is on spring break and too early for blooming wild flowers.

I could write an entire saga on the last 24 hours of trying to get home but this is a family paper, enough said with "I’ll never fly Delta Air Lines again."

Wow. I can’t believe its over and I missed it! We’ve had April 19^th circled on our calendar for months. We are going to ride our first Brevet. Well, okay, so maybe we haven’t been putting in the miles we should have been. But we can do it. This became our mantra as April 19^th crept closer.

Fast forward to April 19^th: After arriving at John Wagner’s place about 9:30 the night before we sat up talking until close to 11:00. We woke this morning to a Seattle drizzle. In Wenatchee, we would have called it rain. Its been three years since we moved from Seattle to Wenatchee and we’ve acclimatized pretty well (we even go for months without thinking the word "Goretex"). But this little drizzle wasn’t going to stop us. No sirree.

As we drive up to the start I’m starting to feel a little doubtful about this ride. Those clouds look awfully wet. I dredge through my memories for anything I remember about the Puget Sound Convergence Zone - wet is the only word that springs to mind.

At the start we pile on the layers. Hmmm…rain doesn’t necessarily mean cold. This lesson learned, we stop at my first wrong turn (less than a mile from the start) and take the opportunity to shed the polypro turtlenecks. Already behind all of the riders (except for the guy who started late and passed us way, way before the first control), we settled down, decided to ride our own ride and enjoy the day. This said, it started raining. Hard. Real Seattle rain, not this little misty stuff we’ve become accustomed to. We can still do this. "Sean, we need some fenders for this bike." "Laura, my feet are drenched-underneath my booties."

About an hour later my body reminds me that I fractured a tailbone cross country skiing. Well, 200 km of this is going to be fun.

Having decided that I wasn’t ready for 200 kilometers of this much fun, I decided to go to plan B: the one where mom comes driving around the course and I tell her to bring the car with a tandem rack to the first control (having plan B was my ulterior motive in volunteering her to help). I can make it that far. Maybe this long distance riding isn’t for me. Lest you begin to think I’m whining I’ll just tell you now, I am the Queen of Whining.

We rode to the first control, arriving about 15 minutes before it officially closed. By the time we got our cards stamped, it was closing time. Just made it. After a latte and a rest, my eternal optimism began to surface. The next control is 67km and it doesn’t close until 2:48. My logical brain wrestles with my enthusiasm. Logic wins. We wait.

As we drive back to the start, change into dry clothes and watch the finishers come in, each one wetter than the one before, my brain starts formulating a schedule to make up the 200 km. I’m not finished with this long distance riding yet. I will finish a 200 km. And then I will ride a 300 km, then a 400 km, then the 600 km. The Rocky Mountain 1200, well, I’ll leave that for another year.

At the post-ride BBQ the finishers all offered us encouragement to keep trying. I felt a little bit discouraged, watching them all come in, wetter than a, well, really wet. But finishers. What do they have that I’m missing. Lots more miles I decided. I heard someone talking about a trip over Steven’s Pass. Someone actually hooked a bungy cord to his bike to help him get to the top. (At least I think that’s what I heard-it made me feel better anyway.) As I sat talking to John Wagner, before I even had a chance to broach the subject of riding the 200 km route next month while the rest of the group rode the 300 km route, he took the words right out of my mouth "Laura, I’ve been thinking, the 300 km is an addition to our Winslow 200 km. You could ride that next month."

We’ll be there. And we’ll finish. But please, order up some sunshine for this thin Eastern Washington blood and bring on the miles…err…kilometers.

(Ed. Note: I warned you that if you didn’t submit your own ride reports, you were going to have to read mine.)

SIR 200 km results  

0804	Kendall Demaree	0804	John Enzweiler	0804	Dave Johnson
0804	Dan Wood	0853	Rick Hippe	0855	Ken Carter
0920	Greg Cox	0920	Bill Dussler	0925	Mark Roberts
0930	Tom Brett	0952	Ken Krichman	0952	Terry Zmrhal, Jr.
1013	Nick Macias	1013	Larry Ricker	1020	Wayne Heigel
1020	John Wagner	1115	Guy Oldfield	1120	Don Harkleroad
1120	Ron Himschoot	1120	Duane Wright	1120	Randy Smith
1120	Genny Gebhardt	1120	Pat Marek	DNF	Laura Atkinson
DNF	Sean Atkinson	DNF	Lee Kanning

 

Coming Next Month...Whatever you send me!

Minutes of March 6, 1997 General Meeting

SIR's second meeting of 1997 was held on March 6, 1997, with 16 members attending. After some preliminary beers and socializing, the meeting got underway at about 7:30 (with members waiting patiently for their tortelini specials).

Mark Roberts reported on insurance coverage. After some discussion, the members agreed unanimously that we should join the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), which will allow us to purchase liability coverage at a very reasonable rate. Larry Ricker will make sure this coverage is in place prior to the 200 km brevet on April 19.

Mark Roberts volunteered to draft a liability waiver (based on the LAB waiver model). All SIR brevet riders will be required to sign this waiver.

Unanimity disappeared immediately, however, as the discussion moved to the use of aerobars and other rules for brevet riders. It had been decided in the meeting of Jan. 9 that aerobars would be prohibited in keeping with current PBP requirements. This prohibition, which appeared in a recent draft of expectations for SIR brevet riders, resulted in several protests and communications from people who were not present at that meeting. Thus, the issue was re-opened. Some continued to feel strongly that aerobars were unsafe and should be prohibited. Others argued that the risk was mainly for the individual using the aerobars (i.e., paceline groups could be self-regulating), it would be a hardship for someone to remove aerobars just to ride in brevets, and it would discourage potential new members. The issue finally came to a head with a formal motion to prohibit aerobars. This was narrowly defeated in a show of hands. Thus, aerobars will be allowed in 1997 SIR brevets. It is possible, however, that this issue will come up again in a future meeting.

Other (less controversial) refinements to the rider requirements were made. Kendall Demaree will revise the expectations accordingly so they can be released before the 200 km brevet.

Next was a discussion of the charge per rider for brevets, and the possibility of non-SIR participants. After lengthy discussion, the group agreed on the following policy:

1. All SIR members must belong to IR.
2. Non-SIR riders will be allowed on brevets. They will be charged a premium of $5. We hope this will encourage local riders to join SIR.
3. SIR riders will be charged $5 per 100 km, i.e., $10 for the 200 km, $15 for the 300, $20 for the 400, and $30 for the 600. These charges are intended to cover route sheets, brevet cards, postage for mailing results, liability insurance for the event, and route research expenses of the ride organizer. Motel/room costs for the 600 are not included, nor are medallion fees and other "extras".

Rick Hippe reviewed his plans for the 200 km, including his gracious offer to make his home available as the start/finish, and to provide refreshments. Route details are to be published in the March newsletter. Kendall Demaree announced that he is still looking for Fleche teams. Anyone interested should contact him.

Bill Dussler reported on the state of the club treasury. He has established a SIR checking account. So far about 15 people have sent in their applications and membership fees.

Larry Ricker announced that no further general meetings were planned prior to the fall.

John Wagner asked whether there was interest in a club jersey. The response was positive, and John will check on costs, etc. He also suggested a fall SIR social ride from Hood River to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, with an overnight at the lodge. There was general enthusiasm for this, so John will make reservations for a small group. Details will be announced later.

One of the hungrier attendees volunteered to finish off all the leftover bread (to ease the load on the restaurant cleanup staff). The meeting was then adjourned at about 9 p.m.

1996 members who have not renewed their membership by March 1997 will be dropped from the mailing list. As of March 21, 1997, SIR has 20 paid members. Check your mailing label, if it doesn’t say1997 in the upper left corner, this is your last issue of SIR Rides Again.

The SIR newsletter will be published approximately 10 times a year. Deadline for submission of information is the 15^th of the month prior to the newsletter you wish to have your information in.

The planned printing & mailing date is the third weekend of each month…subject to delay by excellent riding conditions (which we have a lot of herein Wenatchee) or a brevet that weekend.

March 11, 1997

This includes changes from the SIR general meeting on March 06, 1997.

SIR = Seattle International Randonneurs

IR = International Randonneurs

RBA = Regional Brevet Administrator (for SIR)

ACP = Audaux Club Parisian

km = Kilometer, approximately 0.62 miles

These expectations are intended to help form a basic understanding among SIR brevet leaders and riders. Anything published in the SIR newsletter or specified by the brevet leader takes precedence over these general expectations. These expectations form the basis for SIR brevet rules and normal practice.

Brevet leaders may enforce these expectations as rules and disqualify a rider for safety or rule infractions. In these expectations, the words "must", and "required" are used to indicate a rule that can be strictly enforced by the brevet leader. The words "may" and "recommended" are used where the brevet leader can use his discretion, or modify the rules by notification in the SIR newsletter brevet description.

Riders must ride safely, obey all rules of the road, wear helmets, and follow IR rules.

All SIR members will receive a SIR newsletter giving basic information on the scheduled SIR brevets.

Riders must demonstrate that it is reasonable for them to attempt a ride. Riders are eligible to move up one distance from a previously completed IR sanctioned brevet in the same or previous season or attempt a brevet of equal distance completed within the last four seasons. Assume the basic "Super Randonneur" series of 200 km, 300 km, 400 km, 600 km, 1200 km brevets, but where 1200 km and 1000 km are treated equally. The brevet leader may make exceptions if convinced in advance that the rider is capable.

The SIR newsletter will give a brief route description of each Brevet so riders may plan equipment and support. Ride fees will be published in the SIR newsletter. The SIR newsletter will provide information on joining IR and SIR.

These rider expectations and the IR rules will be published in the SIR newsletter, SIR Web page (in near future) and sent to you when you join or renew SIR membership. All brevet leaders will have a copy available at the start of each ride for review purposes.

There will be arrangements at the start of the ride to accept an IR application form, a SIR application form, and collect any ride or medallion fees. Brevet organizers will be available at least 30 minutes before the official start time. Bring exact change or a check, or better yet, sign up in advance. Nominally, brevet entry fees are $5/100 km with extra charges for medals, non-SIR members ($5), and overnight controls.

SIR will provide some liability insurance protection, but riders are ultimately responsible for their own liability protection. This is even more crucial for medical coverage, as the SIR coverage is nominal and has a large deductible. Riders will be required to sign a waiver absolving SIR and the volunteer ride organizers of any liability.

Each rider will receive a route card, control locations, and navigational instructions in the form of a route sheet. Maps are not generally provided.

Riders who have notified the brevet leader in advance are given preference if shortages occur of any resource. Normally, there are a few extra copies of route sheets.

Show up ready for the start of the brevet with exact change or a personal check. Be ready to register for the ride from 15 to 30 minutes before the official brevet start time. Unless otherwise stated in advance, the brevet leader normally waits 1 hour after the official brevet start time. All timing starts at the official brevet start time regardless of a late rider's actual starting time.

Headlights (white and clearly visible from 150 yards to oncoming traffic), tail lights, and red rear reflectors are required. Note that many taillights are also legal reflectors. These may be checked and riders disqualified if they do not function. Functional lights must be mounted on bike at all times. Lights must be operating at night on each bike in a group. Blinking taillights are permitted, but note that these may bother some other riders. The brevet leader may waive lighting requirements in daylight brevets.

Reflective vests and leg bands are recommended for riding at night or during poor visibility and may be required by the brevet leader. This is for your safety and others in the group.

Multiple redundant headlights, taillights, extra bulbs, and extra batteries are recommended and may be required by the brevet leader. Hand held flashlights are recommended for repairs made in the dark.

As a courtesy to other riders, fenders (with 1/4 coverage front wheel and 1/2 coverage rear wheel ) are recommended. Additional rear splashguards are recommended for group riding.

Navigational instructions will include route sheet with description and mileage (typically km also) of each major turn and control point. Some rider judgment may be needed to compensate for minor accidental route sheet errors. Each rider is responsible for their own route finding.

Riders are on their own and need to arrange for their own transportation and assistance if they abandon the brevet. Any rider abandoning the brevet must notify the brevet leader or SIR official. Randonneurs are expected to be totally self-supported except as published in the ride description or specifically informed by the Brevet leader.

The Brevet leader will have an address and a phone number listed in the SIR newsletter. Brevet leaders will address rider questions within 10 days. Within the week preceding a Brevet, questions will be addressed in two days. Calling the night before a Brevet is risky.

If the final control is not manned by a SIR official, you must get a final control stamp at the control and mail your Brevet card to the Regional Brevet Administrator.

Your Brevet card will be sent to IR headquarters and returned to you with your medal when SIR receives the cards back. Sometimes this takes a while.

Controls will generally have water and restroom, with exceptions noted in the route description.

Riders must carry their own tools, spare parts, extra clothes, food and water. Brevet riders may assist one another on the road with minor repairs, food, and water. (Note that this is in conflict with ACP rules.) Riding in small self-organized groups is highly recommended for safety.

Non-rider support is only allowed at the controls. Riders may stop anywhere at stores or restaurants.

Drafting other official brevet riders is allowed. Extra space and caution is recommended for longer rides.

Aerobars are allowed on Brevets if used safely. PBP riders would be wise to avoid becoming dependent on them. Many experienced riders choose not to use aerobars.

Any ruling disputes or unusual circumstances may be appealed to the ride committee, but the ride committee will normally back the recommendation and/or decision of the brevet leader.

For a scheduled ride, submit a ride description to the ride committee for approval at least two months prior to the scheduled date. Generally the dates for brevets are set in September the previous year and submitted to Syracuse. If you have a passion for a particular ride date you must plan this far ahead.

Submit a draft route description and draft route sheet to the SIR ride committee so they can check it for mistakes, ambiguity, and appropriateness as an SIR brevet. The ride committee must approve the ride before it is published in the SIR newsletter.

The route description should include start time and date, exact ride fees, support included in ride fees, any special requirements such as reflective vests, and control abnormalities such as no restrooms or no water. Orient this description to help riders plan equipment, resources, and schedule.

Fill out the pre-Brevet paperwork.

Publish a general route description in SIR newsletter a few months ahead of the ride. You must know the mailing schedule and publication deadlines to plan this out, or else do it well in advance (2-3 months).

The route description should mention if any shared sleeping arrangements are included in the brevet fee or whether overnight accommodations should be arranged by riders themselves. The ride fee and amount of support should be kept to a minimum in the spirit of the self-supported randonneur.

It is reasonable to ask for voluntary monetary contributions from brevet riders if an unexpectedly low turnout or other unavoidable and unforeseen minor expenses occur. Riders will normally be understanding and supportive.

SIR does not normally reimburse for route scouting, cost of maps, or other indirect costs. SIR would expect the brevet leader and officials to be reimbursed for the cost of setting up an overnight control location or minimal food support at a control where other food options are not available. These costs should be known in advance and presented to the ride committee for approval and figured into the cost of the brevet entry.

Make sufficient route sheets and cards for the expected number of riders and a few extras for unexpected riders. Make these up well in advance.

If you are unfamiliar with making control cards, the SIR board can assist with determining control point times and route sheet details.

Have someone available as backup brevet leader in case you can not make it to the ride because of an emergency.

Have someone help you so it is easier, more fun, and then they will be ready to lead a Brevet next year!

Be at the start of the ride at least 30 minutes early. Probably 45 minutes to an hour is better. Give riders a 10-minute and 2 minute warning of the start. Make every effort to get all riders off at the exact starting time. Wait one hour after the start for any late starters. Note that the Brevet leader can do the ride also and not wait around if they explain this in the newsletter and the ride committee approves.

Keep records of who started the ride, who paid the brevet entry fee, who paid SIR dues, who paid IR dues, and who paid for medallions. There is an extra $5 fee for non-SIR a member. All riders must sign the liability waiver form. Make sure there are enough copies of the liability form.

All fees can go on one check and it should be made out to SIR with a note listing the break down. SIR will consolidate all fee’s that go to IR for that event, dues and medallions and send one check with the recap sheet noting who paid what. Experience has shown this method works best for the riders, SIR and IR.

During the ride the brevet leaders have no responsibility other than secret controls or any support specifically noted in the ride description.

Collect all stamped cards at the end of the brevet. Be sure to note the time if you collect cards at the end of brevet. Double check card before letting rider leave. Make sure it is signed.

If the final control is not attended by a SIR official, give instructions to riders to mail or deliver their card to the Brevet leader. Otherwise, riders can expect to simply leave their control card at the final control with a SIR official.

Mail or deliver all paper work and fees collected (in one batch) to the RBA as soon as possible. Paper work consists of the brevet roster of participants, who paid, SIR dues, IR dues, brevet entry fee, and medallion fee, and most importantly the brevet control cards signed by the rider. The reason for a rider abandoning must be reported.

It is customary to provide the SIR newsletter editor with a brief report on the brevet. This should include finishers and times if appropriate. Include a short description of conditions and any unusual events.

The RBA will receive the control cards from IR and see that they get to the individuals. The RBA may make arrangements for the Brevet leader to assist in this process.

The brevet leader may pre-ride the course and get brevet credit by following the SIR and IR rules. The brevet leader may take along one or two other riders for safety and to avoid schedule conflicts. Normally these riders would be required to stay together. Only riders specifically invited may pre-ride. The brevet leader has the right to turn down a request to ride along. A pre-ride of a route is not required if it is well known. We do not advertise these pre-rides normally because we want only people we know and trust on them.

The brevet leader may ride the brevet if proper arrangements for controls have been made. Note that this should be noted in the newsletter description and also approved by the ride committee.

The brevet leader may use the ride committee and/or the RBA to help clarify a rule or make a decision such as whether a rider is capable of attempting a ride. In such situations, the brevet leader should gather all relevant information and use the SIR officials in an advisory mode.

The brevet leader or organizers may perform informal safety inspections as a courtesy to riders. The brevet leader may disqualify a rider for unsafe equipment. The rider will sign a form saying they are responsible for their equipment, but this could help prevent some problems .

The safety check might include such things as: Working lights, check to see extra batteries, extra bulbs, sufficient clothes, reflective gear, wheels properly secured into frame, handlebars not loose, brake releases closed and sufficiently adjusted to stop the bike, sufficient tire pressure,. tire pump, patch kit, sufficient water on a hot day, stuff that could fall off and hit another rider, like loose bottles, lights, pump, fenders, etc, helmet

• Brevet leaders may enforce expectations as rules. Expectations have been clarified in this regard.
• Brevet leaders may disqualify a rider who does not meet rules or safety requirements.
• Non-members of IR or SIR may ride SIR Brevets, but non-SIR members have to pay extra $5 entry fee.
• Aerobars are now permitted if used safely.
• Brevet fees nominally set at $5/100 km.
• Brevet pre-ride by leader and a few trusted and invited others are permitted.
• Brevet leader may ride brevet if control arrangements are made and approved by ride committee.
• Lights are required, but brevet leader may waive this rule for daylight only brevets.
• Reflective vests are recommended, but may be required by brevet leader.

This ride will start and finish at Totem Falls Elementary School which is near the top of Seattle Hill Road, up from the Snohomish Valley. The route will proceed through Snohomish and up towards Granite Falls. From there we will head out Burn Road to Arlington, then return to Granite Falls along the Jordan River Road. We will then follow the Metzel Lake Road around Lake Roesiger and proceed to Monroe along Woods Creek Road. Leaving Monroe, we will head to Sultan along Highway 2 and return along Ben Howard Road. We will then proceed south to Duval and do the Cherry Valley loop exiting near Carnation. We will return along the West Snoqualmie Road over High Bridge Road back to Snohomish. We will finish up climbing back out of the Valley and Back to Totem Falls Elementary School.

The course is very scenic with a fair amount of ups and downs (save just a little bit to get out of the Snohomish Valley ~ 5 miles from the finish).

The ride will start at 7:00am. Rick & Julie Hippe’s house is 2 blocks from the school. It will be open from 6:30am until 6:55am (Please no cleats inside).

Plan to be at the ride start 30-45 minutes early to complete the necessary paperwork.

Rick and Julie will be hosting a BBQ & providing hamburgers, pasta, chips, pop and beer for all participants and support. The grill will be lit at 6hrs 30minutes after the start and will run until the gas is gone.

See the enclosed map for directions. RSVP to Rick Hippe by April 5^th. If you have any questions please call Rick & Julie at 206-488-4717.

For the past 7 years Nick Gerlich, UMCA director, has held a early season, cycling training camp in Texas called "The Rides of March" or better known as "HELLWEEK."

This year 108 riders from 28 states showed up. The Seattle Seven who went are: John Enzweiler, Rick Hippe, Greg Jackson, Beall Korry, Tom Lawrence, Pat Rodden, and John Wagner. This is my recollection of the events.

The 8 days of loops or out and back riding kicked off 8:30 AM Saturday. Each day covers just over 100 miles with around 4,000_ of elevation gain in "Texas Hill Country." Not wanting to waste a day, Friday, for travel to Hell central, Fredericksburg, which at best takes 9 - 10 travel hours, I flew a red eye arriving San Antonio 8:30 AM Saturday. The HELLWEEK announcement stating "Bring your sun block" with the predicted hot and dry was too magnetic to resist. The sun shown brightly at 37,000ft but at ground zero San Antonio the reality was tumultuous rain, raging rain, rain and more rain. I rode the 80 miles to Fredericksburg with my gear in a backpack and can never remember being wetter. The notion of "Hot and Dry" was one of my mantras, another was "Kill Gerlich." A hot shower, snooze and BBQ does wonders for the sprit. The next 3 days were pretty much the same except for an occasional sucker hole sun break. Our Seattle contingent, when not "assimilating local culture" with sojourns to Austin and San Antonio, would find the round corners of a square course and finish early with 60 miles for the day. They were becoming known as the Seattle Slackers. One southern belle young lady, who had previously never rode more than 2 back to back century days, reveled in needling the slackers. But then she was riding with Tom Lawrence's "Quitting is not an option" 70 year old dad. I had the pleasure of riding with the likes of Muffy Ritz, RAAM rider extraordinare, Connie Barns, "Michigan 24 hour" record holder and ultra endurance rider John Hughes, all of whom were gracious, friendly and a very social bunch.

The hill country roads are an excellent choice for cycling. Most were rural, with no painted lines, many were single lanes connecting farms and the few motor vehicles encountered were very courteous. The hills were rollers and if you had a flat section for any distance a big climb, may be a 1/4 mile long, awaited you and got your temples throbbing. We were a couple of weeks early for the famed spring Texas wild flowers. Each evening Nick posted a restaurant name for the sanctioned eating and watering hole where you could swap stories with RAAM winner Gerry Tatrai, Muffy or newly made road warrior friends but with all the wet and road grit ingrained clothes, daily trips to the laundry had to be fit in and Pat, sick of cowboy coffee, was ever in search of a "Cafe latte" fix.

Wednesday morning a major decision was made to leave "Texas Rain Country" and drive west to Big Bend country. Beall, in his infinite wisdom, had brought with him a wealth of touring information on this area. As it turns out we were heading for 2 of the best rides in all of Texas. Five of us: Beall, Greg, Pat, Rick and myself said good by to new and old friends then piled into two rented cars for the trip west.

To be continued next month.

Fleche 5/3/97 Kendall Demaree 788-1464

300 km 5/17/97 John W/Dan W 782-8965 New Hood Canal Loop (start @ Winslow)

400 km 5/31/97 John E/Mark R. 861-1766 Stevens Pass/Swak Pass (start & finish @ Issaquah Plateau)

600 km 6/21/97 Tom B/Dave J 775-6732 N. Cascades/Stevens Pass (start & finish @ Snohomish?)

SIR Membership Roster – don’t forget…if haven’t renewed your membership by the time it goes to press you won’t be on it.

The Rocky Mountain 1200

Ride description for the 5/17/97 300 km - this will be a new loop - don't miss it.

Any ride stories or epic adventures you want to share with your fellow SIR riders? You can send via e-mail ([email protected]) or snail mail to 655 4^th Street NE, #B302, East Wenatchee, WA 98802.
 

Brevet routes are:

200 km - Snoqualmie Valley (Start & Finish @Marymoor Park)
300 km - New Rood Canal (Start @ Winslow)
400 km - Stevens Pass/Swak Pass (Start & Finish @ Issaquah Plateau)
600 km - N.  Cascades/Stevens Pass (Start & Finish @Snohomish?)

The following officers were confirmed for 1997:

Larry Ricker - Regional Brevet Administrator
Laura Atkinson - Newsletter Editor
Bill Dussler - Treasurer

The issues of requiring IR membership, SIR membership dues, signing a liability clause vs.  procuring insurance (liability & casualty) and registration with state and federal tax agencies were debated with no resolution.  Mark Roberts volunteered to look into the tax and insurance issues.

Kendall distributed copies of his proposal for policies governing riding and coordinating brevets.  After debating the use of aerobars and required use of fenders, it was agreed to adopt all the prevailing rules governing participation in PBP (no aerobars and fenders strongly recommended) as published (English translation) in the latest IR newsletter, excluding Article 2 - 1 ,until the issue of requiring IR membership is resolved.  It was decided to require lights and reflective garments on 200 km brevets due to the 13.5 hour time limit.  Kendall asked that the text of his proposals be further scrutinized at the readers' convenience and any questions or suggestions be directed to him.  He will present a second draft at or before the next SIR meeting.

Another meeting was scheduled for Thursday, March 6, to continue unfinished business.
 

AGENDA

If you have any other favorite cycling web sites, e-mail them to me ([email protected]), I'll list them in the next newsletter and let everyone else take a look.   Back to Business--

Riders must ride safely, obey all rules of the road, and follow IR rules.

Riders must be members of both IR and SIR.

All SIR members will receive an SIR newsletter which will give basic information on the scheduled SIR brevets.

Riders must demonstrate their ability to reasonably attempt the ride.  Riders may move up one distance from a previously completed IR brevet in the same or previous season or attempt a brevet of the same distance completed within the last four seasons.  Assume the basic "Super Randonneur" series of 200 km, 300 km, 400 km, 600 km, 1200 km brevets , but where 1200 km and 1000 km are treated equally.

The SIR newsletter will give a brief route description of each Brevet so that riders may plan equipment and support.  Ride fees will be published in the newsletter also.  The SIR newsletter should have information on joining IR and SIR.

These rider expectations and the IR rules will be available at the start of each ride as part of the ride fee.  One per rider per season please.

There will be arrangements at the start of the ride to accept an IR application form, an SIR application form, and collect any ride or medallion fees.  Brevet organizers will be available at least 30 minutes before the official start time.  Bring exact change or a check, or better yet, sign up in advance.

Each rider will receive a route card, control locations, and navigational instructions in the form of a route sheet.  Maps are not generally provided.

Riders who have notified the brevet leader in advance are given preference if shortages occur of any resource.  So let the brevet leader know you are coming.  Normally, there a few extra copies of route sheets.

Headlight, tail light, and reflective vests are required.  These may be checked and riders disqualified if they do not function.  Functional lights must be mounted on bike at all times.  Lights must be operating at night on each bike in a group.  Reflective clothing must be worn by all riders at night.

Blinking tail lights are permitted, but note that these may bother some other riders.  Reflective leg bands are recommended.

Show up ready for the start of the brevet with exact change or a personal check.  Be ready to register for the ride from 15 to 30 minutes before the official brevet start time.  Unless otherwise stated in advance, the brevet leader normally waits 1 hour after the official brevet start time.  All timing starts at the official brevet start time regardless of a late rider's actual starting time.

As a courtesy to other riders, fenders (1/4 coverage on front wheel and 1/2 coverage on back wheel) are recommended.  Additional rear splash guards are recommended for group riding.  Reflective tape on fenders (and anything/everything else) is recommended.

Navigational instructions will include route sheet with description and mileage (typically km also) of each major turn and control point.  Some rider judgment may be needed to compensate for any minor accidental route sheet errors.  Each rider is responsible for their own route finding.

Riders are on their own and need to arrange for their own transportation and assistance if they abandon the brevet.  Any rider abandoning the brevet should notify the brevet leader or SIR official.  Randonneurs are expected to be totally self-supported except as published in the ride description or specifically informed by the brevet leader.

The Brevet leader will have an address and a phone number listed in the SIR newsletter.  Brevet leaders will address rider questions within 10 days.  Within the week preceding a Brevet, questions will be addressed in two days.  Calling the night before a Brevet is risky.

If the final control is not manned by an SIR official, you must get a final control stamp at the control and mail in your Brevet card to the Brevet leader.

Your Brevet card will be turned into IR headquarters and returned to you with your medal when SIR receives the cards back.  Sometimes this take a while.

Controls will generally have water and restroom.  Exceptions will be noted in the newsletter route description.

Each riders should carry their own tools, spare parts, food and water.  Brevet riders may assist one another on the road with minor repairs, food, and water.  (Note that this is in conflict with ACP rules.) Riding in Small self organized groups is highly recommended.

Drafting is allowed.  Areobars are not allowed on Brevets.  (SIR does this to comply with IR rules.  Also, since PBP does not allow areobars, it is good training for PBP.  This rule may change in the future, but for now, no areobars.)

Any ruling disputes or unusual circumstances may be appealed to the ride committee, but the ride committee will normally back the recommendation of the brevet leader.

Another reminder to send in your 1997 membership, or next month's newsletter will be your last.

A route description for the April 19th 200 km ride through the lovely and scenic Snoqualmie Valley

Any ride stories or epic adventures you want to share with your fellow SIR riders? Please don't make me recap my training journal, send me something.  You can send via e-mail ([email protected]) or snail mail to 655 4th Street NE, #B302, East Wenatchee, WA 98802.