Great Lakes Randonneurs

Greetings Fellow Randonneurs,

We are again offering multiple brevets on five weekends in May and June. The schedule is on the right, for more details please refer to our brevet series page.

A few brief reminders:

• Get yourself and your bike ready!
• Renew your membership with GLR and RUSA today! You will not receive official credit for a completed brevet without prior membership in RUSA.
• Send in your registration form early - avoid the line, commit (you’re more likely to ride if you do), plus you’ll save $5.
• The 400K/600K routes are being reviewed for minor changes and will be posted.
• A few topics of debate over the years: Route Marking and SAG Support. Read below for more on both, and
• Please offer GLR your feedback at gro.odnarrlg@ofnirlg.

Hope to see you all in early May, and better, on the route!

Jim Kreps - Regional Brevet Administrator

300km Route Information

We've added a page with some more detailed information on the 300km route at Route Information: 300k. In the next few weeks each route will have its own detail page.

GLR Season Opener

Fourtynine riders rode our season-opening brevets under overcast, but dry, skies with moderate temperatures. Four PBP Anciens: Al Becke, Robert Booth, Mike Feirstein, and Eric Peterson rode the 200k along with super-randonneur and RAAM veteran Paul Danhaus. Super-randonneur Ed Hoffman rode the 300km. They were joined by a large group of veterans and several riders completing their first brevets. Congratulations to all new randonneurs, we look forward to your continued participation.

An uncommon east wind made for a relatively quick first leg to the Brodhead control for several large groups. The wind was largely supportive on the way north to Oregon but became a factor heading east after that. Several stretches on the final leg into Delavan were fully exposed and made it more challenging for tired legs. 

Southern Wisconsin has a lot of scenic roads with very low traffic,  however the winter has not been kind to several of them. There were a few short gravel sections and several intersections with excess gravel and sand on the way to Brodhead and a few more between Oregon and Edgerton. Several railroad crossings were also potentially hazardous, especially if crossed at high speed or at an acute angle. 

Do you have a ride summary or other information that will be helpful to your fellow randonneurs? Please send it via the contact link at the bottom of the page, thanks!

The images are coming! The images are coming!

We have begun the process of cataloging and identifying some of the images taken at our brevets. Here are several albums from recent events:

• Image Album: 4/23/2011 200k/300k Brevets
• Image Album: 5/7/2011 200k/300k Brevets
• Image Album: 5/21/2011 200k/300k/400k/600k Brevets
• Image Album: 6/4/2011 200k/300k/400k/600k Brevets
• Image Album: 5/15/2010 200k/300k Brevets

Please submit comments or images so that we can expand our collection.

Pre-brevet Timeline

Here's the pre-brevet timeline from our brevettips page.

• one month prior:

  Test and refine hydration and nutrition strategies on endurance training rides. This is also a good time to insure that positioning and contact points are comfortable. Minor annoyances on short rides can become major inconveniences on long rides.

• several weeks prior:

  Attempt to duplicate as many ride-day conditions as possible on remaining endurance training rides, e.g. pre-ride routine, clothing, nutrition, intensity or duration.

  Test equipment to insure it's in good working order, e.g. lighting system and reflective gear if there's a possibility of riding at night. Allow ample time for necessary maintenance or repair. Brevets are generally not appropriate for testing new equipment or clothing.

• one week prior:

  Begin, or continue, a substantial reduction of training volume while maintaining intensity. Download and review the route map and cue sheet. Use this information to plan hydration, nutrition and pacing strategies. This is also a good time to review the event rules and finalize logistics. Inspect tires and if necessary, wash clothes.

• two days before:

  Charge all electronic devices. Increase carbohydrate intake. Gather everything you plan to take, e.g. in a laundry basket, so you aren’t scrambling to find things at the last minute. Inspect and inflate tires, lubricate drivetrain, and get a full night's sleep.

• morning of:

  When possible, have a full breakfast several hours before the start that has limited amounts of protein, fat, and fiber. Check the weather forecast before finalizing clothing, hydration and nutrition strategy. Review pacing strategy with respect to the forecast wind speed and direction. Plan to arrive at the start at least a half hour before the scheduled departure time. After bike assembly: inspect tires and check pressure, verify that wheels are centered, quick releases are secure and brake cable release levers are closed.

  Brevet length, weather conditions, and personal preferences will determine what items you'll need to carry. Here are some suggestions grouped by category:

  • event: brevet card, cue sheet, map
  • wallet: cash, credit card, ID, insurance card, emergency information, keys
  • medication: prescription, antacid
  • personal: sunscreen, lip balm, chamois cream, moleskin, band-aids, towlettes, lens wipes, cleat covers, special needs
  • electronics (fully charged): cell phone w. in case of emergency (ICE) contact, gps
  • nutrition: fluids, energy bars, gels, snacks
  • weather: rain gear, helmet visor, cold weather gear, hand/foot warmers
  • tire repair: pump, CO2, tubes, patch kit w. unopened glue, tire levers, tire boot, spare tire
  • bike repair: multitool, chain tool, master-link, spoke wrench, fiberfix spoke, groove joint pliers, penknife
  • nighttime: reflective vest & ankle bands, LED flashlight, spare bulbs & batteries, clear lenses, space blanket, chewing gum
  • multi-purpose: electrical tape, produce bags, Tyvek sheet, zip ties, zip-lock bag

Where in the world is Bryce Walsh?

GLR's Bryce Walsh, a Chicago-based endurance athlete and coach, is competing in the world’s longest bicycle race – Cairo to Cape Town in the Tour d’Afrique that began January 14th and finishes May 12th. You can follow his progress on his Ultracyclist blog.

Having honed his off-road skills on the TdA, he'll then follow up with the Tour Divide, the world’s longest mountain bike race beginning June 8th. TD is a 2745 mile self-supported race along the great divide mountain bike route from Canada to the Mexican border that follows the Continental Divide.

Illinois Red Light Law

Effective January 1, 2012, Illinois law provides that a motorcycle or bicycle that arrives at a red traffic control light "which fails to change to a green light within a reasonable period of time because of a signal malfunction or because the signal has failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle or bicycle due to the vehicle's size or weight, shall have the right to proceed, after yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic facing a green signal…" This law does not take effect in municipalities of greater than 2,000,000 population (read: Chicago).

I'm sure many of you have been frustrated with traffic lights that don't recognize the presence of bicycles and welcome the change. The law does not permit a turn on red where a "right turn on red" is otherwise prohibited at the corner. The law also requires the rider to yield the right of way to all cross traffic. Also the "reasonable” waiting time is not specifically defined. It presumably would require a wait of some period of time, and not immediately proceeding after a perfunctory stop. Although you may find such a wait "reasonable" an observing police officer might not agree, and then you might need to tell it to a judge.

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