The Spirit of Randonneuring

A new randonneur posted an interesting question on our local group's Google Group recently about a RUSA rule. He was concerned about the rules governing outside help but I interpreted it as a wider question about the spirit of Randonneuring in general.

I'm always surprised to meet cyclists who have never heard of randonneuring. It's a French concept that has taken off around the world and is particularly popular in the USA, UK, and Japan (and, of course, France). It has a very inclusive approach to long-distance cycling especially for those of us who like doing very long rides, at a relaxed pace, and can be self-supporting. It's different from the double-century format in that the rides vary from 200k to 1200k (124mi to 750mi) called brevets, have a minimum speed of 9.5mph, and there is generally little to no support.

The organization is typically French in concept. A group of riders start at a prearranged time and place and follow a specific course to the end at an average pace from 9.5 to 19mph. Although this may seem very slow, you'd be surprised how much time is lost at red lights, stop signs, convenience stores, getting lost, etc. Plus on the longer rides you have to get some sleep in too. There are controls at specific locations to give the riders the opportunity to get fresh supplies and also to prove they are more-or-less on course and not taking any shortcuts. They are rarely manned and rely instead on getting store reciepts or answering a question on the brevet card that could only be answered by being at the specified location.

Although the riders are encouraged to stay on route (and there can be secret controls to ensure they don't cheat), it's not uncommon for riders to slightly modify the route. For example on a 400k I rode recently the official route took a parallel road through Laguna Beach because that stretch of PCH can have heavy traffic. However at the time I went through the traffic was light so I simply stayed on PCH and rode the same distance. With a US mentality I broke the rules, with a French mentality I was simply being sensible.

We also encounted a serious traffic accident near San Pedro. The group I was in was fortunate in that the police allowed us to pass through. A group behind us was not so lucky. They elected to sleep for a couple of hours until the road was open again. I'm sure the RBA (Regional Brevet Administrator) allowed them to get to the controls later than the official cutoff time because of this. They could also have found a detour but even with a GPS system the best alternative route would have added five miles. Again, the RBA would have made allowances. They could also have asked someone to drive them along the detour and drop them at the far side of the accident site where they could have continued riding.

All these would be considered reasonable solutions to an unforseeable problem.

The rules prohibit receiving help from anyone not riding or officiating the ride. But they should be interpreted as saying "don't get your friends to come and take turns pulling you for 100 miles". The rules require you to stay on the designated course, but they should be interpreted as saying that you must not take shortcuts.

Odd how Americans fret so much over interpreting the rules, just like the Brits. As a friend said "The French just shrug as only the French can."