[ORRando] Looking for ride to 600k

[Michael Wolfe]

Dan,

Welcome to the sport of randonneuring!  I'll answer your questions, but I
would also highly recommend checking out the Randonneurs USA site, here:
www.rusa.org.

The Oregon XTR 600k is not a 3 day ride.  It's not even technically a 2 day
ride.  The time limit is 40 hours, which works out to about 2 full daytimes,
plus one night of riding in between.  Some folks are fast enough that they
can get most of the riding done by 9 or 10 or 11 the first day, get a full
night's sleep, and finish up the next day.  Others basically spend the whole
time pedaling and still just finish with an hour to spare.  I'm pretty fast,
but I usually pedal through the night and finish early, because I like
riding at night.  40 hours for 600k is not a killing pace -- it's just 15
kph, but that includes time off the bike, too, so you really do have to be
fit and exercise some discipline about where you spend your time off the
bike.

Randonneuring is self-supported long distance riding.  You carry what you
need on your bike, or you buy it along the way.  On rides as long as a 600k,
the organizer frequently (but not always!) makes a provision to carry a drop
bag for you to one of the controles.  I'm pretty sure John Kramer will be
allowing drop bags on this one.  Most people put a change of clothes,
supplies like batteries, and some extra food that might be hard to find on
the road (if you're using a particular drink powder like Perpetuem or
Endurox, for instance) in their drop bags.  But don't expect to be able to
access your drop bag anywhere but at that controle.

This sport bridges the gap between touring and ultra-distance racing.  It's
like touring in that you carry what you need, but not like it in that there
is a time limit, and there is a chance of failure -- there is no sag wagon
to pick you up if your bike breaks or you get too exhausted to continue.
It's like ultra racing in that you cover immense distances in kind of
astoundingly short time periods, but not like it in that there is no support
car handing you food and water, and most importantly, because randonneuring
is NOT competitive!  There is an ethos of cooperation in randonneuring that
is absent from racing.  You are encouraged to paceline, to render assistance
to other riders in need, and to simply provide moral support to your fellow
riders.

I would suggest that you maybe try one of the shorter events that we have
scheduled between now and the end of May to prepare you for the ride, and to
give you a better sense of what to expect.

-Michael

2009/3/25 Dan Silvernail <dansilvernail at gmail.com>

> There is a chance that I may be riding this, it looks amazing.  If it was
> scheduled for one week later, I could guarantee that I would go, but I still
> may be able to do some fanaggaling and negotiating so I can go.
>
> I've never ridden one of these, so I have some questions.
>
> First, it looks to be a 3 day ride, correct?  The reason that this is not
> crystal clear is that the schedule says May 30-31 but the route is segmented
> into 3 days.
>
> Second, how does our gear get from town to town?  Is there a follow car or
> do we carry panniers?
>
> From what I could gather, this looks to be a sort of "poor man's" multi day
> cycling tour (like Cycle Oregon or so), but longer days (which I like) and
> less frills (just fine by me).
>
> I am going to start the negotiations today, and hopefully I can work this
> ride in.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dan
> On Wed, Mar 25, 2009 at 7:20 AM, Michael Johnson <mjawnson at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Hey there, I'm looking for someone in Portland who I can catch a ride
>> with to the 600k in May. I do have the friday before the event off so
>> I'm down with leaving that day. I can leave anytime friday. I'm,
>> obviously, more than happy to pitch in for gas and split the cost on
>> a hotel room. If anyone has a spot in there car and is open to me
>> tagging along please feel free to contact me through this list,
>> direct email--mjawnson at gmail.com or by phone (415)305-5502.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> mike johnson
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>
>
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