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For a Cycling Adventure, Try a Brevet
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Brevet riders in France
If you’re a recreational rider, tired of piling up the miles without any specific goals in mind while all the area racers zoom by with perfectly feigned ignorance of your very existence, it might be time to shake up your training and try something new. A Brevet is just the ticket.
And just what is a Brevet? It’s a long distance certification of your ability to ride all day long while taking on whatever the elements can throw at you. “Brevet”, as used here, is a French word, pronounced “bruh-vay” meaning “certification”. Brevet events were created in France as pass-fail tests for randonneurs who aspired to take on Paris-Brest-Paris or one of the other major randonees offered up as the epitomes of long-distance cycling. To get out of the circular definition trap, I’ll define a randonee as a long distance bicycle trek and a randonneur as one who undertakes a long distance bicycle trek.
Believe it or not, there are randonees now offered in the US, including a 1200K challenge right here in Colorado in less than three weeks. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I don’t propose you take on a 1200K ride, but rather one of the Brevets that are held locally throughout the riding season. Specifically, why not try the 200K Stove Prairie Brevet scheduled for September 20?
200K translates to 125 miles, a pretty fair distance, but really not that different from the centuries you’ve ridden in the past. This one starts at the Conoco on the northeast corner of I-25 and highway 66 (exit 243). You’ll need to be there at 7:00 am to sign in for the 8:00 am start. There is no charge for the ride itself, but for insurance purposes you do need to be a member of the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club. You can pay the $25.00 annual dues on the spot.
Brevets are not organized in the same sense that the Triple Bypass or Ride the Rockies are. There are no staffed aid stations or police support. You will, however, have to stop at a number of checkpoints along the way, normally convenience stores where you can stock up on food and water. You will be issued a passport when you start and it will be your responsibility to get that passport stamped at each of the checkpoints.
This particular Brevet takes you through Berthoud, bypassing Carter Lake on the way to Masonville. At the Masonville T, you go left and attack the Stove Prairie climb from the easier side. If you’ve never ridden to Stove Prairie, you’re in for a treat. The scenery is stunning, made even more-so if the autumn leaves have started to turn. After topping out at the old Stove Prairie school, you head down the steeper side to join Poudre Canyon. The ride down Poudre Canyon can be sublime. Yes, there will be lots of traffic, but your downhill speed will keep you from impeding drivers to any serious degree.
At the bottom of the canyon you only ride a short distance on highway 287 before wending through the outskirts of Ft. Collins before tackling the challenging climbs that skirt Horsetooth Reservoir. After returning to the T in Masonville, you retrace your original wheel tracks back to the starting Conoco.
If you’ve never tried a Brevet, you owe yourself an adventure like this, so get out there and give it a try. For more details about this event and other long distance rides, check out http://rmccrides.com/brevet2008schedule.htm
For more info: www.rmccrides.com
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