In the sport of randonneuring, a brevet or randonnée is an organised long-distance bicycle ride. Cyclists - who, in this discipline, may be referred to as randonneurs - follow a designated but unmarked route (usually 200km to 1400km), passing through check-point controls, and must complete the course within specified time limits. These limits, while challenging, still allow the ride to be completed at a comfortable pace - there is no requirement to cycle at racing speeds or employ road bicycle racing strategies. Randonneuring is a type of long distance bicycle riding. ... For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). ... A cyclist is a person who engages in cycling whether as a sport or rides a bicycle for recreation or transportation. ... A randonneur is a participant in a randonnée or brevet - an organised long-distance, non-competitive bicycle ride. ... Road bicycle racing is a popular bicycle racing sport held on roads (following the geography of the area), using racing bicycles. ...

Randonnée is a French word which loosely translates to 'ramble or 'long journey'. Brevet means 'certificate' and refers to the card carried by randonneurs which gets stamped at controls; it is also used to refer to the event itself, ie: a certificated ride.

In Great Britain and Australia the term audax is also used for brevets, although this term actually designates a different kind of long distance bicycling, see Audax. The French brevet club is called "Audax Club Parisien", which increases the confusion. Audax is a form of cycling where by the riders travel a long distance as a gropu. ...

Randonneurs do not compete against other cyclists; randonnées are a test of endurance, self-sufficiency and bicycle touring skills. Riders are expected to carry appropriate clothing for inclement weather, spare parts and tools needed for likely repairs. Brevets frequently involve night riding, when participants are required to carry lights, spare bulbs and reflective gear. No specialist bicycle is required; most riders use either a racing bicycle or a fast touring bicycle - several manufacturers provide models with a Randonneur or Audax name to reflect their target market. Those are usually racing bicycles with mounts for a baggage carrier and mudguards. On many brevets recumbents and velomobiles can be seen, as these types of bicycles are well suited for long distances. An aluminum racing bicycle made by Raleigh and built using Shimano components. ... A touring bicycle is a road bicycle designed for long-distance travel, and especially bicycle touring. ... Tandem recumbent bicycle manufactured by BikeE A recumbent bicycle is a variety of bicycle which places the rider in a seated or supine position (rarely, in a prone position). ... www. ...

Brevet Types

The classic distances for randonnées are 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km. To complete one of each during a given year is known as completing a "series". A randonneur is required to complete an Auduax Club Parisien series to qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris. There are brevets of distances greater than 600km but none under 200km. The organizations recognise and run events called Populaires for those events less than 200km. A randonneur is a participant in a randonnée or brevet - an organised long-distance, non-competitive bicycle ride. ...

The time limits for the distances are as follows:

• 200K - 13.5 hours (14 hours in the UK, as in the original events.)
• 300K - 20 hours
• 400K - 27 hours
• 600K - 40 hours
• 1000K - 75 hours
• 1200K - 90 hours (or 80 or 84 hours by choice)
• 1400K - 116:40 hours (optionally 105:16 or 93:20 hours)

Paris-Brest-Paris

Sometimes regarded as the Blue Riband randonnée, Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) is an approximately 1200km event held on an out-and-back course between Paris and Brest every four years. Begun in 1891, it is the oldest bicycling event still regularly run. It began as a race for professional cyclists, but is now a non-competitive endurance challenge. To qualify, a cyclist must complete a series of brevets within the same year. The series must be completed in the correct order (200, 300, 400 and then 600k), but any brevet may be replaced with a longer randonnée. The Blue Riband is an award held by the ship with the record for a transatlantic crossing. ... Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) is an approximately 1200km randonnée bicycle ride held on an out-and-back course between Paris and Brest, France, every four years. ... It has been suggested that List of visitor attractions in Paris be merged into this article or section. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Boston-Montréal-Boston

Boston-Montréal-Boston (BMB) is also a 1200km out-and-back between Boston and Montréal. BMB is sometimes regarded as the North American equivalent of PBP. It is held every year except when Paris-Brest-Paris is held. Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Concordia Salus (Salvation through harmony) Ville de Montréal, Québec, Canada Location. ...

Other 1200 km and longer brevets

1. BMB Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200k (USA)
2. Cascade 1200 (USA)
3. Gold Rush Randonnée (USA)
4. Great Southern Randonnée (Australia)
5. Last Chance 1200k Randonnée (USA)
6. LEL: London-Edinburgh-London (United Kingdom)
7. Madrid-Gijon-Madrid 1200km (Spain)
8. PAP: Perth-Albany-Perth (Australia)
9. Rocky Mountain 1200 (Canada)
10. VanIsle 1200 (Canada)
11. Sofia-Varna-Sofia 1200km (Bulgaria)
12. Super Brevet Scandinavia 1200km (Denmark, Norway, Sweden)
13. Hamburg-Berlin-Cologne-Hamburg 1500 km (Germany)
14. Bonifay Cheaha Challenge 1200K (USA)

See also

• Challenge riding
• Cyclosportive
• Reliability trial
• Race Across America
• Ultra Marathon Cycling

Challenge riding is a form of cycling where the riders challenge themselves rather than each other. ... A cyclosportive is a mass-participation bicycle event that combines elements of road bicycle racing and long distance bicycle touring. ... A reliability trial is an organised bicycle ride which challenges a cyclist to complete a course, passing through designated control points, within a preset time limit. ... The Race Across America, or RAAM, is an ultra marathon bicycle race across the USA that started in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race. ...

External links

• RUSA - The ACP-sanctioned brevet coordinating organization for the United States of America.
• Audax UK
• British Columbia Randonneurs Canada
• French website of ACP
• Ultra Marathon Cycling Association
• Race Across America
• Seattle International Randonneurs
• Audax Australia
• Audax Japan