An Introduction to Randonneuring

Steve Phillips certainly doesn't ease into things—at least not on his bike.

He started road cycling in 2007 and immediately strived to see how many century rides he could do in a year.

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Later, while hibernating in a cold Alabama winter, Phillips itched to get back on the bike. So he went to Florida and entered a 24-hour event, completing 385 miles.

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Looking for a new challenge, an employee at his favorite bike shop asked him: Have you heard of randonneuring?

"I said, 'Rando-what?'" Phillips laughs.

A few years later, Phillips founded the Alabama Randonneurs and participates often in the "self-sustaining" side of endurance cycling.

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Randonneuring is distance cycling with a tough twist. Unlike century rides and other popular organized events, randonneuring stresses self-sufficiency. Randonneuring events, called brevets (rhymes with "days"), do not have any SAG vehicles or organized rest stops. You are pretty much on your own, with whatever you carry on your bike or purchase on the route.

"I would say it's kind of a cross between organized centuries and touring," Phillips said.

Here's a look at what makes randonneuring unique:

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Brevets

The rides are typically 200K, 300K, 400K, 600K, 1,000K or 1,200K in distance. Each distance has a universal time limit in place in which a rider must complete the route to be considered finishers. Everyone who finishes is designated a "winner" so whether you finish a 200K in 8 hours or 13 hours makes no difference. As long as you're under the 13 1/2 hour time limit designated for the 200K distance.

The time limit for a 300K (186 miles) is 20 hours, and it works its way up to the 1,200K brevets (750 miles), which has a time limit of 90 hours.

"You don't have to be fast to do randonneuring. You just have to be willing," Phillips said. "On a 200K, you have 13 1/2 hours to complete it. That's not very fast. It mostly becomes a matter of if you're willing.

"Most people can do it. Most people that do organized century rides should have no trouble (with a 200K brevet)." Every ride has checkpoints along the route, and every cyclist has a card that must get stamped at each checkpoint to prove you did the entire course.

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The Challenges

Having no helpful rest stops or SAG vehicles to assist you adds a unique challenge to the ride. Self-sufficiency means you need a game plan and some mechanical knowledge to get you through any pickle.

Phillips said the checkpoints often are at convenience store parking lots, so cyclists frequently dash in and get food and drink to last them for a while. Depending on the distance, it helps to have bike tools that can get you out of a number of jams. Learning how to fix a flat tire is a must.

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"Even though you're self-sufficient, part of the whole thing with randonneuring is the camaraderie that goes with it," Phillips said. "Other randonneurs are more than willing to help someone if there's an issue. We're not going to ride by someone without saying 'Hey, is everything OK?'"

The brevets—specifically the ones that exceed 300K—offer a new challenge: nighttime riding. There are also concerns like nasty weather that randonneurs grind through.

"We don't condone riding in dangerous weather," Phillips said, "but most everyone in randonneuring has pushed the limits. That's sort of the adventure of it."

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The Reward

Finish a 200K brevet, and you can officially call yourself a randonneur. If the event you complete is certified by Audax Club Parisien in France (as most are), your result is recorded in Paris alongside all other brevet finishers dating back to 1921.

In addition, any rider who completes a 200K, 300K, 400K and 600K brevet in a single year is considered a "super randonneur" according to Randonneurs USA

The accomplishments are nice. But more than anything, randonneuring is a growing niche for a cyclist in search of just a little extra adventure.

"The idea that you have to overcome obstacles, overcome situations...that's what attracts most of us to it," Phillips said. "To say 'Wow, it was really hot today but we managed to do it,' or 'It was cold but we got through it' or 'It's pouring down rain but we did it.' I think that's what drives and motivates people to do it."

More: 3 Tips to Build Mental Toughness

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