As one of the healthiest cities in the US, Seattle is home to the complete spectrum of the tribes of cycling: Commuters, hipsters, recreationalsts, roadies, mtb-ers, racers, tracksters…and at an extreme of the cycling continuum…the randonneurs.
Randonnuering can be loosely defined as “long distance self-sufficient cycling.” Randonneuring events range in length from 100km to over 1200km completed over a defined route within time limits at control points along the way. Participants can only receive support at the designated control points, so each rider must be prepared for mechanical mishaps, changes in weather, and whatever misfortunes may occur during the ride. Randonneuring events are considered non-competitive and are often characterized by cooperation and camaraderie between riders. But in reality every rando’s objectives vary: For some the focus is on long distance touring, while for others it’s about fast times and long distances.
Seattle is home to one of the largest randonneuring clubs in the world (the Seattle International Randonneurs-SIR) and I recently had the opportunity to take a spin with two of our more high-profile randonneurs, Mark Thomas (president of SIR as well as Randonneurs USA-RUSA), and Nigerian-born Vincent “Vinny” Muoneke.
Our tour alternated between hard efforts and conversation about the joys of cycling in general, and for Mark and Vinny, the joys of randonneuring in particular. I wondered whether they felt that randonneuring is a passion or an addiction…
For both riders their enthusiasm for the randonneuring discipline is evident from the numbers: This year both have logged over 10,000km of official randonneuring miles (randos get credit for cycling with other randonneurs along routes that are registered with the organization; our ride together was not official since I’m not a randonneur.)
As Mark says:
“Cycling brings me a lot of joy, but any theory of that joy is inchoate at best. I love the personal challenge. I love the way the miles go by. I love the simplicity of turning the pedals over and over and over again. I love the scenery. I love the puzzlement of locals that I meet along the way. I love the shared purpose and experience of consorting with other randonneurs. I love the feeling of accomplishment. I love dreaming about rides to come.”
Mark suspects that his relationship with randonneuring is just a passion, but he recognizes that he may well be in a state of denial. Whether a passion or an addiction, this year Mark has completed a whopping five 1200km events, which are called “grand randonnees”:
1. New Zealand in February was spectacularly beautiful. Mark did the entire ride with fellow SIR member Rick Blacker (there were only 9 riders total).
2. Korea in May was a pretty unique experience – the language barrier and cultural differences made for a fun time. Here he rode it all with fellow SIR members Rick Blacker and Greg Cox.
3. The Colorado High Country was another very scenic ride. Mark felt nervous about the altitude, but other than some huffing and puffing up a giant climb on the first day, he had no difficulties. He did the whole ride with rando buddy Jimmy Williams from North Carolina.
4. The Rocky Mountain 1200 in July (BC and Alberta) stood out for two reasons: Appalling conditions on the first day, for which Seattle randonneuring was great training, and the fast and furious (for Mark) pace in the company of NW riders Bob Brudvik (SIR) and Del Scharffenberg (Portland). This was Mark’s fastest 1200km event even though he got two good nights of sleep along the way.
5. North Carolina (end of August) was a different ride for Mark because he rode more than 90% of it by himself. This provided him with the opportunity to get back in tune with how much he enjoys cycling solo. Listening to the wheels rolling along the pavement, riding under a full moon, and being one with the bike.
As an outside observer, Vinny strikes me as the Shaman of Seattle’s randonneuring scene; He imparts wisdom and insight about the randonneuring experience that clearly comes from long miles on the bike. His relaxed style clearly shows that he has come to terms with adversity and suffering, as well as the endorphins that are the by-products of such experiences. Vinny explores the limits of the randonneuring experience, which has recently included pre-riding the event routes and point to point (one-way) rides:
“I have been drawn to the unsupported ride, I believe they emphasize the cerebral (decision making) aspect of the ride, a special arrow to have in your quiver. Where do I find these rides? Permanents (official randonneuring routes) and pre-rides. The pre-rides also come with extra unpredictability. Adding another dimension to the equation is the point to point ride. Most brevets take the form of some kind of loop, invoking the law of averages, headwinds now, tail winds later; what goes up will come down. This is obviously a simplification, but on the pre-ride of the Crater Lake 1000K with Geoff, without study of the profile of the ride, I completed the hundred mile climb expecting to descend 8000ft to the finish. Klamath falls was still above 4000ft ASL, nice curve. The point is (no pun intended), with a point to point situation it is theoretically possible to climb, descend, fight headwinds or drift with tailwinds for the whole ride. I like this.
Joe Platzner intuited that we are drawn to an “Audacious” ride. Well there you have it.”
SIR is one of the larger cycling organizations in the Seattle area, and the range of randonneurring events can appeal to any cyclist. For cyclists looking to build fitness and endurance, SIR events are sequenced in a series of increasingly longer rides that build to extremely long distances as each season progresses.
Although the randonneurs seem to get dismissed as a bit of a fringe cult, I think they deserve ample respect given the athleticism and determination they exhibit.
