I submitted an article on GRR to our local paper, the Davis Enterprise. To my surprise, they printed it on the front page of the Sunday Edition, above the fold and everything.
Unfortunately, you can only access the entire article online if you pay for the subscription. My guess is most people in Davis already subscribe, and everyone else isn’t about to start for one article. I received permission to reprint the article and photo here. So for those interested, enjoy.
“By most measures, Jonathan Gray is a normal guy. He is mild mannered and middle aged; a slender, unassuming man with a gentle smile and easy laugh. He lives in West Davis, works in Sacramento, and rides his bike for fun and exercise.
But starting Monday, July 6, Jonathan is going to do something even hard core Davis cyclists consider insane. He is going to join over 100 other cyclists on a ride from Davis to the Oregon border and back — nearly 750 miles— in 90 hours or less. If he takes the entire 90 hours, he could be riding his bike from 6pm Monday until 12 noon Friday.
The event is the Gold Rush Randonnee, a 1200-kilometer ride put on every four years by the Davis Bike Club (DBC). Randonnee means, loosely, a long ramble in the countryside. In cycling, randonnees are somewhat strenuous rides for set distances. Throughout that distance, there are controles, check points that double as rest stops. Riders get a card at the beginning of the ride and have to have it stamped at each controle within a specified time window to complete the ride successfully. A randonnee is by definition not a race, but it is still an extreme challenge.
The Gold Rush Randonnee (“GRR,” pronounced like a growl), is modeled after France’s famous Paris-Brest-Paris event, which first ran in 1891 and is now held every four years. PBP, as that ride is known, is wildly popular; it drew over 5,000 cyclists in 2007.
Davis’ GRR has far fewer riders, but this year’s event has attracted people from as far away as Australia, Japan, and Sweden. One reason is that there are so few 1200k randonnees offered worldwide; GRR is one of only three in the U.S. this year. Another reason is that DBC rides are renowned for their rider support. Volunteers will be staffing at least ten controles on the route, and will be patrolling the entire course in SAG vehicles (Support And Gear). Every controle will have food and drinks for riders, some will have cots, and others will offer hotel rooms for showers and sleep.
How does one prepare for a ride like this? Before registering, one must participate in a 200k, 300k, 400k, and a 600k in the same year. Riders use these shorter rides, called brevets, to test and improve their riding gear and clothing. Jonathan Gray’s training has included at least one 200k (130 mile) ride per month for the last 20 months in all types of weather. Successful preparation also requires refining other aspects of cycling and health: nutrition on and off the bike, dealing with sleep deprivation, and adapting to riding through the night.
But, really, why would anyone want to ride their bike 750 miles in one event?
“I just like riding bikes,” says Paul Guttenberg, DBC’s Ultra-Distance Director and veteran of numerous randonnees. “I usually log bonus miles on these rides because if I see an interesting road, I’ll turn off and explore. Besides,” he says, shrugging, “sometimes I miss a turn and might go for a few miles before I realize it. But hey, if you really mind an extra 25 miles on top of 750, then maybe this isn’t the right event for you.”
For others, it’s the challenge of seeing how far they can push themselves. “For many riders,” the Randonneurs USA Handbook states, a 600k is “the most difficult thing that they have ever done in their lives, on or off a bicycle . . . after completing a 600k, the definition of ‘what is possible’ in one’s entire life is substantially redefined.€”he same holds true for a 1200k ride.
But even as daunting a physical challenge as a 750-mile ride is, experienced randonneurs invariably advise that the mental challenge is far greater. “There are many ways to defeat yourself mentally, like focusing on how far you have left to ride,” says DBC cyclist Amy Rafferty, who has ridden both PBP and GRR. “It’s better to focus on just getting to the next controle. Break the ride into a series of smaller rides. This experience is about far more than just the incredible distance.”
So what is Jonathan doing in the last days before the ride to prepare? Resting. He knows there is nothing to be gained by training so close to the event. Better to rest now for the monumental effort that is just ahead.
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[Note: Many of these links are outdated]
GRR starts Monday at 6pm from Tandem Properties, 3500 Anderson Road (Anderson Road and F Street). The public is welcome to see the riders off.
- Official Gold Rush Randonnee web page: http://davisbikeclub.org/goldrush/
- Interactive GRR Route:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gold-Rush-Randonnee-Outbound<- General information about randonneuring—Randonneurs USA (RUSA):
http://www.rusa.org/- Training blog for Scott Alumbaugh, a rider in the Davis GRR:
http://grr.seadogdesigns.com/__________________________________________
The following sources will offer live updates from GRR:
- Real-time progress of each rider as they check in at controles:
http://davisbikeclub.org/GoldRush/RiderProgress.htm- Twitter feed for Scott Alumbaugh: http://twitter.com/sea_dog
- Facebook status for Scott Alumbaugh: http://www.facebook.com/scott.alumbaugh
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Terminology
Randonnee (rahn doe nay)
A long ramble in the countryside, by foot or bicycle. In common cycling usage, it means a touring ride, often somewhat strenuous, at least compared to commuting or running errands around town. In the U.S., 100-mile “century” and 200-mile “double century” club rides would be considered somewhat similar to the French events, but compared to an official randonneur event, they lack the strict time controles.
Brevet (bruh vay)
Brevets are a series of shorter rides that must be completed before one enters the longer, official randonnee. Literally, the word means “certificate” in French. Completing a successful brevet means one’s ride has been stamped, certified and registered in France. The rider’s name is added to the roll of honor, a document that goes all the way back to 1921. Once certified, the rider is entitled to enter longer events such as the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonnee, or Davis’ Gold Rush Randonnee
Controle (cone trohll)
A checkpoint where randonneurs’ passport-like route cards must be signed and stamped to show their passage. There may also be secret controles to keep riders honest. Missing any checkpoint, (arriving outside its time window) is grounds for disqualification since earning one’s brevet is based on making all the controles in time.”