Fourteen years ago I rode my first 300K brevet with the D.C. Randonneurs, and this weekend Felkerino and I were back on that very same course, now fondly titled the Mother of All 300Ks given the gnarly 13,600 feet of climbing in 189 miles. One of the first weekends to give a clear indicator that summer will arrive, I spent the day enjoying the sun … Continue reading Mother of All 300Ks and the Passage of Time
As I set out my gear for Saturday’s 300K, I noticed the 2015 cue sheet for the same ride still in my bag. One year later, back again. For a while Friday evening and into the next day, I wondered yet again why I thought of randonneuring as a worthy pursuit. Early ups, questionable weather forecasts, and all the rushing around to be ready to … Continue reading Beyond Fun: D.C. Randonneurs Frederick, Maryland 300K
For the second year in a row, Felkerino and I couldn’t get our acts together to fit in a 200K, so we began our brevet season with this weekend’s D.C. Randonneurs 300K out of Warrenton, Virginia. Continue reading “Out of My Gordonsville: D.C. Randonneurs 300K”
“We’re too blessed to be depressed,” a church sign at mile 70 read. Our riding group of three shared a chuckle. We had just climbed Wolf Gap, Mill Gap, and were en route to more gaps and roads with words like “church” and “mountain” in their names. The path ahead gave us pause. Continue reading “Randonnesia Strikes on the Mother of All 300Ks”
This weekend, Felkerino and I rode our first official brevet of 2015, the D.C. Randonneurs 300K out of Frederick, Maryland. I was feeling pretty lackluster about the whole thing, but the forecast indicated spectacular conditions, leaving us no excuses to skip out on a ride in the countryside with rando buddies. Continue reading “Experience: a Randonneur’s Frenemy”
The ride begins with warmth in the air. After a couple hours of darkness, the sun rises and bounces down the road with us. It must sense that we’re in for a 190-mile day of play.
This past Saturday, the D.C. Randonneurs ran their 300K brevet out of Warrenton, Virginia. It was my third time on this particular 300K route (although I did ride it one additional time as a no-credit “fun ride”), and I was determined to make this year a different experience than 2012. Continue reading “Second Chances: The D.C. Randonneurs 300K Brevet”
Now that I’ve caught up on sleep, uploaded my photos, and enjoyed a brilliant sunny warm Sunday I can say I truly enjoyed Saturday’s 300K with the D.C. Randonneurs. Continue reading “D.C. Randonneurs Warrenton, VA 300K: In Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall”
Saturday was a beautiful day to be a randonneur, and today I am still riding the post-brevet high of this ride. The D.C. Randonneurs 300K out of Frederick, Maryland, is one of my favorite rides for a few reasons: Continue reading “D.C. Randonneurs: Frederick, Maryland 300K”
The D.C. Randonneurs “Contrary Mother” 300K is an epic knee-breaking excursion through the sawteeth of eastern West Virginia. Rather than regale you with a blow-by-blow of our day-into-night trip, I jotted down some of the brevet lessons I learned over our 192-mile journey. Pay no attention to the forecast. Just wear wool and hope for the best. Supposedly, the temperatures for our ride were to start … Continue reading D.C. Randonneurs 300K Brevet: The Contrary Mother
If a ride happens and no one knows about it, did it really happen?
This weekend, Felkerino, Lane, and I rode the 2009 D.C. Randonneurs 300K route from Warrenton, Va. This is a lovely rolling route that takes the rider all around horse country and back. It’s not killer in terms of terrain, but the first part of the ride, in particular, has plenty of hills to keep your attention and tire you out.
