#randonneruring

I started tracking my bicycling miles in 2022. After losing a bike commute and the atrophy of the COVID years, I realized that I needed to bike “more”, but I wouldn’t know what “more” looked like until I had a baseline to compare it against. I finished the first year with about 1,800 miles (2,900 km) ridden, not horrible, but compared to the probably 4-5,000 miles I’d ride five years previously,1…

My history with the “sport” of randonneuring, where one rides a specific route in a specified amount of time, is fleeting. After hearing about it for several years, I did not attempt my first one until November 2011, the Verboort Populaire hosted by our local group, Oregon Randonneurs. Despite being conditioned for long days in the saddle after the 4-plus month Cross-Continent Tour, where we rode…

Cedar Canyon Road, west of Banks. If you’ve followed this blog long enough, you know that I have a hot and cold relationship with randonneuring. I did my first ever randonneuring event with April in November 2011, the Verboort Populaire 100K. This was barely a month after our big cross-continent tour, so I was in great shape to ride 60 miles.  I left this ride with a feeling of elation. Despite…

On drop bars, baskets, and randonneur bags

The Bantam at Tanner Springs Park, 31 Dec 2021. Minolta SR-T 101/MC Rokkor PG 50mm f/1.4/ Fuji Superia 400. There was a recent blog post over on Velo Orange, titled “Drop Your Drop Bars.” In it, VO head-honcho Igor extols the virtues of changing your handlebars. Changing from drop bars to flat or upright bars changes your riding position, the bike’s handling, and the fun factor to turn a…

I’ve mentioned previously how I’ve grown soft in my cycling over the past few years. I used to do more tours, I used to do more longer rides. I’m not particularly thrilled by this, but what to do?

One thing that’s worked for other folks is to take up a particular challenge. This could be self-imposed, like “I’m going to ride x miles in a week”. * Or it can be an external challenge, like Mary’s…