BC Randonneurs Cycling Club

Organize a ride

This is a rough checklist for organizing a ride.

Pre-season planning
  • With the Regional Brevet Coordinator, commit to a date and a distance. The Regional Brevet Coordinator will assign control of the event to you in the database.
At least one month in advance
  • Decide on a route. You may consult the route database or design a new one. (See Considerations when designing a route below.) If it is a new route, design it using Ride with GPS and send a link to it to the Regional Brevet Coordinator. (BC Randonneurs members may request Premium RwGPS features.)
  • Determine a start point (preferably sheltered, with parking, washrooms, and tables), and obtain permission to use the facility if appropriate. Particularly for shorter brevets, consider ending at a bike-friendly place conducive to socializing so that newer members can feel welcomed into the club.
Weeks in advance
  • Recruit event-day volunteers.
  • Determine pre-ride date (ideally one or two weeks before the event).
  • Contact Pin Coordinator to obtain pins at least 3 weeks in advance.
During pre-ride
  • Ride (or drive) the route and verify the route sheet and control locations.
  • Decide whether or not you want to provide food at controls. If there are no facilities at or near the control, it may be necessary to provide water (possibly also Gatorade) and food (cookies or more depending on the distance to/from the nearest food source).
1-2 weeks in advance
  • Get brevet supplies from Regional Brevet Coordinator (control signs, tent, water jugs, etc.)
  • Buy any supplies needed for controls (food, water, Gatorade, etc.)
Day of ride
  • Greet participants
  • Verify compliance with rules (e.g. helmet, lighting)
  • Officially start the ride. Inform riders of expected hazards. Ensure that first-time randonneurs understand the rules (e.g. if you deviate from the route, you must resume where you left off; no replacement control cards may be issued). Don’t forget to take pictures! Also keep in mind that the start control remains open for one hour.
  • Be reachable during the event to liaise with volunteers, acknowledge DNFs, etc.
After the ride
  • Thank volunteers
  • Write a post-ride report and submit it with photos to the newsletter editor
  • Return any borrowed equipment
  • Submit travel and incurred expense reports for reimbursement

Considerations when designing a route

Our partnership agreement with the ACP contains some guidelines for routes. To note, the ACP prohibits routes that consist of doing the same loop multiple times, encourages out-and-back routes, and discourages routes where an intermediate point passes close to the finish “to keep the spirit of the great excursion and to minimize the withdrawals”.

On the subject of checkpoints:

Checkpoints should be more or less regularly spaced between the brevet start and finish. According to the distance, there should be:

  • 2 to 4 for a 200 km brevet
  • 3 to 5 for a 300 km brevet
  • 4 to 6 for a 400 km brevet
  • 5 to 7 for a 600 km brevet
  • 6 to 10 for a 1000 km brevet

Additional checkpoints should be located at each end of the brevet route, as well as, at any point along the route where a shortcut might be taken.

Avoid placing controls too close to the start, especially for events where many riders are expected, to avoid overcrowding.

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