Randonnées and brevets are a natural fit for me because they are inexpensive, timed events that stress self-sufficiency. They epitomize adventure and rugged individualism at their best.
These are the most challenging events I’ve ever done, listed in order of difficulty. The difficulty is completely subjective, but it gives you an idea of what I think are harder: e.g., double centuries vs. marathons! Continue reading »
Paris-Brest-Paris is the granddaddy of all ultra-cycling rides, being the oldest, most prestigious amateur cycling race in the world. It was a major dream of mine, one that was fulfilled in August 2003. Unfortunately I never got around to writing a full report (ridiculous considering that this was one of the top highlights of my life), but here is a collection of data to recreate the experience. Continue reading »
Late last year, my friend Mike had moved to Portland from the SF Bay Area, having found a new job there. Fortunately, the move didn’t quell his enthusiasm for cycling, which he started doing in early 2002, and soon he sent out an email asking his ol’ friends, “Anyone want to do the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic with me in 2003?” Needless to say, this was something I could not turn down. Neither could Kevin, Mike’s friend and former coworker, also from the Bay Area. Continue reading »
I knew it would be a stretch, and yet it had come down to this. The final test, the final stepping stone — heck, the final requirement — for entry into the Paris-Brest-Paris race in August, with all the history and dreams that came with it. Continue reading »
The 2003 Davis 400k Brevet was the third out of four brevets I needed to do to gain entry into the historic bicycle race, Paris-Brest-Paris. Here’s a short report I emailed out to a few friends after the ride: Continue reading »
The air was cool and crisp in the wee hours of the morning as I headed toward Davis in my yellow 1969 MGB with my beloved Cannondale proudly perched on top of my bicycle rack at the rear. The weather forecast of 2 days ago for Davis was encouraging: clear skies, no rain, with lows in the high 40’s. So of course my roadster’s top was down. Never mind that near Benicia and other points at other parts of the drive, a mist had been splattering the windshield and my wipers were needed for extended periods of time. Continue reading »
