New England Randonneurs

From the Fashion Desk, Melinda Lyon writes:

The order has been placed and it should be in my hands at the end of March. I am hoping to have jerseys to sell/distribute at the 100K, if not the 200K. If you are something other than a man and medium or large you might want to reserve a jersey with me ahead of time with a check for 65 bucks. Ordering & design info on the merchandise page.

I will deliver at the ride and save you the shipping fee. Due to the small order, those who are not men and medium or large will see a smaller selection as I try to cover all of the rider size options.

Tracey Ingle, NER RBA writes:

For those of you planning to ride PBP this year, or even if there is a
slight remote possibility you’ll ride it, you’ll want to get your RUSA membership up to date at least two weeks before the 200k. The 200k is scheduled for April 2nd, so if you do the math. . . get that membership renewal or new member application in as soon as possible. I say to give a two week window so you can be sure your membership is in place at the time you ride the 200k.

This year PBP applications will be handled online only, directly with Audax Club Parisien. Technically RUSA membership is not required as it was in past years. However, you will need your homologation numbers from your qualifying brevets in order to complete your PBP application. These numbers are available through the RUSA website as a member benefit – for members only. Non-members’ homologation numbers are not available in this way.

If you participate in a qualifying brevet and you are not a RUSA member at the time of participation, you will have to contact the RBA (i.e., me) to get your homologation numbers. I don’t necessarily receive them immediately. In fact, there can be delays of up to several weeks before I receive them and am able to convey them to non-members.

RUSA members will have access to their numbers much sooner than non-members. And since this year ACP is capping the number of entries they are permitting, timing will be critical. I highly recommend all randonneurs become RUSA members, but this year more than ever it is vitally important if you will be going to PBP in August.

If you have any questions about PBP, registration, or RUSA membership, please let me know.

Finally, make sure to check the updated info on the Vermont rides. The 400k is brand new and looks to be real scenic. Now is also a good time to start planning your Fleche routes!

Welcome to the redesigned New England Randonneurs, Inc website! This is the first major redesign of the site since the Boston Brevet Series appeared on the web in the mid-1990s. We’ve tried to keep the site as simple as possible while offering more resources to riders than the old site could provide. Please let the webmaster know what you think.

The old site exists for historical purposes but will no longer be updated.

2011 Paris-Brest-Paris Information: PBP is the premiere worldwide event for the sport and happens only once every four years. (See the detailed PBP information on the RUSA website.) In fact, the Boston Brevet Series was originally formed for the sole purpose of preparing riders for this prestigious event. Our routes are considered ideal preparation and our riders who have ventured to France have typically done well.

All of our Boston and Vermont rides 200k and longer are RUSA/ACP sanctioned and can be used as PBP qualifiers with the exception of the VT600k which is too late for the PBP registation deadline. You can mix and match Boston and Vermont rides, as well as events in other locations worldwide.

There is no better way to prepare for PBP than to talk to one of our many local riders who has completed the event before. You can also read one of the many PBP ride reports written by local riders:

Pamela Blalock (Also See her excellent PBP preparation pages.)
Emily O’Brien (Youngest woman finisher in 2007 and a fixed gear finisher.)
Jake Kassen (NER’s Webmaster and fixed gear finisher.)
Melinda Lyon (NER’s Fashion Coordinator and 3-time first female finisher.)
Harriet Fell (Likely the first American woman to complete PBP.)