RO Awards Dinner — Toronto

The Randonneurs Ontario Awards Dinner was held at the Aviary Brewpub on 25 January 2020. Members from the Huron, Simcoe, and Toronto Chapters were in attendance. The Ottawa Chapter will hold its Awards Dinner at a later date.

Claire, Mike Jr., and Dede Barry joined the party with Mike and Dede handing out some awards.

It was a great chance to see everyone off their bicycles. In all, it was a fabulous night!

Here follows the awards, their presenters and their recipients…

Outstanding Performance on a Brevet Matt MacFarlane

PRESENTED BY: Carey Chappelle

Awarded to the club rider who has:

Demonstrated significant fortitude, courage, or generosity on a brevet ride.
Demonstrated physical or mental abilities beyond the usual in the conduct of a brevet ride.

Mike Barry/Jock Wadley Award (Outstanding Rider)Charles Horslin

PRESENTED BY: Michael Barry

Awarded to a club rider who is outstanding in one year or over several years and has:

Shown interest in the club and has provided support and assistance
Helped on rides or helped other riders.

      

Beryl Burton Award (Best Female Rider) – No Recipient

Awarded to a female club rider who is outstanding in one year or over several years and has:

Shown interest in the club and has provided support and assistance.
Helped on rides or helped other riders.

      

Coronation Cup (Most Improved Rider) – Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell

PRESENTED BY: Dick Felton

Awarded to a club rider who has at least one previous year riding with the Randonneurs Ontario, and has:

Shown consistency in appearing and in cycling;
Demonstrated improvement either in cumulative mileage ridden from previous season, or in brevet finishing times over the previous season.

     

Rookie of the Year – Jung Ah Hong

PRESENTED BY: Dede Barry

Awarded to a club rider who has:

Joined the Randonneurs Ontario in the year of the award or who rode their first brevet in the year of the award;
Shown ability in the year & shown interest in the club and in other club riders.

      

Half Wheel Award – Larry Optis

PRESENTED BY: Erin Marchak

Awarded to a club rider who has consistently forced the pace of the group during brevet rides.

                 

Best Fleche Team – No Recipient

Awarded to the members of the fleche team who record the most kilometres on the club’s fleche ride in the year of the award.

Organizer of the Year – Tim O’Callahan

PRESENTED BY: Carey Chappelle

Awarded to that person(s) who has:

Provided support to the club’s riding events in the year of the award or over several years.
Demonstrated care for the well being of the club’s riders.
Consistently taken on the task of organising and supporting club rides.

      

Special Recognition Award – Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell

PRESENTED BY: Tim O’Callahan

Awarded to a club rider who has:

Completed a cycling event in the year of the award that merits commemoration.
Made contributions to the club that merit commemoration.

      

Dan Herbert Memorial Award – Peter Grant

PRESENTED BY: Martin Cooper

Awarded to a member who has in one or more years:

Benefited the club by mentoring one or more members (generally but not necessarily new).
Mentoring is to be defined as encouraging, educating and assisting riders to achieve their full potential as bike riders and club members.

      

Long Distance Award(s) (Peter Leiss)

Awarded to the rider(s) who has:

Completed the highest number of Kilometres on:

i)               Randonneurs Ontario Brevets – Charles Horslin

ii)             All ACP Brevets – David Thompson

iii)           Randonneurs Ontario Permanent Rides – Peter Grant

iv)            Highest Kms Female Rider – Erin Marchak –

      

Creemore Classic Bowling Champion – presented by Tim O’Callahan

Carey Chappelle

RO Flèche 2020

The flèche play park. Port Credit is the final destination for 2020. It will occur on 15 May.

This year Randonneur Ontario’s flèche event will take place on 15 May 2020 and all teams will finish their ride in Port Credit, Ontario (located between Oakville and Toronto on the Shore of Lake Ontario).

The flèche is a special event in randonneuring. It takes place early in the season, it must be a planned route of at least 360km, and it must be completed in 24hours. It’s purpose is to promote teamwork, and camaraderie in the early season.

Flèche means “arrow” and it is supposed to refer to all the teams’ routes pointing towards the common destination.

Those contemplating completing this year’s flèche should consult the club’s rules. But here are the main points

  • the route must be at least 360km and must be completed in 24 hours, starting any time between 6pm on 15 May and 10am on 16 May
  • the route must end in Port Credit, Ontario
  • the route must be approved by the brevet administrator at least two weeks before the weekend of the event (so before 1 May 2020)
  • the flèche team must consist of at least three members (but can have up to five)
  • at least three of the team members must complete the ride in order for it to be recognized

Sounds like fun. Night riding will definitely be a major factor, so make sure you have your lighting set up figured out.

I’m hoping to run a team this year. Anyone want to join me?

Paris-Brest-Paris 2019, Ride Report by Martin Cooper

by Martin Cooper

Martin Cooper, PBP 2019

Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) is the oldest continuous bicycle event in the world, having been first run in 1891. It is 1230 km in length and involves over 11,000 metres of climbing. PBP begins just west of Paris and extends west through Brittany to the port city of Brest and then continues back to Paris.

Paris-Brest-Paris was originally conceived by Pierre Giffard, the editor of the newspaper Le Petit Journal who believed that an extreme bicycle race would pique the interest of readers and help to sell papers. In 1891 the newly developed Peugeot automobile was set to follow behind the 1891 PBP to determine if it could cover the distance of the race, which would make it the longest distance completed by a gas powered engine. The Peugeot prototype was successful but arrived in Paris six days after PBP winner Charles Terront.

Waiting at the Start

Due to the magnitude of the undertaking, PBP was only held every 10 years.  The second PBP in 1901 was so successful that a rival newspaper, l’Auto, created the Tour de France in 1903.  PBP continued as a professional race with a cyclotourist component (including women) until 1951, when few professional cyclists were interested in racing that distance. However, it continues on as an amateur event, now held every four years.

It is an important cultural event in Brittany with multi-generational families lining the roadside to cheer on the riders with shouts of allez, bon courage and champion.  Many families set up tables along the road where they provide the riders with water, coffee, cakes and crepes — a Breton specialty. Farmhouses along the route are open for tired riders to catch short naps. At the controls the Breton flag, accordion and traditional Breton bagpipes welcome in the riders. There is a celebrated French pastry that commemorates the event called a Paris Brest, which is made in the shape of a bicycle wheel. PBP is indeed a festive four-day celebration of cycling.

The rules of PBP have remained virtually unchanged since the beginning. A participant must qualify by riding a series of 200, 300, 400 and 600 km brevets by the end of June on the year of the ride.  These qualifying rides are organized by cycling clubs worldwide that are affiliated with the organizing body in France, the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM).  In Ontario, Randonneurs Ontario, founded in 1983, is sanctioned by ACP and RM to offer brevets throughout the cycling season.   We even stage our own 1,200 km grand brevet every four years, the Granite Anvil that attracts riders from all over North America.  

I completed the qualifying rides by the end of May but had to continue riding long distances to maintain fitness. I rode several well-spaced 200 km brevets during the intervening months and two weeks before PBP I did a 1,000 km brevet, the Manitoulin 1000, which starts on Manitoulin Island and goes around Georgian Bay ending in Tobermory.  When I arrived in France I had already ridden close to 9,000 km in 2019, including my commute to work, a daily 40 km round trip.

The route must be followed exactly, and in order to verify this there are controls along the route where a brevet card has to be stamped with a time signature. Unlike most other brevets, navigation for PBP is not a problem as the route is signed and there are a lot of other cyclists, hopefully going in the right direction. Controls are also the only place where cyclists can be offered assistance, if they so wish. For the most part riders are self supported, which means you have to look after your own physical, nutritional and mechanical requirements. PBP has to be done within a 90-hour time limit. Any type of self-powered vehicle can be entered, including all manner and vintage of bicycles — recumbents, tricycles, velomobiles, tandems and triplets.

PBP 2019 started in Rambouillet west of Versailles in the Bergerie National or National sheepfold.  Due to limited accommodation in Rambouillet I stayed about 25 km from the start in Maurepas.  Arriving on Friday, two days before the start I assembled my bicycle and then headed to Rambouillet to stretch my legs and familiarize myself with Rambouillet. Near the start location I ran into Larry Optis from Ontario who was entered in Group A and for whom PBP is a race. We rode around together taking in the ambience of this charming town with its pavé (cobblestone) main street lined with cafes and bistros overflowing with PBP participants. This edition would have close to 7,000 participants from 66 different countries. Larry would be the first rider to reach Brest and ended up finishing in just over 55 hours.

Incognito in a Detroit Randonneurs Jersey, Casing out the Start

I returned the next day to Rambouillet in the pouring rain for my bike inspection, which was scheduled at 10:00 AM followed by the pick up of my registration package. At 2:00 PM the 100 or so Canadian participants were to gather for the traditional group photograph followed by a photo of the Ontario contingent, which numbered just over 30. As I had time between the bike inspection and the photo, and it was raining non-stop, I visited the Concours des Machines, which was an exhibition of specially hand built bicycles, all of which would be ridden in PBP.  The constructeurs, mostly French, were on hand to discuss their designs and explain all the features that they incorporated into their bicycles.

I headed back to my hotel in the rain to try to get a good night’s sleep as I was starting PBP at 8:00 PM the following evening.  Fortunately the rain stopped by noon on race day and by the time I arrived at the start at 6:00 PM the weather had cleared. I had dinner with Vytas Janusauskas from Ottawa, who was attempting his 5th  PBP and ran into Gerry Schilling  from Detroit, who I had ridden several brevets within Michigan.

Around 7:00 I made my way to the start and joined my group ‘R’, waiting with great excitement and anticipation to start this epic event. My plan was to ride through the night and all of the next day, arriving at the control in Loudeac at 450 km.  There I had booked a hotel close to the control where I would able to shower, wash my kit and sleep for 3-4 hours. I was planning to return to this hotel on the way back at 780 km for my third night where I would retrieve the clothes that I had washed and get some sleep.

I rolled through the starting gate and descended down a steep cobble stone path to the road where in the last hour of daylight I headed out into a light headwind at a steady pace towards Brest.  I knew it would be a long night of riding as the first control was over 200 km down the road, which translates for me as 10 hours of steady nighttime cycling. There was an intermediate food stop at which I planned to spend very little time. I arrived at the first control at Villaines-La Juhel at about 5:45 AM, some 9.5 hours after I had started.  Even though the forecasted low was 12C the temperature had dipped to 6C around dawn. Fortunately, I had brought just enough extra clothing to keep the chill out.

I spent as little time as possible at the control, had my card stamped refilled my bottles and avoided the long line-up for food and water. I would be able to find food along the route.  The day was clear, although the headwind coming from the west had been picking up to 20km per hour. For a short time I rode with a group to get out of the wind but decided I would rather look at the scenery than the rear end of the person in front of me.  Also, as the ride progressed I didn’t want to be close to sleep-deprived cyclists of unknown skill. I would ride this one on my own. Later on in the ride a cyclist riding in my draft crashed because he didn’t realize that the white line along the edge of road was actually a raised stone border. 

Fougeres

I arrived at the Fougeres control at 10:30 AM.  Fougeres, which means fern in French, is one of my favourite PBP villages with its large 12th century castle, Chateau Fougeres, which is surrounded by a moat.  All along the route flowers are in bloom, especially in the villages, including hedges of purple and red hydrangea.

After some 22 hours of cycling (at around 6:30 PM), I arrived in Loudeac where I had my brevet card stamped and then rode over to the hotel for a much-anticipated rest. As I headed out of the control to the hotel, a volunteer told me I was going the wrong way.  I told him that I was going to the Hotel Le France for some sleep. He said: “Make sure you don’t sleep in.” I checked in and the proprietor Jean Francois told me that I was the second cyclist to arrive, which made me feel pretty good but I am not sure why as I didn’t know when the others started or even who they were. I said to him, you know it’s not a race.  He asked me if he could get me anything and I told him a cold beer would be great, “and, oh yea, I have two alarms set but if I am not down by 11:30 PM please wake me up.” I showered, washed my kit, and slept for a solid 3-4 hours.

The hotel was serving breakfast starting at 10:00 PM, so I had a great breakfast at midnight, grabbed some food for the road and headed out into the night. I felt rested and excited to be heading for Brest in the wee hours of the morning. Towards dawn the temperature went down to a chilly 3C, although the head wind had diminished considerably.  I was anticipating a tail wind after the turn around at Brest that would propel me all the back to Paris.

Astride the Plougastel Bridge

Crossing the famous Plougastel Bridge going into Brest, I stopped for the obligatory photo. It had turned into a glorious morning and I arrived at the control in Brest at 10:00 in the morning. On my way in I noticed that I was having trouble shifting out of my large chain ring, which would become a major problem climbing out of Brest.  I took my bike over to the mechanic who said it would take a half hour to look at. So I wandered over to the control restaurant where I enjoyed a good lunch. I also ran into Ben Schipper from the Netherlands. I had ridden a 1200km brevet with him in Michigan and Wisconsin. Ben was enjoying the ride, but said this was likely to be his last. Surprised, I asked why and he told me that he was 76 and that the next PBP he would be 80.  I had thought he was around the same age as me.  I returned to retrieve my bike. As it turned out the problem was caused by my derailleur cable being pinched by my decaleur, which is special device that secures my handlebar bag, which with all the gear, food and clothing probably weighed 15 lbs. I also carried a rear seat bag that held my rain gear, insulated vest and a spare tire.

The ride out of Brest involves one of the longest climbs of PBP but rewards with a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. I stopped in a small café filled with cyclists and ordered a pizza, half of which I ate and the rest I had wrapped up to eat later. As I made my way back to Paris, I tried to console myself that, despite the distance, there would no longer be a headwind. The more I rode, however, the more it appeared that the wind had changed direction and was now coming from the east. At least it had diminished considerably.  I arrived back at Loudeac at 780km around 10:00 PM and went to the hotel where Jean Francois had a cold Leffe waiting for me and told that I was the third cyclist to arrive. I showered, slept for about 3-4 hours, put on my clean and dry kit, ate breakfast, and headed out into the darkness around 3:00 AM.  Again the temperature went down to 3C, and in addition to my hub generator powered lights, I used the Garmin computer on my bicycle to help anticipate turns in the road as well as gentle climbs and descents.  Sometimes on a gentle climb in the dark it is difficult to tell whether you are going up hill or down or if your legs are tired.

I continued riding through the dark arriving at the Tinteneac control at 7:00 AM.  There I had my first control meal as the field of riders had become strung out resulting in fewer riders and no more line ups for food. I quickly ate what I thought was an excellent beef bourgogne.  As the control was not heated I left as soon as I was finished eating.

I had booked a hotel at around 1,000 km for my final overnight in Villaines-La Juhel but when I arrived there at 6:00 PM. I felt good and didn’t want to waste daylight hours by sleeping.  At this control there were hundreds of people lining the street cheering, bands playing and you had the feeling that you were almost done. I ran into Dave Thompson from Ontario and Jerry Christiensen from Wisconsin who had been riding together from the start.  I have done many long rides with Dave and the three of us rode together on the Granite Anvil 1200 in 2017.  They told me they were heading to the next control where they were planning to get some rest. I decided to join them and ride with them to the finish.  We arrived at the next control in Mortagne-Au-Perche at 10:00 PM.  We had something to eat and I found a spot on the cafeteria floor, rolled up my vest for a pillow, covered my eyes with my windbreaker, and slept the sleep of the dead for a solid 1.5 hours.  Feeling refreshed, we left the control at around 1:00 AM, immediately launching into a precarious and chilling descent and ending up in a little village where we stopped to get some breakfast and more importantly, coffee. Shortly after dawn we arrived at Dreux, the last control before the end.  The day was glorious as we covered the last leg into Rambouillet arriving at around10:30 AM,  86 hours, 39 minutes after I started.  We were presented with our medals and then led to a tent where the victory meal was being served.  Later in the evening I joined the Ontario group for dinner where we recounted the trials, tribulations, glory and beauty of the preceding of PBP.

PBP is indeed an amazing event, and the ultimate cycling festival, but make no mistake, it is also a beast of a ride with its extreme distance, climbing, limited support and time limit.  Approximately 25% of the participants don’t finish or don’t finish within the time limit.  To finish PBP is to be part of cycling history – your name is inscribed in the official record book of this legendary event and feel that you have truly earned the designation Ancien.

With Ben Schipper
With Ontario Friends, David Thompson, Bob Kassel, and Brenda Wiechers

Erie Oh! 300k Brevet — The Huron Chapter’s 2019 Entertainment Series Begins!

Huron Chapter’s Entertainment Series officially started this past week-end with the Mini-Putt Competition happening at Colasnati’s Control 76km into the Erie Oh! 300km Brevet. 

John Cumming was close … right to the end … but missing the fairway on the ninth hole … cost him! 
A Double Bogey!

 One of the Gold Fish had Chappy’s Ball for Lunch … Ending his Round!
Charles Horslin found out that it was not the MOST Putts that WON but the LEAST!

Tim O’Callahan was able to get his second Birdy and TIE for the Lead!

Congrats to Tim O’Callahan and Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell for finishing FIRST! Yes they TIED! Brenda had taken the lead with Birdies on the 4th and 6th holes but Tim simply stayed focussed completing two birdies in his last two holes for the tie! They both will be aggressive in the Creemore Classic Bowling Championship and the Go-Cart Championship to set themselves up for 2019’s Entertainment Series Title!

Congrats to Tim O’Callahan and Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell for finishing FIRST! Yes they TIED! Brenda had taken the lead with Birdies on the 4th and 6th holes but Tim simply stayed focussed completing two birdies in his last two holes for the tie! They both will be aggressive in the Creemore Classic Bowling Championship and the Go-Cart Championship to set themselves up for 2019’s Entertainment Series Title!

MINI-PUTTER MASTERS!
Tim O’Callahan, Brenda Wiechers, Charles Horslin, Chappy and John Cumming

ERIE OH!
15 Randonneurs showed up for 2019’s Erie Oh! 300km Brevet. Congrats to Carey Chappelle, John Cumming, Jerzy Dziadon, Dick Felton, Chris Greig, Charles Horslin, Bill Lattuca, Gordon Ley, Tim O’Callahan, Tiago Varella-Cid and Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell  for successfully completing this 300! 

The ride started at 7am Saturday, Weather Forecast … second to none! 15’C and SUNSHINE for 12hrs! To top that off, a strong tailwind existed from the start for approximately 190km! At one point Chappy pedalled by Charles Horslin at 42km/hr with no hands on his bike! 
Tim and Brenda played the Team Leaders for this group. We had six Randonneurs who stayed together from beginning to end. SECOND TO NONE! Tim would drop from front to back to encourage our team mates and Brenda would set our pace based on what it would take to keep us together! In tail winds Tim had us pacing at 47km / hr! Head winds were where we appreciated having a Team … averaging 22km / hr!
Arriving at the Erieau Brew Pub Control, everyone enjoyed lunch and had a good laugh after Charles scratched his ear and found the misplaced Mini-Putt Golf Pencil!

Chappy wasn’t successful convincing Charles to get on his bike and return the pencil to the Colasnati’s Mini-Putt Golf Course. Everyone else suggested Charles simply return it next year, finish lunch and continue on rather then DNF’ing!

The initial portion of the route was off road, but gorgeous towards Chatham! Eventually the tail wind turned into a head wind and pedalling together was an enormous benefit!

Arriving in Chatham at the Tim Horton’s Control, Dr. O’Callahan suggested Brenda SNORT ALEVE to reduce the pain she was feeling …

The group of six arrived at the Lighthouse Cove Control noticing how the wind was dropping steadily. Scenery along Lake St.Clair BREATHTAKING to say the least! Sun was going down, still Warm and Very little Traffic!

I get goosebumps writing this story,  FRIENDSHIPS,  RANDONNEURING, SCENERY … SECOND TO NONE! ! On Sunday, those Randonneurs who stayed the night, met at The Twisted Apron, Little Italy in Windsor for breakfast. Fantastic meal AND Even Better … Dick Felton’s Daughter – Christine and Grandaughter – Lauren joined us!

Now, after waking up this morning … thought I would take a look out the window and see what the weather looks like here …

OUCH!

Huron Chapter V.P.,Chappy

RO Awards Dinner — Huron, Simcoe/Muskoka, and Toronto Chapters

The Randonneurs Ontario Awards dinner took place in Toronto on 26 January 2019 at the Hot House Restaurant at Front and Church. It was a well attended event. Many awards were handed out. A good time was had by all. (It was also a great opportunity to see each other without our helmets and sunglasses on).

One of the most memorable parts of the evening was Peter Leiss’s speech about the life of Mike Barry Sr., whom Peter had known since the 1972. Peter shared numerous stories about their rides together, Mike’s famous bike shop Bicycle Specialities and Mariposa Bicycles, and Mike’s contributions to randonneuring over the decades, not least of which were his founding of the Toronto Randonneurs, and, of course, his regular attendance at our Awards Dinners over the years.

Peter finished his memorial speech with an announcement that the Jock Wadley Award for the club’s most outstanding rider would now be renamed the Mike Barry / Jock Wadley Award.

Mike Berry’s son, Michael, shared these words about the award and the choice to add his father’s name to it:

Michael Berry

Jock Wadley was a great friend of my father’s and inspired him in many ways. Jock was not only one of the foremost English-speaking cycling journalists of the 60’s and 70’s, covering all of the top international pro races, but also a keen cyclist who rode many brevets including P-B-P. Like my father, his goal was to share his knowledge of cycling and to encourage people to ride bikes regardless of whether it was a track, road, or touring bike. They both rode everywhere they could whether to work or across the Pyrenees. Both my father and Jock thought cycling should be inclusive and about the shared experience as much as the solo ride. It wasn’t always about finishing as fast as possible but about working together to achieve the best ride possible. They would keep an eye on the neophytes, encouraging them, and teaching them as they rode.  They built clubs, communities and friendships. They encouraged people to discover the world on a bike. 

My father would have been honoured to have his name alongside Jock’s on the trophy as I often heard him say what a thoughtful kind man he thought Jock was. He was a mentor to my father and the inspiration behind the club. My father and Mike Brown named the award after Jock for his qualities as a person. In many ways, my father shared those same qualities. 

Mike Barry’s wife, Claire, and daughter-in-law, Dede, were also in attendance.

Below is a listing of the award nominees and recipients

Beryl Burton Award (for the best female cyclist in the club) —Awarded to a club rider who is outstanding in one year or over several years and has: Shown interest in the club and has provided support and assistance. Helped on rides or helped other riders.

Nominees: Bojana Kolbah, Brenda Weichers-Maxwell, Erin Marchak, Liz Overduin

Recipient: Erin Marchak





Coronation Cup (most improved rider) —Awarded to a club rider who has at least one previous year riding with the Randonneurs Ontario, and has: Shown consistency in appearing and in cycling; Demonstrated improvement either in cumulative mileage ridden from previous season, or in brevet finishing times over the previous season.

Nominees: Alan Ritchie, Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell, Erin Marchak, John Maccio, Toby Whitfield

Recipient: Erin Marchak

Dan Herbert Award — Awarded to a member who has in one or more years: Benefited the club by mentoring one or more members (generally but not necessarily new). Mentoring is to be defined as encouraging, educating and assisting riders to achieve their full potential as bike riders and club members.

Nominees: Charles Horslin, Martin Cooper, Tim O’Callahan

Recipient: Tim O’Callahan

Half Wheel Award — Awarded to a club rider who has consistently forced the pace of the group during brevet rides.

Nominees: Ben Merritt, Brian Brideau, Jerzy Dziadon, Tim O’Callahan, Timothy Ormond

Recipient: Tim O’Callahan

Mike Berry / Jock Wadley Award — Awarded to a club rider who is outstanding in one year or over several years and has: Shown interest in the club and has provided support and assistance Helped on rides or helped other riders.

Nominees: Carey Chappelle, Charles Horslin, Dave Thompson, Erin Marchak, Larry Optis

Recipient: Carey Chappelle

Organizer of the Year

Nominees: Carey Chappelle, Guy Quesnel, Stephen Jones, Vytas Janusauskas / Peter Grant

Recipient: Stephen Jones

Outstanding Performance on a Brevet

Nominees: Annette Patel, Carey Chappelle, David Thompson, Erin Marchak, Loralei Norman, Matt MacFarlane, Simon Langham

Recipient: Annette Patel

Jim Griffin Rookie of the Year —Awarded to a club rider who has: Joined the Randonneurs Ontario in the year of the award or who rode their first brevet in the year of the award;  Shown ability in the year & shown interest in the club and in other club riders.

Nominees: Darcy Haggith, Matt MacFarlane, Sergii Tsymbal, Simon Langham

Recipient: Matt MacFarlane

Special Recognition Award — Awarded to a club rider who has: Completed a cycling event in the year of the award that merits commemoration. Made contributions to the club that merit commemoration.

Nominees: Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell / Liz Overduin, Dave Thompson, Erin Marchak, Ken Jobba

Recipient: Brenda Wiechers-Maxwell / Liz Overduin

Best Fleche Team — Awarded to the members of the fleche team who record the most kilometres on the club’s fleche ride in the year of the award.

Huron Boyz, Carey Chappelle, Chris Cossonnet, and John Cumming

High Mileage Awards

Male High Mileage — ACP Rides             David W Thompson 17,387 k

Male High Mileage — RO Club Rides         Carey Chappelle    3,500 k

Female High Mileage — ACP Rides         Erin Marchak               2,900 k

Female High Mileage — RO Club Rides     Erin Marchak           2,600 k

High Mileage — Permanent Rides Timothy Ormond 1,100 k

2015 Annual General Meeting

The 2015 Randonneurs Ontario Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday, September 13 at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Barrie.  Keep an eye on the Randonlist and Facebook page for information about the 2016 ride schedule and special plans for some rides as well as some social get togethers over the winter.

Welcome to the 2015/2016 Board of Directors:

President: Arthur Reinstein
V-P Brevets Administration: Peter Leiss
Treasurer:  David Thompson
Secretary:  Bob Macleod
V-P Huron:  Carey Chappelle
V-P Ottawa: Guy Quesnel
V-P Simcoe Muskoka: David Thompson (2)
V-P Toronto: Stephen Jones
Member at large (Ottawa): Peter Grant
Member at large (Toronto): Martin Cooper
Member at large (Huron): Christopher Cossonnet
Member at large (Huron): Dick Felton
Director of Communications – Webmaster:  Vytas Janusauskas
Director of Communications – Blogger:  Andrea Ferguson Jones

Devils Week 2015

Here’s the opportunity to get all your Paris-Brest-Paris qualifiers done in one week. We are offering four rides out of Markham so you can complete your series. The routes are all available in the Toronto Route Archive (http://randonneursontario.ca/routes/torroutes.html) and can be distinguished by the DW_ prefix on the name.

Woodville offers rolling hills through York and Durham regions. You may want to take the time for butter tarts in Little Britain

Carden Plain is a circumnavigation of Lake Simcoe though Newmarket, Barrie, and Orillia. Don’t miss on of Henk’s favourite Ontario attractions, the Kirkfield Lift Locks. (Seriously, they’re pretty cool.)

Oak Ridges Moraine traditionally starts in Erin Mills. For Devils Week, we’ve tweaked it a bit to start in Markham. For those that have done this ride before, this is a chance to see the Badlands in the daylight.

Haliburton Highlands is a tour of the cottage country north of Peterborough. Lakes and trees and rocks and water!

For those that are interested, accommodations are available at the Comfort Inn Toronto Northeast in Markham. The rate is $99 per night for both single or double occupancy. Contact the Comfort Inn directly at 1-866-477-6077 and reference CN278_Group.

All rides start at the Comfort Inn.

For more information, please contact Stephen Jones vp-toronto@randonneursontario.ca

On the other side of the world, the Kiwi Randonneurs had to get started early with their PBP qualifying rides with winter on the way so they ran their version in March.  They did their “Gran Turismo Series” over 8 days.  Here is a little taste:

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