Back in Black (River Falls) 400K
250.2 miles, 9,528 feet of climbing

ACP certified,

start time 05:00
Ridewithgps link: here

The overwhelming majority of the route is on the kind of quiet two lane roads that makes SW Wisconsin such a special place to ride and were it not for that pesky need to refuel we could do the whole ride without going through a “city”. We leave Richland Center and head towards Ontario with a couple of challenging climbs between us and the first store control in Norwalk. The climb up Wildcat Mountain is not to be missed – anytime they bother using the words “hill” or “mountain” to describe a road or area you know you’re in for something special! Not super steep but long at a consist grade that’ll test the legs.

Leaving Norwalk there’s another little tester before we get up on the ridge tops for some stunning vistas followed by a nice descent then a long stretch of mostly downhill (with a few little sharpies thrown in) and rolling terrain for a little more than 100 miles. Then a couple of steepish climbs after the control at West Salem and the control at LaFarge before heading for the barn up that last little climb up CR-Q.

Don’t let the climbs put you off, the ridewithgps elevation (which is usually understated somewhat) is reported at 9527 so an “easy” 37 feet/mile and nothing in the 20% range, mostly they’re “pick your gear and spin” rather than “shift all the way down and grind” sorts of climbs.

Some of the roads on the northern most part of the route between Warrens and Black River Falls are fairly rough. They’re “paved” but are cracked/rough road surface so this isn’t the ride to try out those 22mm tires you’ve been hoarding – bigger volume tires and lower air pressures will help smooth things out.

Since this is the midwest, pretty much everything folds up at 22:00 so if you’re running late it’s likely some of the later controls will be closed so plan your food stops accordingly. We’ll have alternate info control questions at the controls where the c-store closes before the official control close time but you’ll be advised to stock up with enough food/fluids to get you to the finish if you’re running late.

Driftless Randonneurs is based out of beautiful Western Wisconsin, where some of the best riding in the country is based.  SW Wisconsin has plenty of hills and is characterized by many hills and valleys over low traffic roads. The Regional Brevet Administrator (RBA) for this region is Greg Smith.  

The Driftless Randonneurs ride schedule for 2019 features some old favorites and some new routes and formats with the emphasis on getting qualified and prepared for Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP). All brevets start in the back parking lot of the White House Ramada Inn, 1450 Veterans Drive, Richland Center.

Details: We’ll leave from the rear parking lot of the Ramada Inn at 1450 Veterans Drive at 05:00 sharp.  Lights and reflective gear are required for this brevet and riders should arrive no later than 04:30 for registration and check in. Please advance register on link to Driftless Randonneurs.