Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Eric Peterson on April 3, 2013 at 1:32pm

In my first year I completed the 200K and 300K. Almost completed the 400K, but on the last leg we were trapped in Milton - literally 25 miles from the end - by a series of rolling thunderstorms. If I knew then what I know now I would have waited it out  - after all I had until 9AM to get to Delavan, but when someone came by to pick up some of the other riders, I ended up bailing around 4AM.

Eric Peterson

Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on April 3, 2013 at 2:42pm

My first attempt was in 87 and the brevets started in Chemung, IL. That first 200K is still waiting to be finished. I missed the start by 15 minutes, then my freewheel and all it's ball bearings parted company about 3 miles outside of Clinton, WI. No chance to do a make up 200K back then, unless I wanted to drive 400 miles. Threw in the towel and concentrated on the 90-91 series.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on April 3, 2013 at 2:55pm

200K, 300K, 400K, 600K in 1990.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on April 3, 2013 at 3:53pm

1990-1991 Documentation.

Attachments:

• PBP 1990-1991.pdf, 6.4 MB

Permalink Reply by Eric Peterson on April 4, 2013 at 6:56am

Mike that is very interesting!

Chemung is a tiny town outside of Harvard, right? My fleche route passes through that town. 1987 was before RUSA - who was putting on the rides then and who else was riding? Maybe Doug Slack, Lon Haldeman?

Eric Peterson

Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles said:

My first attempt was in 87 and the brevets started in Chemung, IL. That first 200K is still waiting to be finished. I missed the start by 15 minutes, then my freewheel and all it's ball bearings parted company about 3 miles outside of Clinton, WI. No chance to do a make up 200K back then, unless I wanted to drive 400 miles. Threw in the towel and concentrated on the 90-91 series.

Permalink Reply by spencewine on April 4, 2013 at 11:06am

Great stuff!

Kevin C 4.1 mi said:

1990-1991 Documentation.

Permalink Reply by ilter on April 4, 2013 at 11:57am

Looks like Lon Haldeman was involved by 1991, if not earlier, as Kevin`s 200K brevet card shows the ride ended in a "Haldeman House" in Harvard.

Eric Peterson said:

[snip]

1987 was before RUSA - who was putting on the rides then and who else was riding? Maybe Doug Slack, Lon Haldeman?

Eric Peterson

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on April 4, 2013 at 3:21pm

I found my pamphlet for the Chicago/Milwaukee Midwest Brevet Series 1991 which was run by Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangelo (as were the 1990 Brevets). The pamphlet welcomes you to the fifth year of the Chicago/Milwaukee Area Randonneur Series, so I would say, yes, Lon & Susan were running the 1987 Brevets. Susan was the winning, and record setting, woman finisher in PBP 1983 at 54:43. In 1989 Susan set the then woman's record for RAAM at 9 days and 9 hours. 

I think 1990-1991 was the only PBP event which required American entrants to complete two seasons of Brevets, following their dismal 54% finishing rate in the 1987 PBP. (Lon & Susan's riders had a 90% finishing rate in 1987) In the 1991 PBP, there were 398 US riders and 333 finished (84%). Total participants were 3276 with a finishing rate of 80%.

Randonneurs USA didn't start until 1998. I can't speak to other Regional Brevet Administrators, but my International Randonneurs affiliate group was listed as The Ultra Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA) in 1990-1991.

ilter said:

Looks like Lon Haldeman was involved by 1991, if not earlier, as Kevin`s 200K brevet card shows the ride ended in a "Haldeman House" in Harvard.

Eric Peterson said:

[snip]

1987 was before RUSA - who was putting on the rides then and who else was riding? Maybe Doug Slack, Lon Haldeman?

Eric Peterson

Permalink Reply by David P. on April 5, 2013 at 2:36pm

Kevin, I had no idea....