- I’m coming in to do a brevet, where can I stay?
- The “host hotel” for our rides is the White House Ramada Inn in Richland Center. We meet and the rides start from their back parking lot. They can be reached at 608-647-8869.
- A second good alternative is the Center Lodge. It’s approximately 1/2 mile to the Ramada via the bike trail that runs just behind the hotel. They can be reached at 608.647.8988.
- Be aware that Richland Center is very popular for weddings and the Ramada Inn is one of the few venues in town that has a room large enough for receptions so it tends to fill up. Also, there are a number of events over the summer (tractor pulls are big here) so you’re advised to make reservations well in advance even if you end up cancelling.
- I just finished a 400K/600K and it’s the middle of the night – where can I get something to eat?
- Well, Richland Center isn’t exactly New York and the town pretty much folds up at 11:00. Your best choice nearby is the McDonalds located on US-14 between the Ramada and Center Lodge. Their dining room is open until midnight and their drive thru is open all night but note that McDonalds will not let you go through the drive thru on a bike.
- A second and probably better alternative is to plan in advance and stock the refrigerator in your room with microwaveable food and your beverage of choice. A supermarket (Wal Mart) is just past the Center Lodge going east on US-14. Both the Ramada Inn and Center Lodge have refrigerators and microwaves in their rooms.
- A third alternative is the Phoenix Center (bowling alley) about 1/3 of a mile west on US-14 which is open until 2 although they seem to stop serving food on an irregular schedule. Typical bowling alley type food – pizza, burgers, fries, etc., and they occasionally surprise with something else like bbq.
- There are also a couple of bars in the downtown area that serve food and stay open late. I’ve never been in them but reports are they have the usual bar food: pizza, burgers, etc., and you’re pretty much guaranteed they’ll have beer if that’s your pleasure.
- I signed up but I’m not going to ride, can I get a refund?
- It depends. If the ride is cancelled by me for whatever reason, I will give a refund to all registered and paid riders.
- If the ride is being held and you’ve decided not to come for whatever reason (weather is bad, something else came up, just not feeling it, etc), if you let me know a week in advance I’ll happily give you a refund. After that, there are no refunds. Although our fees are nominal and the loss of your registration probably won’t break the bank, we do incur expenses with each ride and have overhead (like the web site you’re looking at) to support. Also, although my time isn’t worth much, it’s worth something and rest assured the few dollars you might lose will be put to good use (scouting routes, paying for this web site, developing new routes and so on).
- I’ve decided I’m going to DNF. How do I get back to Richland Center?
- Uh, ride your bike? If you’re not able to do that a number of larger small towns (a contradiction in terms) have taxi services that are actually fairly reasonable. A convenience store can more than likely hook you up.
- I’m a bit of a free spirit and have a hard time committing. What’s the latest I can register for a ride?
- Registration for all rides closes 24 hours before the ride start.
- I’ve never done a brevet before, what do I need besides my bike?
- Of particular note is that RUSA membership is mandatory. Other than that, part of the beauty of randonneuring is very little is required in terms of additional equipment. A list that will get you started and will more than likely meet your needs for a long time includes:
- Clothing for the conditions you expect to encounter (tip: plan for the worst, not the best weather you might reasonably experience) and the ability to carry them with you.
- Lights and reflective gear if you’ll be riding at night. The RUSA rules for riders has a discussion on lights and reflective gear along with other rules for completing a brevet successfully.
- Depending on your tolerance for risk and how careful you are about bike maintenance, spares for various wear items, the tools needed to install them and the ability to make roadside repairs are often key ingredients to finishing a ride.
- Of particular note is that RUSA membership is mandatory. Other than that, part of the beauty of randonneuring is very little is required in terms of additional equipment. A list that will get you started and will more than likely meet your needs for a long time includes:
- What’s happens when I show up for a ride? Do I just take off whenever I feel like it?
- No! You should plan on arriving 20-30 minutes before the published ride start.
- The rides start exactly at the time scheduled (see the “Ride Schedule” link, above). You can start up to one hour after the scheduled start time but note that the control close times and overall time allotted are unchanged so you have to make sure you get back on track if you start late.
- OK, I did the ride, now what?
- You’ll receive an email asking for you to provide proof of passage. See this page for full details.
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