15 riders departed the Frederick Fairfield Inn and Suites at 4AM on Saturday morning to start the 2023 DC Randonneurs Northern Exposure 400k. Weather was very good and temperatures moderate. After the start the organizer drove up to Horse Valley to check on a possible detour spotted on the pre-ride that might have gone into effect, but the road was open and the contingency plans for a detour were scrapped. This was fortunate as some riders considered this the most scenic leg of the ride. Mimo spotted a roadside "self-checkout" tent offering up baked and other goods, and tried to get others to come see what he had just found. Then the scenic segment to Newport, which had been removed several years before (probably as a detour), was restored this year as well. The forecasted rain did appear on cue around 5 PM but did little to dampen the spirits of the riders on an otherwise excellent day to ride. The first riders to finish - Andrea, Bryan, Clif, and Kyle - were in well before midnight. The next one in was Bill, an outstanding finish considering he had considered giving up riding this distance but showed up this year just to see how it might go. In all, 14 of 15 finished the ride, including first-time 400k riders such like Chuck, Tom, and Jason (and perhaps others). Those preregistered for Paris-Brest-Paris having completed their ACP 200k/300k already can upgrade to “registered” as soon as these results are homologated — hopefully very soon.
Next up is the Shenandoah 600k on June 3rd, presented by Roger Hillas.
DC Randonneurs sponsors long-distance cycling events in the Mid-Atlantic region ranging from 100 kilometers to 1,200 kilometers (60 - 750 miles) in length. Rides start from the Baltimore-Washington region but travel as far afield as State College PA, Buchanan VA, and Warm Springs WV.
The terrain we ride ranges from the flatlands of the Eastern Shore to the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont and the sometimes steep flanks of the Appalachian mountain ridges to our west. Our routes, many of which we've ridden for years, take quiet back roads through gorgeous and varied scenery, with regular stops for supplies and rest.
Our rides are unsupported. There is no sag wagon, and help of any sort can be miles away on some of the more remote stretches of road we ride. But we ride together, creating bonds of friendship and camaraderie along the way. Our ride organizers and volunteers work hard to make sure that every rider is accounted for, from start to finish.
Our rides are timed, with riders required to reach intermediate control points, as well as the finish, within a set window of time. But our results are listed alphabetically. Our style of riding is know as allure libre, meaning riders ride at their own pace within the limits set by control opening and closing times rather than riding as a group at a steady pace set by its leaders, which is the audax style of randonneuring.
Randonneuring is non-competitive, but we challenge ourselves and each other -- to ride farther, to ride faster, to ride longer than we might have though possible. We aspire to relentless forward progress but take time to help each other when in need, whether that need is for emotional support, an energy bar to cure a bonk, or a cleverly improvised fix to broken equipment.
DC Randonneurs is affiliated with Randonneurs USA and operates according to the rules promulgated by that organization by adoption from the Audax Club Parisien.