Well Nick we have a lot of randonneuring here in North and South Carolina. I completed a Fleche on Saturday. There where four teams and no carbon or pretend peleton. Some use carbon on shorter 200K events but most have settled on traditional lugged frames with bigger tires, fenders, lights and slacker angles. Racers can sneer and make fun of those I know all they want, but these guys/gals are the toughest truest cyclist that can be found. In fact the serious randonneurs actually make fun the wannabee racers in some colorful language. Wind, rain, cold, dark doesn't deter them from riding and laughing the whole way. And they can ride the legs off about anyone. Some can maintain a 30k average for days. Many know the history and geography of the area and give lessons on the way. So when my brother, Mike, introduced me to the sport I gladly turned my handlebars to follow their wheels. The long rides really hurt at first but I've never felt so satisfied as to complete 400K in 24 hours in tow behind my team mates. So I don't know about the cyclorandonneur events you hold in disdain but we have the real deal here. As they say in the South "Y'all come on down!" You can crash at my place. I have a wife who is an excellent cook and a cellar to satisfy someone living in France. We'll even order in some special cheeses.
Rob "Rico Boy" Dayton Charlotte,NC USA -----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Nick March Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 7:01 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [SPAM][CR]Cyclotourisme is dead, failed racers live on.
Cyclotouring was (past tense) guys on lightweights or light as mechanical skills would allow, the art of travelling morning to dusk on low gearing, just spinning away all day long, taking the back roads, seeing places. Cyclotourers weren't muscle bound sprinters, the guys were light and lithe, and hard as nails. And they had fun. They were the subject of great mockery by a lot of has been or never will be small time racers. They are a dead race. Extinct. Any cyclo meets I see nowadays over here in France, it's all geeks on carbon racing toys. You try get them to cycle more than 100 km on small roads, they're dead beat. You give em' a map and a sandwich, a kick off in the right direction, next thing you know is they're in hospital through bike failure, or exhaustion. Or they're lost, which is fine by me. Mainly the guys travel in big groups along a course with signposts, it's just like a race, and mostly they are failed racers trying to make a win in the small fry.
The men I knew ate on the bike. They didn't have Herses or Singers, they weren't rich enough (please don't get me wrong, a Herse or a Singer is a real cyclo machine). The only cyclotourers I see nowadays are dutch madmen on modern steel with a 50 kg load of saucepans and camping gear. The way I hear it they catch the train in Holland from somewhere to somewhere in France, then they ride all over the countryside.
Then you have the collectors and nostalgics, guys who have oldtimer machines, they go out for 100 km paddles and take plenty of photographs of themselves which they then post on their websites. I guess they are the only pitiful remanants of the art.
Then you have the cyclorandonneur events: gimme a break, see above about carbon freaks and failed racers doing peloton stuff.
So it boils down to this: there is no longer such a thing as a cyclotourist.
Nick March Agen, 47, Lot et Garonne, France
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