ROCn → Randonneurs Of China

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Randonneurs of China (ROCn)?

  ROCn is a volunteer organization whose primary goals are to promote randonneuring in China and to serve China's randonneuring community. ROCn is sanctioned by the Audax Club Parisien (ACP, the governing body) and affiliation with the Randonneurs Mondiaux to conduct ACP sanctioned brevets in China.

  ROCn also has the goal of providing ultra cycling rides to China, such as Metric Centuries, a 100K ride.

• How do I join ROCn?

  Simply send an email to JKeenan0407@yahoo.com requesting membership. There is no membership fee.

• Do I have to join ROCn?

  You have to join only if you want to participate in sanctioned ACP brevets. All other rides offered by ROCn do not require membership.

• What is Randonneuring?

  (from www.rusa.org)

  There is no direct English translation of the French term "randonnée", which loosely means to go on a long trip, tour, outing, or ramble, usually on foot or on a bicycle. A person who goes on a "randonnée" is called a "randonneur". (The correct French term for a female participant is "randonneuse", but such distinctions are often lost, where we tend to lump everyone together). In cycling, it means a hard-riding enthusiast who is trying to complete a long randonnée inside a certain time allotment. Note that a randonnée is not a race. Overall, about the only thing being first earns is some bragging rights. It is not uncommon for the last finishers to get as much applause as anyone else. Indeed, there is much camaraderie in randonneuring. One does it to test oneself against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route - but not to beat the other riders.

  In comparison to other forms of competitive long-distance cycling, such as at the Race Across America (RAAM), where there are following cars with crews supporting the riders every inch of the way, randonneuring stresses self-sufficiency. Help can only be given at the checkpoints along the route, so support crews (if there are any) must leapfrog the rider. Any rider caught receiving assistance from a support crew in-between checkpoints (or, "contrôles" as they are commonly called) will be subject to a time penalty, or even disqualification. Randonneurs are free to buy food, supplies, or bike repairs at any stores they encounter along the route. Once riders have successfully completed a 200-kilometer "brevet", they are entitled to be called a "randonneur" or "randonneuse".

• What is the spirit of Randonneuring?

  Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported (there are no SAG vehicles, etc.) endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring

• What is a brevet?

  (from www.rusa.org)

  Again, this is a French word for which we have no direct translation for its cycling usage. In general, it means a "patent", "certificate", or "diploma". For the randonneur, the randonnée, they have entered is often called a "brevet". This is typically a challenging 200-, 300-, 400-, 600-, 1000- or 1200- kilometer ride, each with a specific time limit. The randonneur carries a brevet card, which is signed and stamped at each checkpoint along the way to prove they have covered the distance successfully. (Losing the card, or missing a required checkpoint is a very bad thing to do!) Also, pronounce the word correctly: "brevet" rhymes with "say" or "Chevrolet", not "get" or "let

• Is there a place to read more?

  Go to this website for some additional information: http://www.rusa.org/faq1.html Although this FAQ site is for RUSA, much of the information is general enough to be applied to ROCn.

• What other rides will ROCn offer?

  ROCn will offer other long distance rides such as 100K's or "Metric Centuries", along with unsanctioned brevets, keeping in mind that a brevet is a ride of 200K or longer. ROCn can schedule a ROCn brevet at any time unlike an ACP sanctioned brevet which must be requested towards the end of a calendar year and then approved by ACP for coming year. The ACP calendar requests are made roughly in the Fall.