my day as a brevet "official"

[jobob]

MP asked in another thread -

hey Jo - how were the randonneurs yesterday? knock anyone over? I think they probably got largely decent weather.

Yes, it turned out to be a reasonably nice day, with not much wind (which was key for the ride out to the lighthouse and up Rt. 1 to Marshall).

It was a lot of fun. Lee & I got to the finish (the visitor's area at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge) around 1-ish and we had a lot of time to hang out before the first riders arrived, but the weather was good and there's a lot of good people-watching and bike-watching to be done there. Sterling (who used to work at Riv) showed up around 2 - he had some free time that afternoon so he thought he'd stop by to lend a hand - and Todd the RBA arrived about 2:30.

The first riders arrived around 2:45. The first one in was riding a recumbent and there was a couple from Davis on a tandem (or they might have been in the small group that arrived a couple of minutes later). We had a bit of a flurry of riders coming in after that, and then it was at least a half-hour or so until the next group came in. Then they started tricking in in small groups at relatively constant intervals.

I got to put faces to the names of a lot of people I've read about or whose reports I've read in the past. Everyone was very friendly and appreciated our being there, which was nice. Luckily the weather was fine, so it was no hardship at all being out there!

Sometimes we'd get groups of five or more arriving together so there was a bit of juggling to make sure everyone's time was entered on the arrival sheet & on their card, and that they signed the sheet & the card before turning it back over to us, but everyone was very patient.

We stayed there until nearly five, and then when there was a lull in the arrivals we handed over all the paperwork to Todd (we didn't mind at all staying a bit over our allotted time, we wenjoyed it and it gave Todd a chance to schmooze) and wished him luck. I'd say perhaps about 3/4 of the 95-ish riders who started were in by then.

Then Lee & I went into SF to have dinner at an Italian restaurant we like, but it was closed, so we turned around and headed into Marin to another Italian place we like (we had very little to eat all day and we had a hankerin' for pasta!!). At we were going across the bridge - it was nearly 6 by then and dark - we saw a couple of groups of 2-3 riders with headlamps and bright jackets and reflective bands so I assume they were heading for the brevet finish.

MP, I met your friend Nicole, she's very sweet, and I met Curtis from bikejournal, who's a very nice guy. He had Lee take a photo of the two of us for his collection of good looking cycling babes no doubt.

We'll probably help out on the 400 and 600 in some capacity - heh, maybe we'll hang out somewere in the boonies in our van in the middle of the night doing a sekret control.

[Trekhawk]

MP asked in another thread -



Yes, it turned out to be a reasonably nice day, with not much wind (which was key for the ride out to the lighthouse and up Rt. 1 to Marshall).

It was a lot of fun. Lee & I got to the finish (the visitor's area at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge) around 1-ish and we had a lot of time to hang out before the first riders arrived, but the weather was good and there's a lot of good people-watching and bike-watching to be done there. Sterling (who used to work at Riv) showed up around 2 - he had some free time that afternoon so he thought he'd stop by to lend a hand - and Todd the RBA arrived about 2:30.

The first riders arrived around 2:45. The first one in was riding a recumbent and there was a couple from Davis on a tandem (or they might have been in the small group that arrived a couple of minutes later). We had a bit of a flurry of riders coming in after that, and then it was at least a half-hour or so until the next group came in. Then they started tricking in in small groups at relatively constant intervals.

I got to put faces to the names of a lot of people I've read about or whose reports I've read in the past. Everyone was very friendly and appreciated our being there, which was nice. Luckily the weather was fine, so it was no hardship at all being out there!

Sometimes we'd get groups of five or more arriving together so there was a bit of juggling to make sure everyone's time was entered on the arrival sheet & on their card, and that they signed the sheet & the card before turning it back over to us, but everyone was very patient.

We stayed there until nearly five, and then when there was a lull in the arrivals we handed over all the paperwork to Todd (we didn't mind at all staying a bit over our allotted time, we wenjoyed it and it gave Todd a chance to schmooze) and wished him luck. I'd say perhaps about 3/4 of the 95-ish riders who started were in by then.

Then Lee & I went into SF to have dinner at an Italian restaurant we like, but it was closed, so we turned around and headed into Marin to another Italian place we like (we had very little to eat all day and we had a hankerin' for pasta!!). At we were going across the bridge - it was nearly 6 by then and dark - we saw a couple of groups of 2-3 riders with headlamps and bright jackets and reflective bands so I assume they were heading for the brevet finish.

MP, I met your friend Nicole, she's very sweet, and I met Curtis from bikejournal, who's a very nice guy. He had Lee take a photo of the two of us for his collection of good looking cycling babes no doubt.

We'll probably help out on the 400 and 600 in some capacity - heh, maybe we'll hang out somewere in the boonies in our van in the middle of the night doing a sekret control.

Good job guys. Sounds like you had lots of fun and Im pleased the weather was nice for you and all the riders. After reading some of the reports from past years it sure could have beeen worse.

[maillotpois]

Very cool!

Isn't Nicole great? Her confidence in me (even though she'd just met me!) was one of the main things that got me through the 600k last year.

[Veronica]

Don't forget your insanity.

V.

[maillotpois]

I resemble that remark.

[SadieKate]

You guys are such good doobies.

Curtis wrote a nice report also and posted the link on bikejournal. The photo of him and the hot biker chick is in it.

[snapdragen]

You guys are such good doobies.

Curtis wrote a nice report also and posted the link on bikejournal. The photo of him and the hot biker chick is in it.

In a very stylin' jacket, I might add.....

[jobob]

Gahhh, that jacket makes me look fat !

[maillotpois]

No it doesn't! Makes you look like you're wearing a loosely fitting jacket.

And I notice he only put up a picture of you and not of Mr. Leebob.....