There is a tremendous variety of permanent rides. Some are based on established calendar events, others are just available as permanent events. As well as events in the UK there are "permanent randonnees on foreign soil" (PROFs) in the rest of Europe and beyond. You will need to make enquiries with individual organisers to discover just how particular events operate.

Permanent rides are more flexible than calendared events. Most can be ridden at any time and many organisers will not insist that you commit yourself to a particular date in advance. Most organisers provide you with a route sheet and many offer advice as to possible places to obtain your proof of passage in designated towns or villages. There are Diagonals, coast to coast events, Darts, such as the Youth Hostel Darts, for which riders provide organisers with their own route and control details; and even DIY events where you can devise your own route and have it approved in advance. Most entry fees are £2.

Normal Audax rules apply, but some organisers may have additional regulations. Some organisers of longer events (1000km or more), such as End to End rides or some PROFs, allow a choice between riding the event as a single continuous event at randonneur pace, or dividing it into a series of linked day rides (each of at least 200km) ridden as consecutive "events". It may even be possible to complete the event as a tourist ride at a reduced speed and distance per day. You will need to enquire of individual organisers as to what is on offer and be clear about which version of the event you are entering.

Permanents require more self-sufficiency than calendar rides and are intended as events for the more experienced rider, riding alone or with family and friends. Some solo cyclists particularly enjoy permanents because they feel under no pressure to ride faster than their normal touring pace, whilst others, such as the regular Mesh Permanent riders, appreciate the freedom to devise their own routes between designated attractive towns and villages.

When enquiring about a permanent, please let the organiser know exactly what information you need and send a stamped self-addressed envelope for a reply. Whenever possible enter a permanent at least a month in advance, with a completed AUK entry form (photocopy of the version in this publication or from the web site), two SAEs and the entry fee (cheque made out to the organiser), in the same way that you would enter a calendared event. The organiser will send you a brevet card, plus a route sheet and additional information if appropriate.

On the day, write the date in your brevet card and find a suitable start control for your ride. Cafés, pubs, hotels, garages, supermarkets, shops and electronic cash dispensers can provide start and finish controls and proof of passage. If you collect cash receipts (rather than an ink stamp on your card) check that they have the time, date and place and that these are correct. Also make sure that the receipts are securely attached to your card and identified by number, with a corresponding number in the card control box. On the ride, you should always make a purchase when obtaining proof of passage from a shop or similar establishment - it is important in any case to remember to eat and drink regularly. At the finish, check that your card is fully filled in, sign it and then post it to the organiser within 48 hours.

Particular cloth badges or medals are available for some events, such as the classic End-to-End. Standard distance and Brevet series medals and cloth badges can also be claimed by application to AUK’s Recorder (allow time for your ride to have been registered). Events of 200km and above gain points for championships, if ridden at the randonnée pace for that distance, however, for the competitive awards, your points total can only have 50% of your points as permanent rides.

To organise your own permanent event, fine-tune your favourite route so that control points can be placed to ensure that the full distance is ridden. Then email or write to the Permanents Secretary for a pro forma and risk assessment form. Fill in the details and return with a copy of the route sheet and a map marked with the route and controls, or the Autoroute file.  The event details will be published in the Arrivée and on the AUK web site. When your permanent is announced in one of these it can be ridden as an ‘official’ AUK event. Brevet cards for your entrants, price 50p each, are ordered from John Ward 34 Avenue Road, Lymington, SO41 9GJ. These may be generic cards (for series of rides) or you might design a master from which inners can be printed. Organisers check and sign completed cards and send them to the Permanents Secretary, with the rider’s SAE, for validation and recording.