Brevet Series
Randonneur Round the Year
International Super Randonneur
- Audax UK offers various awards designed to encourage cyclists to ride more events and longer distances.
- AUK recognises certain set distances - 50km, 100km and 150km are introductory rides known as Populaires. 100km is just over 62 miles.
- 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km are the 'classic' recognised distances, to be ridden in a time equivalent to a minimum average speed of around 15kph. Thus the maximum time allowance for a 200 will be around 13½ hours, for a 600, 40 hours.
- Beyond this there are events of 1000km and above, which for many riders would be the culmination of a long season of preparation.
- 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km are the 'classic' recognised distances, to be ridden in a time equivalent to a minimum average speed of around 15kph. Thus the maximum time allowance for a 200 will be around 13½ hours, for a 600, 40 hours.
- The 'Randonneur Series'
- These three awards stretch the rider to longer events.
- Randonneur 500. By riding Populaire events of 50, 100 and 150km then going on to a 200km at Randonneur speed (ie, 200km or 125 miles in a maximum time of around 13½ hours), all in one season, you can become a Randonneur 500.
- Randonneur 1000. If you think you can stretch to 300km, you should instead be aiming for a 100, 200 and 300km all at Randonneur speed, topped up by more events totalling another 400km, all in one season, which will make you a Randonneur 1000. So, a 100, 200, 300 and 400 would be OK - so would a 100, 3x200s, and a 300. Note that on a 300km event, there will almost certainly be a few hours of night-riding, and good cycle lighting is essential.
- Super Randonneur. Audax UK's traditional award for the top 10% of hardened night-riders. Ride a series of 200, 300, 400 & 600km all in one season. Longer events can substitute for shorter - eg, 2x400 plus 2x600 is also counted as an SR series. AUK have a smart new presentation SR medal, based on a design by Jaques Dorleans.
- Randonneur 1000. If you think you can stretch to 300km, you should instead be aiming for a 100, 200 and 300km all at Randonneur speed, topped up by more events totalling another 400km, all in one season, which will make you a Randonneur 1000. So, a 100, 200, 300 and 400 would be OK - so would a 100, 3x200s, and a 300. Note that on a 300km event, there will almost certainly be a few hours of night-riding, and good cycle lighting is essential.
- Super Randonneur 2000. To celebrate the Millennium, a new award exists. To the Super Randonneur series as described above, add a 500km ride to gain the SR2000 and the free SR2000 medal.
Only a series of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 will count - no other combination is valid.
- Progressing past the SR, the new Randonneur 5000 is awarded to a person riding randonneur events totalling 5,000km in one season. Note that you can gain the Randonneur 5000 without riding the longer distances - a 200km every weekend through the spring and summer would do it.
- Similarly, the new Randonneur 10000 is awarded to a person riding randonneur events totalling 10,000km in one season.
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- The 'Brevet Series'
- These awards encourage the rider to keep riding over several years.
- Brevet 500. Ride 5 x 100km rides in one AUK season to gain your Brevet 500. 150s can be counted as well - but not 200s.
- Brevet 1000. Ride 5 more over subsequent seasons, totalling 10 in all over any time period, and you will have gained a Brevet 1000.
- Another way to gain the Brevet 1000 is to ride 5 x 200km in one season. But you can't mix the two, it has to be 10 x 100 or 5 x 200, and you can't use 300s as substitutes.
- Brevet 2000. Carry on collecting 100s or 200s over as long a period as you like, and eventually you will have your Brevet 2000. That's 10 x 200km or 20 x 100km. Remember, you can't mix them, and you can't substitute longer rides.
- Brevet 3000. If you have ridden any mixture of 100, 150 and 200km over a long period (and it will be a long period!), totalling 3000km, then you have your Brevet 3000.
- Brevet 4000. This is for riders who can show they have ridden 20 x 200km over any length of time.
- Brevet 5000. This is a major challenge which is achieved only by very experienced randonneurs. In a four-year period, ride an End-to-End OR a Paris-Brest-Paris, a 200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000, a 24 hour team event, plus other rides to top up to 5000km.
- Brevet 25000. Only a handful of randonneurs have ever achieved this. In a six-year period, a Paris-Brest-Paris OR London-Edinburgh-London, another ride over 1200km, a 1000km, a 24 hour team ride, three Super-Randonneur series, and other rides to top up to 25000km! Phew!
- Brevet 1000. Ride 5 more over subsequent seasons, totalling 10 in all over any time period, and you will have gained a Brevet 1000.
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