Recent Announcements

New and Retired Chicago Regions!

In mid January, in order to better serve the US's 3rd largest metropolitan region, the RUSA Board approved an additional region and RBA, based in Central Chicago. Sarah Rice will serve as RBA for the IL: Chicago Central region, which will be hosted by a new club, Chicago Randonneurs.

On February 5th, Michele Brougher, the RBA for IL:Chicago and president of Great Lakes Ultra Cycling (Great Lakes Randonneurs), which largely served Eastern Wisconsin, informed the RUSA Board that Great Lakes Ultra Cycling will no longer affiliate with Randonneurs USA or the Audax Club Parisien. Michele also resigned as RBA for that region.  At this time, without a host club, the IL:Chicago region has been deactivated.

RBAs from the new IL: Chicago Central region as well as surrounding regions will be reviewing their calendars in the next few days to ensure coverage for our ridership.  Many of our members ride with local clubs as well as with RUSA.  We welcome GLUC members on RUSA events in the midwest and elsewhere in the US.

The RUSA Board thanks Michele Brougher for years of dedication and service to RUSA and randonneuring.

Please direct all questions to chicago-questions@rusa.org.

Intermediate Checkpoints Now Untimed for ACP/RUSA Brevets

Dear RUSA Members,

The Audax Club Parisien has made a major change to its Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux regulations that we follow at Randonneurs USA. Starting immediately, there will only be timing at the final control of each brevet. The RUSA Board of Directors has voted to follow this and so our US brevets and populaires will no longer have timed intermediate controls. (Grand Randonnées of 1200km+ follow different rules.)

The ACP is encouraging RBAs to still use the familiar opening and closing times for intermediate controls, but this is to be only a guideline to help riders stay inside the time window for a successful finish at the final control, which will be timed. And, following the recent change for events 1200 km and longer by Les Randonneurs Mondiaux, US organizers for grand randonnées can chose to use timed intermediate controls or not.

What do you need to do? Ride events as you always would – you must follow the route and reach all the control points, but don’t stress too much about the control times between the start and the finish; now it is the final checkpoint’s timing that you need to be concerned with.

Best wishes for a good year of randonneuring,

The RUSA Board of Directors

Tim Sullivan awarded 2023 American Randonneur Award!

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that they have awarded the 2023 American Randonneur Award to Tim Sullivan (#28). Tim has been volunteering since our earliest days and started randonneuring in 1994 with Boston Montreal Boston (BMB). He has served on the Board many years and has also provided us with key legal counsel on various matters that have helped us become a successful sporting organization. 

Upon receiving the award, Tim shared: "Thank you to the Board for the American Randonneur Award. I feel honored to join a list of prior recipients who I have always respected for the work on behalf of RUSA. Volunteering for RUSA has always been a pleasure because of the camaraderie of our sport. Be it from volunteering at a local brevet, assisting RBAs, or working on the Board. It is one of the things that makes our niche aspect of bicycling unique and what I have enjoyed for the past 30 years. Volunteering for RUSA has never felt like work."

Additional details will be in the next issue of our American Randonneur magazine.

Tim Sullivan - ARA

2024 RUSA Officers

The Board has elected the following as 2024 Officers:

President - Dave Thompson

Vice President - Dawn Piech

Secretary - Gardner Duvall

Treasurer - Lois Springsteen (not a Board member)*

Non-Officer Board members: Bill Bryant, Charlie Martin, Vinny Muoneke, and Rob Hawks (RBA Liaison)

* President, VP, and Secretary must be Board members. Treasurer can be someone not on the Board.

Gravel Launch for Perms - Coming February 1

With the success of the gravel program started in 2021, we are now expanding offerings to the Permanents program. We think this will bring new routes, new challenges and new adventures for anyone wanting to jump off the pavement. You know what they say, “pavement ends, fun begins” and the fun will begin when you add routes into the perm library, or update unpaved distance for existing perms. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Submit a NEW gravel perm route, one that is completely new to Permanents.

2. UPDATE a route already in the permanent library that has unpaved distance - This form verifies the unpaved distance, so you can ride with the extra time bonus and accumulate unpaved distance credit.   

3.REACTIVATE a perm from the old Permanents program into the new Permanents library - Dust off that old route and resubmit it into the new Permanents library. You will be able to supply unpaved distance for the reactivated route using form.

The sooner riders submit routes, the more routes are available to earn unpaved distance credit and future trinkets. Unpaved roads open up 1000s of miles of riding options. Let’s explore - Rando-style!

► Gravel program details - will be updated with Perms details soon.

Gravel Program

Election Results for 2024 RUSA Board of Directors and RBA Liaison

RUSA is pleased to announce that Dawn Piech and Dave Thompson have been elected to serve 3-year terms on the Board of Directors and that Rob Hawks has been re-elected as RBA Liaison for 2024. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the other candidates who stood for election. A special thanks, also, to Dan Driscoll, who will be stepping down at the end of the year. The election results are as follows:

For Regular Board Positions:

Phil Fox 237
Susan Gryder 160
Misha Heller 277
Dawn Piech 306
Dave Thompson 300
   
Number of Voters 676

 

For RBA Liaison:
Rob Hawks - 40

Many thanks, also, to Johnny Bertrand for managing this election.

-jle

American Randonneur Award nominations open until 12/15

► Nominations open through December 15. ·  Nominate  via this form or by sending Johnny Bertrand. (amrandaward@rusa.org). · You must include a supporting statement for your nomination to be considered. · View past awardees here.

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Once a year, the Randonneurs USA (RUSA) Board of Directors and the Awards Committee present an award to a member of the organization who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to randonneuring in the United States.

This person is recognized for having gone above and beyond the call of duty to help our niche of cycling grow. It can be a Regional Brevet Administrator (RBA) who has dramatically increased brevet participation, a hard-working RUSA volunteer, or someone who has helped randonneuring flourish by a selfless act, good sportmanship, camaraderie, or by being a good samaritan.

We wish to recognize this special volunteer and inspire others to do the same. This is a most prestigious award, a high honor of American Randonneuring. It is the only award we have that names a single winner; all other awards can be earned each season by any number of our members who qualify successfully.

This person must be a RUSA member. (Check the RUSA website Members Search to see if the person that you have in mind is a current member and note their membership number).

The American Randonneur Award is given by the Board of Directors. The nominees' names come from the general membership. The Board then votes on the award winner. Please note that the Board has decided to exempt itself from any active nominations for this award in order to avoid possible conflicts of interest that could then affect other Board matters. If an American Randonneur Award nomination comes in for someone who is on the Board during the nomination period or when the vote is taken, it is held over until the year after that person leaves the Board and then placed among the next batch of nominees.

You may also nominate a member by email as well. To make a nomination by email, send your name and your RUSA membership number with your nominee's name, RUSA membership number and explanation of the nomination to: Johnny Bertrand. (amrandaward@rusa.org)

Please submit your nomination by December 15 with a short explanation of why your nominee is deserving of the award.  

NOTE:  If there is no supporting explanation to the nomination, your nomination will not be accepted.  

2024 Board Election - Voting open until November 30

Election of Board of Directors and RBA Liaison take place from November 1st to November 30th. Please visit this year's Election Page to learn about the candidates and vote if you are an active member. Contact Johnny Bertrand at election@rusa.org with any questions you may have.

Members may vote for Board of Directors candidates. RBAs may additionally vote for their RBA Liaison. RUSA sincerely thanks all of those who have stepped up to stand for election this year.

2024 Board Nominees - updated 10/22/2023

These are the members who have been nominated and have accepted as of 1-Oct-2023. This list will be updated as accepted nominations come in.

Regular Board Positions

12365 Phil Fox
9931 Susan Gryder
8502 Misha Heller
10146 Dawn Piech
4226 Dave Thompson

 

RBA Liaison

2515 Rob Hawks

 

2024 Board Nominations

Nominations for the RUSA Board of Directors opened on October 1.

We are looking for members to run to be a board member and/or nominate another member(s). We encourage individuals of all identities (racial, ethnic, gender, sexuality, ability, size, age, etc.) to apply. We are seeking members whose experience, expertise, perspective and passion will help us fulfill our mission. That might include experience with (in no particular order):

  • Passion and commitment to Randonneurs USA
  • Strategic thinking and visioning
  • Cultivating inclusive, diverse, and equitable community
  • Connections in the cycling community
  • Public relations, marketing and communications
  • Development and fiscal oversight

Your Board of Directors meets one time per month, virtually. The time commitment is variable, based on position and responsibility on special projects/committees. Board of directors act as representatives of Randonneurs USA and are responsible for ensuring we are executing our mission, being accountable to our membership, and keeping our organization healthy.

  • Board member responsibilities here
  • Mission, values, organizational objectives, strategic goals here

If you're interested and would like to inquire more, please reach out to any board member.  

Two positions on the RUSA Board of Directors will become available at the end of 2022. The terms of Dan Driscoll and Dawn Piech are expiring. Both are eligible for re-election, but Dan has decided not to run in this election. Members may nominate up to two current RUSA members to run for those two positions. The term limit is three years.  

To nominate a fellow member and/or yourself, you may email election@rusa.org listing the member(s) you're nominating with their RUSA member number(s) and your contact information.

Additionally, the Regional Brevet Administrator Liaison (RBA-L) position is also open. This position is a one year term. Rob Hawks currently holds the position and is eligible for re-election. NOTE: Only Regional Brevet Administrators (RBA's) are eligible to nominate and vote for the RBA Liaison. 

Nominations must be received by October 20th, 2023.