WINTER RIDING: With the right layering you can ride all year round in Shanghai.  So git on yer bike and ride.  :)

Brevets:  There are three 200km rides now sanctioned by the ACP in France:

• SSS: Shanghai to Suzhou to Shanghai (200km) Out and back brevet.
• Pudong:  From the ferry station to the airport, beyond, and back.  (200km) Out and back brevet.
• Suzhou: Three loops totaling the 200kms.  (Loops brevet)
• All three can be ridden anytime as what is called a "Permanent" More about that when I can figure out some non manned controls.

ROCn STATUS:  Still looking for someone to take over ROCn at the end of June when my stay in Shanghai is over.  Another "Yank" has moved to Chengdu and might run ROCn from there if I can't find another helpful soul in Shanghai. 

Ultra Marathon Cycling:  http://www.ultracycling.com/index.html   A very worthy organization to join with lots of information on ultra cycling:

• Year Rounder Challenge:  Anyone can sign up for this and challenge  yourself to do a century ride (100 miles or about 160kms) every month.  Use the cue sheets for the brevets or create your own century rides. 
• Equipment for Long Rides:  Check out the tips by Ken Bonner, who so far has over 12,000 miles ridden this year.

Brevet Cue Sheets: You can find them in the "Files" section of this yahoo group.  The SSS has to be updated as one of the roads is undergoing major construction.  I plan to update that sometime in December.

GPS: Returned from the U.S. with a Garmin eTrex Hcx gps unit only to find that the China map doesn't work in China unless you purchase a GPS unit made for China.  The government throws off the pointer for security reasons, so my GPS has me about 500 metres or 1/3 mile from where I really am.  Still good to be able to see the streets around and about.

GEOCACHING with a GPS unit:  Has nothing to do with ultra long distance cycling, but can be a fun way to explore Shanghai if  you have a GPS unit.  Folks hide "geocaches" in varous locations and with the co-ordinates you simply try to find them.  All you need for information is here: http://www.geocaching.com   There are about 8 geocaches in the Shanghai area.

As always.....Ride Long and Prosper

Slo Joe Recumbo

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer 

SUZHOU 200KM OCTOBER 25, 2008

On October 25th, seven riders signed up for the Suzhou 200km brevet and fun loops ride.  Two of the riders chose to do the official ACP 200km brevet and successfully completed the course in under 9 hours.

Congratulations to two Randonneurs of China, Staffan Geronsson and Wayne Roberts, who  completed the three loops in a time of 8 hours and 45 minutes, leaving at 7:00 a.m. and finishing before dark.  From their report, the weather gods were good to them and just a smattering of rain dampened the ride.

ROCn submitted a brevet schedule for December 2008 to November 2009.  As soon as the schedule is approved by the ACP, the dates will be posted, subject always to change based on rider interest.

ROCN 200km BREVETS

ROCn now has three official brevet or ride for fun 200km routes.

SHANGHAI to SUZHOU to SHANGHAI (this route will change because of the major construction work for the new transportation hub)

PUDONG 200 KM (Goes from the ferry station out past the airport and back)

SUZHOU 200 KM (3 separate loops totaling 200kms)

ROCN IN AUSTRALIA

ROCn was seen "down unduh".  A recumbent virtual friend of mine, Peter Heal, completed the Audax Australia 1200km Grand Southern Randonee,   http://www.audax.org.au/public/   wearing a ROCn jersey to start the quest. 

Peter finished with the 3rd best timewise.  But as we know for brevets they are equal opportunity finishers so  he actually finished tied for 1st with 24 other randonneurs and randonneuses. 

The ride is still on and anyone who wants to do

(A)  The 200km "official" ACP sanctioned and git yer name inna record
book brevet. or

(B)  Ride 1 or all 3 of Staffan's circular routes.  All begin and end
at the same point (Tihu Lake).

Email me asap at jkeenan0407 AT yahoo DOT com

Staffan has about 7 riders in Suzhou who will be there.

There were four of us Shanghai riders, but various reasons there are
now zip, including me being out due to a stupid joe trick: DO NOT
walk into the table leg of your dining room table.  It does horrible
things to your toes and foot.

I'm putting together a 2009 calendar for the governing body in France
and will post it with all dates "tentative", meaning they are subject
to change to fit the group.

The "official" season runs from November 2008 to October 2009.

Ride Long and Prosper

Joe

I've mentioned www.bikejournal.com as a place to log your miles.  A new
feature, blogging, has been added and I've used it to write up my BRAT
(Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee) adventures.

For those who like to read bike blogs..........

http://www.bikejournal.com/blog.asp?

We're gonna try again for the Suzhou 200km , 100km or any loop you
choose.

Date: October 25th

The 200km will be an official ACP sanctioned brevet and will follow
all the rules of the ride and road. Must be a ROCn member and if
you're not there's no cost to join.

There are "3" distinct loops that Staffan has designed, so if you
don't want to do 200km or 100km you can pick a loop and enjoy the
scenery.

Make a week-end out of it. Do the ride, stay over Saturday and
sightsee on Sunday.


Please reply here if you are interested or email me Jkeenan0407 AT
yahoo DOT com

Cheers

Slo Joe

Thought I'd mention again that this is an international association
that welcome long distance riders from all over the world and has
numerous challenges.

One of them that can be done 'ON YOUR OWN' is the Year Rounder with
the website here: http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/umc.html

Following is the newsletter that comes out twice a week.  So check
out membership and do some ldr's ...

ride long and prosper

slo joe



Ultra Marathon Cycling Association

Year-Rounder Challenge News
  Issue 97             September 8, 2008

1) News from John Lee Ellis


The Camaraderie of Distance – As I write this, it's the eve of a few
days of cycling immersion for several dozen riders down the street.
Tomorrow they'll be off on the Colorado Last Chance 1200k, the
most "open" of the 1200k's, at least if tree-count is any measure.
Year-Rounders include Ken Bonner, Tom Knoblauch, and Catherine
Shenk.  What unexpected adventures, species of wind, and dust devils
speaking in tongues will they encounter?  Who can say - that's the
great thing about spending so long on a bike - something fascinating
is almost sure to happen!  We wish all the riders a safe, successful
trip.



Pony Express by Bike - Speaking of camaraderie and distance, Year-
Rounder Spencer Klaassen and Dan Clinkenbeard just completed
Spencer's own RUSA "Pony Express" Permanent - an epic trip if ever
there was one, to the tune of 2979km.  Congratulations, you guys!



I hope that as the season tapers for many of us, you have found some
dynamite event, tour, or retrospective  excursion to put your season
in perspective!



-john lee



2) Rides from All Over


Here we are into September and enjoying the weather.  That is, of
course,  unless you live in hurricane land.  Please join me in
sending positive thoughts to all of those living in the affected
areas.  May your lights be on and your cleanup minimal.



·         A few more RUSA Anniversary brevets from Michael J Bailey
in California, Dan Driscoll and Pam Wright in Texas, and Ed Brady in
Ohio.

·         The Ultra Midwest 24 Hour Challenge in Illinois drew
several Y-Rs, including Larry Ide who rode 412 miles, Gerald Eddlemon
who, "won 60-69 age class by only 2.3 miles over entire 24 hours of
racing," and Joel Sothern who writes that, "Course vandals threw a
monkey wrench into the race by painting phony arrows on the pavement,
but Joe Jamison and crew made adjustments and the race went off
largely without a hitch."

·         Jennisse Peatick rode the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Century in Pennsylvania.

·         "It's not so much where one rides. The best thing to do is
to follow your instincts without to much reflection."  Well said by
Tom Knoblauch, who does most of his rides in Colorado.

·         Larry Ide set the UMCA Illinois E-W-E Record in a time that
Mr. Ellis called "fast."

·         Kenneth Bonner tells a story of not giving up on a
brevet.  "Not my day!! One of the ferries from Vancouver Island broke
down, and the last one for the day was late. Consequently, I arrived
at the start point of the 600 km about 2 a.m., so started the ride
with little sleep.  Broke a rear non-drive side spoke within about 35
miles.  Nice warm sunny day.  Then I missed a turn ... 20 miles later
and night falling I was back on course.  Now discouraged and very
sleepy, I went off course for several miles to try and find a motel --
  all full.  Dawn was just breaking when a drive-side spoke broke.
Duct tape and a tensioning tool straightened my wheel.  Still sleepy,
I caught a few minutes sleep on the side of the freeway. Finished
with another rider in heavy rain ... we both had wonky back wheels.
Fortunately they did not collapse! (And that's the good news!)"

·         Ritaann Becker Tells her own tale of excitement on a North
Florida 200k Permanent.  "It was a hot day (mid-90's), humid, and a
long, solo ride on the roads of rural North Florida. But around 90
miles, at the M&M General Store (w/ the claim of being the "Biggest
Store in Leonia", for year's there's been a sign on the
door, "Rattlesnakes Wanted" Dead or Alive ("or Alive" is now crossed
out).  Apparently, they pay by the foot for dead rattlesnakes brought
in, because while I was sitting there I witnessed (the rattler) and
heard a rattlesnake story told by a petite, older lady (76), dressed
in her Sunday best, about how she had just killed the rattler at her
back kitchen door w/ her hoe (it was about 4' and in her car trunk).
She proceeds to tell me she had the same problem with an alligator a
few weeks earlier, it met her hoe, too.  You just had to be there;
stuff for great storytelling. After I left, seven miles down the
road, I was climbing a hill and could see something up ahead, half on
the road and half in the grass ... couldn't make it out yet.  As I
got closer, its head up and rapid movement of the tongue got my
attention real fast as I swerved around a rattlesnake; where's the
lady w/ her hoe when you need her?"



Got any stories?  Send them to year-roundernews@...

3) Stats



John Lee put many hours into organizing the Last Chance 1200 which
starts tomorrow at 3 AM.  Bonne Route to all of the riders! - ed.



Next Time - Your Standings! - Thanks to our volunteers: Bob Barday,
Steven Barnes, William Beck, Kerin Huber, and Don Norvelle!

Complete Stats on the Year-Rounder Challenge and Larry Schwartz
Award: http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/umcstandings.php

Ride Submissions
We now ask for membership numbers on the ride submission forms.  The
reason is pretty simple - riders don't always use exactly the same
name when submitting a ride . . . so a ride may not be logged
correctly.  If they use the numbers, unique identifiers, then it's
much easier to keep accurate records.  They can look up their rider
numbers and other info in the membership database is on-line at:
http://www.ultracycling.com/membership/membership.php

Send your paper forms to the person below based on your last name.
A-C
  Kerin Huber
  1151 N. Vinedo Ave., Pasadena, CA 91107
  kerinhuber @ gmail.com

D-G
  Steven Barnes
  PO Box 231, Rimforest, CA 92378
  spbarnes @ csusb.edu

H-O
  William Beck
  17719 Foxmoor Drive, Woodbine, MD 21797
  wabeck_@ comcast.net

P-Z
  Bob Barday
  1932 Sage Drive, Golden, CO 80401
  rjbarday @ msn.com



Mileage Challenge Questions:  E-mail John Lee Ellis with questions
about the Year-Rounder at: year-rounder@...

Ride Submissions:  "Organized Rides" can be submitted electronically;
go to http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/umcsubmissions.html

Newsletter: Address Change? Suggestions? Delivery Problems?  Contact
John Elmblad at: year-roundernews@... .

[For confidentiality, these reports are mailed to you as blind carbon
copies (bcc's).]

This newsletter is a service of the Ultra Marathon Cycling
Association, Inc.  Copyright © 2008 UMCA, Inc.   All worldwide rights
reserved.  http://www.ultracycling.com

We're gonna try again for the Suzhou 200km , 100km or any loop you
choose.

Date: October 25th

The 200km will be an official ACP sanctioned brevet and will follow all
the rules of the ride and road.  Must be a ROCn member and if you're
not there's no cost to join.

There are "3" distinct loops that Staffan has designed, so if you don't
want to do 200km or 100km you can pick a loop and enjoy the scenery.

Make a week-end out of it.  Do the ride, stay over Saturday and sight
see on Sunday.

More details in a week or so.

"Ride Long and Prosper"

Slo "hoping to find some to caretake this when I leave" Joe

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Just a quick note to say hello again to one and all.

ROCn: I'm still trying to find another "love long distance riding" fool...er.. cyclist who can take over ROCn when I exit China.   Another randonneur may be moving to China from the states, but wil be located in Chengdu.  Who knows...maybe brevets in Chengdu. 

Volunteers??

RACE ACROSS AMERICA:  This is one of the premire world wide ultra cycling events where riders race from the west coast of the United States to the east coast.  The ride is held in June of each year. 

 Riders have support crews to assist them on the ride and there is a whole book of rules as to what can and can't be done, necessary equipment, rules of the road etc.  Some highlights:

• 1st Recumbent Soloist:  A recumbent friend of mine, John Schlitter, is the first recumbent cyclist to complete RAAM solo on a recumbent.  John is over 50 and finished first overall of all cyclists over 50.   He also finished in the top 10 of all solo RAAM cyclists.
• Fixed Gear Team:  Two riders, one of whom owns a ROCn jersey, completed the 3,000 mile plus race on fixed gear bikes.  THAT is an awesome accomplishment.
• Slovenian Jure Robic became the first man (Seana Hogan has won 6 solo women’s RAAMs) to win solo RAAM 4 times. The two men who got closest to this feat before him with 3 wins each were Rob Kish & Wolfgang Fasching. Robic denied Fasching a 4th win last year, but nobody could stop Robic from achieving it this year. His finishing time of 8:23:33 gave him an average speed of 13.98 mph.
• The youngest solo rider, 25 year old Ryan Correy finished RAAM with a time of 11:21:44 and a speed of 10.55 mph.  The Canadian rookie arrived at the first time station at Lake Henshaw in 3rd place just 5 minutes behind leaders Gulewicz & Robic, but soon was engulfed in the reality of RAAM.  Ryan started riding with his father & crew chief Peter at age 16. 
• While in 3rd place 1,320 miles into the solo race near the NM/OK state line, Austrian Franz Preihs hit a road sign, crashed, and broke his collarbone.  Refusing to give up on his dream of a solo RAAM finish, rookie Franz arrived in Annapolis 9 hours after David Haase to claim 4th place.  His time was 10:08:14 with a speed of 12.14 mph.  Franz is a good friend with David Haase, who he raced against in the Race Across the Alps and the Furnace Creek 508 both last year
• 62 year old David Jones arrived at the finish together in Annapolis on Thursday evening.   Jones became the oldest solo RAAM finisher as the former holder of that record RAAM CEO Fred Boethling draped an official finishers medal over Jones’ neck.  Jones also smashed his own 60+ record of 10.52 mph by doing 11.27 mph this year.  His time of 11:03:25 took 22 hours off from last year.   He finished 11th place overall among the solo men.  Just goes to prove age is only a number. 
• German rookie Dr. Michael Nehls placed 7th in the solo RAAM with a time of 10:22:56 and a speed of 11.46 mph.  He slept a total of 45 HOURS to set a new RAAM record for most sleep!  Riding just 15 hours per day, his on the bike speed was 30 kilometers per hour or faster than half of the teams.  He told me that more sleep is a safer way to do RAAM, especially for rookies.
• You can read all the results along with videos on the RAAM site: 
• http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/subwebraam/default.php?N_webcat_id=1

UMCA (Ultra Marathon Cycling Association):

Website:  http://www.ultracycling.com/

Check out the UMCA especially the Year Rounder that can be done from anywhere in the world.  http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/umcstandings.php

Ride Long and Prosper

Slo Joe Recumbo ( ROCn chief cook and bottle washer)

Greetings from the states...

Heading back to China on August 12th and am planning a brevet at the
end of August and will check with Steffan about his Suzhou brevet as
I'll be out of China most of September.

UMCA: For those of you who do enjoy long rides, I urge you to check out
the year-rounder challenge.  This is something that can be done by
anyone, anywhere in the world.

GO here to get more information:
http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/umc.html  Join the UMCA...not the
YMCA....and challenge yourself to some long rides.

I've gathered some interesting links to good randonneur sites and
stories and will post them for you.

In the meantime...Ride Long and Prosper

slo joe recumbo

Yup....more requests so I'm doing one more order to be placed Monday.

Items can be seen here:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v642/jkeenan7/ROC%20Jersey/


Email me at jkeenan0407@... by Sunday night if you want to get
something.

After this.. I retire... I hope.

slo joe

----- Original Message -----

From: ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com

To: ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 6:56 AM

Subject: [ROChiNa] Pudong (Length and type to be determined), 6/1/2008, 7:00 am

Reminder from:		ROChiNa Yahoo! Group
Title:		Pudong (Length and type to be determined)
Date:		Sunday June 1, 2008
Time:		7:00 am - 7:00 pm
Location:		Pudong Shanghai China
Notes:		Three kinds of rides:' 1. ACP Sanctioned 200km Brevet UPDATE MAY 27: CANCELLED AS THE LEADER (ME) HAS TO WORK 2. 200km Brevet (do not have to meet times at control points) YOU CAN DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. EMAIL ME FOR CUE SHEET 3. Fun Ride: Ride as much or as little of the route as you'd like. Email Jkeenan0407@...
Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email. Edit reminder options

Copyright © 2008  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Cue sheets have been added to the "Files" section for anyone who wants
to ride the loops.  Staffan Gereonsson took the time to create 3 loops
for a 200km brevet.

You can ride 1 or 2 or 3 of the loops any time you'd like and enjoy the
area.

There are two cue sheet formats labeled with "Joe" and "Staffan".

Control Point descriptions and clues have been removed.  When an
official sanctioned 200km brevet is scheduled, new cue sheets
containing control requirements will be included.

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the ROChiNa
group.

   File        : /Rocn Suzhou Staffan Loop 2.xls
   Uploaded by : jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>
   Description : Suzhou Routes: Staffan Loop 2

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ROChiNa/files/Rocn%20Suzhou%20Staffan%20Loop%202.x\
ls

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/members/web/index.htmlfiles

Regards,

jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the ROChiNa
group.

   File        : /Rocn Suzhou Joe Loop 3.xls
   Uploaded by : jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>
   Description : Suzhou Routes: Joe Loop 3

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ROChiNa/files/Rocn%20Suzhou%20Joe%20Loop%203.xls

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/members/web/index.htmlfiles

Regards,

jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the ROChiNa
group.

   File        : /Rocn Suzhou Joe Loop 1,2.xls
   Uploaded by : jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>
   Description : Suzhou Routes: Joe Loop 1 and Loop 2

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ROChiNa/files/Rocn%20Suzhou%20Joe%20Loop%201%2C2.x\
ls

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/members/web/index.htmlfiles

Regards,

jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>

From: ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com

To: ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 11:56 AM

Subject: [ROChiNa] Pudong (Length and type to be determined), 6/1/2008, 12:00 pm

Reminder from:		ROChiNa Yahoo! Group
Title:		Pudong (Length and type to be determined)
Date:		Sunday June 1, 2008
Time:		12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location:		Pudong Shanghai China
Notes:		Three kinds of rides:' 1. ACP Sanctioned 200km Brevet 2. 200km Brevet (do not have to meet times at control points) 3. Fun Ride: Ride as much or as little of the route as you'd like. Email Jkeenan0407@...
Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email. Edit reminder options

Copyright © 2008  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the ROChiNa
group.

   File        : /Zhudi Town Permanent 100km ride.xls
   Uploaded by : jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>
   Description : Zhudi Town 100km Permanent

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ROChiNa/files/Zhudi%20Town%20Permanent%20100km%20r\
ide.xls

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/members/web/index.htmlfiles

Regards,

jkeenan0407 <jkeenan0407@...>

----- Original Message -----

From: ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com

To: ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 7:58 AM

Subject: [ROChiNa] Suzhou 200km Brevet and Fun Rides, 5/10/2008, 8:00 am

Reminder from:		ROChiNa Yahoo! Group
Title:		Suzhou 200km Brevet and Fun Rides
Date:		Saturday May 10, 2008
Time:		8:00 am - 9:00 am
Next reminder:		The next reminder for this event will be sent in 7 days, 1 minute.
Location:		Suzhou China
Notes:		Three types of rides: ACP Sanctioned 200km Brevet (Do all 3 loops) 200km Brevet (Do the brevet but no official "times" to hit control points) Fun Rides. There are "3" 70km loops that begin and end at the same place. Ride as little or as much as you'd like mostly on quiet, low traffic roads. Email jkeenan0407@... for detailed information.
Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email. Edit reminder options

Copyright © 2008  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Thought this was a great testimonital from "180Safe" on
www.bikejournal.com for anyone hesitant to join or check out the
organization.  Yup..you can join from China.

"This is a great organization. It puts together great events, ultra-
races, and training tips, and it is extremely newbie friendly. The
directors are accessible and responsive, and the riders are
supportive. It is definitely wide open to anyone who wants to learn
more about endurance cycling. ....... If anyone is intimidated about
joining the UMCA, don't be -- everyone in it is just like you! Just
my 2 cents -- check 'em out." From 180Safe on www.bikejournal.com

--- In ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com, "Joe" <jkeenan0407@...> wrote:
>
>
> For those of you who relish long distance challenges, you might
want to
> join this organization.
>
> Website:  http://www.ultracycling.com/index.html
> <http://www.ultracycling.com/index.html>
>
> From their website:   UMCA is a not-for-profit membership
organization,
> which promotes endurance bicycling, also known as ultra cycling,
around
> the world. We have members in over 20 countries.
>
> Year Rounder:  Here's something you can do on your own.  If you join
> UMCA, John Lee Ellis publishes a periodic newsletter highlighting
what
> some of the riders have done around the world.   The UMCA organizes
the
> Year-Rounder <http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/umc.html>  which
> showcases consistent performance in cycling throughout the year.
The Y-R
> includes the Larry Schwartz award which recognizes riders who
complete
> (at least) a century every month. Riders earn certificates, medals
and
> plaques and top riders are recognized in UltraCycling.
>

CORRECTION: That should say MONDAY, April 28.

-- In ROChiNa@yahoogroups.com, "Joe" <jkeenan0407@...> wrote:
>
> WHAT:  Social ride to Zhudi Town: Lunch at Rendezvous or similar
place
> or maybe the new beer pub
>
> WHEN:  Tuesday, April 28   Start at 10:00 a.m.
>
> WHERE: Meet at the corner of Changning Lu and Shuicheng Lu
>
> PACE:  Moderate 22km to 28km (14 to 16 mph)
>
> INFO: Email jkeenan0407 AT yahoo DOT com with any questions
>