Rule Changes and Clarifications for 2010
Eric Fergusson

Well, mainly they're clarifications of existing rules. The content won't be a surprise to most riders - it's stuff we already know. The new wording is in purple. The changes were finalized and approved at the February 9, 2010 executive meeting.

The only real change is in the permanents rules (link). Previously a permanent couldn't conflict with rides in your own or an "adjoining region." Here's the new permanents rule #6:

6. Permanents can be organized on any date, starting at any time as long as a regular scheduled (ACP) brevet is not starting on the same date in the same region.

Also, in permanents rule #15 where it said that the 12 month award can included regular (ACP sanctioned) brevets, this was clarified. APC sanctioned brevets means all "BRMs" (brevets de Randonneur Mondiaux), meaning all brevets sanctioned by Audax Club Parisien and Randonneur Mondiaux (i.e. including brevets 1200 km or greater.)

There's more kids. Don't doze off on me...

On the 1000s rules and primer page (link) there's another clarification. Last year riders started their 1000 on a date other than date on the ACP schedule. This should have been a disqualification. The ride was allowed, but from now on it will be a DQ. Here is the clarification:

Rides can start at any time on the designated start date. The organizer chooses the start time, but this should probably be done with input from other riders. An organizer may elect to offer a second start time. Starting times from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. are common.

This next on is a clarification on the only alternate day brevet allowed in BC - the organizer's and volunteer pre-ride. It's in the understanding the rules sub-section following the 12 fundamental rules on the main rules page (link). The essential message is that if you ride the pre-ride and don't show for your volunteer responsibilities on ride day, your pre-ride will be disqualified.

Alternate Day Brevets -The Volunteer Pre-ride

Officially there are no alternate day brevets in the sport of Randonneur Cycling. Here is how BC Randonneurs defines a brevet:

A brevet is a ride starting at a designated time and place, on a designated day, following a designated route.

Riders will be aware, however, that there is an exception to this rule in BC - the organizer's and volunteer's pre-ride. This ride, usually one week before the official ride, allows a brevet organizer and other ride-day volunteers to preview the route: check the accuracy of the route sheet, discover road changes and closures as well as hazards and construction. The organizing team will also be given credit for the brevet. Only the ride organizer and ride-day volunteers are permitted to join the pre-ride. There is only one pre-ride for an event, and typically the participants ride together.

Permission to participate in the volunteer pre-ride is granted by the organizer only to riders whose contribution on the official ride day is necessary and significant. Volunteers who provide non event-day help (promotion, printing route sheets) must ride on event day to get credit for the ride. The pre-ride is not to be used as a means of accommodating the personal scheduling conflicts of volunteers. A volunteer who rides the pre-ride and does not show up on ride day will be disqualified.

Is this rule absolute? Under some very special circumstances (one was a volunteer's request to attend a funeral), some volunteers and organizers have in the past been given credit for a pre-ride without being present on event day. These circumstances are rare, and the decision is the regional rides coordinator's, not the ride organizer's.

I thought it was enough on the rules page to say that the "circumstances are rare" for credit to be allowed for a pre-ride, for a rider who was not there on ride day, but for the benefit of organizers you'll find this further clarification in the ride organizer's section of the web site (link):

Alternate Day Brevets - The Volunteer Pre-ride

Under some very special circumstances volunteers or organizers have been given credit for a pre-ride without being present on event day. These circumstances are rare, and the decision is the route coordinator's not the ride organizer's.

1. A funeral (obviously unanticipated) prevented a volunteer from helping on ride day. His pre-ride was allowed to stand.

2. A rider with a pre-existing overseas plane ticket, which was going to prevent him for attending the ride, organized a major brevet including doing all route work, organizing all the paper work, and coordinating a significant number of volunteers. He was encouraged to ride the pre-ride and credit was granted. It was not simply because he "organized" the event that pre-ride credit was granted, but that his preparations were extensive.

3. A volunteer pre-rode a "Hell Week" series. The volunteer was not a ride-day volunteer on all of the brevets in the series. The volunteer's pre-ridden series was allowed, and all brevets were credited. Organizers of similar multi-brevet series are free to use their volunteers where they are most needed, and this might mean using them more on some brevets and not at all on others. The overall contribution of the volunteer must be significant and necessary.

4. Extreme winter conditions have been a reason to change the date of some spring Peace Region brevets.

5. There is one final scenario under consideration that has not yet resulted in a credited pre-ridden brevet. Particularly on longer brevets which involve night riding (400s and 600s), some riders may feel uncomfortable riding alone. In the case where only a single organizer or volunteer is available for the pre-ride, a second "companion rider" can be asked to participate. This second rider's contribution to the ride is to accompany the organizer on the pre-ride, and credit will be granted without the companion rider needing to help on ride day.

Hang in there, we're almost done!

Ken Bonner suggests we eliminate the one hour late start rule. Our policy is that a rider can arrive up to one hour late and still start as long as she/he makes up the lost time by the first control. Cheryl thinks we might not be able to eliminate the late starts rule - it's an ACP policy. For this year it looks like some discretion will be given to the ride organizers and regional rides coordinators on this subject. Note that all of Ken's rides have a "no late starts" warning on the schedule.

February 26, 2010