Flèche Top 10 List
by Colin Fingler

The Flèche Team Event is fast approaching on the ride calendar - weekend of May 2-4, with the scrumptious brunch at the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel on Sunday morning as usual.

Deadline for team submissions is 17 April. (Out-of-province teams are welcome too.)

If you have never done a Flèche before or its been a while, you may want to check out our Flèche Pacifique Main Page and also the Discussion forum includes a pretty good overview on the Ins and Outs of the event from Ryan Golbeck.

And from my own limited experience, I offer up the following to further entice your participation:

Top Ten reasons to ride a Fleche:

10. It's the only Rando team event...and so you get to pick a snappy team name - some of my favourites - Flèche Pedalers, A Pound of Flèche, Pasty White Guys, Flèche Test Dummies...

9. The Flèche is a required event for the coveted ACP Brevet de Randonneur 5000 Pin. And the event itself has its own unique pin.

8. Admit it - you like randonneuring, but the competitive fire burns within - this is the only competitive event in the calendar.

7. You get to ride with faster riders - organize the team, bribe them with promises of good weather & scrumptious snacks and they will pull you along.

6. You get to ride with slower riders - organize the team, bribe them with promises of good weather & scrumptious snacks and you can pull them along.

5. New to the longer distances? - what better way to check it out than with a group for moral support.

4. New to the vagaries of night riding? - learn about sleep deprivation and route finding on the 24 hr Flèche.

3. Having at least 2 other riders with you, the chances are improved that amongst the lot of you, you can afterwards actually piece together what really happened on the ride (except if you end up on Manfred's team.)

2. You get to design and ride your own route (in accordance with the Flèche Rules of course), and finally,

1. You can strive for BC Rando Immortality & one year bragging rights - get your name engraved on one or more of the three trophies.

Still not convinced? There is a non-competitive alternative - the Trace! or "Flèche-Lite" if you prefer. Same weekend as the Flèche - daylight riding only - minimum 201 km (max 360 km) - 2 to 6 bikes per team.

Top Five reasons to ride a Trace:

1. A leisurely 16 hours to ride a minimum of 201 km.

2. You can earn a Trace pin (must finish & must attend banquet.)

3. You get full brunch privileges.

4. No night riding, no sleep deprivation, and

5. Unlike the great majority of Flèche riders, you are actually somewhat lucid at the Sunday morning banquet.

Any questions, looking for team, a route, a rider - drop me a line, or give me a call ...

Thanks,

Colin Fingler
2014 Flèche Pacifique Organizer
604-271-7152

Go to: Flèche Pacifique Main Page

April 14, 2014