3 favorite brevet courses? - randon

Message from discussion 3 favorite brevet courses?

William Beck

More options May 19, 7:28 am

From: William Beck <wab...@comcast.net>

Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 04:28:50 -0700 (PDT)

Local: Mon, May 19 2008 7:28 am

Subject: Re: 3 favorite brevet courses?

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This weekend was my second time riding the ROMA 600K through the
Shenandoah Valley, and I think it has to have the most gorgeous
scenery of any brevet route that I know. There are picture-postcard-
perfect views of rolling hills and mountains almost from start to
finish, and those views become absolutely stunning when the lighting
is right. The roads are mostly small, with low traffic, and plenty of
curious cows watching you go by. Of course, you have to climb up and
down all of those beautiful hills and mountains, but it is worth it.

Bill Beck
Woodbine, MD
DC Randonneurs

On May 16, 12:02 pm, Jan Heine <hein...@earthlink.net> wrote:

> I'd like to hear about fellow randonneurs' 3 favorite brevet courses.
> Not that my budget of time, money and environmental impact allows
> much travel to distant brevets, but I like to dream about riding in
> the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, climbing passes in Colorado, riding
> along lakes in upstate NY or Minnesota, or seeing the wildflowers in
> the Texas Hillcountry.

> Here are my favorite courses:

> SIR "3-volcano" 300 km: A magnificent course on almost empty roads,
> skirting the volcanos of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens, with Mt.
> Rainier in the distance. The 10+ km of gravel road over Babyshoe Pass
> are a nice bonus.

> Cascade 1200: Even though this brevet is 1200 km long, there isn't
> much time to get bored, as the scenery varies so much. The course
> includes almost every landscape of Washington State, from temperate
> forests via alpine meadows to semi-desert, plus fields and apple
> orchards. You pass the volcanos of Mt. Rainier or Mt. St. Helens
> (depending on snow situation), ride along the majestic Columbia
> River, climb over and through the huge basalt fields of the Columbia
> Plateau, and finally skirt the Canadian border in the beautiful
> Methow Valley, before crossing the Cascades again. If you can time
> the last bit so you ride at night with a full moon, you will have an
> experience you will never forget.

> SIR "Mtn. 100 km (Un-)Populaire": It's almost all in the suburbs of
> Seattle, but many of the roads are quiet and scenic. Most of all, the
> course has a nice rhythm of hills that increase in intensity until
> the crescendo of the finale on Mount Olympus Drive. It reminds me of
> a Beethoven symphony that way. I like this one so much that I do it
> frequently during the season.

> By the way, for those visiting the Northwest, the route sheets are
> available online atwww.seattlerandonneurs.org

> How about your favorite brevet courses?

> Jan Heine
> Editor
> Bicycle Quarterly
> 140 Lakeside Ave #C
> Seattle WA 98122www.bikequarterly.com

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