400K this weekend!

[Greg Smith]

Greetings randonneurs!

2023 has gotten off to a rough start here in the Midwest with Mother Nature providing several opportunities for those "epic" rides that we remember long after the ride is over.

So we're due for one of those "sun shining, birds singing, tailwinds in every direction" kind of rides. Will this be the weekend for it? Only one way to find out....

Our second brevet of the season is the Ames to Audubon 400K and given that it's a loop route we'll surely have a tailwind in at least one direction!

We'll meet at the front of the Quality Inn in Ames, 2601 E. 13th St. The ride starts promptly at 06:00 but please be there at least 20 minutes early to get checked in.

Lights and reflective gear are required for this ride. See the RUSA reflectivity guidelines for more details.

Here are our ride procedures, please review them carefully and don't hesitate to ask any questions before the ride:

• The ride will start at the posted start time. You can start up to an hour later but the clock starts ticking at 06:00
• Our rides are paperless. We'll use Electronic Proof of Passage (EPP) for all rides. Cue sheets are available via the ridewithgps route on the web site for you to print.
• If you'd like to have a souvenir brevet card, they are available on the web site for you to print (card stock paper recommended!). Complete your card during the ride, enter the time and sign it. You will receive a certification number available on the RUSA site after I post results that you can add to your card. 
• You will receive an email from me no later than Monday following the ride requesting your EPP. This will be a link to the Strava , Garmin Connect or Ridewithgps file for your ride. Make sure the ride is marked public so that I can see your results and please reply promptly. If you haven't received this email by Tuesday morning check your spam folder.
• It is strongly recommended that you take time stamped photos at all controls (including the start and finish) as a backup should you have GPS problems. I will accept these as an alternative or you can upload them to your Strava/Ridewithgps account and attach them to your ride.

Look forward to seeing you there!