Alex Bachmann - 12/29/2019

You’ve got a new RBA and a new RUSA insurance policy. The permanents program has been indefinitely cancelled and you’re probably wondering what this is going to mean for the Ohio program.

My initial desire for the program was to keep as many of the positive and consistent elements the same for our long-term riders, whilst simultaneously growing the program and introducing more events and opportunities within Ohio. We had a meeting in early December where we discussed our best options and came up with the following changes to implement in 2020 in response to RUSA changes.

Going forward, everyone who rides ANY RUSA or ACP Randonneuring event MUST be an active member at least through the day of the event they are participating in.

For riders of our regular spring ACP brevet series, essentially nothing has changed. The dates Dave Roderick submitted were approved in time. The rides will be held in much the same fashion and the price will not fluctuate much from previous years. Just a 5$ increase to cover the new insurance requirement.

The major difference between Dave and I is I am a very active member and I do plan on participating in most of the events I host. This will mean less support at controls, but not much else.

For Permanent riders, and those who seek awards such as P12s and R5000s, the program is going to be making some major changes. In my first year as RBA, I’m on a temporary trial status, meaning I’m currently only approved to host the SR series, the 101 populaire and our flèche. However, in my application, I mentioned my desire to host more events to perhaps replace the ability to ride permanents. I was given permission to host a brevet and a populaire in January to test the waters for a new Ohio monthly program.

In our best response to the cancellation of permanents, we decided to attempt to host at least one RUSA brevet and one populaire each month, on the months that we don’t have an already scheduled ACP event. I will host a brevet and Larry Graham will host the populaires. In addition to these events, we could potentially allow riders in other regions of Ohio to propose their own routes and dates (up to 3 regions) and “cohost” them, providing that they give enough time in advance for proper planning and registration.

I’m also very interested in fairness and want your input in routes and ride dates and everything in between. I am asking everyone who is a current rider or volunteer, or plans to be in the future, to please fill out my Randonneurs Intentions Survey, which will help make decisions on everything we do with the program going forward. I will utilize these responses to make changes to the program going forward. This will be your chance to speak up about major changes and insure your rider streak can continue for years to come!