Having already done a few rides exceeding 200 km before, I've just made it official by completing my first a 200 km brevet two weeks ago, with BC Randonneurs (Canada). I was hoping that by waiting until June, the weather would be more favourable, but no, it ended up raining on and off all day.

The nice thing about randonneuring is that since you're all competing together against the clock, the incentive is to cooperate with anyone who seems to be going at a similar speed as yourself, and after 100 km, you will likely soon discover whose ability matches yours the best. I ended up partnering up with a veteran Super Randonneur and finishing the course together, which I found to be an extremely satisfying result. Apparently, it was good enough that people started asking when I would do a 300 km brevet. (Unfortunately, I already have plans to keep myself busy for the next few weeks, and by August everything will be put on hold for Paris-Brest-Paris, after which there's not much left on the events calendar.)

Oh I loved these types of rides when I lived in the Netherlands. It was so easy to literally go as the wind blew me.

I would set off full of snacks and a gps waypoint at a train station down wind from Eindhoven.

I would not plan out the ride before hand as there are many good paths. I would instead choose the nicest (tree lined for sunny days … tree lined for rainy days …) way that generally keep me on my heading.

I would discover the most beautiful routes and points of interest along my way.

Eventually I built up a good club of riders who would join for these adventures

Nowadays I live in hilly CA and it’s getting harder to make those types of miles.

I don't understand how they do it. I came across a brevet last year in france, 'le 1000 du sud', where they rode 1000 km and 20000 m in elevation in four days. That was basically what i was doing in two and a half weeks, and it felt like i was cycling a lot, haha. I met the first two people in a pizzeria when i was having dinner and over the next day a whole load of them rode towards me. Funnily, the same day on the same mountain, there was also a bunch of people riding the 'torino nice rally', but they were going my direction.

I can't really comprehend it. I imagine it must be a lot of suffering.

I like the idea better than races but don't really like timed riding or events but instead like the unracer meme of going out to "just ride"