When Bill Schwarz lined up on August 18 in Newton, MA for his 11th Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200km his goal was basic: "I haven't ridden much the last couple of years, so finishing time was the last thing on my mind approaching this year's BMB. The concept of finishing time has recently morphed in my mind into merely finishing." 1200K randonnées are technically non-competitive and riders can ride as hard or as easily as they like, provided that they complete the route in 90 hours. Many riders try to achieve a goal, e.g., improving upon their time from a previous year, meeting the 65-hour RAAM qualifying standard, or setting a new course record.

Bill Schwarz riding his 11th BMB.

Even while trying to meet specific goals, riders help each other. As Bob Waddell observed, "I personally witnessed an extraordinary level of camaraderie during [BMB]. Most randonneurs go out of their way to help other riders succeed, including helping with repairs, and offering encouragement when pain persists and spirits are low."

Low spirits and persistent pain were not an issue for Saunders Whittlesey of Deerfield, MA. For the second year in a row, Sandy set a record for BMB, knocking over two hours from his 2004 time to finish in 46 hours 3 minutes. Whittlesey rides alone without support and according to control station volunteers, apparently without getting off his bike, drinking or eating. Despite this efficiency, participants thought he was one of the friendliest riders. Strictly old-school, Whittlesey rides without a cyclometer, heart-rate monitor or other modern conveniences.

Whittlesey's time left Tracey Ingle, organizer of the Boston brevets and supervisor of the finish line control, waiting nearly 12 hours for the next finishers. Bill O'Mara and John McClellan arrived together at 57:58. Eric Jensen (58:36), Kevin Kaiser (59:21), Ted Lapinski and the ageless Ken Bonner (arriving together at 59:38) rounded out the sub-60 hour finishers.

Riders can qualify for RAAM if they finish in less than 65 hours (70 hours if age 50 or older). Eric Jensen, Kevin Kaiser, Mitch Lesack (63:23) and Ken Jobba, age 52, (68:52) qualified for RAAM.

Tracey Ingle stayed at the finish and rang the cowbell for all of the finishers, with Sylvain Simard receiving the final finisher's medal (identical to Whittlesey's) at 89:00.

The BMB Experience
The first 1200k ride in North America, BMB has been held since 1988 during the three years between the quadrennial Paris-Brest-Paris. This year 71 cyclists gathered for the 14th BMB. Four cyclists who had not completed the brevet qualifying rides rode the same course as a 1000km brevet with a bonus 200km brevet at the end. Finally, 15 riders participated in the concurrent Quad Centuries, a lower-key but challenging journey of four consecutive stages of about 200km.

Randonneurs await the 4 a.m. Boston-Montreal-Boston start.

Jennifer Wise has organized BMB since 1993. Wise explains, "I love the whole PBP experience, and want BMB to resemble PBP in the US as much as possible, although admittedly there are some things that are decidedly French and could never be replicated in this country."

BMB's unique character is shaped by several factors: the beautiful New England countryside, the nearly continuous climbing, and most importantly, by Wise's commitment to a personal touch: "BMB is a beast of a ride, so we try to build a comfort zone around the riders. That comfort comes from the BMB staff who are compassionate, resourceful, helpful and tireless. . . We give riders individual attention."

Many of the volunteers are ultracyclists and know exactly what the riders are feeling. RAAM champion ('91) and ultra-legend Nancy Raposo helped out in Middlebury. Melinda Lyon, owner of the fastest BMB time by a woman and first female at PBP in '99 and '03, made hot oatmeal, loosened knotted muscles and encouraged riders at Bullard Farm.

Kurt Hackler gets a proper send-off from his crew chief Ed Kross.

The comfort zone was greatly appreciated by the riders. As Patti Von Niessen observed, "Walking into a checkpoint, you were pounced on by volunteers asking if they could fill your water bottle, what you would like to eat, how you like your eggs cooked." Jenny Craddock's chocolate mints on the pillows at the Rouses Point control won my award for best hospitality.

While it would be appealing to try to ride BMB on pillow mints alone, a broad range delicious food is available at the controls. For some riders, the food proved to be more memorable than the climbs. Von Niessen declared, "The food was a smorgasbord! I would do this 1200 again just for the food!" Even Whittlesey enjoyed the food, "I got served a plate of lasagna by Nancy Raposo!"

Wise is a firm believer in variety: "I have changed at least one thing every year in order to keep riders coming back." While variety may bring some riders back, Bill Schwarz would return no matter what. Schwarz explains, "I started in '92. I haven't missed it since. This year made 11. I love revisiting the places and renewing the experiences each year." While Wise can't replicate all of the French experience, Schwarz isn't concerned with la difference française. In fact, Schwarz claims "the PBP year bums me out."

Schwarz rode this year, in part, to thank one of the "resourceful and helpful" volunteers whose makeshift repair enabled him to complete BMB last year. As he struggled into Huntingdon with a broken shifter, Bill recalls, ". . . feeling quite sick from dehydration, I dismissed Chris Latchem's offer of help and spent the next three hours lying on the grass outside, contemplating how I would get home. Upon arising from this semi-conscious state, Chris greeted me eager to show off his invention. This ingeniously simple plan provided a lifeline home." This year, "I was pleased to find Chris staffing the checkpoint. He was quite surprised to be reunited with his invention and to hear how well his solution had worked. The look on Chris's face was worth the trip and became this year's highlight." Although Schwarz had spoken of merely finishing, he completed the ride in under 80 hours at 60 years of age.

The Ride
The start of every long ride is a balance of excitement and caution. As Whittlesey observed, "Wasn't the start fun? 60 riders forming a snaking Christmas tree through the Boston suburbs! The group was a little slow compared to last year, but it was fun that we all rode together for 2-1/2 hours." ["a little slow" for Whittlesey, not the rest of the pack.]

Most riders passed through Bullard Farm control at mile 75 quickly and ironed out the two climbs in the 38-mile leg to Brattleboro (Mounts Grace and Pisgah) without fully appreciating the magnitude of climbing. The more serious climbs began on the 55-mile road to Ludlow, highlighted by Andover and the ominously named Mt. Terrible.

Laurent Chambard heads to Montreal.

According to Ken Bonner, one of few riders in the world who can ride 1200K in fewer hours than his age, "BMB is still the toughest of the 1200 and 1400k randonnées I have ridden (BMB, PBP, London-Edinburgh-London, Last Chance, Gold Rush, Rocky Mountain and Cascades) -- the weather, the never-ending hills, interludes of "pavé" and the 38,500 feet of cumulative climbing make for a great challenge."

The 65-mile leg to Middlebury features the climb to Killington, followed by the legendary Middlebury Gap. Middlebury comes at the 400K mark, and for many riders, it is the hub of the event. The most severe climbs of the first half are completed (but will be revisited), glycogen levels are low after burning 8-12,000 calories, and darkness is approaching, or has arrived.

While many riders stayed in Middlebury for a good dinner and a brief rest, riders who pushed on to Rouses Point, 90 miles further up the road, enjoyed a special treat. John Hankins observed, "As we rolled through the islands on the north end of Lake Champlain our battery-powered lights were complemented by a new full moon." Hankins, Dave Burdette, Bill O'Mara and John McClellan quickly covered many miles along flat, clear roads, devoid of traffic in the middle of the night.

The clear night also brought the Canadian cold. Whittlesey remembers "it was really cold in the wee hours of the morning and the fog made it much worse. I had a fleece jersey over my regular jersey and still returned to Rouses Point near shock."

As the riders headed north the wildlife became more abundant. Eric Jensen was nearly taken down by two deer bounding across the road as he approached the Canadian border crossing at 2 a.m. Whittlesey encountered a young bear, "as black as the night he was running through, so I did not see him until he came into my lights from the left only 8-10 feet off my front wheel." Canada did not have all of the wild animals, as Bob Waddell used his camera to "bag" his first moose in Ashuelot, NH.

Glen Reed lubes his chain.

The riders turned around in Huntingdon and had a chance to acknowledge each other's efforts. For Whittlesey, "the highlight for me was coming out of the cold, lonely night in Quebec to see everyone coming north. It's energizing to share the experience like that."

The return from Rouses Point to Middlebury, often windy, was unusually breezy this year. John Hankins, now riding only with Dave Burdette, said, "During the worst of the headwinds the two of us were able to make only12 mph on a relatively flat road. We passed one battered soul who could not have been making more than about six mph."

Three-time finisher Bob Waddell remembered, "fighting the rain and 35-40 mph winds." Patti Von Niessen rode with Waddell, "I remember using Bob as a buffer during the hurricane season on the islands!"

Tired riders arriving in Middlebury were revived with lasagna from Raposo and then a nap in a deserted hockey rink. Riders did not wake eagerly to face Middlebury Gap again, in the dark for some, and in the rain for almost all. While the climb is tough under any conditions, in the dark and rain, the descent can be hazardous. Hankins recalls, "We headed up Middlebury Gap, almost 1600 feet of climbing with grades as steep as 15 percent. The rains had arrived, and on the way back down, Dave's shivering arms projected their shimmy into the front of his bike, which caused a wobble bad enough that he was in danger of crashing at 25 mph."

Down from Middlebury Gap, riders follow a gently rolling valley, interrupted by the sharp climb to Killington. Once Killington was crested, the rest of the ride to Ludlow was easy.

Leaving Ludlow riders face a greater challenge. Lyon says, "The inbound section between Ludlow and Brattleboro is the toughest 55 miles a rider will ever do, especially after the previous 500 miles are in the legs . . . the terrain outside of the big climbs destroys a rider's psyche."

Hankins agrees: "As we headed south through Vermont with legs that had close to 600 miles on them, we faced very tough climbs up hills that had seemed so easy on the first day. We limped into Brattleboro and took a good hour to replenish before pushing on to Bullard Farm."

The always entertaining Ted Lapinski.

Ten-time participant Bonner was riding with Ted Lapinski. "The rain began about half-way up the climb from Ludlow! Normally, I complain about the uphills between Ludlow and Brattleboro, but not this year . . . we were very cold on the downhills . . . and counted on the uphills to keep warm (there weren't enough uphills, and too many downhills!)"

Bullard Farm is the last stop before home and many riders push through to the finish. Some cannot! Lyon's observations of riders coming into Bullard Farm is telling. "Another thing that has hit them by Bullard Farm is the overwhelming desire to sleep. Many riders came into Bullard Farm on Saturday night thinking that they would just cruise through on their way into Newton. The sleep demons got into their heads along the way and all they could think of was a horizontal position. It goes way beyond what a cup of coffee will fix."

If sleep deprivation wasn't enough, the riders' personal hygiene was also deficient at this point. Patti Von Niessen recalls, "The girl at the gas station told us we didn't smell any better on the return trip."

Hot showers are only 71 miles away, but those 71 miles, which went so quickly on Thursday morning, could take a relative eternity. The relentless hills, the terrible surface of Route 62, and thunderstorms disrupted the progress of many riders. Hankins and Burdette, who finished in 77:21, took nearly seven hours for this leg; they had reached Bullard Farm in only 4 hours 15 minutes on the outbound journey.

The end of the ride was a celebration: the sun was shining; the cow bell announced the arrival of each finisher; the road grime was washed away; ride stories were exchanged; new friendships forged on the road were bonded; damaged psyches were restored; plenty of hot food was served; and the Sam Adams flowed freely.

The author (right) congratulates 1000k finisher Bill O'Mara.

This celebration was the perfect finish for Jennifer Wise's BMB. "BMB is an annual reunion of randonneur friends. I have been able to meet terrific people over the years and make lasting friendships." This sentiment was echoed by Bob Waddell who finished with Patti Von Niessen in 85:04. He described the randonnée experience, "Over the past four years I have completed six 1200Ks and at each I meet riders that I have seen before and at every one I make new friends. This sport definitely makes our world seem a lot smaller when you meet and make friends from across the continent and around the globe."

John McClellan is a fixture on the Boston Brevet Series for his eloquent and entertaining ride writeups. Following the footsteps of Thoreau and Emerson, John lives in Concord, MA, with his wife Liz Martineau and their five children. When not riding his ornately-lugged Hetchins with dimpled chrome fenders, John can be seen taking the children around on a tandem or triplet. His eldest daughter Jane, age 15, is already a veteran of the BBS 200K.
- Eds.

Preparing for brevets and 1200Ks
Qualifying for RAAM
John Marino Competition

1200Ks in 2005: [ Cascade   | Gold Rush  | Boston-Montreal  | Last Chance ]
BMB: [  2000  |  2001  | 2002  |  2004  |  2005  ]

Boston-Montreal-Boston website Complete results
First Randonnée Finishers

First Men
Rider	Time
Saunders Whittlesey, Deerfield, MA, USA	46:03, course record
John McClellan, 43, Concord, MA, USA	57:58
Eric Jensen, 36, Falmouth, MA, USA	58:36, RAAM qualified
Kevin Kaiser, 37, Evans, GA, USA	59:21, RQ'd
Ken Bonner, 62, Victoria, BC, Canada	59:38
Ted Lapinski, 32, Northfield, MA, USA	59:38
David McCaw, 48, Ottawa, ON, Canada	62:32
Mitchell Lesack, 46, Hatfield, PA, USA	63:23, RQ'd
Kurt Hackler, 28, Bolton, MA, USA	64:22
Ken Jobba, 52, Ancaster, ON, Canada	68:25, RQ'd
First Women
Lisa Butkus, 45, Orlando, FL, USA	83:16
Susan Plonsky, 52, Black Canyon City, AZ, USA	84:33
Patricia VonNiessen, Carleston Pl, On, Canada	85:04
Melinda Dura, 39, Cumming, GA, USA	87:41