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Randonneur Glossary

Randonneur Glossary

Like all sports Randonneuring has its own terms not readily found in a dictionary. Since randonneuring originated in France over 100 years ago most of these terms are French words. This brief overview of common terms will help understand this site, while a complete glossary is available on the Randonneurs USA site.

Audax Club Parisien (ACP) - A cycle touring club in Paris, France begun in 1904 to promote randonneur cycling. The ACP grants approval for and registers the results from brevets worldwide.

Brevet - a French term meaning “certificate’ or “diploma”. In randonneuring it means the certification of having successfully completed a randonnee, as well as the long-distance event ( at least 200 kilometers) itself.

Brevet card – A card that indicates the location, and opening and closing times of the brevet controls. At the end of a successful ride the card is handed back to the organizer. In time the ACP sticker with your brevet number is affixed to the card and returned to you by mail.

Controle – A checkpoint where the randonneurs route card must be signed and stamped to show their passage within the approved time limit.

Fleche – A team ride of 24 hours duration usually held around Easter weekend.

Populaire – A shorter randonneuring event run under the regulations of a brevet but less than 200 kilometers in length.

Randonnee - A long touring ride. Often used interchangeably with brevet , but in common cycling usage a randonnee would be less structured than a brevet, lacking the strict time controls.

Randonneurs Mondiaux – The umbrella organization of national randonneuring leagues.

Randonneurs USA (RUSA) – The national randonneuring organization of the United States.