Jun-28: RUSA re COVID, etc.

[from RUSA Facebook page, font/format edited] 

July 1 reopen postponed - email from Dave Thompson to the RBAs a short time ago.

Since making our decision for a soft reopening the pandemic has taken a turn for the worse. New cases are up 65% over the past two weeks. New restrictions are being instituted including more restrictive social distancing, statewide mask requirements and new state regulations to mandate quarantining for interstate travel. With all this in mind our soft reopening will be postponed.

I know that many of you have put a lot of thought and effort into your pandemic riding plans. I've been through all of them and have had discussions with some of you. We all hope that the picture will soon change for the better and we can put those plans into effect. We will continue to monitor the pandemic and keep you updated.

Jun-11: RUSA re COVID, etc.

[from RUSA Facebook page, font/format edited] 

[Re:]  July 1 soft reopen.  Sent to the RBAs this afternoon:

The board has accepted the recommendation from the pandemic committee for a soft reopen on July 1.

We will publish guidelines and responsibilities in the next week.  Guidelines will include route distances (.LE. 225km), compliance with local jurisdictions, travel considerations, allowances for staggered starts, EPP and route design.  The role and application of RUSA awards will also be considered.

RBAs who choose to run events will have to submit a reopen plan, work on their calendar and review routes.  A template RBA reopen plan will be provided.

Permanents are part of the plan but we still have much work to do.  Members are submitting routes for the library.  The web team is working on the new centralized program.  Routes are being reviewed; documentation is being written.  We don't have a go-live date yet.

The pandemic isn't over.  As we speak, cases are increasing in some US States.  We have to proceed cautiously - organizers and riders - to minimize risk to ourselves and our communities.  We hope that we can stay open and expand our offering in subsequent months but there is much beyond our control and we will continue to monitor the situation with respect to sanctioning future events.  You will each want to do the same in your region.

We all have work to do to make this successful.  Stay tuned.

May-18: RUSA re COVID, etc.

[from RUSA Facebook page, font/format edited]

Shared with RBAs on [May] 15th - Events on hold for June; Stay tuned as Permanents will be coming back:

Brevets and other events
Our hold on sanctioning events will extend at least through the end of June.

Most states are still experiencing community spread. Testing and tracing are not up to the standards promulgated by our national health organizations. Social distancing is still encouraged nationwide. While we can come up with ways to help keep our riders safe, running events can have an impact on communities whether that's through virus transmission or the risk of accidents. As a result, our Pandemic Response Committee has recommended that we extend the hold through the end of June.

The RUSA board has voted and accepted that recommendation.

From our website:  Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

As a riding community, we have shared goals and awards recognizing our achievements. It's the camaraderie that makes us a club. When we open, it should be nationwide. That doesn't mean that every RBA will be forced to run events but they should have the ability to do so, working with their local riders. Opening now, on a geographical piecemeal basis, with a heavy emphasis on solo riding, would be abandoning much of what makes up our sport.

Permanents and insurance

We have some good news to share! Effective May 1, we have a new insurance program that includes permanents. However, it's not a simple matter of flipping a switch. We have work ahead of us - Deb Banks, John Lee Ellis and Crista Borras are working as a committee on the details of the revised program. We have major system changes to make and organizational work to do. Crista, John Lee and Deb will be reaching out to existing route owners to get the organizational work underway in parallel with our web team work.

A restart of permanents will be incorporated into the recommendations from our pandemic response committee.

More details on insurance and any required changes will be shared before we reopen any RUSA riding. Stay tuned!

July and forward

By mid June at the latest, we expect to provide an update for July. The pandemic committee has also started to think about the guidance and support that we might provide to RBAs as we build our reopen plan.

RUSA + COVID - June Events, Permanents and Insurance

Sent:  Friday, May 15, 2020 6:28 AM
To:  RUSA RBAs ...
Subject:  June Events, Permanents and Insurance

Brevets and other events

Our hold on sanctioning events will extend at least through the end of June. 

Most states are still experiencing community spread.  Testing and tracing are not up to the standards promulgated by our national health organizations.  Social distancing is still encouraged nationwide.  While we can come up with ways to help keep our riders safe, running events can have an impact on communities whether that's through virus transmission or the risk of accidents.  As a result, our Pandemic Response Committee has recommended that we extend the hold through the end of June. 

The RUSA board has voted and accepted that recommendation.

From our website:  Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

As a riding community, we have shared goals and awards recognizing our achievements.  It's the camaraderie that makes us a club.  When we open, it should be nationwide.  That doesn't mean that every RBA will be forced to run events but they should have the ability to do so, working with their local riders.  Opening now, on a geographical piecemeal basis, with a heavy emphasis on solo riding, would be abandoning much of what makes up our sport.

Permanents and insurance

We have some good news to share!  Effective May 1, we have a new insurance program that includes permanents.  However, it's not a simple matter of flipping a switch.  We have work ahead of us - Deb Banks, John Lee Ellis and Crista Borras are working as a committee on the details of the revised program.  We have major system changes to make and organizational work to do.  Crista, John Lee and Deb will be reaching out to existing route owners to get the organizational work underway in parallel with our web team work.

A restart of permanents will be incorporated into the recommendations from our pandemic response committee.

More details on insurance and any required changes will be shared before we reopen any RUSA riding.  Stay tuned !

July and forward

By mid June at the latest, we expect to provide an update for July.  The pandemic committee has also started to think about the guidance and support that we might provide to RBAs as we build our reopen plan. 

Dave Thompson, for the RUSA Board.

Update on RUSA Events: April and Beyond

From: RUSA Board

Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020, 06:13:30 PM EDT

Subject: Update on RUSA Events: April and Beyond

Update on RUSA Events: April and Beyond Just a few days ago, on March 21, we told members that we weren't shutting down nationally but we said that could change any day. Since then, things have quickly gone downhill. The US confirmed cases have increased ten-fold and surpassed China. Our European and English speaking brethren worldwide have shut down, including Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. In much of Europe, not even solo riding is allowed other than utility cycling. While not every state or county in the US has declared "stay at home" orders, we are heading that way. Testing has ramped up, giving us a better picture of community spread, but it's still incomplete. Too many are being monitored, test results unconfirmed. So, with concern for our members, their families and communities, we started contacting RBAs one by one who still had rides on the calendar for April.  While every RBA was being ultra careful, the Board felt that those rides needed to be cancelled. At this point, we have nothing on the calendar for April. There is a small handful of rides taking place this weekend; but April is cleared. At this time we aren't sure about May. Rides are still on the calendar. The Board did not want this to be "closed until further notice", rather we'd see where this was headed, whether things were starting to level off. In densely populated areas, we do not expect the virus to have peaked in April. We need to develop a reopen strategy, perhaps starting out with short populaires that won't require either support or replenishment stops. If and when we approach this decision, it will probably be with travel and rider count restrictions. We want riders to feel safe and comfortable, and the Board wants your support and agreement that it's the right thing to do. We will be setting up a small board-led committee of RBAs to monitor and recommend a reopen strategy. The RUSA Board

COVID-19 and RUSA

From: RUSA Board

Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2020, 06:08:40 PM EDT

Subject: COVID-19 and RUSA

COVID-19 and RUSA We are in the middle of a global pandemic and here in the US, it's likely going to get much worse before it gets better.  We care about our members and their families, knowing well that many will be impacted.   Taking our cue from the country at large, we do not feel that it's appropriate for a national shutdown.  That could change any day. We are placing our trust in the judgement of RBAs, leaving it up to them to decide whether or not to shutdown their region.  A number have already canceled their entire calendar or planned to postpone rides.  Each situation is different and they must adhere to guidelines from local, State and Federal civil and health authorities, protecting themselves, the riders and the community at large. We know that many of you are still trying your best to qualify for awards.  The following provides a mechanism for a pause in P-12 / R-12 accumulation and a means for RBAs to reschedule rides.  We have conferred with ACP and they have provided broad latitude for RUSA to reschedule and/or add events to the schedule for later in 2020, covering ACP Brevets and the Fleche/Trace.  It will be up to each RBA to decide how they handle that within their region. Here's a breakdown of what we are doing: ACP brevet/Fleche/Trace events ACP events already held or pre-ridden can be submitted and processed as usual.  Canceled events may be rescheduled later during the current ACP year. RUSA brevet/populaire/team events: These events can be canceled or rescheduled and new events added as necessary. RM 1200+ events: Ride organizers can cancel or reschedule. R-12/P-12 streaks: We are declaring a "pause" in counting months for R-12 and P-12. These months will not require make up rides after the pause ends but each award would still require 12 actual rides . The pause period will start March 1 and end when things are more-or-less back to normal.  For that, we will take our cue from other cycling organizations such as USA Cycling.  Rides during the full pause period will not count towards R-12/P-12 with the exception of rides during the month of March. Riders may use March as a pause month or if they have already completed rides they may use those toward any awards including the R-12/P-12. For those who were planning their permanents suspension make up rides to be ridden in March or April, those make up rides can now take place in the 2 months following the end of the pause. Permanents We have nothing new to report. Stay Safe and Healthy! To all our membership and their families - please do your utmost to keep yourselves and your communities safe! The RUSA Board