The Details

Preregistration
Start Times
Lighting and Reflectors
Other Equipment
Cue Sheets
Food
Directions to Start
Broom Wagon
Overnight on the 600k
Support Vehicles
Facilities at the Start
Accommodations near the Start
2006 Boston-Montreal-Boston Qualification
2007 Paris-Brest-Paris Qualification

Preregistration

Preregistration is strongly suggested and there's a $10 per event surcharge ($5 for the 200k) for day-of-event registration. If you can't preregister, send email or call us (508-877-1045, before 9pm) to check on late registration. Also, feel free to email with questions, concerns, etc.

Start Times

Please ensure that you arrive at least 30 minutes before the designated starting time to allow for check-in, equipment check, and pre-ride briefing.

Lighting and Reflectors

Lights are required for all rides except the 200k.

The minimum lighting and reflectors required to meet RUSA's Rules for Riders and state laws for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont (the states we may ride through at night) are:

• a white headlamp, firmly attached to the bike, visible from at least 500 feet to the front;
• a rear steady (non-flashing) taillamp, firmly attached to the bike, visible from at least 600 feet to the rear;
• In New Hampshire and Vermont on the 600k, a red rear reflector or red taillamp reflector attached to the bike and visible from at least 300 feet to the rear;
• In New York on the 600k, side lighting attached to the bike, visible from at least 200 feet to the side (forward or rear lights which emit light to the side are permissible);
• reflective ankle bands, visible from at least 600 feet front and rear;
• a reflective vest, sash, Sam Browne belt, or some other device that clearly places reflective material on the front and back of the rider.

Note that some devices may be used to meet multiple requirements. For example, an LED taillamp with a red reflective cover may be used to meet the requirements for rear lighting and a red rear reflector, and many headlights and taillamps meet the requirement for side lighting.

The red rear reflector and side lighting requirements are only for night riding outside Massachusetts, so they only need to be met on the 600k; the fastest riders won't need to meet the side lighting requirement, since they won't be in New York at night.

Lighting must be used from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, or when poor visibility conditions (e.g. rain, fog, snow, etc.) exist. Dynamo systems which do not generate light while at a standstill are acceptable. Peter White and Harris Cyclery offer several lighting options popular with randonneurs, including hub dynamos; The Blayleys have reviews of several different systems on their website.

RUSA rules require the rider to carry spare bulbs. For our brevets, this may be interpreted as spare bulbs for incandescent (e.g. halogen) lighting systems, since LEDs generally aren't user-serviceable. If you use a metal-halide (HID) system, you should carry backup lighting.

Other brevets, including Boston-Montreal-Boston, may have different requirements depending on local laws. Regulations for other areas may be found on Massbike's website.

White LED forward lighting is permitted; backup lighting is strongly encouraged. White LEDs are currently only permitted as emergency lighting for Paris-Brest-Paris; this may or may not change in the future. Several manufacturers make good, battery-powered LED lights suitable for randonneuring, including Cateye, Princeton Tec, Cygolite and Solidlights, among others; new lights of this type are being introduced all the time.

Beyond the minimums required by law and RUSA regulations, the amount of light you'll need will depend greatly on riding conditions and chance as well as your own riding speed, skill, night vision, risk tolerance and ability to ride with others. It should be noted that most Boston brevets have some rough roads which are usually traversed at night, as well as the unpredictability of New England weather. If you suffer a crash from hitting a road hazard while trying to see by inadequate lighting, it'll be nobody's fault but your own. Hitting a road hazard is by far the most common cause of cycling crashes, and can easily result in serious injury or death in spite of protective measures.

Additional reflective material, lighting and backup lighting are both allowed and strongly encouraged. We want you to look like a christmas tree or UFO at night.

Many riders find helmet-mounted lamps useful for fixing flats, getting the attention of motorists and reading street signs, cue sheets and instrumentation. REI carries a wide variety of headlamps which can be mounted on or adapted to cycling helmets. If you mount a light to your helmet, make sure to use a breakaway mount (e.g. velcro, easily broken zipties, elastics/rubber bands, the original headband, etc.) so the helmet remains effective in a crash. Please use them with consideration when conversing with other riders (turn them off or point them elsewhere.)

Bar end plug lights can be a useful adjunct to your main rear lighting on bikes without bar-end shifters. Nashbar and Performance offer house-brand models.

Xenon Strobes are optional and can greatly aid your visibility to motorists in poor conditions, but they can also be a nuisance when riding in a group; please use them (as well as other flashing lights) with consideration for other riders immediately behind you. The Lightman is one of the better models available.

Energizer Photo Lithiums can provide more runtime, more consistent output and lighter weight in forward battery-powered incandescent (halogen) lights which use AA batteries (e.g. the Cateye HL500 II Micro). They're available at Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

Electronic Regulation can provide brighter, more consistent battery-powered lighting to tinkerers with some electronics experience. Willie Hunt's Lightbulb Voltage Regulators are ideal for incandescent (halogen) lighting, Jonathan Edelson's LED regulators provide regulation for lower-power LEDs and George Scolaro's LED regulators should work well with the higher-power Luxeon LEDs.

Identi-Tape offers reflective tape for clothing and other surfaces in several different colors; most Wal-Marts carry red or white "200 MPH" brand reflective tape in the automotive section. White and yellow tapes are much more visible than other colors. Covering a sixth of the inner exterior surface of the rim with a solid block of white reflective tape is a great way to enhance the bike's nighttime visibility; applying reflective tape to your helmet and the bike's fork, seatstays, mudguards (if applicable), seatpost, cranks and pedals is helpful as well. You can even make your handlebars reflective using Cinelli Lux Ribbon.

Light-colored clothing can aid your visibility in nearly all conditions; a solid white or hi-viz (neon) yellow jersey appears to get the best response from motorists at night. Illuminite clothing also retroreflects about as much light as light-colored clothing, but the dark colors normally used mean it won't show up as well as light-colored clothing under streetlights or during the daytime. It's a good choice for tights, which are normally black anyway. Illuminite clothing will not meet the requirements for reflective equipment on the rider, since it isn't reflective enough.

Other equipment

Fenders (mudguards) are not required.

Riders shall give an audible warning whenever necessary to ensure safe operation; however, the use of a siren or whistle is prohibited. If you can't yell loudly, you should have a bell.

The 600k includes several miles of dirt roads; wider (26-28mm minimum) tires are suggested but not required, and accessories should be firmly attached.

Any vehicle may be used, as long as it is powered solely by the rider. If you want to use a non-motorized scooter, recumbent, tricycle, a fairing, aerobars, etc., feel free, so long as you can meet the time requirements.

Cue Sheets

Detailed cue sheets will be supplied at the start of each event. Cue sheets are generally between two and four 8½ x 11 pages. You should bring some sort of plastic bag or other protection for the cue sheets as we can't supply additional cue sheets.

Note that we try to have preliminary cue sheets available for the next ride available at the end of each ride. (We should have 300k cue sheets available at the end of the 200k, etc.) These are definitely preliminary and subject to change, but they should give you a pretty good idea of what the route will be like. We also have preliminary cue sheets on the web site, but these, too, are subject to change.

Also note that the 200k is fully arrowed. A cue sheet will be provided, but shouldn't be needed unless you get lost.

Food

Most checkpoints are stocked with a variety of fairly standard (boring?) cycling fare - bananas, PB&J, cookies, and water. One full meal is provided at the end of the first day on the 600k.

Directions to Start

The start is in the Civil Air Terminal parking lot at Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA.

From Rt. 128 (I-95) take exit 30B, Rt. 2A West. (Do NOT take the exit for Rts. 4 & 225 which says "Hanscom Field" - you'll end up at the Air Force entrance and they likely won't know what you're talking about!) Take 2A west for approximately 1½ miles until you come to a blinking yellow light. Turn right onto the Hanscom Field access road and follow signs for the Civil Air Terminal - bear left at the fork. The start area is in the first large parking lot on the left, well away from the terminal itself.

Broom Wagon

Though support staff will attempt to respond in emergencies, you should not expect to be picked up by our vehicles. Support crews have strict schedules which do not allow them to go out to search for stranded riders. If you are unable to ride the distance or if you doubt your abilities, don't start.

Overnight on the 600k

We will at least have floor space available for sleeping at Sandgate (about 217 miles) during the 600k; we may have mattresses and/or cots available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you want to spend the night with us, bring a sleeping bag to the start and we'll take it to the checkpoint for you.

Support Vehicles

Follow vehicles are not allowed on any of the rides.

Support vehicles are discouraged for the 200k and the 300k. For the 400k and the 600k, support vehicles may meet riders anywhere after the first checkpoint, but must not interfere with traffic in any way. Interference with normal traffic flow is grounds for rider disqualification.

Facilities at the Start

The civil air terminal at Hanscom Field has toilet facilities. In past years it's been open from 5AM to 11PM and has been available for the start of the 200k and the finish of most events.

Accommodations near the Start

• Lexington Sheraton, Rt. 128 & Rt. 2A, 727 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA; 781-862-8700 (2 miles from start);
• Best Western, Rt. 128 & Rt. 4/225, 340 Great Road, Bedford, MA; 781-275-6700 (4 miles from start);
• Holiday Inn Express, Rt. 128 & Winter St., 385 Winter St., Waltham, MA; 781-890-2800 (4 miles from start);
• Best Western Inn, Route 2 & Elm Street, 740 Elm Street, Concord, MA, 978/369-6100 (5 miles from start);
• Numerous other motels in the vicinity of Rt. 128 and Hanscom Field. Some riders just nap in their cars the night before.

2006 Boston-Montreal-Boston Qualification

BMB is scheduled for August 17-20, 2006 -- 1200k, 750 miles, 90 hour limit. Qualification requirements are determined by Jennifer Wise, BMB director, 10 Bliss Mine Road, Middletown, RI 02842; (401) 847-1715, but generally include completing the four brevets (200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k) within the standard time limits. Please contact Jennifer for additional qualification / registration details.

2007 Paris-Brest-Paris Qualification

The next PBP is scheduled for the summer of 2007. Qualification requirements are determined by Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and are expected to include successful completion of the four brevets (200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k), in order, in 2007. More information will be available then.

Back to Boston Brevet Series
Last Updated: 14-Jan-2006, by Bruce and Tracey Ingle