When RUSA launched its permanents program, Texan Dan Driscoll bagged Permanent #1.

So it was fitting that in December Driscoll was credited with Permanent #1,000.

Driscoll told AmR that it was just the luck of the draw, "but like the Lotto the more you play the better your odds are."

Driscoll has been an avid participant on the permanents trail, riding a dozen or more each season.

"I had heard of permanents and also about the R-12 award, and I knew that these two would go together like peanut butter and jelly," he said.

Driscoll credits Permanents Coordinator Robert Fry for setting up the program. He also praised the Lone Star Randonnneurs' members who own and maintain local routes.

Currently, 9 LSR riders have more than 8,000 kilometers of permanents on 36 different courses.

Driscoll's number came up on the 101-mile Covington Coaster.

"Me, Pam Wright, Mark Metcalfe and Brad Flickner rode it on Thanksgiving Day starting at 6 a.m.. We were done in time for turkey," Driscoll said.

That ride put Wright, participating in her first year of randonneuring, over the top for RUSA's 5000K distance award.

The crew enjoyed the ride so much "that Mark Metcalfe, Richard Whitten-burg and myself did it again the next day a little slower, but starting at the same time," Driscoll said.

It was that ride that pushed the permanents odometer from 999 to 1,000.

For more on the permanents program, see Robert Fry's column on page 26.

PBP 101

Paris Brest Paris raises myriad questions among riders who have that daunting 1200k in their sights for the first time.

Not to worry. Randonneuring clubs from coast to coast are gearing up with educational seminars on what it takes to complete the grandest of all grand randonnées.

Author extraordinaire Bill Bryant, who has penned numerous PBP articles and the bulk of RUSA's handbook, hosted a Jan. 13 seminar in Santa Cruz—complete with Powerpoint presentation—that attracted 120 curious newcomers.

A similar seminar was held that same day in Seattle. Other events have been confirmed in Colorado and Massachusetts.

Check with your RBA or local club to see if a seminar is planned in your area.

In the meantime, check out "A Short History of PBP" on page 30 and Adrian Hand's engaging look on page 42 of how a 1200K measures up against one of Pluto's moons.

PBP for PR Riders?

The new hot spot for American randonneuring: how about Puerto Rico?

Under the leadership of RBA William Medina, RUSA has 48 members there and counting, according to RUSA Membership Chair Don Hamilton.

The PR group held its very first series in 2006. A full schedule is slated for 2007, and that means some of the Puerto Rican riders will likely join other RUSA members at PBP.

To help local cyclists get up to speed on the event, Medina flew to Seattle in January and attended the PBP seminar hosted by SIR.

'Wacko' winter

Oregon RBA Susan France says Northwest riders get "a little wacko" when they're socked in by the winter weather.

That may explain the fashion faux pas that appeared on local listservs in December: the "Seagon Randonneurs" jersey (see photo).

The Frankenstein-like creation derives its name and red-blue hues from two neighboring clubs—the Seattle International Randonneurs and the Oregon Randonneurs.

Among those credited with the hybrid design: Director of Confusion: Don Boothby; Jersey Design: Albert Meer-scheidt; Structural Design Committee: Paul Johnson; and Club Seamstress: Susan France.

Praise was widespread but not universal. Said Seattle rider Kent Peterson, "I'm holding out for the Orattle Randonneurs jersey."

Listing the Lists

Randonneuring lists continue to proliferate on the Web. The latest is "Calrando," which serves randonneuring in the Golden State. It was launched by Santa Cruz RBA Lois Springsteen.

The group home page: http://groups.google.com/group/calrando?hl=en.

In other news, the randonneuring community's national list has migrated from Topica to Google.

The new address: http://groups.google.com/group/randon/topics?gvc=2.

The move has apparently jump-started discussion: a dozen or more posts per day are not uncommon.

Lone Star Randonneurs also made the move to Google. Find that group at: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Talk2LSR?hl=en.