Rules

These regulations will be adhered to strictly throughout the brevets. Explicit rules are published by Randonneurs USA. The Santa Cruz Randonneurs also have the requirements spelled out below. Be sure to read this page and the RUSA Rules for Riders before you enter one of our events.

1. Each rider is considered to be on a private excursion and remains solely responsible for any accidents in which he or she may be involved. All brevets will take place regardless of weather conditions. No responsibility can be accepted for riders becoming lost or stranded.
    
2. Riders must wear an ANSI or Snell approved helmet while cycling, must obey city, county and state traffic laws, and conduct themselves in a manner which will not bring disrepute to the event, the Santa Cruz Randonneurs and Randonneurs USA. Riders found to be ticketed by local authorities risk disqualification.
    
3. The time allotted for arrival at each control is absolute and measured from the official start time. Any rider leaving the event's route must re-enter the route from the same place they left it unless this is caused by unforeseen road closures by local authorities. Any participant observed taking a shortcut from the event route will be disqualified.
    
4. Personal support vehicles are not permitted to follow the rider under any circumstances and getting assistance from a personal support vehicle at any point other than at an official control location is cause for disqualification. Each rider is responsible for his or her personal and mechanical support, and for the actions of any support crew they might employ.
    
5. The rider is responsible for presenting his or her control card at each control for the official mark, signature and control time. Loss of the card or any irregularity is cause for disqualification.
    
6. Any type of human powered vehicle is permitted so long as it is propelled solely by human muscular effort. Brevet participants may not take shelter behind any other riders except those entered in the event.
    
7. At any time between sunset and sunrise on any event, each cycle must have at least two securely mounted non-blinking lights: a front light with clear lens and a rear light with red lens. Each must be sufficiently bright to be seen by traffic approaching from the front or rear, in accordance with the State Highway Code. (More than one headlamp and tail lamp are strongly recommended in case the primary one should fail, and for additional visibility to motorists.) A reflective vest, Sam Browne belt, or sash upon the rider's torso is required, as are reflective ankle bands. (Recumbent riders may adapt their reflective vest of display on the back of their seat.) Additional reflective material upon the rider and machine is highly recommended, as are white jerseys or jackets for best visibility at night. Spare headlamp bulbs (or backup lights) are required. Riding without adequate lights and reflectors between sunset and sunrise is cause for disqualification. Any entrant found to be ticketed by police authorities for riding without lights will be disqualified from the event. Riders without evidence of adequate lights and reflectors will not be permitted to start brevets longer than 200 kilometers.
    
8. We strongly recommend that you wear an EN-1150 reflective vest or jacket that meets the 2011 PBP reflectivity standard when cycling at night or other periods of fog or low-light. Please take a look at RUSA's Guide to Reflective Gear. Examples of suitable vests can also be found at the RUSA Store. Its reflective material must be readily visible on the front, back, and sides of the rider's torso/shoulders. If a hydration system or knapsack is worn over the vest/jacket, some method of having additional reflective material must be affixed to take the place of the reflective material of the vest that has been covered. Supplemental reflective material put onto hydration systems/knapsacks is not required to meet EN-1150 standards (but is strongly recommended.)
    
9. All riders must submit their machine's lighting system(s) and night-riding clothing/equipment for inspection by an official before, during and after a brevet as directed. Refusal to cooperate with event officials is cause for disqualification.
    
10. Entrants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent during the entire ride; should the parent be forced to abandon the ride, then the minor child must stay with the parent.
     
11. Inquiries, pleas, disagreements or grievances must be addressed to the Santa Cruz Randonneurs within 48 hours of the finish of the event, and a decision by the officials is final and binding.