Randonneurs Ontario

Access Grant

The Randonneurs Ontario Access Grant is designed to reduce barriers to the ultra-distance riding community. This access grant is for someone from a group under-represented in the ultra-distance riding community that would have otherwise not been able to participate in Randonneurs Ontario events.

We have been heavily inspired by the work of RAR’s SJ Brooks Scholarship.

Recipients

The grant is meant to reduce barriers for individuals who intend on completing a Brevet of at least 200km.

You must be able to physically attend an event on the Randonneurs Ontario schedule

The ideal recipient will be someone who:

have existing experience with cycling in their community
have a plan for training and completing an Brevet of at least 200km
are enthusiastic about riding bicycles and growing their ultra-distance cycling experience
are part of an underrepresented group within the ultra-distance cycling community
absolutely need financial assistance to participate in the Randonneurs Ontario events

Grant

This grant covers the registration fees and equipment requirements for Randonneurs Ontario events, for a total value of $2000. This includes:

Randonneurs Ontario membership fees for 2023
$1500 worth of support from one of our bicycle shops sponsors, such as:
- Bicycle tune-up, repair, and/or misc equipment
- Required night riding equipment, such as sufficient lighting and a reflective vest or sash
- Approved cycling helmet
- Equipment bags sufficient for a 200km+ ride
$500 worth of support for use during a Randonneurs Ontario event, such as
- Meals in-between the controls
- Lodging for overnight controls, if needed
- Extra equipment required to complete a brevet, such as flat repair kits
- Supplemental childcare

One recipient will also receive a bicycle bag suitable for air travel, donated by Internet Light and Power.

This grant does not cover the Ontario Cycling membership. OC Membership is included in all racing licenses, or it can be obtained with an OC Affiliate Club Membership.

Grant committee

The grant committee is responsible for determining the recipient of the grant. They are the only ones who will view your answers to this submission. They are:

Carey Chappelle
Charles Horslin
Dave Thompson
Erin Marchak
Gwyneth Mitchell
Martin Cooper
Peter Leiss

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Supporters

If your company would like to get involved, please email us at vp@randonneurs.to.

This grant is possible thanks to the generosity of:

Ontario Ministry of Heritage,
Sport, Tourism & Culture Industries

Internet Light
and Power

Photography provided by members of Randonneurs Ontario: Scheherazade Haque, Stephen Jones, Tiago Varella-Cid

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About us

Randonneurs Ontario is an ultra-distance cycling club. We've been riding long distance rides from of Toronto and southern Ontario since 1982.

Randonneurs Ontario is affiliated with the Audax Club Parisien, the parent organization governing the qualification of riders wishing to participate in the 1200K Paris - Brest - Paris Randonnee. The club is also affiliated with Les Randonneurs Mondiaux, which provides recognition for brevets other than Paris - Brest - Paris that are longer than 1000K.

Recent member reports

Ride Your Own Ride and Other Lies – By Michel Hébert

“The truth is, no one rides their own ride. Not all the way through.” As published on Michel’s blog: Cadence and Consequence Photo from the Start of Heaven and Hill 600k brevet – the first Ride of the 2025 Devil Week What Randonneurs Owe Each Other June 16, 2025 We were lounging in the shade, watching ships slide up the St. Clair River like they had somewhere important to be. Fred, dressed in dark sunglasses and a face-shielding nose piece, looked like Batman between gigs. “You either DNF a hero,” he growled, “or ride long enough to become the villain.” That was at kilometer 150, well be...

Beaver Valley 400 – July 5th, 2025 – By Michael Charland Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36938989 Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/15020471742 Background I first did this ride during devil week in 2022. About 10 of us started the ride. I road it on my Cervelo and it went really well. Funny I lost my Brevet card mid ride so I took pictures at the controls and Charles found my card on the Epping road climb. I finished in an elapsed time of 19:35. This became my longest ride in distance and time. I didn’t end up doing in 2023 because a had just completed a trail running race...