Throngs of cyclists will head out this morning on 25-, 50, and 100-kilometre journeys taking them around some of the most beautiful sights of Vancouver and the northern part of Richmond.

The Pacific Populaire begins this morning at 9 a.m. at Riley Park.

The B.C. Randonneurs Cycling Club launched this event in the mid 1980s as a stepping stone to making people get comfortable with brevets or randonées, which are 200-kilometre-plus rides.

"At the core of randonneur cycling is the 1200 km brevet Paris Brest Paris (PBP), which takes place every four years in France," the club states on its website. "To qualify for this extraordinary event a rider must complete a series (200, 300, 400, and 600 km) of recognized brevets on the PBP year." 

There are brevet series in four areas of the province: Metro Vancouver, the Southern Interior, the Peace Region, and Vancouver Island.