Paris Brest Paris (PBP) 2019

Fuck me I said never again but this is tempting.

Anybody up for a forum team?

Well done great riding

Know that pain all to well.
Great effort though well done!!

probably not, unless I got quick enough to be able to sleep more. the deprivation was a massive massive problem, but we rode through it. ending felt amazing and I had an incredible experience, probably wouldn't want to try and repeat it.

I've said elsewhere that I'll consider LEL or PBP again only if I got faster.

Doing both on just a few hours sleep is not great. I'd like to be fast enough to have to not rush around at controls and still get a good 4-5h of sleep a night.

I'm sure we can work something out if we assemble a team of five like-minded riders...

What sort of speeds/ pattern is required for that?

I think I had ~60h of moving time in 2011, so 28h of faff (10h of which was sleeping or attempting to sleep). 8pm start, rode through the first night, slept a bit 2nd night at Loudeac but not enough and had to have a doze in a shed somewhere before Carhaix, Brest and back, slept a bit 3rd night at Loudeac again (slumped on a table in the cafeteria), and then rode through the last night finishing just before midday.

60h is close to 20kph moving average.

If I wanted an extra 10h for sleep then that means 50h moving time. 1200/50 = 24kph moving.

Differences in route/controls would mean a proper rethink, as well as the earlier start times (I started at 8pm in 2011).

When you initially passed me I was dead. I did some sums and realised I was going to miss my control time so got a move on and was so pleased when you realised I was running out of time joined in to get me in on time. It felt epic.

In a way it's easier if you ride faster as it's all over quicker.
I took enough snacks with me to not need to stop for a day if I feel like it. So I just got a stamp at some controls and carried on. There's lots of fast groups to hang with for the first few hundred kms before the group breaks up too much. That's how I ended up in Brest in 23,5 hours so I had plenty of time to get back. Then I ate a good meal, rode alone at my own pace, slept a bit and was good to go for another day, knowing I'd finish around midnight. Being quick at controls doesn't mean running around, just don't wadte time.

This^
I think a lot of better riders overlook their often naturally quicker pace on longer events.

Sounds like it was epic.

It was a fantastic atmosphere, I especially liked the kids (and a few adults) offering high fives to riders. That almost went very wrong at one point when I lined up for what looked like a high five but was actually a biscuit being passed up. Slapping it out of his hand wouldn't have gone down well, I suspect.

The roadside supporters were quite into the international nature of the event: One group had a large world map for riders to sign where they were from, and another was giving out their address for postcards.

I slept fitfully for 3 hours in the fart barn at Loudéac on the way out, almost got back to Loudéac on the way back but 3km short I was suddenly too sleepy to ride, so a quick bivvy. About 90 minutes of solid sleep I think. From then on it was just a quick roadside bivvy of about an hour every time I started to doze off on the bike, which was half way through each of last two legs. In the end I came in at 74 hours something, a couple of minutes ahead of 3 Brasilians on a triplet.

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It was my fifth PBP and second fixed, but every time it's like new and you realize that it's actually pretty hard, after last ones I was sure that I should make it into my 80h no problem, but was just 10 min before closing time to the finish. After few events with extreme wind I was a sort of used to it, but realized that it affected my speed so much only after 24h in Loudeac, while in 2015 I was in Brest already. I could only imagine how bad it would be if it was raining. I used to hang around with Russians and one of the stories was from the guy who went on fatbike, was quite stressed, and while he was having a rest in Loudeac one the cyclists next to him suddenly just fell to the floor - dead, thrombosis after extreme exhaustion. Boy walked out to take fresh air and decided that it's too much for him for this time.

People on distance are great, take fives with a pancake in the hand after that, old lady with her company cooking all night long in Sizun, two drunk young guys who enthusiastically jumped and cheered for hours in the night offered me such a nice sofa next to the road at midnight after Fougeres so it destroyed every intenion to go anywhere, until I realized that it's just 1 hour before control closes. It's the only event I know where every participant feels like a star, and it's so natural for you to wave back, talk to locals etc. and so strange to see people dedicated to their own, no smiles, just rushung forward (probably in order to spend couple of hours at next checkpoint after that). I remember after PBP going to LEL seemed so strange as there were naturally no pancakes or whatever and local people had no idea why these syclist appear here in such numbers, seemed like only sheep were the ones who could support you (but food, as mentioned, was much better, I remembered porridge with whiskey in Edinbourgh, strangely enough it was just right at that moment).

Organization seemed to me better than before, especially in consideration 6000 of participants instead of usual 4000, maybe because of my time there were not as many people in queues, but I tried to spend as less time at control as possible unless it's the night, no use to pay for the food they offered, much nicer to stay in some nice place drinking cider and watching people passing by. I remember in earlier days I've seen much more enthusiastic people in the cities, with music, dancing etc. maybe again because I started too early, wasn't even offered any wine, but mirabelle from local guys was something new which I really enjoyed. The same story with the veeeeery last people you meet on the way back, some was indian who was already walking up the hill before reaching Loudeac, from what I understand it's a question of weather, so it's terribly hard for people from India, Brazil or Thailand to ride in the cold night, but still strange how they managed to qualify. Unlike last times there were less bizarre devices like bike, which is pushed on "walking" principle (don't know it's name) or rowing machine, but a number of sweet tricycles, one was even custom tandem tricycle which looked just perfect for event like this.

From my previous experience I remember road in Britanny pretty bad with a lots of patches, but this time I realized that they're fine in terms of riding, no really bad bumps or potholes so felt much more confident cycling in the dark then I'm usually.

https://road.cc/content/news/265816-british-cyclist-becomes-third-woman-ever-complete-paris-brest-paris-fixie

Was this bike thing resolved? AUK posted on twitter 47min ago asking for help in that place.

You're the guy who was riding this?
I think we rode together for a while in the 2015 PBP near Brest. I was on a singlespeed back then and we were riding together with a third guy on a geared bike. Every time he tried to take a pull the speed dropped a little, to under 37km/h or something and then you always passed him to keep the pace close to 40. Made me laugh. My 48/17 felt too spinny.

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Don’t think so. PBP organisers are no longer at the start so no idea where the bike has gone.

Have been in touch with AUK but there are no other clues to where the bike is other that it went through the final timing chip.

Am waiting to hear from French contact whether he has details for someone in PBP organisation.

Having to head back to the UK now though.

Gold bike guy

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Saw quite a few guys sleeping like this

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Awesome scenes

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Audaxers

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