Paris Brest Paris (PBP) 2023

As we come towards the end of the audax season this year, is any one else planning on entering PBP in the new year for the 20th edition?

What's the qualification again? 200/300/400/600 rides?

Doubt I've done enough to pre-qualify with just a 300 this year as an Audax newbie. would be grand to do something like PBP but to be honest I don't think I have it in me.

Aye, and it's advised to pre-qualify by riding a long BRM this season - the longer ride you do, the sooner you can sign up. Can't remember if that's the point at which you pick your start time or not, it's all such a blur now. And then next season it's the qualifying rides.

They have increased the field size this year (8000??) and last time you still had a possibility of entering on 300KM (??) as a pre qualifier, I think from re reading the thread.

In 2019 they even opened up entries after the qualifying period had ended in June or July 2019. There were a lot of registered people that didn't manage to complete the SR, so they had spaces to allocate to those that had completed an SR without a PBP spot. I met someone on Saturday who took one of those spots.

I think I'd only done a 300 km the year before last time and there was still lots of places left when I registered. The first groups were full but I got a spot in the D/fourth group. So you might not get the start time you'd wish but close enough.

It's one I'd like to ride one day to tick off for definite.

The route looks a little uninspiring if I'm going to the trouble of taking my bike abroad, but I like the idea of crowds lining the streets to watch an audax, and riding alongside riders from all over the world.

The calendar is looking a little full next year already is the only concern.

I’m planning to do this with my girlfriend. We did a 400 this season that we’re hoping to use as a pre-qualifier. We’ve already got a 300 in the calendar for next season.

If we don’t get a spot we’ll probably just go tour Europe by bike or something.

I entered last time with a 200 as my qualifier, plus the series leading up to it. Bare minimum and was fine.
Definitely have this pencilled in for next year.

Sounds like I may have done enough to pre-qualify then. I'll plan to tick off the series and see how I get on...

Yup, #7 for me and #6 for the Young Lady. Haven’t decided what machine to ride this time but I’m sure it will be fun.

Quite a bit to get in the diary. From the Audax UK site, this is how it works:

Entry Process for 2023

The process for entering PBP will begin in January 2023 when 'register your interest' opens. It doesn't cost money at this stage and it's all done on-line.

'Registering your interest' is done in stages usually 2 weeks apart, thus:-

Registration opens first for anybody who has ridden a BRM 1000k event the previous season.
2 weeks later it opens for anybody who has ridden a BRM 600k event the previous season.
2 weeks later it opens for anybody who has ridden a BRM 400k event the previous season.
2 weeks later it opens for anybody who has ridden a BRM 300k event the previous season.
2 weeks later it opens for anybody who has ridden a BRM 200k event the previous season.
2 weeks later it opens for everybody else.
To demonstrate that you have ridden a BRM event the previous season (sometimes referred to as pre-qualifying rides) you will be asked for the validation number which can be found on your brevet card or on-line. It possibly goes without saying but the longer the ride you have done the previous season will give you the best chance of being accepted if entries outweigh places. It will also give you a better chance to select your preferred starting time.
We'll provide details of how to register when they become available.

Once you have registered your interest you must qualify by riding 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k events. All must be BRM events and all must be ridden in the time frame below (NB this varies between countries - below is so the UK). If you do not do this you WILL NOT be able to enter because you will have to enter the validation number for each qualifier. Payment is made at this stage and unlike LEL does not include food at the controls which has to be paid for as you go.

200k: Sat 7 Jan - Sun 30 Apr
300k: Sat 11 Mar - Sun 21 May
400k: Sun 9 Apr - Sat 10 Jun
600k: Sat 6 May - Sat 24 June

does not include food at the controls

see also: beds, showers

It looks like I might be doing this again - on a tandem.

I only did 200km BRM last year as I had no plans to enter again (did it in 2011 and 2015). But my stoker expressed an interest over a beer just before Christmas, and it would be fun to have a shot at it in a different way. Despite panics, there always do seem to be places left though, let's hope it's the case this year.

We're kicking off the campaign with the 200km from Ruislip on 26 Feb, which will be double the length of our previous longest ride on the tandem. WE've then entered the Amesbury Amble 300 on 15 April - but may flip to the 3Down, if that turns out not to have openend yet rather than sold out as the AUK site says.

Aiming for the Fenland Friends for our 600 as it's flat. And maybe the London Orbital 400.

Logistics of getting to events are much more complicated, because it's a tandem, and also because my partner is blind - which is the reason we are riding the tandem in the first place - but it will be great fun if we can pull it off.

Fenland Friends

this was my pre-qualifying ride in 2018. the wind. fucking hell, the wind.

I'm hoping to enter on only a 200 from last year too. Everything I have found online about previous years it looks like this should be fine so hoping it's the same this time round

Fully committed to this with my girlfriend. We've entered all the necessary qualifying rides and booked a couple of weeks off work in August. I'll be riding fixed.

These are what we've entered as qualifiers:

Talla-Ho! 200, 18th March
Snow Hare 300, 29th April
Border Nights 400, 13th May (a birthday special for myself)
Tour of the Borders and Galloway 600, 3rd June
The Abbey Craig 600, 17th June

The second 600 is just in case we don't complete one of the other rides and for some extra practice/time together on the bike.

I've done 6 days across the Nullarbor into a headwind every day so the Fens hold no fear for me! And will be less of an issue on a tandem.

The only possible issue I've read about is that they have reserved a lot more spaces for French riders this time, so fewer for the rest of us. But as you say, people always cry wolf and it turns out all right.

Yeah did spot there were 2,500 reserved for French riders

Ah well, I'll try anyway. Wanted to do a fixed SR anyway and I'm sure I can find another ride to do later in the year if I don't get in

Asked the missus again and she said something something stupid boring something no.

So MAYBE 3 fixed lfgssers? Anyone else? Assume the tandem isn't fixed.

1. Hollow_legs
   
2. Klar (maybe)
   
3. ruserius (maybe)
   

OK, this is quite exciting if there is a bunch of us to bump into and encourage as we go.

I'm planning to do it again, I won't be riding fixed though.

At the mercy of the Gods for entry, as I failed to ride even a 200k last year, I spent my time riding around in the mud in Kent when I did get out.