Paris Brest Paris (PBP) 2023

The French really do excel at beige food, I’m running out of capacity for bread and pasta and butter (never thought I’d see the day).

What is your number? I'll look out for you at the finish, if I'm around.

I liked the same food at every control experience!

Really enjoyed seeing all the different 'bikes of the pbp'. Anymore gratefully received!

And well done all taking part. @hollow__legs great content to follow along to on the insta.

Made it round! Was very impressed by the organisation all around. Always some friendly faces around to stamp and provide food. The people cheering along the course really are something.

I especially enjoyed showing up to the register with a pile of food on a tray and a soup bowl of coffee, to have the volunteer apparently do some mental maths and name a random number you need to pay. Keeps you on your toes.

Completely knackered and on the way back home now, good luck with the last bits if you're out on the course!

Lol my mouth was destroyed last time from all the artisanal (tough) bread I ate

Me too!

Definitely getting some FOMO about not taking part...What kind of training is involved other than qualification rides are people doing?

Speedwork in Regents Park after the 600.

1st pic
Mmh it is not the same, sorry..

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Told this guy I know a guy from Pune

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Think this was it, but in the dark in a sleep deprived state

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fucking amazing! you finished?

Rob is a phenomenal rider, he broke our clubs 24 hr TT record back in 2019 484.71 miles on 86" fixed, the previous record of 453 had stood since the fifties .

Villaines-la-Juhel scenes

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Rode Dumb, Ate Crap, Bonked Whenever. What a silly but fascinating thing to have done. I'm off to sit on a bag of frozen peas and may return with thoughts/ride report when I'm not an emotional mess.

@amey - no joy with Pune pals. However, I did mention to quite a few lads from Bangalore that I sort of know someone from Pune who is kinda internet famous which lead to much 🤷

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That was a phenomenal ride.
I saw him at lunchtime and was surprised to see he was riding gears. He said he felt he would have struggled on the new hilly section after Brest on fixed.

new hilly section after Brest

That section was utter bullshit in the heat.

Aha, I should check this more often! Ended up turning around pretty quick at the finish, once it started raining… Hope you guys managed to soak up the atmosphere without having to worry about the whole bike-riding distraction!

Also great to run into @Ruserius at the spectacular Villaines control, that place really embodied the good vibes of the whole event. Obviously the chaos and challenge of the ride was fun to experience, but I reckon volunteering is where it’s at. Or just following the party from town to town.

All my photos seem to be of food and tired people, couldn’t capture all of the roadside support and passed-out riders sadly, but there was a lot of that.

Glad you made it!

Crank now fixed, thanks to @scherrit

Have we still got time to get round...?

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Yup, can't quite believe it given how crap I'd felt in the 3 weeks prior (felt like covid). Only really felt better a couple days before the start. Guess that just meant I was well rested?!
I think I got my fueling right for once. Only drank water with occasional hydration tablets and dioralyte, no sugary drinks, but for just one coke, two iced teas and a couple of strategic espressos. Had a huge variety of about 2kg of bars and snacks, and from supermarkets ate soft fruit, mainly delicious perfectly ripe peaches, nectarines, plums, bananas and blueberries with baguettes and hummous. And crisps for salt. Ate control food twice I think. And on the last evening had an excellent Indian takeaway which lasted 2 meals.
Least sleep I've ever had over that kind of period, but got by just fine on cat naps and and a few longer ones of just over an hour. Never had to be woken up by an alarm or wake up call.
Fixed was fine one the whole, but full disclosure, I started unclipping for descents after 500km. Was just doing too much damage hurtling down those hills for so long and needed to care for increasing bad achilles and shin splints. Walked about 400m of the uphills as gradients didn't get crazy anywhere really. But my god there were a lot of hills. Just so much hills.
And another confession, I failed to get my brevet stamped at Tinteniac on the return. I got to Fougeres and realised I'd missed it. Remembered I'd been so focused on getting sleep at Tinteniac I'd not gone to the control upon arrival and when I woke at dawn it was absolute chaos and didn't even think of getting my card stamped. Lucky the chip worked and recorded my passage, but it was a stressful couple minutes when I'd realised what I'd done.
Kudos to El Gonzo for pressing on for so long while not feeling great, absolutely massive effort.

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Another bit of kit for the saddlebag!

Have we still got time to get round...?

Only one way to find out.

That B'twin! Out of curiosity I looked them up, 87:58 on that bike seems mightly Impressive!

most of indian audaxers ride bikes like these or MTBs, they smashed it due to the heat

wow! amazing stuff! Congrats.