PBP 2015

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Here it is, a little late granted but hope you enjoy.

PBP is a 1230km Audax (Randonee) ride held every four years which runs from a suburb South West of Paris called St Quentin, out to Brest (a port town in Brittany) and back. It is organised by the parent Audax organisation in the world being the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and as such this is very much the blue riband event of Audax rides. It is one of the oldest cycling events still running and you have to qualify for the ride by completing a SR Series (Super Randonneur) completing bike rides of 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k in the same season as PBP.

My own view of the ride is that it is more of a pilgrimage then a bike ride. The chance to meet riders from all over the world, share tales of previous bike rides and their qualifying events. Everyone that was there, had the earned the right to be there by completing a SR series and as such everyone there already shared a common bond. And the fact that you get people flying over from the Far East, Australasia, The Americas and Canada just goes to show how well represented and valued the ride is held by randonneurs throughout the world.

There is a total of three groups that you can start in, all have various advantages and disadvantages:-

The 80 hour start (The Vedettes), these riders are the first to go on the Sunday afternoon, there are no restrictions regarding timings at the controls, you have a clear road ahead of you and the people completing the ride with the fastest time will come from within the 80h group. It’s common for riders within this group to have very little or no sleep and the people first back will typically complete the ride in about 45 hours. Out of a field of roughly 6000 cyclists, roughly 500 will start within this group.

N.B the quickest time completed for 2015 was 42 hours and 26 minutes by a German Rider called Bjorn Lenhard.

After the 80 hour starters will be the 90 hour riders (The Touristes). These riders make the main bulk of the field being approx. 5000 cyclists let off in waves every 15 minutes. The advantage here is that you have the full allocation of time available and there will be plenty of people to ride with. However the controls can get busy with the amount of riders going through and starting in the afternoon you have already been awake all day, and by the time you ride through the night and part of the next day you could potentially be up for 36 hours before you get any sleep.

And finally, the following Monday morning you have the 84h starters (The Randonneurs). You have six hours less to complete the ride and there will be less people to ride with. On the other hand starting early in the morning (0450 start) if you have a good first day you can cover a lot of miles. In addition all the 90 hour riders would have cleared the controls by the time you get there so there will be very little or no queues for food/beds and if you are quick enough over the course of the ride you can treat the ride as three long day rides which means very little or no night riding.

I’d opted for the 84 hour start, the reasons being that I did not fancy being up for most of the day and then starting the bike ride in the afternoon as the 90 hour starters do. And riding a recumbent we would be the first to set off which meant a clear road in front of you. My plan (roughly) was to get to Loudeac on the first day, rest, ride out to Brest and back to Loudeac, rest again, and then make my way back to the Arrivee.

I arrived in Paris mid Saturday afternoon having driven over from the UK in a rental van. Checked into the hotel and unloaded all my kit. As well as the recumbent I had also bought my upright bike which I commute on which I thought would be more practical in getting around on. This year the ride would be starting from the Velodrome where the World Track Championships had been held earlier on in the year. I took a ride down there in the afternoon to see what was what. There were a few riders there having their photos taken, people queuing up for the bike check as well as people collecting their Brevet cards. My turn would come the following day. Rode into Versailles to stretch the legs, had a brief look at the Palace of Versailles, got something to eat and headed back to the hotel.

 

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The next day I was there for 1000hrs which is when my bike check was booked for, much quieter then it was the previous day, on the way I got given a leaflet regarding this years’ Miglia Italia which was a bonus as I was looking for information on the ride, and to be given it was most welcome regarding the route, its profile and where the stops are. It went into the bag.

A bike check carried out by a French person perhaps conjures up images of someone looking over your bike in great detail in trying to find fault and the ensuring minefield of French bureaucracy. J In reality the person picked the bike up, gave it a quick shake, tested the brakes and asked that the lights be turned on to make sure that they have a constant mode (blinkies are illegal in France). He stamped the form and I headed into the Velodrome to pick up my paperwork. I signed the form, was given my Brevet Card (what you need stamped for proof of passage), a chip to wear on your ankle, and something to carry it all in which you wore around your neck. Also picked up the two PBP jerseys that I had ordered and was given the Hi-Vis Gillet which is a legal requirement when riding in France at night. Had a look at some of the other recumbents that were on show actually in the velodrome as part of the display and a very shiny blingy steelie kitted out with Dura Ace.

Outside whilst packing all my stuff away I met Julien who is the partner and head of the European Branch of Schittler bikes. It was my Vite Bikes jersey which caught his attention, as it is Vite bikes which John and Jacqui S own in Florida which is the main distributor of the Encore in the US. We spoke briefly about our respective machines and wished each other well.

I killed some time during the day getting some food shopping in for the upcoming evening and the following morning before I was due to set off. I then went to the velodrome to see the afternoon wave (1630hrs) getting ready to go. The change from the morning was dramatic – there was cyclists everywhere, people in polka dot t-shirts handing out food, the MC was in full flow on the mic and there was a real buzz about the place.

The first wave had already departed at 1600hrs, so I waited around for the 1630hrs to go. There were people everywhere all around the start with their recording devices out eagerly anticipating the start. I looked around the roundabout where I was standing and up onto the main road where the ride would follow, it was two to three people deep in some places – for an amateur event! – this was incredible. Whilst I knew that my start the following morning would be more of a sedate affair I was really pleased to be soaking up the atmosphere here and now. An official came forward raising a finger to signal one minute. Then you could hear the MC..Dix….Neuf…and then they were off, rider after rider given their own escort on the way out of St Quentin to Elancourt. Shouts of Bon Route, Bon Courage and Bravo ringing in their ears.

After this and looking around to see other riders I noticed a bright yellow Vendetta coming around the roundabout, stopping the rider for a quick chat it turned out he was from Grenoble, here with a couple of other riders and of course was very much looking forward to the ride. I then asked if he had seen ‘Moose’ an American riding a black Silvio, his reply was no, but weirdly, standing no more than ten feet away was the bike and rider that was representing Team Moose. I said hello to the human part of ‘Team Moose’, complemented an impressive looking Silvio with some mean looking aero wheels and a seat complete in the colours of Brittany. We all shook hands and wished each other well.

I made my way back to hotel, had some food, packed my bag for the ride the following morning and got some rest.

The kit that I had, I managed to fit it all in the Scarab bag, what I’d be taking with me would be:-

Two tubes, one tyre, tyre levers, mini pump, three spokes (one front, one rear drive side, one rear non drive side) 4 and 5 mm P Allen keys, Pair of pliers, toothbrush, toothpaste, sleep mask, ear plugs, Spoke wrench for a Mavic wheel, Deep Heat, Ibuprofen, some biscuits, some shot blocks, arm/leg warmers, overshoes, and a light shower proof jacket. I opted to wear my other Vite bikes jersey for the ride. The fit is nice and the front pockets had zips to store stuff, speaking of which inside I carried some hydration tabs, cleat covers, and phone and around my neck in the plastic pouch I had my passport, money, and the all-important brevet card.

 

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Woke up at 0300hrs feeling good, food, shower, change and I was out the door getting to the Velodrome just after 4. A little bit early for a 0450 start but there was other riders there, some starting in the ‘W’ group which would be the group that I would be starting in. Special bikes is basically anything other than a standard diamond frame bike. Even though the ‘W’ group comprised of only 35 or so riders, we were well represented. Velomobiles, recumbents, being a Cruzbike, Encore, Metabike, Bachetta, some Zockras and some other low racers were there, a handcycle, an upright trike and finally some tandems.

A little bit of confusion regarding if our cards were going to get stamped or not, one of the volunteers said that they would not be, which immediately raised some concerns among some of the riders (you always get your card stamped at the start of these events) and as such a couple of minutes later we all did, one of the other volunteers using the top of one of the velomobiles as a make shift table whilst the rest of us formed an orderly queue. Julien turned up about 5 minutes before the start, went to get his Brevet card out and realised and he had left it in the car of the person who was giving him a lift – oops! – He’d eventually get his card, and get round – chapeau.

For the rest of us it was almost time to go, 12 hours earlier this place had people everywhere for the 84h and 90h starters, there were a lot less people now, mostly friends and family wishing the cyclists well. An organiser came forward, ‘un minute’…. and we’re off, a handful of people clapping and wishing us ‘bonne route’ I was glad to get moving and get my PBP adventure started.

The rollout was good, weather conditions were perfect, not windy and a cool night time temperature for riding in. We kept pace behind an officials’ car as we made our way of Paris. Moving speed was about 25kph, we did not stop at any red lights and were waved through by one of the motorbike outriders, there were a few people by the side of road who would be cheering and clapping as we rode. At five in the morning people were coming out of their homes just to cheer us on, and this was the way it would be for the rest of the ride.

About 10k out after we had passed through Elancourt I knew at some point that the officials car would peel off, I did not see it happen but noticed a sudden jump in pace as all of a sudden the lights of Paris and the surrounding areas were behind us and we were on unlit roads heading West.

The first 100k or so was relatively flat, a few undulations here and there as to make the route interesting but nothing really strenuous early on. Navigating was easy, the reflective signs by the side of the road were easy to see, orange signs for Brest, and blue signs on the way back for Paris. I also had my GPS on, not that I needed it but it was a good to have some security and I wanted to monitor my HR as the ride went on.

Progress was good, the roads were superb and I was happily moving along at 30kph+. I was riding on my own, I prefer to ride on my own as I like to do my own thing and I think this being my own PBP I was happy to find my own way through the ride.

There were many stand out moments during PBP and one of them was about 50k into the ride. I was out on my own and the riders in the wave that left after us had caught me up. Those who started in the ‘’X’’ wave. They were going at a fair rate of knots, around 38-40kph, I came to the conclusion that this was a little bit too fast for me and I wanted to go at my own pace bearing in mind the two goals that I had set myself before the start of the ride. The first being to get around, the second being to not feel absolutely wrecked at the end of the ride. So as it was rider after rider……..after rider was overtaking me. I did not have a problem with this at all but was taken back by how big this group was, there must have been around 150-160 cyclists spread out over a hundred yards or so. This was the first time that I had ridden in such a large group and the sight of all those cyclists spread out easing around a right hand turn was superb.

After 100k the hills started to kick in, for me there were only three hills that really stood out on the entire ride, having said that, PBP is hilly in the sense of the amount of rolling hills in the +80m/-80m range that goes into three figures. I can only recall there being about 10k of truly flat terrain which was later on in the ride on the run in Dreux. But anyways, the first of the three hills was after about 120k, the next was on the run into the first actual control at 220k and finally the first hill as you leave Loudeac.

Got to Mortagne au Perch which is an optional feed stop on the way out to Brest but is a control on the way back. I stopped here for a ham baguette and a coke, the queues were minimal – if at all, I felt good and it confirmed my decision in starting within the 84hr group.

Leaving Mortagne to claps and cheers from the people of Brittany made riding feel special, the road to Villaines was on mostly primary roads for a large chunk of this stage. However that did not stop people in cars, trucks and tractors (there’s a LOT of farms in this area) tooting their horn as they drove past. Julien from earlier on had caught up on his Encore he gestured to get on his wheel but I was happy riding on my own soaking up the atmosphere of the ride and the people by the side of the road cheering you on.

The ride left the main roads and started climbing towards the control, this was one of the other stand out hills of the ride. It felt like a long uphill drag that never seemed to end. But on the plus side, the weather was good and I was only about 10k from the control.

Got to the first official control Villaines in the afternoon, of all the controls I found this one to be the most upbeat. There were many people here clapping and cheering, an MC was on the mic speaking to riders about why they were doing the ride, there was background music and there were kids by the side of the road who would put their hands out and you’d side five them as you rode past. I parked the bike up in one of the stands and wandered into the control, got my first stamp, had another ham baguette and coke and hit the road.

 

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I was looking forward to next stage to Fourgeres as it was going to take in the same route which was used in the Tour De France. The rolling hills continued from Villaines and for the first of two times it rained but only for about 40 minutes. The rain came down and I took shelter under some trees until it passed over. After this the sun came out, I dried off and the road opened up on the way to the control. I started to pass through towns who still had (and were proud to show off) their TDF montages. Various objects were used to make models of bikes and some rather elegant wired dolls clothed in TDF colours were on show. As well as various banners welcoming riders that were doing the PBP. The people in this part of France love their cycling and it was on this stage that I had another two stand out experiences. The first was cycling through a town called Le Meure. There was a wired model of a Priest…in Priests attire….riding a bike…..which was bolted upright to the side of a church – superb! The next was about 30k from the control. I came around a left handed turn going down a slight downhill. Ahead about 150 yards were a family of a man, wife and child. The man marched out into the centre of the road and then began to wave above his head the biggest Brittany flag I had ever seen, he then got back on the pavement, I slowed on to give his son a side five, said merci to his wife who was clapping, gave him a side five and he then proceed to run alongside me yelling something in French. Before I went to France I had read numerous reports about PBP and everyone mentioned the support of the people of Brittany and Normandy, I thought some of these had been exaggerated, but this is not the case at all. The people of Brittany and Normandy – chapeau for all your support and cheers throughout the ride.

The control which was a school. I parked the bike, got the ever important stamp and sat down for my first cooked meal, chips and pasta washed down with some Orangina. It was here that I first saw the effect of doing such a large ride. A few people were asleep on the floor. I was a bit taken back by this because you’d expect people to ride a bit further before first stopping for some sleep, but then again if you are tired and you need to sleep then there is not a lot you can really do. I had also caught up with some of the 90 hour riders, anyone riding with a frame badge that started with a letter that came before ‘W’ was a 90 hour starter, and these folk would be really up against the clock if they were here at this time. Some people who are out of time still go on to complete the ride anyway, the alternative being to pay a premium to get a lift back through the ACP or take public transport.

Only 50k to the next control Titeniac and it was starting to get dark, a benign route of mostly rolling hills, nothing really stood out for me except the buzz of the control when I got there. The reason being that some of the 80 hour riders were already on their way back to Paris. I hung around for a while, and watched well executed refuels for the 80hr riders heading back to Paris. Typically there would be a crew of two-three people, some would be dressed in outlandish clothes, one such example were a support of three all wearing Sombrero hats. But this serves as a purpose as this would make it easier to identify a riders support crew rather than trying to pick people out from a large crowd. The rider would ride up to the support crew, get off the bike not forgetting to get some rice pudding or some other carb rich food which can be easily eaten. They would run to the control to get their card stamped whilst eating said carb, and in the meantime the support crew would refill bottles, supply the rider with any food needed, a very quick debrief if the rider needs anything at the next control and they were off.

By the time I left Titeniac I was starting to feel it and was looking forward to getting a rest at Loudeac. Between the beginning of May when I had done my final qualifying ride of 600k and PBP in August the longest ride I had done was 112k and this was starting to tell. It’s not like I was not fit enough, it’s just that I could have done with a bit more distance work in the weeks before PBP rather than the 50-70k tempo rides that I had been doing. What made it even worse was that the ride to Loudeac felt like an age getting there with one of the longer stages at 85k. Anyways I got to the control and was pleased to see that whilst there were riders there it was not busy, and whilst I had to queue for a bed this was only for 10 minutes and would be the only time when I had to queue – plus point of doing the 84 hr start.

My French is very poor, in that I only know how to say hello, goodbye, count to ten and thank you. Although I picked up some French words, or rather a word on PBP – Dormir, and this would be my first sleep on the ride. The people running the dorm had made a makeshift clock out of a paper plate, a drawing pin and some arrows cut out of card so it was easy explaining what time I wanted waking up. You pay your four euros, you are given a ticket which you give back once you wake up so they know that your bed is free. I had read about the dorms in reports prior to going out to PBP. I read about the sudden gulf of body odour, snoring, farting, high humidity that hits you as you first walk into a sports hall that contains roughly 400 people asleep but honestly it was not that bad – except for a few loud snorers. Or it could have been that I was tired and just wanted to sleep, and on that note it was in the ear plugs, on with the eye mask and head down for four hours’ worth of kip on an old school British army bed with a bed sheet for warmth.


I got up just after 0400hrs to a control that was now quieter then it was when I had first arrived. I stepped outside and could see that the dark was just starting to get lighter on the horizon. I got something to eat and got my card stamped, I also chastised myself not getting my card stamped the moment when I first got to the control earlier on. These things are easily forgotten and you end up as a DQ as a result.


I left the control with a full day ahead of me with the plan being to get to Brest and then make it back to Loudeac. What I had not expected were the hills between Loudeac and Carhaix. Constantly on a gradient for the first thirty or so k really tested the legs first thing in the morning. I got through this part of the ride and the was suddenly hit with the dozes I felt tired, I felt I could go on, but then again I thought to myself that this feeling is not going to go away. As luck with have it there was an opening to a small area of woodland by the side of the road that had been cleared with a house in the distance. To me It looked like the firewood/play area/eating area (there was a BBQ cooker there) of the house, it was also where I could catch some z’s. I eyed up a bale of hay that looked very comfy, but then again I did not want to mess with what somebody else’s work so just opted to lie on the grass and close my eyes. I woke up feeling very refreshed, looked at my watch and it turned out that I had only been asleep for about fifteen minutes. Making a mental note of the effect of these micro sleeps I pressed on.


I got to Carhaix and refuelled on a very nice cooked meal and was looking forward to getting to Brest. The sun was also shining, it was warm (about 28 degree Celsius) and there was very little wind. The big thing about the stage between Carhaix and Brest is that it contains the only ‘hill’ of the ride, but really it’s not a hill as such as it only has an elevation of 343m, but the climb itself is about 20k long with a gradient of about 3-4%, so a longish albeit easy climb. The climb itself was very nice through a wooded area, the sun was shining and we were on roads that had very little traffic.

The view that awaits you at the top of Roc Trevezel is very nice looking out towards Brest with the famous telecom tower in the foreground. And of course what goes up most go down. The fifteen or so k from the top of the climb was by far the easiest k’s that I will cover throughout the ride. Also another thing that I noted was the amount of riders coming the other way, this would be the main bulge or ’90 hour bubble’ as it’s sometimes referred to which is the main pack of 90 hour riders – and there were loads. Cheery hellos were made and received between me and fellow riders of recumbent bikes – I did not bother with the DF riders.

 

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As I approached Brest the heat was starting to tell, it was a warm afternoon as I pedalled across the Albert Louppe Bridge that runs parallel to Pont l’lroise which is the bridge where typically riders will stop and get their photograph taken. I did not because I was going through my lowest point of the ride. I was tired, hungry, and thirsty. I was annoyed because if felt like the control in Brest meant actually cycling through Brest down to the coast and then doubling back up a hill. Only to be met with, what I think is a school for the control with the areas for getting your card stamped and hot food about one hundred and fifty yards apart. Not to mention the toilets that would not have looked out of place in a Russian Gulag. Come to think of it this was only my lowest point of the ride and it was a low point. I gave some though to packing, booking into a hotel, having a nice bath and going to bed and then somehow make my way back to Paris. But such is the beauty of audax riding that the alternatives to riding your bike back to the Arrivee are usually counterproductive, so in essence the only thing you do is to ride your bike. Besides the costs of getting back to Paris would have cost a small fortune and I did not want to mess about using the ACP to give me a lift. So I found a quiet area under a tree and fell asleep for 15 minutes waking up feeling very refreshed and then went and got something to eat. The control at Brest was still quite busy with not a lot of room to eat, as it happens there was a space opposite me which another rider politely asked if he could sit down. ‘Of course’ I said, motioning to him to help himself. What then happened was not a simple manoeuvre of the rider sitting down. What happened was the rider putting his food down on the table, steadying himself against said table and the back of the chair and then spending what felt like a lifetime lowering himself into the chair making all sorts of facial grimaces which very clearly told me that he was in a lot of pain. And whilst I had just hit a bad patch, at least my legs, knees, arse, neck, hands, and wrists were not sore like this persons that clearly were.

I walked back to the bike and for the first time I just knew that I would finish the ride. Leaving Brest was not the nicest of rides because I left late afternoon which was rush hour. The traffic was soon left behind though and I started the climb back up The Roc. The climb was different the way back on a main road and because of this I felt it easier and there were no dramas getting to the top. What then followed was a very nice fast rolling hill ride back to Carhaix, the roads in France are really good and descending is very quick, also it helped that there was a very slight tail wind.

Got to Carhaix had some food and pressed on to the next control, leaving just after 2100hrs I put on the lights and hi Vis jersey and gave thought about where to sleep. Given the amount of riders that I had seen earlier in the day my thoughts were that Loudeac would be very busy. Because of this in previous editions which had resulted in overcrowding the ACP put on another two controls which were purely rest stops either side of Loudeac these being St Nicolas and Quedillac. I arrived at St Nicolas and as luck would have it they had beds available, a lot of beds available I figured that the riders that I saw earlier on in the day had all stopped at Loudeac, ridden on or had left this rest stop because the dorm was only ¼ full.

I got a few hours’ sleep and got to Loudeac in the morning just before 0600hrs. Had a cooked meal and pressed on, the sleep that I had got St Nicolas was really good and I gave myself a pat on the back for making the decision to sleep when there are beds available and no queues rather than press onto Loudeac to find a really busy control. I knew what to expect cycling back to Loudeac having encountered the same hillier section earlier on in the ride riding out to Brest. I also stopped at a roadside vendor and had some lush coffee and a crepe.

A quick stop at Tinteniac for food and was looking forward to the fast ride back to Fougeres. I stopped off to get some Ibuprofen on the way. My ankle had been given me some pain and pharmacy’s in France are really easy to spot as they all have a very large, very bright green cross neon sign on the outside. I popped a couple of Ibuprofen at the control and had a cooked meal.

Leaving Fougeres I can honestly say that I felt the strongest that I had felt the entire ride, pacing myself earlier on the ride, being good with sleep, having faith in riding a fast recumbent and all the benefits that it brings you was starting to pay off. I could see other riders looking very fatigued and in a lot of pain, why anyone would want to do this ride on an upright bike I have no idea but I respect the decision.

I got to Villaines and like it was on the way out to Brest, Villaines was still in party mode. It had some weird techno funk coming out of the speakers, the MC was in full flow, and as it was early evening it would appear that whole town had come out to play at the control. There were people on the side of the road cheering, on walls cheering, on the bits of green in between the walls cheering and of course a load of children at the entrance wanting a side five. This time around I opted for a cooked meal. At the controls there are usually two places to get something to eat. You can either opted for a quicker meal of a ham baguette/pastry and coffee or if you want to sit down for a hot meal you can, although there is usually a queue for this. I opted for a cooked meal and had no dramas getting served. However there was only spag bol left, although this turned out to be very nice. Also what I felt was a nice touch was that the local children carried your food for you into the hall. As to get into the hall to have to go down a steep ramp which walking in cleated shoes with over 1000k’s in the legs could get messy. I thanked the lad who carried my food for me and then set about finding a volunteer who could show me where the dorm was. This had now become a strategy of mine since the previous control of getting to the control, having food, popping a couple of ibuprofen and getting a couple of hours sleep and leaving the control 20-30 minutes before it officially shut. Whilst doing the ride this way was a bit tight on time if anything should go wrong, my average speed actually increased (and I had every faith in the bike that it would give me what I wanted and it did) in the final parts of the ride which always left me with a couple of hours in hand when I get to the next control.

I woke up after what was my best sleep of the ride so far. In Villaines late in the evening the majority of the riders had gone, the party atmosphere had died down but there were people around. The night was very calm, a nice temperature for riding in and I was looking forward to opening the taps a bit now I had only 200k to go. From this point on was I felt the ride really changed for me riding a recumbent. The pacing that had gone on before meant I was still feeling good. From now until the end of the ride I would not get overtaken by any other rider and the riders that I would overtake would run into the hundreds. The ride out of Villaines was fast although a couple of rolling hills, the terrain was largely undulating to flat so you could get some real speed going. In places I was happily going at 30kph+. It was also here until the end of the ride that other riders whom I passed looked in a bad place. There were people by the side of the road asleep, in doorways, ‘baked potatoes’ people in survival blankets by the side of the road. And a few unfortunate souls who still had their bike between their legs so I presume they must have literally dropped. I did not see any one fall asleep and crash off the side of the road, but I did see some people weaving a bit over the road and made a mental note to pass giving a wide berth – more often than not on the other side of the road.

 

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I got to the control at Mortagne at 0200hrs and what a contrast to three days before. Before this control was quiet with only a handful of riders. Now I had caught up with the main 90 hour field and there were riders and bikes everywhere. The area outside had bikes up against the stands, walls and once those had been taking up, bikes were simply laid on the ground. Luckily standing around (I did not want to put my bike on the ground) another rider went so I put the bike up against the wall and went into the control. It was similar inside the control except bikes were now riders. There were riders everywhere, asleep in the doorway, asleep on the floor, on tables, the queue for the food was 15 people deep. I made the decision there and then to get my card stamped and get some sleep as I did not want to queue for food and figured by the time I had got up most of these people would be down the road. And that’s what I done, card stamped, there was a volunteer by the stamping table, ‘’Le dormer sil vous plait’’ and followed the volunteer to the dorm where surprisingly there were beds and no queue.

After a few hours’ sleep I got up around 0515hrs, and the dorm was empty apart from only a few riders. The hall that had been packed a few hours earlier was now a lot less. The only activity being riders asleep on the table. No queue for the food, I orders an omelette and mash with Orange juice which went down most well. It was here that I first got chatting with a couple of other cyclists as well. They were Canadian, 90 hour starters so they had to get a move on if they wanted to complete the ride within time. I gave one guy some ibuprofen as his knee was hurting. About this time a separate Canadian rider recalled how during the night he had pulled from a ditch some rider who had fallen asleep, he was okay just minor cuts. His final words to us were ‘’Guys it’s only a ride, it ain’t worth f***ing dying for.’’


Leaving Mortagne I was looking forward to the day ahead, I felt good and barring mechanicals I could see myself finishing the ride. Especially now the route ahead, with the exception of a few hills was largely flattish. The ride to the penultimate control – Dreux went without any sort of hiccup. And it was on this leg where I experienced the only bit of actual flat riding. Just outside of Dreux about 10k’s of road where you could put it in the big dog, sit back, relax, and cruise along at 35kph+.

Got to Dreux just before 0900hrs, the control was in a large gym hall, there were a few 90 hour riders here who were rushing about because they were really up against it, me, I now had 64k to do and about eight hours to do it in, so I relaxed eating the best Croissant I ever tasted.

It was there that I briefly met Damon Peacock, Damon does a lot of work videoing audax rides in the UK and posting them on Youtube (he is also a keen audaxer), he has made some good videos and I was a bit dismayed at what he had to say. In the past PBP had finished in the same area which had the riders coming in around a very small loop. In the past there would be riders and spectators alike contained within this loop that would cheer riders on who had made it, all the while consuming vast quantities of alcohol and getting quite merry. This time around though the ACP had the riders for the last couple of k’s coming into the velodrome via a shared cycle path/trail, add to this that it had started to rain, the grand partying reception that I thought me and everyone would get kinda evaporated.


Not to worry, I left Dreux after having my croissants and coke and looked forward a fairly easy ride back to the finish. I felt good and my only grump was that it was raining. I started out, passed a few riders, one who unfortunately looked like he was suffering Shermers neck. For while here I rode with another UK rider. He had messed up his nutrition and had bonked hard by the time he got to Loudeac Brest bound. Even though he got a good sleep he could not eat anything so decided to pack and tour back to Paris still getting in over 900k. He was aiming to get back to Paris by 1200hrs, I only wanted to finish so wished him well.

With only 10 or so k to go I started to recognise some of the features that I had seen a few days ago – almost there. Cycled through Elancourt and was directed onto the trail and started the last 2 or so k to the finish, however having just got onto the trail I saw a fellow recumbent rider coming the other way having just finished who I thought I recognised, and I did, it was Garry Broad.

Garry is a hardened audax UK rider who has done many an audax ride in the past. He has already completed PBP before, his tales of audax riding where a fair amount of bodging has occurred are also legendary:


Like the time on the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600k ride, one of the rear chain stays (he was on a DF) snapped on his trusty steel touring bike that he had for years. He went to the local bike shop at the next town to try and get a scrapped frame, the bike shop did not have any but directed him to the nearest garage – where the mechanic promptly bodged a repair welding two spanners to the stay to repair it. Garry went on to complete the ride just under the time limit with no sleep.

Or the time when on another ride when he was riding a recumbent and the pads on the front brake had worn down to nothing. So he spent the next – however – many - amount – of - k’s using a broken stick as a front brake rubbing it against the tyre until he could get to the next town to buy some pads. Because the pads had worn so much the heat generated had warped the disk so he had to buy a new rotor as well.


And here on this trail Garry did not disappoint as he showed me the recumbent that he had knocked together to do PBP. He did want to build something CF orientated but because of life pressures, put together a bike from various spares and bodged what can only be described as a scaled down car seat to the frame. The seat was so large that it started to shift when Garry was riding. So much so in fact that he had to shift his body weight on the bike and ride lopsided. I did recall when riding down the Roc seeing a rider coming the other way who at the time had me thinking ‘’Why is that rider riding lopsided.’’ Now I knew why.

We shook hands and congratulated each other, briefly talked how each other's ride went and wished each other a good day. I got to the finish, a handful of people clapping made it feel special and I had done it, I was an Ancien, my first PBP.

I got the card stamped but this time it was not handed back to me, no bother I was pleased I had done the ride.

I rode the short distance back to the hotel. Had a shower and slept for a few hours and surprisingly woke up feeling rather good so went and treated myself to a McDonalds.


The next day, rode into Paris doing the whole tourist thing, visited the Eiffel tower, The Louvre, Palace of Versailles getting the train back to the hotel and then drove back to the UK next day feeling very content at having the most wonderful week in France.


Cheers, I’ll be back in 2019.

 

[LMT]

Things that I’d do different and some tips for those wanting to do PBP:-

1. Carry less stuff, the mechanics at the controls are really good. Take the necessary items such as tubes, multi tool etc. but no need to carry a mini tool shed in your bag.
   
   
2. Those that ride in the Flatlands, PBP has hills, lots and lots of hills, although these hills are quite small they still do sap your energy and can fatigue you.
   
   
3. Lose some weight, it helps cycling up said hills.
   
   
4. Know that the temperature in northern France at that time of the year at night can be only a few degrees Celsius. So wrap up warm or spend a week before acclimatising.
   
   
5. Do some distance work. My body did not thank me for putting it through 448k of riding on the first day when in the preceding 3 months the longest distance I had ridden in a day was 112k.
   
   
6. Love the French people, they are great and they lift your spirits, wave to old folks sitting on their fold up chairs by the side of the road, give the children side fives as you cycle on by, wave and give thanks to the people standing at the side of the road at 0300hrs cheering you on.

 

[trplay]

Enjoyed your write up. Not a day goes by I don't think about 2015 PBP and what the heck happened to me. In a way it is good because it has me hungry for 2019. I'm glad to see you are plannig to be back in 2019. Lets plan on meeting a little more than a few minutes at the hectic start.

 

[jond]

wave and give thanks to the people standing at the side of the road at 0300hrs cheering you on.

lee what a wonderful well told ride story. thank you so much for sharing. really enjoyed reading about your epic adventure. very inspiring and brought back memories . thanks for all the explanation you painted a picture of extremes. which is of course what an extreme audax is about.

can you give your daily totals overall time elevation gain etc???? for completion.

sounds like you made the right decision as to the group you left with and of course riding the right bike.

tough tough tough. riding 1200kilometers in 85 hours elapsed time is special. very special.

congratulations on being so audacious. gutsy effort whilst riding smart. take a bow.

we forget quickly the pain and line up again. lee i will look forward to your 2019 campaign.

moose 2019 is yours. you will own it.

 

[LarryOz]

What Jon just said! Great read!

 

[VenRiderGuy]

Lee, loved your retelling of your journey. I felt like I was riding with you. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share with us.

 

[super slim]

Lee, a great effort for completing your first PBP, AND a VERY interesting description of the ride!!!

 

[Robert O]

Wonderful account, Lee! You have me dreaming of PBP...

 

[LMT]

lee what a wonderful well told ride story. thank you so much for sharing. really enjoyed reading about your epic adventure. very inspiring and brought back memories . thanks for all the explanation you painted a picture of extremes. which is of course what an extreme audax is about.

can you give your daily totals overall time elevation gain etc???? for completion.

sounds like you made the right decision as to the group you left with and of course riding the right bike.

tough tough tough. riding 1200kilometers in 85 hours elapsed time is special. very special.

congratulations on being so audacious. gutsy effort whilst riding smart. take a bow.

we forget quickly the pain and line up again. lee i will look forward to your 2019 campaign.

moose 2019 is yours. you will own it.

Contrôle/
Km Time/ Time at control/ Average between controls/ Total running average/ Climbing (Metres) /Running Total (Metres)/
START 0 17/08/2016 04:49
VILLAINES 221 08:32 17/08/2016 13:21 25.8 km/h 25.8 km/h 1810 1810
FOUGERES 310 12:56 17/08/2016 17:45 20.2 km/h 23.9 km/h 873 2683
TINTENIAC 364 15:55 17/08/2016 20:44 18.1 km/h 22.8 km/h 450 3133
LOUDEAC 449 25:11:00 18/08/2016 06:00 9.1 km/h 17.8 km/h 837 3970
CARHAIX 525 30:00:00 18/08/2016 10:49 15.7 km/h 17.5 km/h 852 4822
BREST 618 34:33:00 18/08/2016 15:22 20.4 km/h 17.8 km/h 1284 6106
CARHAIX 703 39:56:00 18/08/2016 20:45 15.7 km/h 17.6 km/h 1046 7152
LOUDEAC 782 48:31:00 19/08/2016 05:20 9.2 km/h 16.1 km/h 829 7981
TINTENIAC 867 53:33:00 19/08/2016 10:22 16.8 km/h 16.1 km/h 742 8723
FOUGERES 921 56:47:00 19/08/2016 13:36 16.7 km/h 16.2 km/h 497 9220
VILLAINES 1009 63:09:00 19/08/2016 19:58 13.8 km/h 15.9 km/h 960 10180
MORTAGNE 1090 69:14:00 20/08/2016 02:03 13.3 km/h 15.7 km/h 859 11039
DREUX 1165 75:57:00 20/08/2016 08:46 11.1 km/h 15.3 km/h 614 11653
FINISH 1230 79:37:00 20/08/2016 12:26 17.7 km/h 15.4 km/h 565 12218

 

[jond]

FINISH

thanks lee. immense achievement. respect. you are one tough audaxian.

i reckon a fair few of us are dreaming of pbp and it's incredible atmosphere.

amazing how many international riders come to these big rides. half the field in australia are international.

during the second running of sydney to melbourne alpine 1200klm 14,000 ascent i met the regular international contingent and i note they were again present for the tour of tasmania another tough ride.

these regulars teach you how to ride long distance. and show you that peak fitness is not necessary but riding intelligently with determination can have you slip by the young gun silly hares with tortoise like precision and often carrying a house or two on their lugged bikes and leather saddles with dyno lighting and mudguards. lesson dispensed.

then there are the few freaks who can smash it out day after day. generally they are young. but they are the exception.

a great challenge well met Lee. and what a bike to do it on huh. smart .

 

[DavidCH]

That was indeed a great read. I really appreciated it.

 

[Uphill]

Thought I'd revive this. Good write up Lee. I successfully completed PBP 2015 on my DF and it is indeed a great event I'll be returning to in 2019. The 2019 pre qualification and qualification have now been published.

Am I right in thinking you ran LED lights and if so which ones? My current bikes have a Hub Dynamo light setup which I'm assuming not as common on Cruzbikes.

 

[snilard]

Thought I'd revive this. Good write up Lee. I successfully completed PBP 2015 on my DF and it is indeed a great event I'll be returning to in 2019. The 2019 pre qualification and qualification have now been published.

Am I right in thinking you ran LED lights and if so which ones? My current bikes have a Hub Dynamo light setup which I'm assuming not as common on Cruzbikes.

I have Velogical rim dynamo on my Vendetta. But I don't like it. It sounds bit like electric engine and does slip on wet rim. Only advantage compared to hub dynamo is a weight.

 

[DavidCH]

Well it looks a considerable challenge

 

[Uphill]

6,000 riders of all sorts of bikes. Lined almost all the way with enthusiastic villagers day and night. It almost a festival with a bit of riding thrown in to get the most from it.