Ride reports 2025

[Karl42]

I'll start this thread for reports of Brevets and other long-distance rides made this year. Feel free to add your own reports here, or start a new thread for each, whichever seems best.

300km Brevet "To the Externsteine" in Germany

Yesterday I participated in a 300 km (186 mile) brevet in Germany, titled "To the Externsteine", a distinctive rock formation and popular tourist destination in the region.

The event drew a good number of participants. I rode my V20, as usual. At the start, I reconnected with Karsten, a rider I met last year who was on his self-built carbon MBB.

The route was relatively gentle compared to my previous week's 200 km (124 mile) ride, which featured constant climbing and descending with about 2600 meters (8,530 feet) of elevation gain. Yesterday's 300 km (186 mile) journey had 2100 meters (6,890 feet) of elevation gain, primarily concentrated in the middle section around the Externsteine. Without any prolonged difficult climbs, this ride felt considerably easier, especially with pleasant temperatures around 20°C (68°F) for most of the day.

The entire route offered a peaceful, almost meditative experience on quiet country roads with views of expansive fields. As evening approached, I was treated to spectacular panoramas with dramatic cloud formations illuminated by the setting sun.

 

[IyhelM]

Funny, I just rode a nightly 300 last night
I’ve always had issues with « standard » 300 starting at 5am - and finishing, realistically, in the evening: I don’t want to drive to a brevet and it is not possible in France to get a train this early from or late back home which means that you basically have to get 1 day before and stay a 2nd night. So this night brevet starting 40 km from where I live at 7pm was the just the perfect occasion to try this distance - I’m starting to get familiar with 200s, I try to do one at least every year.
302 km, 1900 m of elevation, on my regular training roads 100 km south from Paris.
190 started, 184 finished.
First we crossed the Fontainebleau forest

Then followed the Loing river to bring us to the hilly Puysaye area. Not much to show - it was night after all… - but there was a warm and friendly bar and pizzeria half way through.


By sunrise I was leaving the banks of river Yonne for the last 60 km after a very chilly night - dumb as I am I forgot my toe covers!


The rolling hills terrain suited me well so I guess I started a bit too fast and burned myself - I did my best time on 200 km… and I suffered a lot for the last 100 km - also because of the cold.
Finished in 14h, including 1h40’ of various pauses and stops. Overall happy but awfully sore, I reckon 200 in one day really is the maximum for me to fully enjoy the ride.

 

[Karl42]

The 200 and 300 km brevets here usually start around 8am and therefore finish in the evening. Last Sunday I finished after 13h42, so just before 10pm, with a pure riding time of 12h05. I usually come to the Brevets by car, so depending where they start I get up at 5am and leave the house at 6am, or a bit later when they are closer.
The upcoming 400 km Brevet will also start in the evening, inviting people to ride throughout the night, so that the organizers can receive the finishers in the afternoon instead of the middle of the night.
And the 600 km Brevets will start in the early morning again, because they usually take well over 30 hours anyway.