PBP - I've decided how I'm doing it.

[AndyH]

I've been obsessed with PBP ever since I did my only 600 (the YACF September DIY). That made me realise that PBP was a possibility for an overweight, relatively unfit middle aged man. However I'm spending far too much time reading about it here, so I've decided how I am going to do it. (Then I can spend more time riding the bike and less time surfing  ) 

Hopefully every decision has been made rationally and after learning from & listening to the experiences of others. This will use up a considerable amount of brownie points and unlike a lot of you will probably be a once in a lifetime experience for me. So here goes.

1. As a newcomer I need to know that I'm capable. One 600 isn't enough. The build up will include 2 SRs (already entered  ). Who knows what can go wrong, and there is no guarantee that I'll finish every ride that I've entered. Some of the rides will be hard. (e.g. K & SW 600) If I'm going to do 1200 Km then I should be able to do a hard 600.

2. I'm going to ride over. I had thought of leaving on the Thursday night but having seen that at least one ancien is going on the Wed night I am considering that, to get an extra day's rest in Paris. It'll be Portsmouth Caen. The return from Paris - Caen will be as much train and as little bike as I can do without hitting central Paris. Riding there seems so much more within the spirit of the event. (Although I do understand that many others have "real life" considerations that make riding over a non starter.)

3. It'll be 90 hour. But I'll ride it as fast as I can. I figure that my sleep will be fubar'd anyway, so may as well start with a night leg and have the extra time.

4. I'll sleep wherever I can, depending on how I feel.

5. I will unashamedly sit behind any available wheel. If things are going well I'll do my turn at the front. The YACF 600 guys should be able to confirm that I can ride at the front. 

6. Me, the bike and the luggage will be as light as possible. In fact I'll ride a close clearance frame with a close to racing geometry. I did that on the 600 without any serious issues.

7. I'll have a decent hotel at Guyancourt, and pamper myself at the start and the end. I'll be roughing it in the intervening 90 hours.

8. Qualification will be done as early as possible. 15th May if all goes well 

9. er, that's it. Have I missed anything ?

[Chris S]

9. er, that's it. Have I missed anything ?

Be prepared to be flexible. Adapt according to conditions and how you feel. It would be a shame to knacker a "once in a lifetime" ride because you stuck to the ideal of riding down, into the face of a howling gale. Adapting an overall plan to conditions is something randonneurs are supposed to excel at, after all .

Yes, you missed something.

10. Have fun.

[border-rider]

K&SW 600 is likely to be harder than PBP unless the weather gods smile on you, and probably also if they do.

[Ian H]

K&SW 600 is likely to be harder than PBP unless the weather gods smile on you, and probably also if they do.

I don't think he's planning to ride it on fixed.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

K&SW 600 is likely to be harder than PBP

+1 and I'm happy not to be tackling the K&SW as my qualifying 600.

I've only done two 600s in a year once before and don't quite understand the British enthusiasm to do multiple SRs. There is a wealth of knowledge for you to draw from and history shows that one SR gives sufficient long-distance cycling experience to finish PBP. With sufficient determination, you'll be an ancien du PBP too.

[AndyH]

there is no guarantee that I'll finish every ride that I've entered

K&SW 600 is likely to be harder than PBP

+1 and I'm happy not to be tackling the K&SW as my qualifying 600.

15th May means BCM Classic, with Matt C's lincs leadout as a backup plan. The K & SW is a personal challenge. I was relieved to hear the the pre registration can be "completed" with 3 BRMs 

I don't think he's planning to ride it on fixed.

What's one of those ?

Yes, you missed something.

10. Have fun.

Yes. I suppose I got wrapped up in everything else. Fun is what I do it for.

[arvid]

1. As a newcomer I need to know that I'm capable. One 600 isn't enough. The build up will include 2 SRs (already entered  ). Who knows what can go wrong, and there is no guarantee that I'll finish every ride that I've entered. Some of the rides will be hard. (e.g. K & SW 600) If I'm going to do 1200 Km then I should be able to do a hard 600.

This will be my first PBP, but I did do LEL and Mille Miglia. In my LEL year(first audax year) I finished one 600 and failed another (doing the Bayern1200 after LEL remained just an idea after that).
Last year I tried the failed 600, and failed again. A hard 600 (and failing it) will teach you a lot, and it really isn't necessary to finish it to finish a big ride.
In short: I only finished one out of three 600s I started, but finished both my 1000+ rides. YMMV, of course.

[Hummers]

11. Bike.

You'll need a bike Andy.

H

[Feline]

Yes, and don't forget to take your shoes. They seem to be the most easily left-at-home cycling essential!

[teethgrinder]

Riding to the start is very good preperation if you take it easy and get a good night in bed. Just do 100k a day if you have time and it'll keep your legs turning while giving you a good rest and help you catch up on your sleep at the same time. Rushing around in cars and aeroplanes can be stressfull.

[hellymedic]

Yes, and don't forget to take your shoes. They seem to be the most easily left-at-home cycling essential!

Make sure you take both a right and a left shoe.
I have witnessed a Champion AUK DNS as she had two left shoes and only one left foot...

[Andrew]

I do think one can over analyse. Preparation, both physical and logistical, is obviously required but getting too obsessive about it can make it stressful and stop the enjoyment factor.

My cunning plan is to turn up on my bike and ride, all else will look after itself. Achem, well, not quite true in reality - I've got qualifiers to ride and they will ask and answer many questions for me.  But, in truth, until I've got the 600 ticked off, I'm not really thinking about the specifics of PBP. Time enough for that later. But then I do appreciate my circumstances do allow me that leniency in approach.

[Hummers]

I do think one can over analyse. Preparation, both physical and logistical, is obviously required but getting too obsessive about it can make it stressful and stop the enjoyment factor.

 

H

[MattH]

Riding to the start is very good preperation if you take it easy and get a good night in bed. Just do 100k a day if you have time and it'll keep your legs turning while giving you a good rest and help you catch up on your sleep at the same time. Rushing around in cars and aeroplanes can be stressfull.

It also means you are far less likely to forget something important (like the afore-mentioned cycling shoes, or favourite sunglasses).

I now have a checklist put together on the computer, featuring everything I ever take. I print it out and check stuff off before I go (obviously omitting items that aren't needed, like changes of clothes for a 200).

[LEE]

Sounds like a good plan Andy.  It's easy to get drawn into an endless world of "what ifs?" and "What's the best?".

I decided how I was going to do it yesterday as well.

My hotel is booked, my ferry is booked.  I know what qualifiers I'll be riding and I know they are all do-able.  I know what bike I'll be using and I know where the start line is.  I plan to turn up at the start line and take it from there.

After that it's all unknown so my plan is to keep pedalling, eating, drinking & sleeping, in the order that feels best at that precise moment, until I (hopefully) cross the finish line.  

[Bairn Again]

Spend as much of the start day as possible lazing around.   

Try not to waste time and energy fretting over trivia / checking your bike/luggage for the zillionth time (there's more bike maintenance capability on the event that most of us have at our disposal normally anyway).   

Dont feel obliged to attend the official pre event meal. 

[Nonsteeler]

K&SW 600 is likely to be harder than PBP unless the weather gods smile on you, and probably also if they do.

You're kidding me. As IanH pointed out, this is the key to MV's statement:

I don't think he's planning to ride it on fixed.

You will spend more than double the time on your bike compared to K&SW. While K&SW clearly is hillier than PBP you have double the time to develop aches and also your chances double that something else might go wrong (I am thinking here of the bike but feel free to explore other options).

But anyway, K&SW is a nice ride, make sure to enjoy it. Don't know about PBP, never done that...

[Paul D]

I'll second/third/whatever the statement that many hilly British 600s are tougher than a gently rolling French 1200.

I'll do PBP twice round and still be fresher than once round the Hellfire 600 - the first ride in 4 years that had me descending stairs gingerly next day.

Andy, the plan's a goodun. Beat the K&SW 600 and PBP will hold nothing to worry about that a bit of cream won't solve.

[PloddinPedro]

Please stop it with the"K&SW is harder than PBP" chat - I've entered it and you're scaring me. Bloody PayPal entry option!

[Greenbank]

K&SW is my qualifier. HTFU or go home (at least I'll have gears...)

My biggest fear is not the gratuitous hills but the lure of bailing at the in-laws (~350km) and parents (~550km).

[Paul D]

Please stop it with the"K&SW is harder than PBP" chat - I've entered it and you're scaring me. Bloody PayPal entry option!

It's all true; only the facts have been changed.

[mmmmartin]

in truth, until I've got the 600 ticked off, I'm not really thinking about the specifics of PBP

My approach too. I'm hoping trying to qualify will be fun enough. And if I don't qualify, well I can just go along and watch PBP without all that sleep deprivation, pain, soreness, aching legs, headaches etc etc. Much more fun, I suspect.

[AndyH]

Please stop it with the"K&SW is harder than PBP" chat - I've entered it and you're scaring me. Bloody PayPal entry option!

Maybe we can plod round it together. TBH it scares me a bit, which is why I'm doing Ian's Valley of the Rocks 200 3 times this year, 2 perms & the calendar event. That has 3900m of climbing in 200K.

[scampi]

If you were happy doing the VotR during our recent icy December just gone then I don't think you'll have any problems doing either the Kernow or the PBP

[PloddinPedro]

Please stop it with the"K&SW is harder than PBP" chat - I've entered it and you're scaring me. Bloody PayPal entry option!

Maybe we can plod round it together. TBH it scares me a bit, which is why I'm doing Ian's Valley of the Rocks 200 3 times this year, 2 perms & the calendar event. That has 3900m of climbing in 200K.

I'll meet you at the tail end of the field then!