PBP 2015 - Are you doing it?

[Lady P]

Having recently started hanging out with the "wrong sorts" of people, all of whom are of this parish, I appear to have gained a love of cycling and a shiny new road bike.  Rumour has it cycling's in my genes.....

Having also flown to Paris to turn up at the finish of PBP 2011 to see the "wrong sorts" of people finish, one of whom was incredibly surprised to see me there, it seems to have been suggested to me that PBP 2015 is far enough away for me to train properly and actually take part in it.

We shall see in four year's time whether or not I actually make it, but with the right encouragement, motivation and training, I'm sure I can.

So I ask all of you: if I am there, which of you will I see on the start line?

[Karla]

I think plenty of people managed to do LEL2009 with as much training as you'll get.  I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. 

As for me, I'll never say never but I probably shan't be there.  I'm glad I've done it but it was a lot of time and effort, so I'd like to devote myself to all the other rides I want to do, plus (shock horror) other things in life apart from riding a bike! 

[border-rider]

Blimey, is it time for the PBP 2015 sub-board already ? 

In the meantime

PBP - will you be back ?

[Priddy]

Blimey, is it time for the PBP 2015 sub-board already ? 

Surly if we don't start now, how will we have the time to fret about possible changes in EU laws relating to High-Viz requirements, if PBP will be hillier next time and what might happen if I don't stop drinking caffeine tomorrow in preparation for the event?

I for one will be there. There are many years available for training.

[Greenbank]

My plan:-

3 years of doing next to nothing. A 400 in 2014 to get pre-qualification and then an SR in 2015 before PBP. Sorted.

[vorsprung]

ASSUMING THAT

1) I am not in the grips of some kind of medical problem
2) I have a fully operational bike for the qualifiers
3) I have enough holiday allowed in whatever job I have then
4) I have enough $$$ sloshing around to fund this exotic holiday
5) Mrs V doesn't make me a better offer

Then yes, perhaps I will do 2015.  Bit of a long way off to be bothered with the thinkage at the moment

In 2005 I did LEL with the specific aim of preparing for PBP 2007.  I'd not done any rides over 300km before 2005

[postie]

i will be there, then at least your dad will know your in safe hands wrong sort indeed!!

[Euan Uzami]

My plan:-

3 years of doing next to nothing. A 400 in 2014 to get pre-qualification and then an SR in 2015 before PBP. Sorted.

You bother with prequalification? 

[mmmmartin]

I am well up for this sort of thing:

3 years of doing next to nothing

The trouble, I am being increasingly led into the byways of life, littered with autumn leaves, tea leaves and potholes, by El Supremo rides. I hesitate to say this is public, but I seem to be enjoying this. Some of my chums are looking at LEL, and so am I. I suppose I might have another look at PBP, when i shall be 61 and possibly not coming to London every day to look at a computer.

So I suppose the answer is: "Yes."

[LEE]

Many of these replies confirm what i think about PBP, that it's harder to get to the start line than it is to complete PBP.

4 years preparation and expectation can be scuppered by a bout of flu, a fall, a family crisis.

I feel immensely lucky that I was even able to get to the start without incident.

[Priddy]

Many of these replies confirm what i think about PBP, that it's harder to get to the start line than it is to complete PBP.

4 years preparation and expectation can be scuppered by a bout of flu, a fall, a family crisis.

I feel immensely lucky that I was even able to get to the start without incident.

True, however I had only been seriously riding Audaxes for a year before PBP (PBP was the conclusion to my first ever RRTY) and I met another chap on the event who had only been riding a bike for 18 months. As far as I am aware it is possible for more people than realise it to get to and do PBP. Of course this does not take into account external forces that could, as you say Lee, stop someone getting to the start.

[mattc]

As far as I am aware it is possible for more people than realise it to get to and do PBP.

Are you saying that I may not be in the top 5000 athletes in the entire universe?!? 

[Uncle Eric]

Doubt it. Have never done it. Had some plans mid last-year
and this spring to go for it. But it didn't pan out. Which I'm
not at all sorry for. I'm not passionate about it as the ultimate
be-all-and-end-all goal. Been there, done that as a triathlete
obsessed with qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman. Can't say I
love France (but don't dislike it either). I have no need to prove
to myself I can do it. I'm not interested to do it only to get a
medal and a jersey. Plus sleeping just some 10 hours in 3-4
nights seems quite unpleasant. So can't see why, really.

[Feline]

If my experiences are anything to go by then it is entirely possible once suitably corrupted and encouraged by this forum to do mad things like qualify for PBP in the space of a few months on a bike. If I could do it then I'm sure anyone can given enough determination.

Whether I am there in 2015 will depend on some unknown entities, similar to what others have listed above. Health is probably the biggest one. Family-wise my kids will both be adults in 2015 so unless I drop another sprog there will probably not be much to stop me giving it a second go. Also as a new member of La Société Adrian Hands http://www.adrianhandssociety.com/Adrian-Hands-Society.html I kind of feel that if I am able-bodied enough to participate then it would be simply rude not to do it 

[marcusjb]

Health and wealth permitting, I'll give it another go.

I'll do it differently - not sure how yet; go for a really fast time, relax a bit more than this year and use more of the time available, fixed, tandem, I honestly don't know.

I just know it was one of the best things I ever did in my life and I know it'll probably never be quite so much fun as the first time, but I really can't imagine not doing it.

[mattc]

I'm guessing you didn't see Arabella on any of her qualifiers ...

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Several people got new bikes just before PBP11. Perhaps someone should aim at PBP15 using a different bike for each qualifier and the event itself.

[Euan Uzami]

Whether to do PBP again in 2015 is not a difficult decision, I'll definitely be aiming to do it again. Whether to do LEL in 2013 however is much more of a difficult decision - up until a while ago I thought 'no way', but recently I've started considering it. I know it hasn't got a lot of the good things that PBP has got, such as crowd enthusiasm, but it has got a lot of good things going for it - so I just don't know.

I don't subscribe to the "can't possibly ever be as much fun again [so therefore don't do it again]" school of thought, nor do I see the need to do it differently for a change to keep it interesting. Nothing against those that do, mind. But if it's exactly the same in 2015 for me as it was in 2011 then I'll be very pleased, and for me, I'll endeavour to try and make it so
The only thing I might do differently is get the train there and possibly ride part of the way rather than drive, but other than that, I'll keep everything the same.

[Panoramix]

Many of these replies confirm what i think about PBP, that it's harder to get to the start line than it is to complete PBP.

Yep!

 

[mattc]

Many of these replies confirm what i think about PBP, that it's harder to get to the start line than it is to complete PBP.

A counter-theory:
Once you've qualified and entered, your determination/preparation goes up a notch. (consider how many people didn't decide to enter until after their 400).

e.g. many people had completely new transmissions/tyres/bar-tape/blocks on their PBP bikes - I doubt they they did all that in March as well.

It's just a theory, mind ...

[Karla]

I rode my first two qualifiers on an alu bike, my second two on a steel bike and PBP itself on a carbon bike.  Is that good enough for you?

[Andrew]

No. Box ticked. So many rides, so little time.

[Tinez]

maybe.

If I do it'll either be to do it faster or to ride it in a more organised group.

[Greenbank]

I rode my first two qualifiers on an alu bike, my second two on a steel bike and PBP itself on a carbon bike.  Is that good enough for you?

I rode my first three qualifiers on a steel bike. My fourth on a carbon fibre bike. The original steel bike was stolen in June so I ended up roding PBP on a steel bike I picked up from the shop the week before PBP, only managing to put ~80km on it before the start of PBP.

[Greenbank]

What, like doing a 600 on gears and PBP on fixed?