Is It Contradictory To Be Inspired By PBP But Still Not Want To Actually Ride It?

[drgannet]

And yet, there's something about the seeming chaos, the endless queues, the horror stories I hear from fellow AUKs, and the sheer volume of PBP riders that puts me off the idea of actually riding PBP.

I've just completed my first PBP. It was the first time taking part in a ride with that number of riders and that aspect was really positive; riding in multinational groups was a real highlight, but you could also chose to ride alone with the knowledge there were riders never more than a few hundred metres away. Will I ride it again? Probably not (done the route, and in superb weather), but we'll see in 4 years.

Don't be put off by the horror stories. People inevitably report the hero stories of squeezing inside the time limit as a result of arious circumstances (and chapeau to them), or horrors people had to endure, but these are by far the minority. There were about 500 (?) AUKs entered this, and how many horror stories do you read - a few %? Overall my experience was fantastic, and I really enjoyed it.

I didn't experience any queues for stamps (full value 90 hour rider), and after the first day ate elsewhere than controls because you are in one of the best countries in the world for food (and you also have access to their toilet facilities)! The other things that really make PBP differernt to riding in the UK are the people and the motorists.

I am with fboab on the LEL thing. I'm happy to volunteer, but I can't see me riding it; there are other places I would prefer to ride my bike.

[Phil W]

There were so many cafes, bars, and pop up tents open, you could easily eat without queuing outside of the controls. You could get a hog roast bap, fries, and a beer for €2.40 , a bargain.  Due to mild heat stroke on Monday I decided to sleep mid to late afternoon at Loudeac. The Dorm had 4 of us in it, and I choose a bed well away from anyone. I was out like a light for 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I then left at sunset, in cooler temps,  to ride through to sunrise at Brest. Carthaix was Zombie zone but I just stopped for food, and a brief catnap. The next section had long sections of solo riding as very few out after midnight on this section. I was now ahead of bulge. I no longer encountered any queues at the controls.

On th way back I danced to an accordion player, drank beer, and mixed wih the  many pop ups in he villages.

A wholly positive experience in the 90hr group.

[Aunt Maud]

I never had any problems and I don't have anything negative to say about PBP, The French, the volunteers at the controls, or ACP's organisation of the event and I'm surprised by some of the comments on this thread.

If you're not prepared for something like it, it's best to stay away.

[alwyn]

I have nothing negative to say about PBP either. It's an amazing event and I'm gobsmacked such a small club can pull of such an incredible event.

The route is incredible. It is truly mindbending. The remorseless hills combined with the sleep deprivation take you to places in your head you never realised existed. To talk about the scenery misses the point, it's all about the terrain.

The French love you. They spend days feeding you and watering you. They drive like loons but they are never aggressive towards you. Allez, Allez, you are monarch of the road for four days,

The controls do a good job of feeding you school dinners. Just like LEL. But the hospitality at Sizun makes it a party town. The endless cafes are full of locals who WANT to learn English because despite the stereotypes the French are as welcoming and curious about the world as any other nation.

Although I run LEL I realise all too well LEL could only ever be a pale simulacrum of PBP. That's why I'm taking LEL as far away from PBP as I can. You absolutely have to try PBP at least once. It's the ride to do. After that, try LEL. I'm happy we've made LEL the second greatest randonnée in the world. But it will never match the bonkers lunacy that is PBP.

[alwyn]

There were so many cafes, bars, and pop up tents open, you could easily eat without queuing outside of the controls. You could get a hog roast bap, fries, and a beer for €2.40 , a bargain.  Due to mild heat stroke on Monday I decided to sleep mid to late afternoon at Loudeac. The Dorm had 4 of us in it, and I choose a bed well away from anyone. I was out like a light for 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I then left at sunset, in cooler temps,  to ride through to sunrise at Brest. Carthaix was Zombie zone but I just stopped for food, and a brief catnap. The next section had long sections of solo riding as very few out after midnight on this section. I was now ahead of bulge. I no longer encountered any queues at the controls.

On th way back I danced to an accordion player, drank beer, and mixed wih the  many pop ups in he villages.

A wholly positive experience in the 90hr group.

You just won't get this on LEL. And this is why PBP is so special.

BTW the LEL team love PBP. We've all ridden it at least once. The PBP team love LEL too. They all take part. We have learned so much from PBP about how to run a great event, and (without sounding arrogant) they've learned from us too. No need to decide which is better; they both add to the goodness that is audaxing.

[Andrew]

I'm surprised by some of the comments on this thread.

With an event the size of PBP, there are bound to be some things that go wrong. So it only stands to reason that some participants may be on the receiving end of that and consequently form a negative impression . And that's before you factor in people's different expectations.

Fortunately, all went well for the vast majority of riders and so one can somewhat contextualise but that doesn't mean that people didn't have bad experiences. It doesn't surprise me at all.

[alwyn]

With any event like this you only get one chance to get it right. It's not even as if the people who run PBP are off running similar events in the interim.

I work with someone whose family own a house in the grounds of the refreshment stop at St Nicholas Du Pelem. This was great in 2011 as I had my own bedroom en route. I watched the horror show that was the stop on the way out, how they managed to pull things around on the way back, and their thoughts on it all after the event.

My colleague described it as a very steep learning curve for them. It wasn't that they got things wrong as such, but more that things happened that it never occurred to them would happen. They had no idea how quickly wet grass turns to mud, and the effect that would have on the rest of the control. They had no idea how cranky stressed audaxers could be. They misjudged what food people would eat. It wasn't down to them being less-prepared or dumb or not caring, they were simply inexperienced and they had scant opportunity to put things right on the night. But I know that afterwards they were kicking themselves over what went wrong and they were determined to get it right next time. Unlike LEL, PBP controls are community-run. These communities take great pride in showcasing their town and its hospitality. I wasn't there this year, but I bet it ran a whole lot better.

[postrestant]

I had one 'you've got to be kidding' moment. My first look at accommodation in Loudeac. The camp beds were fine (if in a hot warehouse size building with transparent sheeting in the roof). But the toilets were some way outside, in the yard, and weren't flushing -- being hosed clean after every use; and you were then washing and brushing teeth etc with everyone else. Then there was the pumping music and frenetic atmosphere; fun, but if you're wanting a bit of quiet ... I decided to press on to the next stop, and got a refund of my 4 euros. But even then I was really impressed with just how nice all the volunteers were; how they were willing to bear with my bad French; and in retrospect I don't feel badly used at all. It is what it is; some people would have really liked the music and the bustle -- I might have, earlier in the day. And the logistics must be very tricky. If you don't have an appropriately designed set of buildings you're not going to build some for an audax event. And the demand on cubicles is going to be higher than for any other sport? (Arse-cream etc? Not that everyone felt they needed a cubicle to change their bibs ...) My one 'good idea' would be to make sure there was a nail / hook on the back of every cubicle door. But overall I thought this was pretty fabulously organised from registration onwards. If not as near perfect on the days as the BCM ...

[Aunt Maud]

I'm surprised by some of the comments on this thread.

With an event the size of PBP, there are bound to be some things that go wrong. So it only stands to reason that some participants may be on the receiving end of that and consequently form a negative impression . And that's before you factor in people's different expectations.

Fortunately, all went well for the vast majority of riders and so one can somewhat contextualise but that doesn't mean that people didn't have bad experiences. It doesn't surprise me at all.

Some of the comments that surprise me come from experienced randonneurs and are people who I thought would be able to take any small inconvenience that they encountered on this ride easily in their stride.

The ACP and the volunteers are not there to hold peoples hands when they have a minor wobble or feel a bit delicate, they are there to get thousands of people to the start line, through the controls and to the end with the minimum of fuss. Some of the volunteers had been at the event and working hard for over a week, for free. They gave up a week of their time so that we could ride our bikes to Brest and back and be looked after to a reasonable standard, which they did. They don't deserve to be openly criticised.

I saw a guy have a heart attack and collapse next to me at the dinner table and a lady volunteer spotted him across the mayhem, dropped what she was doing and instantly administer first aid, she had been up all day and all night, but she was there when he needed her and so were the medics. Luckily he survived.

Surely we're big boys and girls and are old enough to look after ourselves, but my experience at PBP and volunteering at the bike check made me think twice about that.

I stood in a tent and checked hundreds of bikes from 07:30am to 8:00pm on Saturday. The majority of the bikes were ok and these were easily spotted when they were pushed in, so they went out of the door as quick as possible. Surprisingly though, I had bikes presented to me that didn't have working brakes, working lights or had aero bars fitted.

One of these belonged to a long term AUK and I had to stand there and quickly fix their dynamo lighting with them, just to get them out of the door, so I could check the next bike in the queue.

Now you wouldn't expect that people who had ridden a full SR series that season and probably the season before as well, to turn up at a major event and present a non working bike for inspection, would you ?

[DCLane]

Given that this was organised by volunteers, many of whom did incredibly long hours for nothing, I was impressed by their dedication.

Could some things have been done better? Yes. But in reality that is the nature of these events.

I felt it was well organised, stocked and run - particularly given the number of people going through.

[Bairdy]

I suspect the controls are relatively autonomous of the overall organisation. I think that's why you see a variety of ways of doing things. Pretty confusing for the non French speaking, sleep deprived cyclist.

You've hit the nail on the head there.
I was in the 90hr bulge and I'm not a fast cyclist so I struggled watching the time buffer I was working hard to keep, often getting broadsided by very nice well meaning volunteers.
At one control it took me an awfully long time to get a bed in a dorm which turned out to have quite a few free beds.
I didn't get my wake up call and as I hurriedly tried to leave I had a volunteer physically stop me, hand on my chest and point me back towards the darkness of the dorm!?
I didn't know what the hell he wanted from me.
I pushed passed him and escaped and only later realised that he wanted the piece of cardboard with a number on it that was placed next to my bed when I was taken to it.

[mmmmartin]

a glance at
http://www.paris-brest-pariscontrolefougeres.com/
would suggest that the Fougeres control, for instance, has its own way of doing things. One would assume so do the other controls.
For how else would such a big event be organised?

Incidentally, I suggested I'd like to volunteer next time at Fougeres. I handed over my email address at the Fougeres control to Giles, the former teacher of English at the school used for the control. I have also emailed the Fougeres audax club. Let's see what happens.

[jefmcg]

I really did expect to see Michael Sheene walking through the complex with Marlon Brando's severed head.

Martin Sheen


not Michael Sheen

(just saying)

[JonBuoy]

I had all the time in the world for the volunteers - they were trying their best and, from what I could see, were doing a great job.  OK - some things could have been better but it is difficult.  What isn't difficult is for the riders to not discard gel wrappers, not make the showers back at SQY look like a war zone etc etc.  That was the part of this great event that really hacked me off.

[Drone]

To respond to the OP it isn't contradictory. It is fine to be inspired by the efforts of others.

Comparing LEL with PBP is like comparing apples and oranges. PBP has atmosphere, village parties, impromptu food stalls, generally good road surfaces, little traffic, a rolling route, considerate drivers and this year very few queues. LEL is a long distance challenge in a country with crap road surfaces, inconsiderate drivers, a population with little interest in cycling, some stunning scenery linked by miles of tedious country and extremely efficient central organisation.

These comments come from the perspective of someone who has completed two LELs but will return again and again for PBP. It all depends on what you are looking for in a ride.

[Hummers]

Is It Contradictory To Be Inspired By PBP But Still Not Want To Actually Ride It?

No, of course it isn't.

Perhaps it is worth bearing in mind that for many PBP is the culmination of around a 7-9 month bulid up where you don't just have to qualiify wiith an SR series but also have to remain fit enough to complete PBP within the time limit. This takes time and energy that not everyone can afford.

H

[Exit Stage Left]

Life's full of contradictions, get used to it.

[jamesld8]

Huge mountain ranges are, to me inspirational , as are the endeavours of those who undertake extreme climbing feats to ascend them. The Dolomites limestone towers and soaring ice bound pinnacles of Paraguay likewise inspirational.

I don`t therefore have to climb them, I limit myself to the `lesser` mountains in full knowledge that I do not have ability, nor wish, to climb the bigger ranges.

[madcow]

Given that this was organised by volunteers, many of whom did incredibly long hours for nothing, I was impressed by their dedication.

Could some things have been done better? Yes. But in reality that is the nature of these events.

I felt it was well organised, stocked and run - particularly given the number of people going through.

Brits will always have a moan about something. If I have highlighted a niggle ,it won't be affecting just me.
For instance , everyone is affected by the sleep and shower arrangements and with a little more thought riders could be bedded down quicker , getting them off the road and out of the volunteers way.
I didn't need a blanket at Tintineac , but was denied a sleep spot by someone who thought that I did.
This is not a criticism of the volunteers , as the organisers should tell them that what is important is that if a rider wishes to sleep, then do everything possible to make that happen.

I wouldn't have come back for a second go if I thought it was a crap event.
 France is a cycling country, they get it, the roadside spectators and food stalls show that the locals get it as well and want to be part of it and help those "mad men of the night". The low levels of traffic make the ride much easier than in the U.K.
Riding PBP is such a buzz that for the second time ,I couldn't stop myself going for a decent time , even though it cost me a few hours sleep and  the pleasure of the daylight arrival at the velodrome.

If anyone asked me if PBP is worth doing, my reply would be an emphatic yes. If they asked me if they would enjoy PBP then that is something entirely different.

[alotronic]

As someone who just failed it - half way and out - and who is at the bottom end of being a 'proper' Audaxer (ie eats 1000km and up for lunch) I have to say that it was a great experience. It's a lot harder than many people will lead you to believe and that is as much about the number of people than the (more challenging than you expect) terrain.

Is it for everyone? No. It's quite mad. There are challenges at all levels (food, language, sleeping, timing). If 'frenchness' gets to you it will drive you nuts. You spend a lot of time hanging around waiting at the beginning. The controls can be confusing. If can be quite impersonal when you are out of the road.

The rewards are considerable. Free coffee beside the road at 4am? People clapping you as you pass through villages the middle of nowhere? You're not getting that on your local 200... The volunteers are incredible really, made me think that I need to do a bit more myself. If there is inspiration to be found for me it was more in the volunteers and general good cheer from them in difficult situations than in me doing the ride itself.

So yes, it is a tick in a box, but it is a unique cycling experience that I am glad I have had half of!

I have also been a bit humbled, almost always a good thing in my experience 

[Andrew]

The enjoy/recommend distinction is not one I'd thought of. I like it.

I'm not sure I enjoyed my PBP,  it was far too varied too be summed up as enjoyment. I'm pretty sure everyone feels that way; good times and bad times. I'm not sure one outweighs the other either. How does one compare the intangible emotions induced by that vague sense of community one feels with the snorey, farty body sleeping just a little too close to you?

Enjoy? In a perverse sense, yes, I guess. Recommend? To some, unquestionably. It's up there as a valued life experience.

[Liamo]

I'm a newly completed first timer and had a positive experience of the organisation. Contrary to expectations,it was possbile to quickly get a stamp and bounce controls. I largely avoided feeding at the controls, because as a non-meat eater, there was much more variety away from them.

But what made it such an experience were the generosity of locals offering food, drink and support. There were people standing at the road-side cheering, literally, at all hours of the day and night. Some villages had made an effort to decorate themselves for the ride, othere had put up marquees and so on.

Especially poignant for me were the older generation, often alone, just standing outside their homes - watching an event I liked to imagine them having watched all their lives.

 I don't think you'll get those experiences on any other ride in the world.

[LEE]

To the original question: No, of course not.  I'm inspired by plenty of things I have no wish, or ability, to do.

As for the horror stories, well some of the controls are just awful. Loudeac has a look of Colditz about it (but I suspect the dormitories in Colditz were warmer).

Several of the controls operate different systems, with the stuff you need arranged in a manner to confuse the weary cyclist.

However, having said all that, I wouldn't change a thing.  This isn't one of those package-tour cycling events, with a warm bath waiting at the end of a day.  This is a tough event, where you can end up properly smelly and cold.  When you've done PBP you really know about it.

Chances are, that if the controls were any nicer, everyone would just remain in one for the duration.  Loudeac is perfectly designed to make you try and leave ASAP.

As for the event as a whole, well there is a wonderul buzz that builds up around the bars in Guyancourt.  It starts on Friday and builds to a high on Saturday night as al the nationalities arrive and try to find a place.  That's what I'll miss most, that whole sense of excitement before the off.

I'm lucky enough to have been part of 2 PBPs.  My record is 50/50. It's not something I would travel half way around the world to take part in (as many do) but I can cycle to it so it seemed the logical thing to do, enter the Blue Riband event of my chosen sport.  It's rare to be able to do that in most sports.

[DCLane]

Enjoy? In a perverse sense, yes, I guess. Recommend? To some, unquestionably. It's up there as a valued life experience.

I'd echo both of these.

[madcow]

I can recall at least 3 occasions when I was on the receiving end of applause or encouragement from someone in a wheelchair or  with a walking stick by their side.
So I guess it is possible to be inspired by PBP , even if you have no hope of ever doing something similar.
Things like that  make you think a little bit about how lucky we all are.