PBP for beginners like me....

[contango]

beginners like me....

Heh 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that

[hellymedic]

http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/p/243185/yellow-hi-vis-vest---class-2-en471-ce-hi-visibilty---st-35241.html#.VDL0Qr73820

Dirt cheap vest but high delivery charge.

[Karla]

EN standards matter not at all.  My vest wasn't compliant last time but they didn't even check, and I saw plenty more vests that I knew not to be compliant - because they were the same as my old vest which wasn't compliant either!  Seriously, all the officials want to see is that you've got something fluoro yellow (or orange, or pink ... ) with some reflective bits on it.  I believe CET when he says that his got failed, but it's the first I've ever heard of that happening - and as he says, you can just buy another one on site. 

The reflective vests thing is a complete non-issue and deserves precisely zero future posts.  What are the chances of that happening, do you reckon?

[Tewdric]

Mike, the entry procedure is baffling to all first timers and I was very lucky to have the mentorship of a multi veteran last time, and I found the ride to be very easy and enjoyable compared to,learning how to enter the bloody thing!

There are important decisions to be made about which start to choose, where to stay and how to get there. 

I'm in Wales but not actually that far from you and happy to drop across to tell you about my experience and what the options available to you are. 

With a 1000 under your belt getting in wont be an issue.  It's how to get there, where to stay and which start to choose you need to talk about.

If the social interaction and crowding stuff is likely to get in the way while you recover from your knock, it may be that a localish mentor who has done it before and is entering next year would be helpful to you.  Unfortunately my two toddlers are likely to trump PBP next year (but never say never!) so maybe an Audax Bristol ancien might put themselves forward as a mentor?

[T42]

If you use an ordinary backpack they insist that you wear the hi-viz vest over it, so you do the whole thing looking like Quasimodo.

The ride itself is lovely, great fun with all those folk around, and so many reflective arrows you don't need a GPS, just a head torch.

[Hummers]

Mikey, not sure if it has been touched on yet but you may want to think about which group you want to enter as well. I don't think any of the time limits will be a problem for you (I reckon you would be finished within 70 hours easily) but there is a discernible difference between the 90hr and 80hr start times in terms of atmosphere and experience.

In short and from my limited experience:

1) The 90 hr start is like a bigger version of every Audax you have done in the UK and whilst it is bigger, the atmosphere is very similar.

2) The 80 hr start is a tear-up, feels more competitive and there is more of an edge to getting to Brest ASAP.

It is up to you which one will suit you but both have their merits.

H

[Veloman]

Many threads already about regards PBP and things like start times.  Why I even posted something myself about some very sage advice I received regarding start time.

Regards the endless search for a gilet that is compliant, my observations:

1. The check in 2011 comprised waving a high-viz gilet as you walked through to the bike check area and no checking of compliance with whatever seemed to have mattered.

2. What you wear during PBP can be entirely different on what is checked and there is no certification procedure regards checking (eg stamp on gilet etc).  You can make your own decision/conclusion from that.

Of course, things may be different in 2015, but remember the reason for the 'check' is that it is French law to have an appropriate reflective vest when riding at night or in poor visibility.

It is also against French law to have flashing lights, but that did not seem to stop UK riders and the use of such things can easily identify a UK rider.

Plenty of time to spare regards what to do and fully support the comments about chatting to others who have completed PBP.  I believe there are quite a few in the Bristol area.

[Ian H]

Possibly not all bike checkers were equally diligent, but I certainly got my reflective vest marked - presumably so I couldn't lend it to another rider for their check.

I still have quite a few EN471 tabards in the garage if anyone wants. £4.00 posted to PBP aspirants (selling for more elsewhere).

[JamesBradbury]

If there's a Bristol-based ancien willing to pontificate about PBP, I'd like to come along and would be happy to buy a pint or two to keep the advice flowing.   

[frankly frankie]

  Seriously, all the officials want to see is that you've got something fluoro yellow (or orange, or pink ... ) with some reflective bits on it.

Yes but you've got to have RULES - so they can be ignored with an airy Gallic shrug.

[Redlight]

Without wishing to worry people, though, I have noticed that the cheap hotels around the start are filling up for the week.....

[marcusjb]

Without wishing to worry people, though, I have noticed that the cheap hotels around the start are filling up for the week.....

Many hotels won't have yet released their rooms that far ahead - the likes of Expedia/Travelocity etc. may show something as 'sold out', but it may not be.

That said, no harm in booking if you are sure you're going to be there.  We're booked up for start/finish and en-route.

[Redlight]

Agreed.  I used booking.com as it offers the option of free cancellation right up until a few days ahead and have got somewhere about 3km from the start, but I noticed that cheaper option that I had bookmarked and which still had 3 rooms earlier today had sold out by 8pm.

You're right, though, about some hotels not yet taking bookings and I'll be keeping tabs on a couple of the more desirable locations over the next few months just in case. 

[Von Broad]

I'm going crazy looking but there is too much information, and I'm overloaded and can't even remember what I read first thing this morning, so I'm after some very simle answers, please...

Forget it.

This is my simple answer:

The only thing you need to worry/concern yourself with/think about/no actually....just remember, is to complete the qualifying rides.

The more plans, the more stress, the more expectation, the boring your experience might become.

And when it comes down to it, it's like every other ride, we turn up, turn the pedals and see what manifests.
Sometimes it fits with our expectations and other times it doesn't. The key to a happy PBP experience, which differs from no other ride big or small, is to be comfortable with either outcome. Not easy mind, because we all have expectations, and nearly all of us can't abide when they don't come true. This is something I think is well worth bearing in mind.

[Wobbly]

Absolutely no need to panic about accomodation?

Yeah, right.

I just checked my preferred accomodation for PBP and .... it was BOOKED UP!!!!

In a panic I've booked another place that's still very near SQY. However I'm now having to slum it in a 4* hotel

[Von Broad]

In a panic I've booked another place that's still very near SQY. However I'm now having to slum it in a 4* hotel

Sounds intolerable

[Wobbly]

 

[jsabine]

Agreed.  I used booking.com as it offers the option of free cancellation right up until a few days ahead and have got somewhere about 3km from the start,

Good call on the free cancellation lark. I too have a room for the start, and one for the end. I'm assuming I'll be fullish value ... but in the event I'm not, I can cancel pretty much up until any expected arrival time.

[Bunker22]

Hotel Première Classe SAINT QUENTIN EN YVELINES - Elancourt : just a few km from start and the semi-flexible rate (about 40 euro) allows cancellation up to 3 days prior before penalty. (i.e. no payment in advance required).

Not 4* but clean and easy access.

[Redlight]

Hotel Première Classe SAINT QUENTIN EN YVELINES - Elancourt : just a few km from start and the semi-flexible rate (about 40 euro) allows cancellation up to 3 days prior before penalty. (i.e. no payment in advance required).

Not 4* but clean and easy access.

That's the one I tried to book yesterday.  Full, I'm afraid

[Cycling Daddy]

Impelled to book on a cancel until 15 August at Residhome Paris-Guyancourt which seems close enough. Les

[adrianfitch]

The very basic ibis budget Versailles Château Saint Cyr currently has triple rooms available. It's around 2km from the start and costs a little over £38 for Sat night and £46 for the following Thu.

[JamesBradbury]

Are these hotels all cool about bikes in the room? I could probably ring up and ask that in French, but if the answer is more complicated than "Oui" or "Non", I might come unstuck...

[marcusjb]

Are these hotels all cool about bikes in the room? I could probably ring up and ask that in French, but if the answer is more complicated than "Oui" or "Non", I might come unstuck...

Can't speak for every hotel, but most will be expecting it.

The one I was in last time had also dedicated it's conference room for bike boxes to be left during the ride. 

[rob]

I insisted I wasn't going to do all this until after Christmas was out the way, but I seem to have been dragged in.   Booked the place I stayed on the last 2 trips.   Bit further to ride to/from the start but it feels a bit more relaxed.

*EDIT* entered my qualifiers as well