PBP - meeting the Baxter bus - can I rely on finding it?

[roddo]

hi folks

i am doing the 84hr and booked on the bxter bus.  They say they r having 2 buses, Fougeres and Carhaix.

Can we rely on finiding the bus and subsequent clean clothes/supplies or not?

I carry a carradura 6 ltr saddlebag so it only fits so much.  - tools, wet weather gear, leggings, etc, but not aa change of kit.

if there is a chance i will not see my supplies, i would put on my avenir 10l handlebar bag and be self sufficient for entire journey.

any experiences from 2007?

[Redlight]

IN 2003 the bus was easy to find at Carhaix, which is a relatively small town, but some distance from the control at Fougeres.  If I recall they put up a little sign but it still took a bit of finding. I think you should be OK though; even Fougeres is not that big and the buses are brightly coloured1

[vorsprung]

I did Baxters bus last time.  It was available with bag drop I think 4 times and I found it 3 times.  The bus driver doesn't like you leaning your bike on the bus

[red marley]

I found the buses two out of three times in 2007. It took a bit of wandering around on the two occasions when I really needed it, but perhaps only 5-10 minutes or so at most.

Personally, I plan to carry enough with me so that I could get around without the bag drop if I really had to, but am relying on it for comfort stuff (spare clothes, munchies etc.).

[Justin(e)]

I was looking for another bus at Loudeac last time.  Even though I had clear instructions, it was difficult to find.

Don' t under estimate how tired you will be when you get there and your thinking processes may not be 100%.  There are a lot of buses all trying to get close to the control for their riders, so there will inevitably be some adjustments to the final location.  Finding the location of a bus that looks the same as every other bus in a foreign language in a sleep deprived state was challenging.

Be prepared for a search in a slightly muddled state.  Have a back up plan, then another one.

However, the reassurance when you get the change of clothes from a smiling face is really encouraging.

----

Slightly off topic.  When I came back to Loudeac, I stopped in a shop to buy some energy bars because I was really flagging.  A very nice girl served me, but then I got a bit annoyed when I did not get my change.  After waiting for a bit, I decided to complain.  In broken French I stated my case - she simply pointed to my hand where the money had been all along.  I apologised profusely, but she seemed to understand.  Everybody I met was really supportive.

[red marley]

Slightly off topic.  When I came back to Loudeac, I stopped in a shop to buy some energy bars because I was really flagging.  A very nice girl served me, but then I got a bit annoyed when I did not get my change.  After waiting for a bit, I decided to complain.  In broken French I stated my case - she simply pointed to my hand where the money had been all along.  I apologised profusely, but she seemed to understand.  Everybody I met was really supportive.

[Tom Cruise]Show me la monnaie![/Tom Cruise]

[red marley]

Unless of course, it was surrounded by, I don't know, say, 50 or so other busses equally big and difficult to miss.

[Redlight]

alternatively, you just ask anyone that you encounter, in your best Franglais, ou est le bus avec le conduire tres miserable et le / la courier qui ne pas interessment de votre problem?  Or words to that effect.

I'm going with Baxters mainly because I didn't sort out accommodation and travel early enough to get something decent but I'm not expecting much in the way of en-route service. The problem I found when I went with them last time was that most of their staff were mainly volunteers, mates and relatives of Graham B, etc.  They were not getting paid so we were very much at the mercy of whether they could be bothered to help.  In 03 I found that they generally couldn't give a monkeys, to the extent that on the way out I  used the bus at Fougeres to change my kit (on one of seats because the driver wouldn't open the toilet) and attempted a couple of hours' sleep at Carhaix but couldn't get warm because the driver wouldn't close the doors, but I didn't even bother checking in on the way back. The final straw was when I was back at the hotel and I encountered one of Graham's pals emptying the coach latrine immediately in front of the door we all had to go through to collect our bags and dismantle the bikes.

Since then Sporting Tours has been  taken over and I had an encouraging call with the new MD, who seems keen to shake off the "enthusiastic amateurs" style, so it will be interesting to see how it goes this time around.

[Redlight]

Perhaps I have been a little harsh and I do understand how difficult it can be.  I have travelled with other companies thought (e.g. for the Etape) and found the quality of support much higher. But, as Andy says, we should at least be happy that someone is willing to put on coaches etc for an event that's held only every four years.   Let's hope everything goes smoothly this time around  .

Who's up for a leisurely ride out to, say, Dreux, on the Friday?

[Pete Mas]

I agree there were problems with Baxters last time, but on my bus Mike was very helpful, offering all sorts of good advice to new PBP riders, and also organising a whip round so that he could provide food on the coach for the riders.

[roddo]

many thanks for the experienced words - it all is interesting indeed. 

the handlebar bag is just too big and is giving me lighting mount issues off of the front brake.

i have reorganised my kit and can just fit a spare pair of bib shorts in the carradurra saddlebag.

i will be having two bags for the 2 buses, and probably put changes of clothes, food and, by the sounds of it, a blanket/sleeping bag liner in each.

i am up for a friday ride - i guess we will talk on the bus.

also - the bus will wait for the 84 hour riders, wont it?  it seems, in theory, we will/may be the last on the road

[vorsprung]

also - the bus will wait for the 84 hour riders, wont it?  it seems, in theory, we will/may be the last on the road

The itinerary is on the website and looks pretty similar to last time

Everyone is finished by the Thursday evening and there is a "special" meal at the hotel.  I think you go the next day.

Last time one of the more difficult things to do was packing up my bike after the meal before starting on the wine