Author Topic: PBP Registration website  (Read 86931 times)

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #425 on: 12 February, 2019, 01:52:11 pm »
Two year-two SRs qualification requirement for 2023?

I hope not.  I think the current system is fair.  Audax isn't the only long-distance riding any more, and those of us whose annual riding calendar would normally feature ultra-racing or bikepacking brevets currently only have to find one weekend for a long BRM during the preceding year.  It's pretty easy to do that (and I know in 2022 to make that a 1000km if I want a free choice of start waves).  An SR series may only be four weekends but, because one is in Jan/Feb, one in Feb/Mar, one in Mar/Apr, and one in Apr/May, it makes it very difficult to fit in when you consider an ultra or long brevet might take you out for three weeks or more.  This year I'm mostly forsaking the sort of event I would normally do in order to concentrate on the SR and PBP.  If I had to take two years out I probably wouldn't.

Whether you think two successive SR years would be a good or bad thing depends, I suppose then, on whether you think PBP should really be just for audaxers or whether you think it should welcome all types of long distance cyclist.  I can see there could be arguments either way.  As it is, I feel welcomed.

I tend to agree. I've done the last 3 PBP along with LEL and some 1000s so I'm committed to Audax. Last year I concentrated on Ironman triathlons and there were no 600s that fitted into the calendar so a 400 was all I could make. There were at least 2 600s I've done before missing from last years calendar.   
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” ― Albert Einstein

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #426 on: 12 February, 2019, 02:50:33 pm »

I hope not.  I think the current system is fair.  Audax isn't the only long-distance riding any more, and those of us whose annual riding calendar would normally feature ultra-racing or bikepacking brevets currently only have to find one weekend for a long BRM during the preceding year.  It's pretty easy to do that (and I know in 2022 to make that a 1000km if I want a free choice of start waves).  The qualifying SR series may only be four weekends but, because one is in Jan/Feb, one in Mar/Apr, one in Apr/May, and one in May/Jun, it makes it very difficult to fit in when you consider an ultra or long brevet might take you out for three weeks or more.  This year I'm mostly forsaking the sort of event I would normally do in order to concentrate on the SR and PBP.  If I had to take two years out I probably wouldn't.

Whether you think two successive SR years would be a good or bad thing depends, I suppose then, on whether you think PBP should really be just for audaxers or whether you think it should welcome all types of long distance cyclist.  I can see there could be arguments either way.  As it is, I feel welcomed.

That's the thing, time commitment. A 600, you can do in a weekend. A 1000 requires effectively 4 days. Plus recovery time.

If the requirements to get into PBP get any harder, it's gonna mess up the calendar in more than just the PBP year. If you're aiming for a RRtY, there is a shortage of 200's in April, through June, as everything is targeted at PBP. I can see 2022 having multiple 1000km BRMs on the calendar, which will take the place of the shorter rides.

The only redeaming feature of this is that in 2022 more events will be done as BRM rather than BR.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

simonp

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #427 on: 12 February, 2019, 02:54:12 pm »
Why is the 200k qualifier in Jan/Feb?

Audax uk website has the final 200k qualifier on 27th April.

Window for 200s is: 200km: Saturday 12th January - Sunday 28th April

It should be possible to ride all qualifiers betwen late April and late May.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #428 on: 12 February, 2019, 02:58:51 pm »
Why is the 200k qualifier in Jan/Feb?

Audax uk website has the final 200k qualifier on 27th April.

Window for 200s is: 200km: Saturday 12th January - Sunday 28th April

It should be possible to ride all qualifiers betwen late April and late May.

Because noone organises them then. So that there are multiple options for each distance you end up with march being all 300's, 300 & 400 in April, 400 & 600 in may, just 600 in June.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Phil W

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #429 on: 12 February, 2019, 03:45:46 pm »
Why is the 200k qualifier in Jan/Feb?

Audax uk website has the final 200k qualifier on 27th April.

Window for 200s is: 200km: Saturday 12th January - Sunday 28th April

It should be possible to ride all qualifiers betwen late April and late May.

Because noone organises them then. So that there are multiple options for each distance you end up with march being all 300's, 300 & 400 in April, 400 & 600 in may, just 600 in June.

J

Shame they don't where you are, because we have PBP 200 qualifiers running right through March / April in the UK.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #430 on: 12 February, 2019, 03:51:37 pm »

Shame they don't where you are, because we have PBP 200 qualifiers running right through March / April in the UK.

But fewer of them, and many aren't easily accessible from the other end of the country. Let's face it, if you live in Kent, it's easier (and often cheaper) to get to an Audax in Belgium or The Netherlands, than say the north of the UK.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

whosatthewheel

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #431 on: 12 February, 2019, 03:56:34 pm »

But fewer of them, and many aren't easily accessible from the other end of the country. Let's face it, if you live in Kent, it's easier (and often cheaper) to get to an Audax in Belgium or The Netherlands, than say the north of the UK.

J

Is it?  ::-)

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #432 on: 12 February, 2019, 03:57:08 pm »
Two year-two SRs qualification requirement for 2023?
This may happen by default anyway if more people think they'll need a 1,000 to guarantee getting in and/or preferred start time. If a 400 turns out to be the minimum distance for everyone who wants to do PBP to get in this year, it could be 600 for 2023 (if audax continues it's upward trajectory).

Phil W

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #433 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:00:52 pm »

Shame they don't where you are, because we have PBP 200 qualifiers running right through March / April in the UK.

But fewer of them, and many aren't easily accessible from the other end of the country. Let's face it, if you live in Kent, it's easier (and often cheaper) to get to an Audax in Belgium or The Netherlands, than say the north of the UK.

J

There are 35 of them and all over the country, many in the south. How many do you need? If you want Kent specifically there is one end of March.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #434 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:06:00 pm »

But fewer of them, and many aren't easily accessible from the other end of the country. Let's face it, if you live in Kent, it's easier (and often cheaper) to get to an Audax in Belgium or The Netherlands, than say the north of the UK.

J

Is it?  ::-)

London to Brussels is under 2 hours, there are Belgian rides from around Brussels.

London to Amsterdam is just over 4 hours. There are events starting from within the city, or get off at Rotterdam, and do the Maasland rides...

The continent is surprisingly close you know...

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #435 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:11:17 pm »
London to Brussels is under 2 hours, there are Belgian rides from around Brussels.

London to Amsterdam is just over 4 hours. There are events starting from within the city, or get off at Rotterdam, and do the Maasland rides...

The continent is surprisingly close you know...

Now add several more hours of arriving early and padding afterwards if you want to take a (non-Brompton) bike with you.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #436 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:12:29 pm »
London to Brussels is under 2 hours, there are Belgian rides from around Brussels.

London to Amsterdam is just over 4 hours. There are events starting from within the city, or get off at Rotterdam, and do the Maasland rides...

The continent is surprisingly close you know...

Now add several more hours of arriving early and padding afterwards if you want to take a (non-Brompton) bike with you.

Fair point.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

whosatthewheel

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #437 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:17:39 pm »


London to Brussels is under 2 hours, there are Belgian rides from around Brussels.



How? You can't just load a bike on a Eurostar and hope to find it at the other end

By car, I have done London to Oudenaarde several times, rarely in less than 5-6 hours

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #438 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:27:17 pm »


London to Brussels is under 2 hours, there are Belgian rides from around Brussels.



How? You can't just load a bike on a Eurostar and hope to find it at the other end

By car, I have done London to Oudenaarde several times, rarely in less than 5-6 hours

I'm used to taking my Brompton on the Eurostar, I forget they are bastards about other bikes.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

SPB

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #439 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:28:51 pm »
Two year-two SRs qualification requirement for 2023?
This may happen by default anyway if more people think they'll need a 1,000 to guarantee getting in and/or preferred start time. If a 400 turns out to be the minimum distance for everyone who wants to do PBP to get in this year, it could be 600 for 2023 (if audax continues it's upward trajectory).

The point I made after was that currently you can just do the one, not the whole series.  A single BRM, even one that's 1,000km, is a lot easier to schedule than a full SR for those actively participating in other forms of long-distance cycling competition.  Until we get to the stage where more than 6,000 would-be entrants have 1,000km pre-qualifiers, I see no advantage to making people do more than one pre-qualifier, unless you want to actively exclude entrants from other branches of the sport.

bairn again

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #440 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:34:52 pm »
There are 1,012 places left.

From an organisers point of view I reckon that's just about perfect ie of the 5 different priority levels, riders in 1-3 have all been guaranteed a place.  That suggests to me that this is a successful approach to be used again, rather than making the qualification requirements even more onerous.  Though ACP might like the idea of all that lovely money.   

Having to do yet more BRM events would put me off as most of my rides are DIY events. 

Id also think twice about putting another 1000km event on in the year before the next PBP as it runs the risk of attracting the wrong sort.   


 



SPB

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #441 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:40:06 pm »
I guess that makes me the "wrong sort".

Well I did acknowledge before that some audaxers will welcome fellow long-distance cyclists, and some won't.    ;D

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #442 on: 12 February, 2019, 04:44:50 pm »
There are 1,012 places left.

From an organisers point of view I reckon that's just about perfect ie of the 5 different priority levels, riders in 1-3 have all been guaranteed a place.  That suggests to me that this is a successful approach to be used again, rather than making the qualification requirements even more onerous.  Though ACP might like the idea of all that lovely money.   

Thing is, everyone looking at 2019 will say you needed a 400 last time, so better make it a 600 in 2022 just to be sure. And people with a 600 in 2019 are going to think "eek, lots more are gonna have 600's this time, i better get a 1000" and the 1000's will think. "bugger"

Quote
Having to do yet more BRM events would put me off as most of my rides are DIY events. 

Id also think twice about putting another 1000km event on in the year before the next PBP as it runs the risk of attracting the wrong sort.   

And what are the wrong sort?

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #443 on: 12 February, 2019, 05:25:49 pm »


London to Brussels is under 2 hours, there are Belgian rides from around Brussels.



How? You can't just load a bike on a Eurostar and hope to find it at the other end

By car, I have done London to Oudenaarde several times, rarely in less than 5-6 hours

I'm used to taking my Brompton on the Eurostar, I forget they are bastards about other bikes.

J
Looking back over my strava record so find 6 hours from arriving at ghent st pieters station to departing st Pancras. I think you can get to large swathes of the UK in that time.

However train ticket from London to amsterdam at £42 beats many places in the UK for price.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

rob

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #444 on: 12 February, 2019, 09:25:52 pm »

But fewer of them, and many aren't easily accessible from the other end of the country. Let's face it, if you live in Kent, it's easier (and often cheaper) to get to an Audax in Belgium or The Netherlands, than say the north of the UK.

J

Is it?  ::-)

I live in Kent.   I can get to numerous audax events up and down the East Coast line and will be doing so this year.   Granted the Wales and South West events are a bit more of a faff so I tend not to bother.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #445 on: 12 February, 2019, 11:10:22 pm »
Quote from: BairnAgain
Having to do yet more BRM events would put me off as most of my rides are DIY events. 

Id also think twice about putting another 1000km event on in the year before the next PBP as it runs the risk of attracting the wrong sort.   

And what are the wrong sort?

J

Fifers

bairn again

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #446 on: 13 February, 2019, 01:14:51 pm »
Quote from: BairnAgain
Having to do yet more BRM events would put me off as most of my rides are DIY events. 

Id also think twice about putting another 1000km event on in the year before the next PBP as it runs the risk of attracting the wrong sort.   

And what are the wrong sort?

J

Fifers

yeah definitely Fifers, plus anybody who feels the need to ask who the wrong sort are. 

the jury is still out on VC167 members, it seems a shame to bracket them all together cos some are actually not that bad.   ;)   

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #447 on: 13 February, 2019, 01:33:16 pm »
About two thirds of places being taken are for 90 hour slots, and only about 10% for 84 hour slots.

By my reckoning there'll only be about 200 90 hour slots left by the time it opens for 300ers. There'll probably be more 84 hour slots than that left at that point.

And if you follow those trends until the 90 hour slots run out there'll still be ~111 80 hour slots and ~184 84 hour slots.

300ers in need of 90 hour slots better be fast with the mouse.

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #448 on: 13 February, 2019, 01:49:51 pm »


the jury is still out on VC167 members, it seems a shame to bracket them all together cos some are actually not that bad.   ;)

You think?

;D

Re: PBP Registration website
« Reply #449 on: 13 February, 2019, 02:43:51 pm »
Id also think twice about putting another 1000km event on in the year before the next PBP as it runs the risk of attracting the wrong sort.   

I did a 1000k in 2016 when it didn't matter for anything but fun, and couldn't be arsed with more than a 600 last year. Does that make me the right sort, or just lazy?