Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Audax => PBP => Topic started by: Samuel D on 14 May, 2018, 02:18:25 pm

Title: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Samuel D on 14 May, 2018, 02:18:25 pm
(Clears throat in large empty hall.)

Audax is one of the murkiest worlds I have ever bumped into. I think participation would be higher if it wasn’t so obscure, bureaucratic, and shrouded in jargon and acronyms. I have absorbed superficial knowledge of many subjects by osmosis but audax completely resists passive learning.

In fact, I’m not even certain PBP is audax. Nor do I know if the word audax should be capitalised as I see if often. All I know is I have a Spa bicycle called Audax.

This is theoretical for me right now, but what concrete things would I have to accomplish to ‘qualify’ for PBP in 2019? How much would it cost in total? I live in Paris which may or may not help.

Leave aside the fitness. I have a fair idea whether that would be possible for me and what I would need to do in that regard.

Many thanks to any patient expert willing to reply.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 14 May, 2018, 02:22:55 pm
To ride PBP next year:

1. In the early months of next year (2019), enter and pay the deposit amount.  The date when you can enter varies by what you do this year, see below.
2. To then qualify for your entry, ride an SR series in the specific time-windows for your country — they must be PBP-qualifying rides, which in the UK is all those of "BRM" status.  The time-windows for the UK are given here:  http://www.aukweb.net/events/pbp/, but they're different for different national homologating bodies.
3. Finally pay the balance of the entry fee, once you've qualified.
4. Turn up the day before to register (Saturday)
5. Turn up on the day to ride (Sunday for most riders).

The longer the BRM (or international equivalent) event you ride in 2018, the earlier you can enter in 2019.  I think you get your deposit back if you fail to complete the qualification, but I'm not certain on that.

Plenty more info here:  http://www.aukweb.net/events/pbp/.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 14 May, 2018, 02:26:10 pm
Oh, and next year is PBP Randonnée — i.e. what the Brits call "audax". 

PBP Audax is a different event, run every five years, the next being 2021, I think — it's a captain-led, team event with everyone keeping together on the road, i.e. no slacking.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 14 May, 2018, 02:27:15 pm
PBP Randonneur is a randonnee ridden by randonneurs, obviously. In the UK, randonneur brevets are known as Audax and are ridden by Audaxers. In France, Audax is quite a different thing run by the UAF and their brevets do not qualify you for riding PBP Randonneur. The next PBP Audax is in 2021.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 14 May, 2018, 02:28:50 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: whosatthewheel on 14 May, 2018, 02:35:49 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.

Doesn't seem particularly good value if 200 quid don't get you any food. 6000 cyclists time 200 means over a million pound budget... one should be able to buy a few baguette with that kind of money...  ::-)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Chris N on 14 May, 2018, 02:37:10 pm
PBP brochure (an early draft) was linked here: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=107929.0  Worth a read.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mattc on 14 May, 2018, 03:26:53 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.
Quick google shows $150 (euros) for 2015. In which case that is quite a jump  (especially if still no wine!)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Greenbank on 14 May, 2018, 03:38:48 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.

Doesn't seem particularly good value if 200 quid don't get you any food. 6000 cyclists time 200 means over a million pound budget... one should be able to buy a few baguette with that kind of money...  ::-)

LEL was £330 and included food so £200 without food does not seem unreasonable.

Large events cost money to put on and don't scale directly with numbers (or event distance). Once you get past a few hundred people you run out of things that you can do cheaply (or free).
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LEE on 14 May, 2018, 03:44:55 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.

Doesn't seem particularly good value if 200 quid don't get you any food. 6000 cyclists time 200 means over a million pound budget... one should be able to buy a few baguette with that kind of money...  ::-)

Compared with any Sportive I've seen PBP is good value for money.  There is almost 400 linear miles of signage, marshalling, large venues seconded for eating/watering/sleeping and so on.
It's certainly not wildly out of line with Sportive costs.

Simply imagine you're doing almost 8 x 100 mile Sportives and it suddenly seems good value.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Aunt Maud on 14 May, 2018, 04:03:19 pm
If it's any help, 2015 PBP cost me about £360.anna few pence.

This was including cycling from London and return Eurostar, a couple of nights hotel in Plasir and all food and entry including the shirt ( which I'll wear only once, as I can't find it again).


YMMV and others may have a higher budget than mine. So for nearly a weeks worth of entertainment, it was good value for me.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: rob on 14 May, 2018, 04:17:54 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.

Doesn't seem particularly good value if 200 quid don't get you any food. 6000 cyclists time 200 means over a million pound budget... one should be able to buy a few baguette with that kind of money...  ::-)

Add up the cost of qualification/training/travel/equipment and see if you really care about 200 quid.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 14 May, 2018, 04:28:10 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.
Quick google shows $150 (euros) for 2015. In which case that is quite a jump  (especially if still no wine!)

I was going off the top of my head — my memory's not that long ... so, probably €150-200 and still no wine :)

And even without the wine, it's an extraordinary experience and well worth the entry price and travel and qualification and everything else, at least once :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LEE on 14 May, 2018, 04:52:11 pm
And even without the wine, it's an extraordinary experience and well worth the entry price and travel and qualification and everything else, at least once :thumbsup:

This mainly.  The 1200k ride itself is a mere part of the experience, which starts with a 200km qualifier and, in my case, ended with the most fantastical ride back home afterwards

I have to admit to enjoying the ride there and the ride back much more than PBP itself.  However it's provided me with memories and pub stories for a lifetime. Cheap at twice the price.

Whenever I watch this I forget the bad bits and want to do it again... https://youtu.be/ZPRxZeQTSDE (https://youtu.be/ZPRxZeQTSDE)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: T42 on 14 May, 2018, 05:03:46 pm
French BRM calendar here: http://jeanpba.homeip.net/?page=90&onglet=1

I'd add that were I still capable of qualifying I wouldn't quibble at the cost: PBP is wonderful.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: cygnet on 14 May, 2018, 05:15:13 pm
2. To then qualify for your entry, ride an SR series in the specific time-windows for your country — they must be PBP-qualifying rides, with in the UK is all those of "BRM" status

My bold. I though I could ride qualifiers in any country (e.g. Australia in November).  Is this right?
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: guidon on 14 May, 2018, 05:24:11 pm
It may be cheaper and possibly easier if you joined the FFCT or a french touring club (why not the ACP?) if you live in Paris....The schedules published in France are more time constricted - that is that there are less events over a shorter calendar period than AUK imho...

You could ride some BRM events this year to enable to pre qualify - that is able to register for entry earlier in the year which may relieve some stress and jitters!
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 14 May, 2018, 05:47:18 pm
2. To then qualify for your entry, ride an SR series in the specific time-windows for your country — they must be PBP-qualifying rides, with in the UK is all those of "BRM" status

My bold. I though I could ride qualifiers in any country (e.g. Australia in November).  Is this right?

Correct.  Any ride that is "homologated" with ACP (joined into the central ACP results table in Paris) can be used as a qualifier, because it's the homologated result that's used, rather than the local result.  Joining it back to YOU as an individual might be slightly trickier, but it has been done many times, IIRC.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 14 May, 2018, 05:48:33 pm
You can ride qualifiers in any country but the qualifying windows differ between countries. A November BRM in Germany won't count towards PBP qualification, an Australian one will.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: cygnet on 14 May, 2018, 06:00:52 pm
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Redlight on 14 May, 2018, 06:16:05 pm

Whenever I watch this I forget the bad bits and want to do it again... https://youtu.be/ZPRxZeQTSDE (https://youtu.be/ZPRxZeQTSDE)

Nice matching jerseys at the start (and at regular intervals throughout)  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Phil W on 14 May, 2018, 08:59:02 pm
The entry fee was €115 euros in 2015. The cost of the jersey was €30 euros.  The pre ride meal was €13 euros. If you remember your userid and password you can still log in to see these details.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 14 May, 2018, 09:06:58 pm
You did get quite a lot for your €115.

https://www.paris-brest-paris.org/index2.php?lang=en&cat=inscription&page=contenu_inscription
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Greenbank on 14 May, 2018, 09:18:56 pm
I think you also paid a €30 pre-registration fee although this was taken off the final cost (€110 in 2011). Ah yes, found my receipts.

I then bought a gilet (€20) as it wasn't included back then, pre-ride meal (€13), jersey (€30) and a camping space (€10) that I didn't use.

I also paid €30 and €39 for cheap F1 hotels the night before and the night after (didn't use the one for the night after, too scared I'd oversleep as I had an early flight the next morning, just slept in the airport terminal).

£156 for flights LHR<->CDG including bike as extra baggage coming back. Can't remember how much the RER/Metro was between CDG and StQeY and vice versa.

A chunk of money to filthy to take my bike over to Paris for me in his van as I didn't trust BA (didn't care if they damaged it on the way back, they didn't).

Probably €150 in food/beer before/during/after the ride.

So the ride itself was 1/4 of my costs (it's probably cheaper if you don't fly there/back, or if you camp).
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Revellinho on 14 May, 2018, 09:22:13 pm
I am known as ‘Mr Scrooge’ in my house. PBP is reasonable value for money. My advice is to do it. Most of the positives, money just can’t buy.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Somnolent on 15 May, 2018, 07:36:07 am
It may be cheaper and possibly easier if you joined the FFCT or a french touring club (why not the ACP?) if you live in Paris....The schedules published in France are more time constricted - that is that there are less events over a shorter calendar period than AUK imho...

You could ride some BRM events this year to enable to pre qualify - that is able to register for entry earlier in the year which may relieve some stress and jitters!

The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register.  (The pre-registration dates are at http://www.aukweb.net/events/pbp/).   They commented that since 2015 there has been a massive growth in randonneuring (what we call audax) around the world, and their back-of-the-fag-packet calculation was that:
a) if you do not ride any BRMs this season - and therefore are unable to pre-register, you are unlikely to get a place.
b) the available places are unlikely to sell out on the first two pre-registration slots, they think that 400km ought to be sufficient - but no guarantees.     
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: psyclist on 15 May, 2018, 08:06:31 am
The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register. 

I'd not heard this before. I'm probably ok as I have a few longer distance rides on my calendar for this year, including the ACME Grand. For anybody who doesn't yet have longer rides planned and wants to ride PBP, the most cost effective ride to get there must surely be the ACME Grand at £5 (or £4 if you don't use Paypal).
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: T42 on 15 May, 2018, 08:13:14 am
I am known as ‘Mr Scrooge’ in my house. PBP is reasonable value for money. My advice is to do it. Most of the positives, money just can’t buy.

This, in spades.  The people of Normandy & Brittany treat PBP as "their" event: great reception, stalls with free (or very cheap) food at the roadside, general atmosphere of celebration.

Go!
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Greenbank on 15 May, 2018, 09:01:11 am
The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register. 

I'd not heard this before.

It's been the standard advice for the last few PBPs. With PBP's quota system the UK has never had a problem - everyone from the UK who wanted to ride PBP who qualified got a place.

I'm not sure that's true for all other countries (including France) and so pre-qualification is probably more important to them (and the OP).

It's also unsurprising that ACP are recommending people ride Audaxes.

I'm probably ok as I have a few longer distance rides on my calendar for this year, including the ACME Grand. For anybody who doesn't yet have longer rides planned and wants to ride PBP, the most cost effective ride to get there must surely be the ACME Grand at £5 (or £4 if you don't use Paypal).

Cost effective by just entry fee alone sure, but the ACME Grand will end up costing you considerably more than a fully catered local 400 that should be enough for pre-qualification.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: whosatthewheel on 15 May, 2018, 09:25:20 am
The entry fee was €115 euros in 2015. The cost of the jersey was €30 euros.  The pre ride meal was €13 euros. If you remember your userid and password you can still log in to see these details.

That makes more sense. 200 Euros for nothing did sound a bit of an-anti Audax
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: jsabine on 15 May, 2018, 09:29:47 am
The entry fee was €115 euros in 2015. The cost of the jersey was €30 euros.  The pre ride meal was €13 euros. If you remember your userid and password you can still log in to see these details.

That makes more sense. 200 Euros for nothing did sound a bit of an-anti Audax

Even if it was 200 Euros, it's a an awful lot of logistics, organisation, facilities, route-marking. A little more than 'nothing.'
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Redlight on 15 May, 2018, 10:54:06 am
pre-ride meal (€13), jersey (€30)

The pre-ride meal was a bit of a waste of money though, given that they had run out of food by about 3pm  ::-)

FWIW, I think PBP is extremely good value in itself but some of the controls are a bit hit and miss.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 May, 2018, 11:00:16 am

The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register.  (The pre-registration dates are at http://www.aukweb.net/events/pbp/).   They commented that since 2015 there has been a massive growth in randonneuring (what we call audax) around the world,

The components of that growth were in place before 2015, and were apparent at LEL 2013. The trend towards a global intake might mean problems with numbers of volunteers.

When PBP was a majority French affair, there was a natural progression into supporting the event. When I first rode, there was more informal support, as at Gorron. It will be interesting to see if PBP follows the trend at LEL, in tapping into a broader volunteer base.

I made a film prior to PBP 2015, looking at emerging trends. Internationalisation, technology and adventure cycling were the main ones. I'd concentrate on volunteers if I made another, as that will determine how much to rely on formal provision, and how much to live off the land.

The pre-ride meal was an interesting example. The catering was through the velodrome, previous PBPs had more volunteer involvement, and there was no problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wOKnul5ylA
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 15 May, 2018, 11:54:30 am
The pre-ride meal was a bit of a waste of money though, given that they had run out of food by about 3pm  ::-)

The problem with a buffet, when several thousand randonneurs are let loose on it to help themselves, is that riders take double what the caterers thought they would, based on normal people.  The group in front of us (I was with Veloman at the time) had the last of the chicken and there were just a couple of bread rolls and scraps of salad left for us and there was still a large and growing queue behind.  That was just after 2.30pm IIRC.  I lasted until Mortagne-au-Perche before being able to buy a sandwich, eight hours later ...

I would pay for the lunch again, because trying to get something off-site would've been a bit of a bun fight to get out of the holding area and then back in again, due to the large crowds, but I'd aim to be near the front of the queue.  Or I might just turn up with a picnic  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: rob on 15 May, 2018, 12:10:04 pm
I'd either eat elsewhere or take some sarnies along and watch the front groups go off.

To be honest I thought there's be huge queues to get into the pens but it was run really efficiently compared to previous events where we hung around the gymnase for hours waiting to set off.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: tippers_kiwi on 15 May, 2018, 12:18:10 pm
The Cheese and Salami I packed in my bar bag saw me through the wait and the first bit to Mortagne  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Redlight on 15 May, 2018, 12:21:56 pm
I was there just behind you, Wilkyboy.  Fortunately, I saw the queue to get in, spoke to someone coming out and learned that the food had run out in time to go back into the town centre and get a decent lunch before heading for the pens.  The benefit of the allocated start time was that you didn't have to get there much before then, so there was just about enough time to eat and not much hanging around waiting to get moving.  Much better than previous years.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: whosatthewheel on 15 May, 2018, 01:47:28 pm
pre-ride meal (€13), jersey (€30)

The pre-ride meal was a bit of a waste of money though, given that they had run out of food by about 3pm  ::-)

FWIW, I think PBP is extremely good value in itself but some of the controls are a bit hit and miss.

I find the North of France in general is a bit hit and miss. We did eat (and drink) well in the Loire valley around Saumur, otherwise it has always been a disappointment... I can recall some truly horrendous meals in Troyes, in Bethune, in Lille and in Roubaix, in St. Malo' and even in Tours...
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 15 May, 2018, 02:05:48 pm
The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register. 

I'd not heard this before.

It's been the standard advice for the last few PBPs. With PBP's quota system the UK has never had a problem - everyone from the UK who wanted to ride PBP who qualified got a place.

I don't believe there are national quotas this time round, just 'entries are open until the event is full'. Each year they have had an entry limit, they've accepted a few more than their published limit and managed to accommodate everybody who entered but I suspect they'll actually top out next year and some folk will miss out. My bet is that even completing a 200 BRM this year would be enough to get in but I've been wrong plenty of times before.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LEE on 15 May, 2018, 02:26:24 pm
pre-ride meal (€13), jersey (€30)

The pre-ride meal was a bit of a waste of money though, given that they had run out of food by about 3pm  ::-)

FWIW, I think PBP is extremely good value in itself but some of the controls are a bit hit and miss.

I find the North of France in general is a bit hit and miss. We did eat (and drink) well in the Loire valley around Saumur, otherwise it has always been a disappointment... I can recall some truly horrendous meals in Troyes, in Bethune, in Lille and in Roubaix, in St. Malo' and even in Tours...

Blimey, you must be fairly unlucky.

In any case, don't conflate the food in Northern France (typically bloody lovely in my own experience) with the food at the controls.  The food at controls is, understandably, "Canteen Quality" in order to deal with thousands of cyclists passing through.  Sloppy Pasta, Soup, baguettes, Rice dishes..etc.

I'm of the opinion that if the food doesn't taste that good then you haven't cycled far enough yet*

* I even eat tinned peaches in cold Rice Pudding at one specific Welsh control (Kudos for naming the control and the ride). 
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mzjo on 15 May, 2018, 02:58:30 pm
Cost to enter will probably be about €200-250, but you'll also have to buy your own food and wine along the way.

Doesn't seem particularly good value if 200 quid don't get you any food. 6000 cyclists time 200 means over a million pound budget... one should be able to buy a few baguette with that kind of money...  ::-)

To put this in perspective in french club terms some members of my FFCT affiliated club will be spending about 400€ to do a cyclo-montagnard with minibus hire, accomodation for 3 nights, fuel and entries. I am not one because I can't afford that sort of outlay (and also because every time I try one there's a heatwave which is not my thing). PBP doesn't seem a bad deal for people used to that level of spending for their hobby.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: whosatthewheel on 15 May, 2018, 02:59:44 pm


* I even eat tinned peaches in cold Rice Pudding at one specific Welsh control (Kudos for naming the control and the ride).

I thought they were a must at all controls... I always find them :-)

Audax pasta is typically dire, everything else is generally fine with me

The fact that France is great for food is a bit of a myth... if you are talking about fine dining, then maybe, but the average 20-30 quid per head restaurant in the north of france is squallid, with poor hygiene standards and very mediocre food.
There are exceptions, not many...
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Somnolent on 15 May, 2018, 04:32:47 pm
The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register. 

I'd not heard this before.

It's been the standard advice for the last few PBPs. With PBP's quota system the UK has never had a problem - everyone from the UK who wanted to ride PBP who qualified got a place.

I don't believe there are national quotas this time round, just 'entries are open until the event is full'.

AFAIK there were no national quotas in 2015, and there has been absolutely no mention of them for 2019, either in the January 2018 presentation in Paris, or in the published documentation.
As LWaB says 'entries are open until the event is full'.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: DCLane on 15 May, 2018, 05:04:28 pm
Last time I got in without a qualifier in 2014, mainly because I didn't know there was a BRM list  :-\ . Now I do.

Total cost for me was about £750, mainly because I drove across and stayed in a Chambre d'hote I use each year near Neufchatel and then a hotel near the start. I carried snacks and bought meals only at the controls, mainly due to being a vedette and having a tighter time limit.

I'm aiming for 2019 but this time will aim to ride on a vintage road bike or Raleigh Twenty, probably a Twenty which I'm picking up tomorrow.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: D.A.L.E. on 15 May, 2018, 05:53:01 pm
* I even eat tinned peaches in cold Rice Pudding at one specific Welsh control (Kudos for naming the control and the ride).
Memories of this on the National 400 a couple of years ago, but that was Upton Magna I think.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: LMT on 15 May, 2018, 08:06:25 pm
The advice from ACP to the delegates at the 2018 presentation was that you should aim to complete the longest possible BRM in 2018 in order to be sure of being able to pre-register. 

I'd not heard this before. I'm probably ok as I have a few longer distance rides on my calendar for this year, including the ACME Grand. For anybody who doesn't yet have longer rides planned and wants to ride PBP, the most cost effective ride to get there must surely be the ACME Grand at £5 (or £4 if you don't use Paypal).

I'd go with the Flatlands, at £8 and an 'easy' 600. Worked for me back in 2014.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 15 May, 2018, 08:26:08 pm
* I even eat tinned peaches in cold Rice Pudding at one specific Welsh control (Kudos for naming the control and the ride).

BCM, Kings Youth Hostel, obviously  ::-) ;)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Tomsk on 15 May, 2018, 08:49:25 pm
* I even eat tinned peaches in cold Rice Pudding at one specific Welsh control (Kudos for naming the control and the ride).

'Goldfish Inna Cup', as we call it in Essex...the Audax Food of Champions  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Phil W on 15 May, 2018, 09:37:39 pm
* I even eat tinned peaches in cold Rice Pudding at one specific Welsh control (Kudos for naming the control and the ride).

BCM, Kings Youth Hostel, obviously  ::-) ;)

Tinned peaches and rice pudding were available at Llanwrtyd Wells on Mille Cymru in 2014
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Phil W on 15 May, 2018, 09:39:28 pm
I got bugger all at the pre ride meal so went over the bridge and had pizza. That saw me to  Montagne where a bar on the hill gave me free frites and a beer. That then saw me to Villaines.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: GPS on 16 May, 2018, 09:03:48 am
I got bugger all at the pre ride meal so went over the bridge and had pizza. That saw me to  Montagne where a bar on the hill gave me free frites and a beer. That then saw me to Villaines.

Ah yes - the fabled pre-ride meal. No food left when I got there - in plenty of time too !

Fortunately I'd already eaten at a reasonable restaurant the other side of the bridge.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: vorsprung on 16 May, 2018, 06:42:46 pm
Doesn't seem particularly good value if 200 quid don't get you any food. 6000 cyclists time 200 means over a million pound budget... one should be able to buy a few baguette with that kind of money...  ::-)

Have you ever run an event?

Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: L CC on 17 May, 2018, 08:46:58 am
For those of us with a special needs start I can confirm the pre-ride meal was bloody lovely, MUCH better than the 2011 offering.

Pre-qual wise, we're thinking we really need to get our act together sharpish, as it's been a crap 18 months audax-wise for the Smith-Clayton tandem :(.
I think this is largely because now we're shacked up we don't need stupid long bike rides to spend time together :D
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Samuel D on 17 May, 2018, 09:34:53 am
Thanks for the discussion, all. It’s still murky but I can Google the rest, starting with the terms of art used on the first page alone:

Audax pasta is typically dire

French pasta is typically dire: cheap stuff boiled to a limp mess. I think last generation’s French customer came to expect pasta to be like that. Thankfully French restaurants, even humble ones, do lots of other things reliably well – even in the north, in my limited experience.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: simonp on 17 May, 2018, 10:32:38 am
I've not done anything this year. I've been busy being beasted down the rowing club. I won't say I'm unfit, but I'm not Audax fit.

That's why I'm riding the Irish Mail 400. I reckon that ought to be sufficient, assuming I can make it round.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: grams on 17 May, 2018, 11:01:42 am
What's the precise, super pedantic meaning of the qualifier date windows? On a previous thread it sounded like they were actually for when organisers should run their events.

From a rider's POV it seems like the goal is simply to complete a BRM SR by the July registration cutoff, which could hypothetically involve other events, especially substituting longer events. Is this correct?

(the wisdom of ignoring the date windows is, of course, another matter)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Planet X Paul on 17 May, 2018, 11:25:42 am
All interesting reading and 'food' for thought and am considering entering my first PBP.  Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Any experience from any other veggie audaxers who have previously done PBP ?
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: simonp on 17 May, 2018, 11:28:24 am
What's the precise, super pedantic meaning of the qualifier date windows? On a previous thread it sounded like they were actually for when organisers should run their events.

From a rider's POV it seems like the goal is simply to complete a BRM SR by the July registration cutoff, which could hypothetically involve other events, especially substituting longer events. Is this correct?

(the wisdom of ignoring the date windows is, of course, another matter)

You certainly can substitute longer events, so e.g. missing the 300k window you can ride an extra 400k or 600k.

Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 17 May, 2018, 11:31:49 am
All interesting reading and 'food' for thought and am considering entering my first PBP.  Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Any experience from any other veggie audaxers who have previously done PBP ?

https://youtu.be/0Uz9EUGMaOM?t=162
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: The French Tandem on 17 May, 2018, 11:44:32 am
Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Things are changing slowly around here. Many restaurants will still serve you a fish when you ask for a vegetarian dish, but at least you will (most often) not get the patronizing comments "you should eat a steak, it's good for you" that you would have had 10 years ago.

A
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Manotea on 17 May, 2018, 12:10:29 pm
All interesting reading and 'food' for thought and am considering entering my first PBP.  Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Any experience from any other veggie audaxers who have previously done PBP ?

Veggies have it easy... try following a keto diet and explaining to cycling event organisers that you don't eat carbs.

It's a bit like being a vegan, only in reverse. Maybe we should buddy-up! :)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Liamo on 17 May, 2018, 12:48:41 pm
All interesting reading and 'food' for thought and am considering entering my first PBP.  Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Any experience from any other veggie audaxers who have previously done PBP ?

The controls in 2015 were not good for veggie food - I didn't even find a cheese baguette at any of them. So different from LEL!

But it was easy enough to eat outside of the controls - creperies, pizza, boulangeries and the like. A bit of research beforehand about where they are paid off.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Rod Marton on 17 May, 2018, 01:26:28 pm
All interesting reading and 'food' for thought and am considering entering my first PBP.  Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Any experience from any other veggie audaxers who have previously done PBP ?

The controls in 2015 were not good for veggie food - I didn't even find a cheese baguette at any of them. So different from LEL!

But it was easy enough to eat outside of the controls - creperies, pizza, boulangeries and the like. A bit of research beforehand about where they are paid off.

In 2015 veggie food at the controls consisted largely of rubber omelettes - though to their credit I did get a ratatouille at Villaines and a fresh omelette at Dreux. Actually the most difficult thing to survive was the lack of tea. A typical request for tea at a control went as follows (at this point I should add that I don't speak French but do speak German and Russian, and I know that the word for tea in French is the same as in German, so begin in that language):

"Tee, bitte."
"Kaffee?"
"No, tea."
"Schokolade?"
"Nyet, chay"
"Potazh?"
"TEE!!!"
"Ah, Tee". At which point I am given an are-you-crazy look and presented with a bowl of lukewarm water containing a bag of Liptons.

The French don't do tea.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Liamo on 17 May, 2018, 01:44:49 pm
All interesting reading and 'food' for thought and am considering entering my first PBP.  Talking of food, being a veggie, I'm very concerned whether I would be able to get fed sufficiently well at controls or elsewhere, as France doesn't do veggie. 

Any experience from any other veggie audaxers who have previously done PBP ?

The controls in 2015 were not good for veggie food - I didn't even find a cheese baguette at any of them. So different from LEL!

But it was easy enough to eat outside of the controls - creperies, pizza, boulangeries and the like. A bit of research beforehand about where they are paid off.

In 2015 veggie food at the controls consisted largely of rubber omelettes - though to their credit I did get a ratatouille at Villaines and a fresh omelette at Dreux. Actually the most difficult thing to survive was the lack of tea. A typical request for tea at a control went as follows (at this point I should add that I don't speak French but do speak German and Russian, and I know that the word for tea in French is the same as in German, so begin in that language):

"Tee, bitte."
"Kaffee?"
"No, tea."
"Schokolade?"
"Nyet, chay"
"Potazh?"
"TEE!!!"
"Ah, Tee". At which point I am given an are-you-crazy look and presented with a bowl of lukewarm water containing a bag of Liptons.

The French don't do tea.

that's a lesson learnt for me then. After Loudeac on the way out (ie day one) I gave up trying to find something at the controls.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Greenbank on 17 May, 2018, 02:12:30 pm
It's fair to say that if you do PBP without learning any French then you're going to encounter a lot more difficulties than people who can speak even a little French.

Being able to ask for hot/just-boiled water in a bowl (that's just how the French do tea) and some cold milk means you can then make your own tea with your own tea bags.

Same goes for being veggie. If you don't know how to ask for various things then you're going to struggle.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: simonp on 17 May, 2018, 02:31:38 pm
Ou est la plume de ma tante?
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mattc on 17 May, 2018, 03:14:53 pm
...

But it was easy enough to eat outside of the controls - creperies, pizza, boulangeries and the like. A bit of research beforehand about where they are paid off.
this is true, but folks should bear in mind the night sections (unless you are fast enough to mainly ride in daylight!). Nothing is open in France outside their regular shopping hours, and the route is *not* designed to take in various motorway services :P

Personally, I ate most of my control food at night, and rarely found food elsewhere at night.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: tornandfrayed on 17 May, 2018, 03:34:53 pm
Some of these dietary issues could be overcome by having someone follow you round in a motorhome.  :)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: tippers_kiwi on 17 May, 2018, 03:45:13 pm
From memory the only food I got outside of controls was at Tinteniac on the way out where it was all a bit manic and the pub down the road was doing a deal on a beer and baguette and at Sizun where I experienced the locals saying you go to the front of the Queue when it was out the door. I had a Paris Brest and a Baguette with special ham and cheese....I can't say I found any of the food along the way particularly bad but then I think my expectations were never of restaurant quality meals. It was easy to digest and contained energy to keep me going, I'm easily pleased ;D
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: DCLane on 17 May, 2018, 03:52:53 pm
Food-wise I didn't have much of an issue, but riding as a vedette last time we got the first opportunity to eat beforehand. I didn't eat all the pre-ride meal, honest, just a bit  :P

Controls seemed to be OK, but there wasn't much in the way of choice. No queues as I was ahead of most other rides but definately little choice for anyone veggie or specialist.

I'd suggest planning ahead where possible and, like I did, carrying enough dried food for emergencies.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: simonp on 17 May, 2018, 04:14:04 pm
I think Vedettes makes life a lot easier at the controls. On the return, I used a few of the roadside stalls, and a cafe open all night in Ambrieres-les-Vallees. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a welcome at 4am. I've visited that cafe on 3 PBPs but the first two were full value 90h rides and it was during the day.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Rod Marton on 17 May, 2018, 04:23:54 pm
It's fair to say that if you do PBP without learning any French then you're going to encounter a lot more difficulties than people who can speak even a little French.

Being able to ask for hot/just-boiled water in a bowl (that's just how the French do tea) and some cold milk means you can then make your own tea with your own tea bags.

Same goes for being veggie. If you don't know how to ask for various things then you're going to struggle.

Point taken. I must admit I have something of a blind spot with French - I think it's something to do with the spelling and pronunciation having so little to do with one another. But speaking the three most widely-used languages in Europe and being able to get by in a few others means that I can make myself understood across most of the continent: but somehow not in France.

And I do take my own tea bags. However asking for hot water/heisses Wasser/goryachoy vody etc. causes even more confusion, and ends up with me taking out a tea bag and miming dunking it in something. It still comes lukewarm, though.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Liamo on 17 May, 2018, 04:53:08 pm
I think Vedettes makes life a lot easier at the controls. On the return, I used a few of the roadside stalls, and a cafe open all night in Ambrieres-les-Vallees. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a welcome at 4am. I've visited that cafe on 3 PBPs but the first two were full value 90h rides and it was during the day.

The café in Ambrieres-les-Vallees was open on night one as well. I remember a welcome coffee and slice of cake at 4am ish Monday morning.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Greenbank on 17 May, 2018, 04:53:57 pm
And I do take my own tea bags. However asking for hot water/heisses Wasser/goryachoy vody etc. causes even more confusion, and ends up with me taking out a tea bag and miming dunking it in something. It still comes lukewarm, though.

It was probably the ideal temperature when it started its journey.

The phrase "Café bouillu, café foutu" in Northern France may have something to do with it too.

https://fr.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081003043427AAMlBxo&guccounter=1
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Martin on 17 May, 2018, 04:56:01 pm
I gave up after the third food stop and just bought it along the route (apart from Dreux on the return by which time most of the field had either already gone through or packed); so pre-paying for food at controls would have just eaten into my riding / sleep time. Plus I'm veggie and the french think that equates to pasta without the sauce.

Plus you get plenty of people by the side of the road either giving away or selling extremely cheap food.

I think you have to pay for the sleep stops at official controls, i never used one as there was a big queue in each

It would be worth every € cent at £500 IMO

(and it may well cost that by that time the way the £ is going!)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Phil W on 17 May, 2018, 06:44:10 pm
Plenty of places to eat outside of the controls if you were happy to stop at the all night road side stalls and BBQs.  One place also had recliners in a tent so you could have a dose. On the right at the top of a hill at a cross roads, behind the hog roast.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mattc on 17 May, 2018, 07:18:31 pm
I think Vedettes makes life a lot easier at the controls. On the return, I used a few of the roadside stalls, and a cafe open all night in Ambrieres-les-Vallees. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a welcome at 4am. I've visited that cafe on 3 PBPs but the first two were full value 90h rides and it was during the day.

The café in Ambrieres-les-Vallees was open on night one as well. I remember a welcome coffee and slice of cake at 4am ish Monday morning.
Yes, the first night was ace (even on the wet one!). It all fizzled out rather quickly after the 2nd night.  I hadn't considered the "Vedette effect" before.

I put it mainly down to the horrendous soaking people were getting hanging around for us in 2007. I can't honestly recall whether 2011 was an improvement in this respect - I know the 84h riders got a proper soaking, so presumably the locals did too?

But I know for a fact there was nothing/nobody on the last night of 2007, and just a lady with some delicious apricots on the final day. [I have a witness/ride-buddy that confirms this!] Admittedly we were vv near the back of the field, YMMV ...
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: wilkyboy on 17 May, 2018, 07:49:46 pm
I think Vedettes makes life a lot easier at the controls. On the return, I used a few of the roadside stalls, and a cafe open all night in Ambrieres-les-Vallees. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a welcome at 4am. I've visited that cafe on 3 PBPs but the first two were full value 90h rides and it was during the day.

The café in Ambrieres-les-Vallees was open on night one as well. I remember a welcome coffee and slice of cake at 4am ish Monday morning.

Is that the one where I fell asleep face-first into my omelette at 4am?  Hmm, could be  :facepalm:  There's a photo of the incident somewhere; I haven't seen it.  Yet  ::-)

EDIT: no, my mistake — that happened in Le Bocage café, in Gorron, 15km further up the road.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Martin on 17 May, 2018, 08:30:00 pm
The Vattenrundan 300 was pretty expensive at £100; may be even more now. You got a few buns and some sickly juice all the way round and one meal, plus as much 2% beer as you wanted at the finish! there were no closed roads or much signage from memory and neither were needed.

also worth every penny! I really don't think it's worth stressing about these things; after all look at the ££££££'s we don't spend in the UK by only doing Audax rides

going back to the OP I'd recommend an SR this year even if you've already got one, a great moral boost IMO even though it will not provide any guarantee that you can actually get through PBP as I found out. When I did it there were no pre-qualifications the year before, so many of us did the earliest SR we could in the actual year. It was apparently all academic as all entries went off together irrespective of who rode first.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: quixoticgeek on 22 May, 2018, 12:16:06 am

Anyone know what the qualifying ride date windows are for other eu countries?

Am wondering if I start training now if pbp might be plausible next year.

J
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: L CC on 22 May, 2018, 10:55:17 am

Anyone know what the qualifying ride date windows are for other eu countries?

Much the same as for France- your national randonneur organisation will know.

Quote
Am wondering if I start training now if pbp might be plausible next year.

Almost definitely. It's not without the bounds of the 'average' cyclist, with a bit of (mostly mental) training.

Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mattc on 22 May, 2018, 12:45:47 pm

Anyone know what the qualifying ride date windows are for other eu countries?

Much the same as for France- your national randonneur organisation will know.

Yup - and if they haven't published details yet, their 2015 schedule is almost certainly much the same.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Redlight on 24 May, 2018, 01:15:33 pm
Am wondering if I start training now if pbp might be plausible next year.

Definitely.  At the beginning of 2003 I had never ridden more than 160km in one go. I was 42 and my "training" comprised a short commute and the occasional 100km or so on a weekend - plus the SR series that I needed to qualify and a handful of sub-200km events.  I finished comfortably.

See you in Paris  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mr ben on 10 August, 2018, 08:56:05 pm
Steps to get there: just ordered a headset (no not that sort) for my computer so I can take advantage of free access to Rosetta Stone as provided by my employer.  My current French vocab consists of: bonjour, sil vous plait, ici, au revoir, and je ne comprends pas (and I can usually approximately understand menus).  So anything will be an improvement.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: simonp on 14 August, 2018, 02:29:38 am
Have ridden a 2018 400k which will should hopefully be sufficient to reserve a place before it's full.

Have just entered 2019 SR series, using earliest 600k currently available in the calendar.

My rowing club captain may not be impressed, but PBP is only one year in 4.
Title: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Phil W on 19 August, 2018, 12:51:01 pm
200 and 600 qualifiers booked. Pencilled in 300,400's qualifiers which interest me. 
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: citoyen on 19 August, 2018, 06:18:44 pm
The rides I want to do aren’t open for entries yet but I can see I shall have to be on the ball when they do...

I still have no idea whether or not I’ll be able to do PBP 2019 but I might as well do the qualifiers to at least give myself the option. My 1000 this year should do nicely as a pre-qualifier - and was almost certainly much harder than PBP will be.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Delph Cyclist on 19 August, 2018, 07:29:32 pm
We have provisional dates from Peak Audax

21/04/2019 - Plains 300
04/05/2019 - Llanfair-something-or-other 400 
08/06/2019 - A Pair of Kirtons 600

All start from Poynton (we won't be changing the start location, unlike some events I could mention) but we might change the dates.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: Ian H on 19 August, 2018, 07:56:15 pm
Exeter Wheelers also have a full set of qualifiers, with multiple 200s, 400s and 600s.
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: rob on 19 August, 2018, 08:04:01 pm
I fear the nearby qualifiers will get horribly busy so I’ll more than likely ride the Lincs series using my parents place as a base.
Title: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: citoyen on 16 September, 2018, 12:45:04 am
I’ve now got my 2019 work schedule. And it turns out that PBP falls in the best possible week in the four-week cycle.

So that’s one more excuse for not doing PBP crossed off the list...
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mzjo on 26 September, 2018, 08:47:23 pm
It's fair to say that if you do PBP without learning any French then you're going to encounter a lot more difficulties than people who can speak even a little French.

Being able to ask for hot/just-boiled water in a bowl (that's just how the French do tea) and some cold milk means you can then make your own tea with your own tea bags.

Same goes for being veggie. If you don't know how to ask for various things then you're going to struggle.

Point taken. I must admit I have something of a blind spot with French - I think it's something to do with the spelling and pronunciation having so little to do with one another. But speaking the three most widely-used languages in Europe and being able to get by in a few others means that I can make myself understood across most of the continent: but somehow not in France.

And I do take my own tea bags. However asking for hot water/heisses Wasser/goryachoy vody etc. causes even more confusion, and ends up with me taking out a tea bag and miming dunking it in something. It still comes lukewarm, though.

This is how the french do tea. It is not an inability to boil water, for them it is how it is done. It is cultural. Living in a dual-nationality household even after nearly a quarter century of marriage, my wife is nearly unable to boil my tea water and my youngest daughter's attempts are just a waste of good PG Tips. My other french daughter however drinks her tea like me and so has really mastered the technique. But it is CULTURAL, like eating cheese before the dessert and pouring your pinard into your soupe. Don't expect otherwise; boiling your tea water yourself is the only reliable solution and not very practicable on PBP. (Now whose going to set up a "real tea" stop by the side of the road at a strategic distance?? ;)
Title: Re: Paris–Brest–Paris in 2019 – what steps to get there?
Post by: mzjo on 26 September, 2018, 08:59:08 pm
Steps to get there: just ordered a headset (no not that sort) for my computer so I can take advantage of free access to Rosetta Stone as provided by my employer.  My current French vocab consists of: bonjour, sil vous plait, ici, au revoir, and je ne comprends pas (and I can usually approximately understand menus).  So anything will be an improvement.

Sounds like you've got enough to get by on if you use your words strategically and show willing to communicate. My uncle restored his first building in Britanny with no more than that, although he did look in his dictionary before going into the builders merchants (over 40 years ago when there weren(t anything like as many british and french spoke french almost exclusively). Willingness to communicate always goes a long way to overcome a lack of vocabulary; not being shy or self-conscious helps!