Author Topic: PBP Blogs  (Read 32832 times)

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #100 on: 27 September, 2019, 07:21:04 pm »
I found the interview with the probable leader of Alotronic's Irish group. I also found an on-bike interview with Alotronic himself, but that has terrible sound quality.


Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #101 on: 27 September, 2019, 10:02:47 pm »
I'm a first-timer, one of these non-descript 50 something males, who doesn't appear in photographs, doesn't get interviewed and plodded around on his own.

I'm also a bit of a risk-taker, who likes adrenaline and enjoys descending quickly, however my experience of that group was slightly different, the risks just became too much for me. Shortly after PBP I put together some of my own thoughts, and I've been reflecting on editing it and putting it out there as a blog. This is what I wrote:-

"In the middle of the night, high in the hills, some guys set up two pace lines. They gradually wound it up to 50kmh as I tried to hold their tail. Descending in unknown hills in the dark, with variable lighting rigs at that speed had the potential to go badly wrong. They then went through some French villages at the same speed, ignoring giveway signs, stop signs etc. At that point it became too dangerous for me and I backed off."


Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #102 on: 27 September, 2019, 10:11:28 pm »
Stop signs are virtually unknown in the UK.

Quote
In the UK, stop signs may be placed only at sites with severely restricted visibility, and each must be individually approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.[26] Section 79 of the Highways Act 1980 enables the government to improve visibility at junctions, as by removing or shortening walls or hedges, in preference to placing a stop sign. The former UK practice of using "Halt" or "Slow" at Major Road Ahead signs was discontinued in 1965 at the recommendation of the Worboys Committee.[27] Instead of replacing all the old "Halt" signs with the new Vienna Convention "Stop" sign, "Give Way" became the standard sign at UK priority junctions

Britons are blissfully unaware of the risks of crossing Stop signs. It doesn't occur in our road-use vocabulary, and it's quite a shock when a Gendarme gives them an on-the-spot time for crossing one without putting one foot down.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #103 on: 29 September, 2019, 08:27:25 pm »
Another Blog of sorts from someone who gets a mention in my one.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/esmond-completes-1200km-paris-brest-paris

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #104 on: 29 September, 2019, 08:29:41 pm »
Stop signs are virtually unknown in the UK.

Quote
In the UK, stop signs may be placed only at sites with severely restricted visibility, and each must be individually approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.[26] Section 79 of the Highways Act 1980 enables the government to improve visibility at junctions, as by removing or shortening walls or hedges, in preference to placing a stop sign. The former UK practice of using "Halt" or "Slow" at Major Road Ahead signs was discontinued in 1965 at the recommendation of the Worboys Committee.[27] Instead of replacing all the old "Halt" signs with the new Vienna Convention "Stop" sign, "Give Way" became the standard sign at UK priority junctions

Britons are blissfully unaware of the risks of crossing Stop signs. It doesn't occur in our road-use vocabulary, and it's quite a shock when a Gendarme gives them an on-the-spot time for crossing one without putting one foot down.

I was about to dig out that very text.
You'd think the UK usage of Stop signs would have the opposite effect on UK based riders because they're only used where you can't see... the French seem to use them for everything from simple junctions with fantastic visibility to enforcing Prioritie A' Droit in he tmiddle of nowhere.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #105 on: 30 September, 2019, 10:30:00 am »
Stop signs are virtually unknown in the UK.

Quote
In the UK, stop signs may be placed only at sites with severely restricted visibility, and each must be individually approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.[26] Section 79 of the Highways Act 1980 enables the government to improve visibility at junctions, as by removing or shortening walls or hedges, in preference to placing a stop sign. The former UK practice of using "Halt" or "Slow" at Major Road Ahead signs was discontinued in 1965 at the recommendation of the Worboys Committee.[27] Instead of replacing all the old "Halt" signs with the new Vienna Convention "Stop" sign, "Give Way" became the standard sign at UK priority junctions

Britons are blissfully unaware of the risks of crossing Stop signs. It doesn't occur in our road-use vocabulary, and it's quite a shock when a Gendarme gives them an on-the-spot time for crossing one without putting one foot down.
Nit sure I agree with virtually unknown.

I'm sure i read about an American city where the police had a crackdown on cyclists not stopping. The result on traffic congestion was massive as cyclists adopted a policy of rigorous compliance with each cyclist in turn shuffling up to the line  and stopping completely before pulling away. It turns out the authorities didn't want that after all. It might have been San Francisco or seattle

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #106 on: 01 October, 2019, 06:57:25 pm »
I've put together some of my random musings. I hope this works for sharing. It's on my google drive and this should be a shareable link.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1a8EWjHsHGJyVAKtGGcjDEI5p_p-zRxa3


stefan

  • aka martin
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #107 on: 20 January, 2020, 05:54:16 pm »
Very late to the PBP blog party but I finally got round to writing my account up for my club newsletter here (from p.4) : https://www.cambridge-cycling-club.org.uk/documents/newsletters/January2020.pdf

Preceded by a splendid rant from the editor about mudguards :)
Member no. 152 of La Société Adrian Hands

Phil W

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #108 on: 21 January, 2020, 06:32:39 pm »
Good write up. Just gone back to look at mudguard rant.

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #109 on: 18 February, 2020, 04:26:46 pm »
Late arrival at the Bloggers' Ball...  It may eventually appear in Arrivee

http://audaxdemon.co.uk/2020/02/18/the-abc-of-pbp/

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #110 on: 18 February, 2020, 07:02:57 pm »
Late arrival at the Bloggers' Ball...  It may eventually appear in Arrivee

http://audaxdemon.co.uk/2020/02/18/the-abc-of-pbp/

Out of interest what time did you traverse the Roc on the way to Brest?

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #111 on: 18 February, 2020, 07:30:18 pm »
Out of interest what time did you traverse the Roc on the way to Brest?

I arrived in Carhaix at 0100 and probably got back on the road some time after 0300.  So I dunno--0500?  Well before dawn anyhow.

stefan

  • aka martin
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #112 on: 18 February, 2020, 07:37:59 pm »
Late arrival at the Bloggers' Ball...  It may eventually appear in Arrivee

http://audaxdemon.co.uk/2020/02/18/the-abc-of-pbp/

Enjoyed that, very funny!
Member no. 152 of La Société Adrian Hands

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #113 on: 18 February, 2020, 07:42:54 pm »
I don't remember feeling the descent of the Roc was all that cold or misty or having all that many long queues, but everything else ties together with you being somewhere around where I was most of the ride, particularly the Pino. 

I'm still trying to work out if i was in front, behind or in the Bulge. (I think I was all 3 tbh)

I left Carhaix at 2am I got to Sizun around 5 am.

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #114 on: 18 February, 2020, 07:43:43 pm »
Plenty of laughs in there. My favourite lesson for next time is -
"Lows
Sometimes on PBP when you’re suffering a bad patch it can be handy to look around and tell yourself that, statistically, around three out of every four people you can see will finish the ride within time.  So you only have to do better than, um, that rider over there who’s developed a severe list and is trying to freewheel uphill with only one buttock in contact with the saddle"

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #115 on: 18 February, 2020, 08:08:00 pm »
Not sure favourite is the right word but I... or liked actually... was amused by

Quote
By the time I stopped to check things out, maybe 15 minutes later, production of Revenge of the Gusset, the latest instalment of the Saw franchise, was in full swing in my shorts.

JonB

  • Granny Ring ... Yes Please!
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #116 on: 19 February, 2020, 12:43:25 pm »
Late arrival at the Bloggers' Ball...  It may eventually appear in Arrivee

http://audaxdemon.co.uk/2020/02/18/the-abc-of-pbp/
Nice write up, it did make me chuckle and thanks for including a photo of me ;) (I'm directly behind in your 'leading' the group pic)

rob

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #117 on: 19 February, 2020, 01:10:07 pm »
I enjoyed that.   The bit about socialising was quite apt.   There are genuinely people that I only see every 4 years in the same circumstances.   Audax is a bit peculiar like that.

After seeing George for the first time in a year in Paris I bumped into him on the tube a few weeks later.

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #118 on: 19 February, 2020, 10:00:45 pm »
Great read, 'Route marking' very true, you need to be of a certain of a certain age to appreciate that one.

guidon

  • formerly known as cyclone
Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #119 on: 20 February, 2020, 07:33:52 pm »
Did enjoy that! as the wife said "it's not selling it to me but well funny!!"

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #120 on: 25 February, 2020, 08:04:29 pm »
Late arrival at the Bloggers' Ball...  It may eventually appear in Arrives

http://audaxdemon.co.uk/2020/02/18/the-abc-of-pbp/

Your first PBP since 2007 Pete - 2007 was my first and you was a big shot then. Do I remember a post about you arriving back from work during the registration process and not being able to open to door due to the abundance of UK registrations littering your door mat? I think so. What? postal registrations? What century are we talking about here? How things change, they always do.

Nice write-up - especially when read over a few pints in a Spoons away from home. All the nuances get enhanced over a few pints. Always nice to read an account from an experienced, self-deprecating Audaxer with a fine grasp of language and a healthy sense of the absurd. Sounds like you enjoyed going back after 'all these years'.

Talking of the absurd - I was intrigued [and kind of reassured] to read that Mel Kirkland actually made it to Paris, because monitoring events from home this time around there was no tracker evidence whatsoever of his presence on the ride so I assumed he didn't make it. Good to see he did though (I don't want to know what he did with his transponder....although I will ask him when I dump into him again].

Anyway, cracking account Pete. Later. Maybe!
Garry Broad

Re: PBP Blogs
« Reply #121 on: 08 March, 2020, 10:40:50 pm »