PBP Support Vehicle - Your Thoughts...

[david.ness]

I'm considering arranging to take a support vehicle to PBP. I know it goes against the spirit of self sufficiency and that I would miss such joys as sleeping on a canteen floor but forme it's about eliminating as many of the risks/ unknowns as possible.

What's your thoughts ?

Am I right in thinking that a support vehicle can only meet you at control points ?  Ie you can't get help at the side of the road in between controls ?



 

[david.ness]

Ive just checked the rules and clarified that you can only meet up with support vehicle at control points or within a 5km zone.

To be honest the more I think about this the more I reckon I would appreciate having a friendly face waiting with all the supplies that I could possibly need.

[Valiant]

There was a YACF support vehicle of sorts at the last major PBP when something like half of yacf were doing it.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Support vehicles can be very helpful at checkpoints but the crew can get very tired if they meet you at every control. Supported PBPers have a significantly higher DNF rate. The rider will receive time penalties if the vehicle is found on the route between controls. Their vehicle has to follow a longer route to get to the next control. Navigation can be difficult for tired drivers unfamiliar with driving in France.

[Pip]

I've experienced a supported ride and an unsupported ride.

If you are to be supported at just one control, say Loudeac on the way out/way back, then a vehicle with sleeping/cooking facilities will save you wasting valuable time in food /sleep queues at this most busy control.

Another big advantage is that you can change kit without having to lug it round the entire course. Perhaps this lack of self-sufficiency provokes the most indignation.

You may find it easier to DNF.

I rode unsupported in 2003 on a converted Trek MTB in the baking daytime heat and the freezing night-time cold. I found the conditions tougher than the supposedly tough edition of 2007. It may well be that because Loudeac is such a crucial control in terms of a natural sleep location for most riders, the whole enjoyment of the ride can hinge on how one manages one's time at this point.

I was much fitter (and younger) in 2003. It made little difference! It was quite a gruelling experience.

In 2007,  the two advantages of a certain place to sleep at Loudeac (both ways) and the ability to change clothing, made the ride more enjoyable. For these reasons, I'll have my van parked there this year.

The rules allow you to have a choice. The most important thing is to savour this magnificent event.

[Hot Flatus]

One of the things that made me giggle during my brief and unhappy experience of PBP 2007 was seeing the disparity of attitudes towards the event between different nationalities.

US riders were easily spotted by their helmet rain covers, the British by their Dunkirk spirit, 1000 yard stares and shitty kit, but the funniest were the Italians. It wasn't the ubiquitous white kit and carbon Colnago, it was the support that awaited them at the controls. Rider (dad) would be receiving a deep massage in the back of the motor home from oldest daughter, whilst mum was busy under the gazebo with pasta on the boil. Meanwhile the mechanic (son) would be shampooing and jetwashing the bike and tuning up the gears and brakes and fitting new bar tape.

All of this done under the haughty, but secretly envious, glances of the other riders.

[mattc]

Ive just checked the rules and clarified that you can only meet up with support vehicle at control points or within a 5km zone.

This may not help, but you can also meet it off-route (but you have to rejoin the route exactly where you left it). Your team are only a (potential) nuisance while they're on the route. Which brings me onto ...

One downside of the support teams is the effect on other riders. To quote Sheila Simpson from the handbook:
"[if you're not competing for honours] ... your personal helpers just get in the way of real cyclists".

If this sounds over the top, imagine if 80% of riders had a support team; the controls would grind to a halt. So it's something worth bearing in mind.

[EdinburghFixed]

Since a few people are probably thinking it, I'll be the one to say it...

You haven't really achieved the same thing if you only get around PBP because you have a support team to care for your every need. It's not against the rules and if you genuinely could only do it with a support team then I'm not saying you shouldn't take part at all - quite the opposite.

But let's not kid ourselves that having a vehicle at every control with change of clothes, fresh batteries, mechanic, food laid out ready for you, exclusive sleeping arrangements... is going to be significantly different to the experience of riding PBP using your own resources.

I'm putting my money where my mouth is because I'd rather DNF than even use a bag drop. (So if I do DNF, you can all tell me so!  )

[LittleWheelsandBig]

And I'm one who thinks the achievement is finishing PBP according to the rules. Support or not, it is up to the rider. Whatever somebody else chooses to do, it doesn't affect my ride. I don't see a graduated scale of 'the right way to do PBP', just 'ancient du PBP' or DNF.

[Hot Flatus]

You haven't really achieved the same thing if you only get around PBP because you have a support team to care for your every need.

Much more pleasant though. I daresay there are people for whom long-distance riding is about masochism, and self-congratulation at just how hard you made the event for yourself.

Me? I just do it for fun 

[vorsprung]

You haven't really achieved the same thing if you only get around PBP because you have a support team.....  I'd rather DNF than even use a bag drop.

I dunno about you but I ride the bike for fun and don't give a stuff about what I've "achieved"

[EdinburghFixed]

Clearly I'm in a bit of a minority, but I stand by it.

An intrinsic part of the satisfaction I get from audax is that I'm covering distance on my bike through my own resources. If something breaks, I need to fix it or bodge it, not just walk 100 yards off-route, rendezvous with the support team and get one of the spare bikes off their roof. If I want to eat, I need to carry food (or buy it from somewhere and eat it on the spot). It doesn't get handed up in a musette as I ride past.

There's nobody to massage me in the back of a mobile home on a miserable winter 200km in Scotland, and I'm glad of that (afterwards!).

The beauty is that everybody gets to make their own choice. If you ride only for "fun" and give up at the first sign of trouble, good on you. I think less of you, but why should you care? In the most sincere way possible, you don't need my respect.

I'm not embarrased to say that personally, I value and respect a bit of a struggle. If you don't, don't mind me... but I'll still say it if asked.

[Jaded]

There's nobody to massage me in the back of a mobile home on a miserable winter 200km in Scotland

You need to stop your rides at North Cairntow then. 

[Hot Flatus]

Clearly I'm in a bit of a minority, but I stand by it.

An intrinsic part of the satisfaction I get from audax is that I'm covering distance on my bike through my own resources. If something breaks, I need to fix it or bodge it, not just walk 100 yards off-route, rendezvous with the support team and get one of the spare bikes off their roof. If I want to eat, I need to carry food (or buy it from somewhere and eat it on the spot). It doesn't get handed up in a musette as I ride past.

There's nobody to massage me in the back of a mobile home on a miserable winter 200km in Scotland, and I'm glad of that (afterwards!).

The beauty is that everybody gets to make their own choice. If you ride only for "fun" and give up at the first sign of trouble, good on you. I think less of you, but why should you care? In the most sincere way possible, you don't need my respect.

I'm not embarrased to say that personally, I value and respect a bit of a struggle. If you don't, don't mind me... but I'll still say it if asked.

Fairly new to audax are you 

[EdinburghFixed]

Fairly new to audax are you 

Ironically I took it up because I fancied a challenge. 

[mattc]

EDIT: comments moved to the new, non-PBP thread.

[Karla]

Looking forward to LEL, I live quite close to the route so I intend to have my house stocked with food, clean jerseys and spare everything, up to and including a spare bike*.  EF, do I take it you won't be doing the same?



*Damn I shouldn't have said that, now everyone will want a share.

[zigzag]

there are different ways how you can view support vehicles – as a five star service or just a company of your significant other. in my view it would be selfish to go on a holiday on my own, enjoy it and come back full of impressions and experiences, while my wife would do something else on her own. we went for a holiday to greece next day after lel, but my thoughts would drift away and i’ve struggled to concentrate at any conversation. we were together but also miles apart at the same time..
then i’ve entered 1001miglia last year and my mrs said she wouldn’t let me run away and enjoy the ride on my own. her presence was very welcome and enjoyable. i was self sufficient with my clothes and batteries (just in case) and would finish the ride any way, probably saving around 8 hours overall. but it was nice to come to a control find a smiling face, have a chat, share the joys and carry on. she also enjoyed the event, took many beautiful photos with slr camera, sampled nice food etc. we remember this event as our holiday, which we both enjoyed in our own way.
as i have plans for pbp this year, she’d like to go there as well and i’m also happy for that. i’ll prepare for pbp as if i ride through it with no support, but if i get some support that will be welcome. because of grand scale of the event it may not be possible to meet at each control, but it will be interesting to see the the whole thing from different perspectives and share this afterwards.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Think whatever you like EF but it would be impolite to sneer at a new ancien du PBP, "but of course you had support."

For what it's worth, I've done two PBPs with a bagdrop and one PBP without. It was nice to carry less stuff on the bike and have clean clothes.

[Greenbank]

I'm with the PBP anciens, if it's in the rules then I can't see a problem.

Claiming that your ride was tougher than someone else's gets you nowhere but a big game of oneupmanship:-
* you had more than 3 hours sleep?
* you had more than one gear? you could freewheel?
* you didn't make your frame on the Dave Yates frame-building course?
* you should have done it in 2007/2003/etc, much harder weather than year.

You either finish the ride within the time (and the rules) or you don't. How you choose to do that is up to you.

[Exit Stage Left]

It's very demanding to support a rider on PBP. In 2007 Ivo Miesen very kindly arranged a press pass for myself and Heather just prior to the start. This had the advantage that Heather could meet me en-route to provide support, mainly to keep cameras running with fresh batteries, and to film other riders and supporters. She had previous knowledge of PBP having stopped in 1999, and completed the course in 2003. In addition she had supported me in 12 hour and 24 hour time trials.
We still ended up having an argument in Brest. We had a big estate car I could sleep in, but it required a lot of discipline to keep enough space to do that. Support is good if the supporters can read your condition and shield you from queues. If they are confused by the arrangements, you might find that you are having to manage them, which is an added burden. I'm toying with the idea of a 'how to' DVD, which would bring together all the tricks.
I think you have to go into PBP knowing that you can get round unaided, support is helpful if you are looking for a time, in which case you need helpers who have experience from 24s and 12s, who are ideally PBP anciens/anciennes.

[Andrew]

Clearly I'm in a bit of a minority, but I stand by it.

It's a minority that'd include me tbh. I see what you're saying and am personally inclined to agree with it. I wouldn't however think lesser of anyone for having a support vehicle at every control. I can see the sense in it and would, I suspect, be envious come the time! It's just not the challenge I'd set myself and I'm sure even anciens have personal challenges!

I had considered the possibility of having a support vehicle 'bag drop'. That is, just being able to pick up clean clothes at a halfway point but, in honesty, it'd be too much pfaff to arrange and I don't really need it.

[Hot Flatus]

I had considered the possibility of having a support vehicle 'bag drop'. That is, just being able to pick up clean clothes at a halfway point but, in honesty, it'd be too much pfaff to arrange and I don't really need it.

I think you'd be wise to let others be the judge of that   

[Panoramix]

I will have a bag drop in Tinteniac since it is 30km from where my parents live but I wouldn't want to have a proper support vehicle, just too much faff to synchronise and too much temptation to bail out.

And I would just feel like David Cameron cycling to work followed by his car!

The Edinburgh drop bag worked well for me during LEL, I think that this time I may make a bivvy bag out of spinnaker cloth as i got cold in Thorne sleeping on a concrete floor.

[mattc]

_{Possibly should be under PBP Mistakes, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing:}

Best to consider the possibility that your (French-built) support vehicle breaks down terminally just outside Brest.