Author Topic: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.  (Read 32074 times)

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #25 on: 06 March, 2018, 02:34:46 pm »
Part of me would like to consider PBP next year, but there is a lot to organise and a lot of time is needed, with the qualifiers and all. It seems a lot of things would need to fall into place and other plans and holidays would suffer as a result.
I'm not even sure it's for me... distance and sleep deprivation aside, I am not a big fan of crowds and queues.

It's worth the effort - even if you only do it once. It's a bizarre experience to be on the road with so many like-minded riders from all over the World whilst being applauded and encouraged by bystanders and even drivers.

The crowds and queues are overdone. Although, you can also meet some interesting folk whilst waiting for food or for cards to be stamped - and hear some amusing conversations.

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #26 on: 06 March, 2018, 02:51:43 pm »
It is possible (though not easy) to ride PBP 95% alone with no other cyclists in sight, and empty controls.  Pretty joyless mind you. 
The trick is to start with the fast group and drop off the back (that's the easy bit) then maintain a 'fast group' sort of pace to stay ahead of the next group (which I think is only 2 hours behind).  The true fast riders bounce most of the controls so when you get there they are just empty - more controllers than riders when I did this - and these empty controls help you keep your distance ahead of the bulge.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Zed43

  • prefers UK hills over Dutch mountains
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #27 on: 06 March, 2018, 03:09:32 pm »
I got round the event itself with little queueing and 2 sleep breaks and staying ahead of the bulge.
When did you start (80h/84h/90h group, which start time)? Also, does the pre-qualification allow you to choose a specific start time?

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #28 on: 06 March, 2018, 03:24:04 pm »
Francis is clearly a fast rider... not truely fast, of course, but "fast". Alas, most of us by definition will be somewhere 'in the bulge'... and if you're not able to maintain a good tempo you will likely spend a lot of time on your own, actually or virtually. It's also a fact universally acknowledged that it's a bad idea to eat at controls, as the queues are long and the food rather uninspiring and costly. There is much more fun to be had at cafes and shops on route. Though the route itself isn't particularly inspiring.

Apart from that it's great. :)

I'd super deffo opt for the 84hr/Morning depart, assuming its offered. The first ~30hrs of the 90hr evening depart (which means you'll likely have been awake around 40hrs before sleeping on the second night) is a killer. A morning start without the extended queuing to depart is well worth swapping for an extra 6 hours being knackered on the road. YMMV of course.

rob

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #29 on: 06 March, 2018, 03:39:19 pm »
I got round the event itself with little queueing and 2 sleep breaks and staying ahead of the bulge.
When did you start (80h/84h/90h group, which start time)? Also, does the pre-qualification allow you to choose a specific start time?

I went in one of the first 90hr groups.   I'm not fast enough to hang onto the 80hr group.   By not faffing much I ended up in a pretty blissful little bubble between the 80hr and 90hr groups allowing for quick passage through controls and beds at Carhaix and Fougeres.

When you pre-register you can choose your start time.   It's not locked down, though, and you can change again when you secure your place after qualification.

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #30 on: 06 March, 2018, 04:07:15 pm »
It is possible (though not easy) to ride PBP 95% alone with no other cyclists in sight, and empty controls.  Pretty joyless mind you. 
The trick is to start with the fast group and drop off the back (that's the easy bit) then maintain a 'fast group' sort of pace to stay ahead of the next group (which I think is only 2 hours behind).  The true fast riders bounce most of the controls so when you get there they are just empty - more controllers than riders when I did this - and these empty controls help you keep your distance ahead of the bulge.

I did something like that in 2007 2011.  If nothing else I managed to avoid the storm that caught both slower and faster riders.

[year corrected]

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #31 on: 06 March, 2018, 04:15:36 pm »
I'm beginning to get a little worried, even at this early stage. I hope to ride a 400 and a 600 this year so should by all accounts be ok for pre-registration. What concerns me is the qualification and rides selling out before I have a chance to enter. I guess it means being a little more organised making sure I am there when entries open.

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #32 on: 06 March, 2018, 06:30:05 pm »
It will be my first time attempting PBP qualification next year.  Can the qualification rides be completed as DIY's or using Perms? That would make family/cycling life so much smoother!

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #33 on: 06 March, 2018, 06:31:31 pm »
No, BRM calendar events only.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #34 on: 06 March, 2018, 08:41:04 pm »
I'm beginning to get a little worried, even at this early stage. I hope to ride a 400 and a 600 this year so should by all accounts be ok for pre-registration. What concerns me is the qualification and rides selling out before I have a chance to enter. I guess it means being a little more organised making sure I am there when entries open.
In the UK it's only the presitgious 4/600s that sell out, and even then hardly any do so in a 48-hour frenzy.  (and if you ride a 400 this year, you'll get a place on PBP2019).

Honestly, getting fit and getting your kit sorted is the more complex issue (and you sound like you're tackling that this year  :thumbsup: )
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #35 on: 06 March, 2018, 09:40:21 pm »
For preparation purposes it's a good idea to do one of your qualifiers or pre qualifiers in France. Just to get used to riding in France.

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #36 on: 06 March, 2018, 10:14:27 pm »
For preparation purposes it's a good idea to do one of your qualifiers or pre qualifiers in France. Just to get used to riding in France.

Great idea, I hadn't even considered that. Any suggestions?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #37 on: 06 March, 2018, 10:24:09 pm »
Whichever is the easiest for you to get to. The majority of French BRMs are line entry and equivalent to X-rated British events.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #38 on: 07 March, 2018, 05:45:48 am »
For preparation purposes it's a good idea to do one of your qualifiers or pre qualifiers in France. Just to get used to riding in France.

Ah yes, getting used to riding in France. Great routes, a lack of traffic density, polite drivers and route cards / maps that should win the Nobel Prize for literature  (fiction category).

I live cheese-side and am a semi regular Brevet rider. Mostly they follow a similar format; Whacky races at the start, wild eyes and straight into tempo/threshold effort (not for me, I'm Flahute {cough} ) Big groups survival of the fittest type stuff, quickly breaking down into dispersed pockets of resistance. Long lunches with wine followed by a retreat from Stallingrad re-enactment, bodies at the roadside, increasing in number the closer to arrivee. Of course it's all smiles and nonchalance at the end, usually followed by a sample of the local delicacy ... andouille anyone ?

I'm not far from the PBP route and my hamlet are already making plans to turnout to watch me, so no pressure, noooo.. none at all.

I love it, Vive La France !

p.s. My 2018 pre-qualifier is the BCM ...
Let them eat cake

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #39 on: 07 March, 2018, 09:05:56 am »
For preparation purposes it's a good idea to do one of your qualifiers or pre qualifiers in France. Just to get used to riding in France.

Great idea, I hadn't even considered that. Any suggestions?

CC Orchies is a good club and organises a lot of rides. They are quite near Lille so it's easy to use the Eurostar (if you travel via London).
The whole north-west of France is a strong hold of audaxing so you'll find plenty of rides. I'll do the Béthune one on sunday, just a quick bash headwind slog down to the Bay de Somme and an easy tailwind ride back to Béthune.

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #40 on: 07 March, 2018, 09:57:08 am »
Francis is clearly a fast rider...

Oh 'eck!  WAS.  Very much was:D :-[  And of course I was riding with being dragged along by Sheila at the time, and she was the reigning 3x National 24h champ.  That's why we foolishly opted for the Vedette start.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

whosatthewheel

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #41 on: 07 March, 2018, 03:52:59 pm »
... andouille anyone ?



Northern France cuisine is revolting... I have no specific objection to an offal sausage, but when it's cooked in cream and Dijon mustard it becomes ghastly. I never had a decent meal north of Paris

simonp

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #42 on: 07 March, 2018, 03:59:06 pm »
It is possible (though not easy) to ride PBP 95% alone with no other cyclists in sight, and empty controls.  Pretty joyless mind you. 
The trick is to start with the fast group and drop off the back (that's the easy bit) then maintain a 'fast group' sort of pace to stay ahead of the next group (which I think is only 2 hours behind).  The true fast riders bounce most of the controls so when you get there they are just empty - more controllers than riders when I did this - and these empty controls help you keep your distance ahead of the bulge.

I managed to fall off the back of the 80h start group I was in after about 80km.

I had a fairly quiet several hours before I found a group to ride in overnight and spent a lot of my time just plodding along. The restaurant at Villaines on the way out was just me and about 5 helpers.



Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #43 on: 07 March, 2018, 04:56:06 pm »
I'd super deffo opt for the 84hr/Morning depart, assuming its offered. The first ~30hrs of the 90hr evening depart (which means you'll likely have been awake around 40hrs before sleeping on the second night) is a killer. A morning start without the extended queuing to depart is well worth swapping for an extra 6 hours being knackered on the road. YMMV of course.

Conversely, having done the 84hr 5am start in 2011 I would not recommend it at all. Instead of adrenaline carrying you through the first night and carrying on until late evening on night 2, you're up at 3am to start at 5 so knackered by midnight, then a few hours sleep puts you on or behind the time limits for some extra stress the next day.

Couple that with the complete lack of atmosphere at the start and the first 100k, I'd definitely go for the 90hr if  you're a first timer.

Having done 90 and 84 previously I'm going to complete the set with an 80hr start next year and get a few extra hours of daylight riding before physical collapse on night 2.

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #44 on: 07 March, 2018, 05:48:39 pm »
So there we have it. MTFU. TINA.

After my 89hr effort of 2011 that was what I was planning to do in 2015 but in practice hardly rode at all that year, let alone enter PBP.

At least an 80hr start offers lots of scope for working your way through the field! :)

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #45 on: 08 March, 2018, 09:39:05 am »
It's a real shame they no longer offer a 'sensible' start time.  My first 2 PBPs were waaay back in 1983 and 87 and for those the 84h group had a 10am start (chasing the 90h group who had started at 4am, and with the vedettes on our tails starting at 4pm).  It was easy to get to Brest or even Carhaix returning, before needing a sleep stop, latter-day stories of the crushes at Loudeac sound nightmarish to me.  It was also mostly 'N' road riding which made the whole event a lot easier than I guess it now is.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #46 on: 08 March, 2018, 10:04:00 am »
Well, the event changed a bit since the 80-ies. It's now way too busy for N-road bashing (and the N-roads are too busy for cycling anyway). Some of the control loactions haven't changed since my first paricipation in '95 when there were about half the number of participants as now. So overcrowding is a bigger issue nowadays. On the other hands, there are more informal places along the route now and I do expect even more extra support area's for 2019 (two of them already in 2015 which did a great job).

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #47 on: 08 March, 2018, 10:24:34 am »
It will be interesting to see how those who did LEL get on. There used to be a big difference between LEL and PBP, but that's narrowed.

PBP used to be the pinnacle of an Audax career, but there are plenty whose only encounter with Audax has been LEL. So the experience can now be reversed, with PBP qualifiers as the unknown factor.

Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #48 on: 08 March, 2018, 10:27:37 am »
Of course a lot of this could be avoided if ACP awarded the titles of Vedette, Randonneur or Tourist based on finishing time regardless of start time.


Re: PBP 2019 Qualifiers.
« Reply #49 on: 08 March, 2018, 10:44:36 am »
PBP used to be the pinnacle of an Audax career, but there are plenty whose only encounter with Audax has been LEL.

UK wide maybe but that's no great surprise.

I think it's still the case that more people finished the last PBP than have ever finished LEL.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."