Thinking about Paris-Brest-Paris

[Sooty]

As there's already a topic anticipating a flood of PBP topics, I thought I'd get the ball rolling...

Actually, I was already thinking about this. I did my first big Audax this year (the National 400). It was big for me, Okay! In fact I did my first Audax of any kind this year. Anyway, now I have the same reluctant desire to ride PBP that I had for the National 400. The fear is being actively juggled with a stupid desire to ride an uncomfortably long distance on a bike.

The difference between this and the National 400 (aside from a fair few hundred miles), is the 400 was down the road from me. This would at the very least require a trip on an aeroplane, probably some hotel bookings, and all kinds of other planning that I'm no good at. So I'm hoping some of you may be able to talk to me about the practicalities of PBP. Getting there. Places to stay. What happens out on the road. Etc. Mostly, I'm wondering if it can be done on a shoestring!

I understand you should complete an SR series in preparation (though I gather it's not always necessary, it just helps cement your place?).

My main questions:

• How much does it cost to enter?
• Is the start easy to get to from the airport?
• I think I read that facilities at control points cost money. How much?
• Roughly how many miles would I be riding each day? And over how many days?
• What happens if you don't use the facilities at control points - just kip at the side of the road??

 

You get the gist. I want to build a picture of what's involved so that I can determine if it's feasible. The actual PBP site doesn't talk a lot of sense, and it would be good to hear real world experiences from those that have done it before.

[Ian H]

Best to catch a ferry and ride over. You get 90hrs to finish. Then you ride home. Simple. Food and facilities such as showers at controls cost, but the entry is much less than the all-in LEL. Plenty of bars and cafes offering food along the way. Great atmosphere.

[Deano]

You must complete an SR series next year, within the time periods they lay down. No substitutions allowed, so this must be a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km ride, each within the stated qualification window.

You don't really have to do anything at the controls, apart from stamp your card. You can eat there (where you pay for food - the entry fee is just for the ride, everything else is extra). There was at least one Lidl on the route in 2011, but foraging can take up extra time (as can queuing, so your call).

The rest, it depends - you could do worse than check this lot out:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28144.msg511355.0

[Sooty]

Best to catch a ferry and ride over.

It's a 6 hour drive to ferry - providing I don't get stuck in traffic. It would probably be cheaper, and quicker for me to fly.

[Sooty]

The rest, it depends - you could do worse than check this lot out:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28144.msg511355.0

Thanks. That should keep me busy for a while!

[Deano]

Where are you based Sooty? I'm in Darlo - if you're anywhere local, we could probably arrange a meet-up over a pint to rip off Tomsk's idea.

I've only ridden it once, but I could probably rustle up a few of the local anciens to bore tell you all about it.

[Martin]

Best to catch a ferry and ride over. You get 90hrs to finish. Then you ride home.

assuming you can ride; I couldn't for about 4 weeks after

[Sooty]

I'm about an hour up the road from you Deano, near Newcastle. It's just a thought at the moment. There's a good chance it won't happen, due to the financial stake, and the fact I could spend that money on something I'd actually enjoy

But who knows. I'm tempted. 

[jsabine]

You must complete an SR series next year, within the time periods they lay down. No substitutions allowed, so this must be a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km ride, each within the stated qualification window.

I *thought* that you could substitute longer rides - eg if you missed your chance to complete a 400, you could ride an extra 600 instead.

They do have to be BRM though - if it says just BR next to them in the calendar, that won't do (but all relevant rides next year ought to be BRM so this shouldn't be a worry).

[...] something I'd actually enjoy

Audax: like fun, only different.
Audax: if you're enjoying it, you're doing it wrong. (^(c) Mr Jim Hopper)

[Deano]

You must complete an SR series next year, within the time periods they lay down. No substitutions allowed, so this must be a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km ride, each within the stated qualification window.

I *thought* that you could substitute longer rides - eg if you missed your chance to complete a 400, you could ride an extra 600 instead.

God, I don't know. I thought so, but I just ride my bike without fretting too much about the regs. I reckon it's simpler to ride the series that way.

[Von Broad]

You must complete an SR series next year, within the time periods they lay down. No substitutions allowed, so this must be a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km ride, each within the stated qualification window.

I *thought* that you could substitute longer rides - eg if you missed your chance to complete a 400, you could ride an extra 600 instead.

Yeah, yeah, almost certain you can - only in an upwards direction of course, you can't substitute a 600 for a 200 

Was it Dave Khan who did something like three 600's last time
[Wasn't me, that's for sure!]

[mattc]

Best to catch a ferry and ride over. You get 90hrs to finish. Then you ride home.

assuming you can ride; I couldn't for about 4 weeks after

It's funny - when I didn't need to ride afterwards, I felt like I was in no shape to.

But the 2nd time, I managed 3x100km afterwards - at a very steady pace - with acceptable aches and pains. And a lot of fun. And pastries.


The ride down is super-fun - but if you're oop North, flying probably is cheaper than 2x(train+ferries)+3x SharedChainHotelRooms

[Somnolent]

Is the start easy to get to from the airport?
35 km from Orly
60 km from Charles-de-Gaulle
If cycling from the latter go as near due west as you can for about 20km before cutting south. 
Don't go south from the airport into the eastern (or even north-eastern) suburbs of Baghdad Paris
Train from Charles-de-Gaulle is probably two changes.

[T42]

Re qu. 4, it's 1200 km in 90 hours = 320 km/day, only the concept of "day" kinda melts into the background to be replaced by "oh look, it's getting light".  Takes a good week to catch up on sleep again afterwards.

[Euan Uzami]

You must complete an SR series next year, within the time periods they lay down. No substitutions allowed, so this must be a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km ride, each within the stated qualification window.

I *thought* that you could substitute longer rides - eg if you missed your chance to complete a 400, you could ride an extra 600 instead.

Yeah, yeah, almost certain you can - only in an upwards direction of course, you can't substitute a 600 for a 200 

Was it Dave Khan who did something like three 600's last time
[Wasn't me, that's for sure!]

yes, you can. I have. I think I used an HR for qual in 2011

[GrahamG]

I'd look to ride if money an issue, but my wife is looking forward to coming along this year and using as an excuse for a holiday after seeing as the channel will have already been crossed. Should be plenty of opportunities for lift share etc. or maybe careful planning for advance train tickets to get you in the vicinity of the ferries etc. etc.

Again coming from the skinflints perspective, the advantage of riding, liftsharing etc. over flying is that you can take your camping kit and therefore drastically minimise expenditure on accommodation.

Edit - finally, it's feeling about the right time for a sub-forum!

[Veloman]

• How much does it cost to enter?
• Is the start easy to get to from the airport?
• I think I read that facilities at control points cost money. How much?

1. Registration in 2011 was 110 euros and everything else (food/beds/shower) cost you individually, so you can easily double that figure and then add things like accommodation/transport to/after the event.  I'm afraid it is not a cheap audax.  I combined it as my main holiday in 2011 to mitigate costs.

2. Chaps in my cheapo hotel flew in from Italy and arrived with bikes boxed, so eminently possible.  Ease is a subjective matter!

2. Depends what you want.  I think I had a shower for 2/3 euros which was well worth it.  Probably similar for beds.  How much would you spend on 600 in UK?  Quadruple it!

Lots of information here (English pdf):

http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/index2.php?lang=en&cat=inscription&page=contenu_inscription

[Bugloss]

If I decide to do it I shall be camping it up as normal and doing the 84 hour start or falling off the back of the vedettes, how I'll get there and back is another matter entirely.

[LEE]

Sounds like cost is your main concern.

I can't see you doing it for less than £300 + food/drink en route.  Add to that the costs associated with the qualifiers.

a rough calculation

£100 to enter
£100 for travel
£100 for accommodation

I think that's very conservative.

I'd very much like to ride to/from the start/finish this time but I'm only a 4 hour cycle ride from Portsmouth ferries.  That's something that seems like a fun idea from my office chair, but may seem like a bad idea the morning after I finish PBP.

[Bairdy]

I like the idea of riding there and back, but in reality will probably drive over in the van with Mrs B and make a decent two week holiday of it, probably heading to the Alps afterwards to see my mate and indulge in the wonderful painkiller that is Genepi.
So it will certainly not be a shoestring job for me.

[Bairn Again]

If your near Darlo, the train would be quite easy. I live in Edinburgh and took my bike (boxed) on the East Coast service and the Eurostar last time and it was way more enjoyable than the previous coach trip using Baxter in 2007. 

If I do PBP next year I plan to take my bike unboxed on the train - I did this for a France tour last year and my experience was good - other than having to fork out £30 each way my bike was treated like royalty and despite reserving the right to putit on another train than you, mine was there waiting for me unscathed both times. 
 
To get to St Quentin from the Gare du Nord one can ride out (I did this with Edinburgh Fixed last time on bike check day which was fun.  Alternatively its only a short ride from the Gare du Nord to Invalides RER which takes bikes and takes you to the start.  http://goo.gl/maps/TfNuq 

Rememeber that Paris is super quiet when PBP is on so few traffic worries.  I had accomodation in central Paris last tiem and rode the above route half a dozen times no problem.   

[frankly frankie]

What happens if you don't use the facilities at control points - just kip at the side of the road??

Technically, I believe it's illegal to sleep rough in France.  Maybe that's only within town limits (like roadside pee-ing).

People adopting a vagrant lifestyle (mostly on the Cote d'Azur) do so knowing they will be herded into nice dry shelters every night.

[marcusjb]

I think we will Eurostar it this time - tandem in it's two suitcases and then the local train to wherever we stay.  No need to book it on as a bike etc.  That nearly 2 grand extra we paid for S&S couplers was worth it! 

I loved riding there (I cheated and got the train back last time - not because of any physical issues, but finishing PBP a bit quicker than I thought meant I had the option of getting back to London before my girlfriend (now wife) left for a trip to the US). 

I would like to ride there again - but convincing someone who has only ever ridden 200ish km on a tandem that this is a good approach is tricky at the moment.  We'll see as we work towards this goal.  It turns a 5 day trip into more of a 8/9 day trip, with the associated costs and impact on leave days etc.

I can't see you doing it for less than £300 + food/drink en route.  Add to that the costs associated with the qualifiers.

I think that really is very conservative.  It really isn't a cheap thing.  There are ways of keeping the costs down for sure (Foraging at local supermarkets etc.) - but going off-piste can add time potentially and indecision - it's easy at a control (limited choice, ready to eat and generally pretty decent) compared to wandering the aisles of a supermarket (even in the UK, I fritter away time trying to work out what I fancy and then finding it).

The camping option was, from memory, quite reasonable as hotels at the start/finish clearly add some considerable costs (certainly a couple of hundred quid). 

[Bugloss]

£35 each way will guarantee your bike will travel on the same Eurostar service as you, although places are limited so book early.

[Exit Stage Left]

Someone should get their act together and offer a package whereby a truck takes your bike and camping gear to St Quentin, leaving the rider free to get a cheap flight and train.
You could courier the bike to a central depot with its associated stuff. The truck would then do bag drops.

http://www.directcouriersolutions.co.uk/bicycles.php