Author Topic: Thinking about PBP in 2019 (Read 4088 times)

Jamesha · « **on:** 21 July, 2018, 07:45:11 pm »

Hello,

I have been audaxing occasionally for over a decade. I originally started as a way to train for the 2004 Etape du Tour but since have mainly riden 100km BPs. Recently I have stepped things up a little and am now nine months into a RRTY attempt (8 x 200km, 1 x 300km) and am thinking of challenges for next season.

Repeating RRTY and trying to do an SR series was my initial thought but then doing PBP sprang to mind.

Is this a realistic goal? - I would not classify myself as a strong rider and tend to take 12+ hours for a 200km although rides seem to have got easier during my RRTY rides. I would step up my training and try to drop a few pounds.

I would be really interested to hear how others approached their first PBP and particularly how many 400km+ rides were undertaken before the PBP itself.

Also is a 300km ride in 2018 enough to get entry (pre-qualification ride) or is it advisable to do a 400km?

JonBuoy · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 July, 2018, 08:05:11 pm »

Go for it !

I did PBP in 2015.

I had been doing RRTY for the previous two years and did a 300k in 2014. I then did the required SR in 2015 and got round PBP in reasonable shape.

I get the impression that a 300k is likely to get you in but a 400k is almost certain to get you in.

Phil W · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 July, 2018, 08:18:58 pm »

^^^ this

Year before LEL 2013 I did my first 300. Did an SR in 2013 then onto LEL. As for pre qualification no one knows what is sufficient. Things have changed since 2015, particularly the number of Asian riders targeting PBP. You may be alright with a 300 BRM this year, or you may not.

Jamesha · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 July, 2018, 09:46:27 pm »

Thanks for the responses guys.

It seems that only "RM" events count as pre-qualifiers. How will I know which events I have done fall into this category? - the 300 km ride I did was Blacksheep's "A Rough Diamond" - is this a valid qualifying event?

The do not seem to be any 400km rides left this year which would act as pre-qualifiers. The Blackpool-Glasgow-Blackpool 600km event in September looks interesting but not sure if I am ready for that yet.

Deano · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 July, 2018, 09:59:13 pm »

Quote from: Speedicut on 21 July, 2018, 09:46:27 pm

Thanks for the responses guys.

It seems that only "RM" events count as pre-qualifiers. How will I know which events I have done fall into this category? - the 300 km ride I did was Blacksheep's "A Rough Diamond" - is this a valid qualifying event?

The do not seem to be any 400km rides left this year which would act as pre-qualifiers. The Blackpool-Glasgow-Blackpool 600km event in September looks interesting but not sure if I am ready for that yet.

In your results on the AUK website, the lefthand column is for ACP numbers, which indicate that those are BRM rides. If there's a number (or a provisional makrer in there), it was a BRM ride. How long of a BRM you need to pre-qualify (and whether anyone without one can enter at all) is something none of us will know until next year, but the ACP advice is to get at least a BRM 400 this year.

There's also the Flatlands 600. I don't think the step up from 300 to 600 is as vast as it seems, so if you are thinking about PBP, then a) a 600 pre-qualifier would seem to be a Good Idea, and b) it'll teach you a lot about how you deal with sleep deprivation on the bike, and generally how you ride when you are tired.

Erm, 12 hours for a 200 is not fast, and wouldn't leave you a lot of time for sleep. I'd certainly say give it a go, but work on a bit more speed on the road and a lot less faffing so's your time off the bike counts.

See you in Paris (hopefully)

Wycombewheeler · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 July, 2018, 10:52:45 am »

600 may not be harder than a 400 especially the flatlands rides.

If you want to know whether a certain ride is BRM you can check back at the calendar entry by setting the start date to include the ride. Having an app number is an easier check but often there is a significant delay.

You make a statement about 200s taking 12 hours but getting easier does this mean you are taking longer breaks or just riding within yourself. If you were to consider PBP as 6 200s that woukd total 72 hours leaving 18 additional hours for sleeping and additional eating.

Jamesha · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 July, 2018, 08:05:11 pm »

Thanks again for the responses - I checked the 300km I did earlier this month by changing the calendar date and it was a BR event

When I mentioned 200's getting easier what I meant was that I feel less beat up during and after the rides and my times have got a bit better. It is difficult to know how much of that is due to better conditions and the benefits I am getting from learning about what works best for me food-wise - fried food does me no favours

To be honest with myself my best chance would be to drop the excess weight I am carrying - I could lose 40 pounds and still not be skinny.

Any pointers for the mechanics of PBP? - e.g. how to get to the start, where to stay etc.

Phil W · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 July, 2018, 08:07:56 pm »

See PBP sub forum. If question not asked then raise a new post in there.

DCLane · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 July, 2018, 11:04:37 pm »

So far this year I've only got a 200km pre-qualifier. Life happens and I'm booked onto Blackpool-Glasgow-Blackpool. If that doesn't work then I'll have the 200.

In 2015 I got in without a pre-qualifier, riding as a vedette. As long as you are not specific you are likely to get a place at some point.

In prep I only did 2 x 200km the year before (none as BRM), the 200/300/400/600 qualifiers and a 200 the month before PBP. For LEL I did a 200/300/400 although a 750km southern-half LEL ride a fortnight before the event wasn't the most sensible.

LateStarter · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 July, 2018, 04:29:04 am »

Seems there is thousands of us dreaming / thinking about PBP 2019 and a lesser number training / preparing. Guess the trick is moving from the first state into the second. Any hints on that?

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 July, 2018, 07:31:16 am »

Quote from: LateStarter on 23 July, 2018, 04:29:04 am

Seems there is thousands of us dreaming / thinking about PBP 2019 and a lesser number training / preparing. Guess the trick is moving from the first state into the second. Any hints on that?

You'll need to get a bicycle.

alotronic · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 July, 2018, 08:54:38 am »

PBP is a good aim for life and you're right to start thinking about it now.

Get yourself on Flatlands, it's 600 but it's *relatively* benign due to lack of hills. Go slow, have a good sleep, you'll know what to improve after that. It's a prequalifier (not that you really need to worry about that). You may even not make it! What you are really looking for is the riding experience and the feeling about 5 days after you finish - if you have hunger about that point then you will be ready to *start* the training needed and you will have to be serious about it for the whole year - ignore people above who have been riding for decades, they can wing it relatively speaking, those of us near the bottom of the Audax pyramid really need to train for these events.

Also it's only by doing properly long rides you discover if your setup is good enough. It probably won't be!

thing1 · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 July, 2018, 09:19:10 am »

PBP has it's own board now, which you'll find useful to get answers to many of the (pre) qualifier questions
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=83.0

bludger · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 July, 2018, 12:57:12 pm »

Sadly it seems the flatlands 600 is now fully booked!

tippers_kiwi · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 July, 2018, 01:05:40 pm »

Quote from: bludger on 23 July, 2018, 12:57:12 pm

Sadly it seems the flatlands 600 is now fully booked!

Are you looking at last years? It's called Fenland Friends this year and is running in reverse. Still looks open on the site. My understanding is because it is an X-Rated event Tomsk tends to accommodate as many as sensibly possible.

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-398/

bludger · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 July, 2018, 01:23:43 pm »

Ah yes quite right - I'm a bit tired and coming to the end of my cross channel beer at the end of my mini eurotour. I'll do the London Orbital and have a think about rhe 600 once that's out the way. Cheers!

I am also weighing up PBP for 2019....

tippers_kiwi · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 July, 2018, 02:05:42 pm »

Quote from: bludger on 23 July, 2018, 01:23:43 pm

Ah yes quite right - I'm a bit tired and coming to the end of my cross channel beer at the end of my mini eurotour. I'll do the London Orbital and have a think about rhe 600 once that's out the way. Cheers!

I am also weighing up PBP for 2019....

Good a reason as any

I'm not jealous at all....

Delph Cyclist · « **Reply #17 on:** 27 July, 2018, 08:06:17 am »

The thing about PBP is that you don't need to decide now. Just plan an SR series next year, and ideally have a go at the Flatlands 600 this year, and then decide next June. Unlike LEL, where you need to pay your deposit in January, you don't enter PBP until you have your qualifiers validated.

Of course, you might want to book accommodation and travel before you have qualified and been given a place. Why not do that anyway? Even if you haven't managed to get a ride on PBP, you are in France with your bike, so go for a ride. Just getting there and watching the start could be an interesting experience for 2023. Warning: watching them finish might, of course, put you off completely.

Tomsk · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 July, 2018, 08:39:42 pm »

Quote from: bludger on 23 July, 2018, 01:23:43 pm

Ah yes quite right - I'm a bit tired and coming to the end of my cross channel beer at the end of my mini eurotour. I'll do the London Orbital and have a think about rhe 600 once that's out the way. Cheers!

I am also weighing up PBP for 2019....

Organiser here: Fenland Friends entries will remain open up to the last minute.

I have reserved an option on the second, larger, church hall if we get a big demand for the pre-ride sleepover [for the 2014 pre-qualifier we had a huge demand, including about 8 Irish riders who had failed on their only 600 earlier in the year]. We're over 90 entries already - about the same as a month before, 4 years ago. I thought Cycling Geezer's 'Yorkshire Via Essex [Flatlands Reversed]' on the same day might reduce the numbers, but I guess PBP interest is going to grow bigger each time.

mr ben · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 July, 2018, 09:25:36 pm »

Quote from: Speedicut on 21 July, 2018, 09:46:27 pm

The do not seem to be any 400km rides left this year which would act as pre-qualifiers. The Blackpool-Glasgow-Blackpool 600km event in September looks interesting but not sure if I am ready for that yet.

I did the BGB last year and it was great, although I finished an hour out of time. It's a good one to see how you manage with sleep deprivation (me: badly) as it starts at 10 pm.

Charlie Polecat · « **Reply #20 on:** 29 July, 2018, 10:13:00 pm »

Quote

Just getting there and watching the start could be an interesting experience for 2023.

I think the catholic church used to say something about that, woudn't watching it and not participating be a bit like coitus interruptus.

Andydauddwr · « **Reply #21 on:** 07 August, 2018, 04:13:25 pm »

Just to add to the anecdote library - I did my first one [2007] having only ridden as far as 200km in the season before.

I wrote about it at the time, excuse the dated looking website:
http://www.andsl.org/pbp/

Andy

Author Topic: Thinking about PBP in 2019 (Read 4088 times)

Phil W

Phil W