PBP website live...

[Martin]

You don't need a GPS on PBP, just follow the signs.

indeed; and if you do go wrong the first thing you will see is a red cross on a sign (also reflective at night). The arrows are easily picked up by a headtorch and directional. I had a route sheet in my pocket which I threw away at Brest having not even looked at it.

Can't remember if there was any indication for those without an odometer how far it was to the next control (usually every 90km) I think I had every control distance imprinted on my memory (Loudeac 455 out  / 778 back or something like that)

[border-rider]

I used a routesheet both times, and both times people we met on the road kept asking me how far it was to the next town/control/whatever...

I found it useful.

[Greenbank]

Indeed. GPSes are useful for doing things other than directing you.

On LEL I could happily plod my way up Yad Moss as I knew exactly how far it was to the summit, what height it was and what height I was at at the time. That kept my brain occupied whilst others were wondering if the climb continued forever or finished around the corner.

I had the same for the remaining climbs North of the border.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

You don't need a GPS on PBP, just follow the signs.

indeed; and if you do go wrong the first thing you will see is a red cross on a sign (also reflective at night). The arrows are easily picked up by a headtorch and directional. I had a route sheet in my pocket which I threw away at Brest having not even looked at it.

Can't remember if there was any indication for those without an odometer how far it was to the next control (usually every 90km)

I've got lost or tried to get lost during all three of my PBPs.  A couple of times, it was missing obvious direction signs (along with about 30 riders, about 10 km off course that time, another time saved by a more observant riding partner), kids turning signs (about 100 metres off-route), once it was missing or very well-hidden signs (about 5 km off-route with quite a few others over the next few hours).  I still rarely look at the route sheet.

[border-rider]

You also know with a routesheet/GPS whether you're charging along for 15 k before doing something, or turning in a few hundred metres.

[toontra]

The route (subject to change in the coming 571 days) is posted.

Is there any interest that, just like for LEL, I'll produce a Garmin map that covers the whole area between Paris and Brest, and is routable?

I'm willing to throw in (free of charge!) some POIs as well.

Tal.

I'll be using a GPS and would really appreciate it if you could post this on here - thanks!

[MSeries]

Can't remember if there was any indication for those without an odometer how far it was to the next control (usually every 90km) I think I had every control distance imprinted on my memory (Loudeac 455 out  / 778 back or something like that)

There wasn't. I just looked at the road signs to get distances, I didn't use a computer of any sort on my bike.

[Martin]

Can't remember if there was any indication for those without an odometer how far it was to the next control (usually every 90km) I think I had every control distance imprinted on my memory (Loudeac 455 out  / 778 back or something like that)

There wasn't. I just looked at the road signs to get distances

I found some of the distances on signs to be wrong as the route didn't use the main roads (the route being compulsory)

[MSeries]

Can't remember if there was any indication for those without an odometer how far it was to the next control (usually every 90km) I think I had every control distance imprinted on my memory (Loudeac 455 out  / 778 back or something like that)

There wasn't. I just looked at the road signs to get distances

I found some of the distances on signs to be wrong as the route didn't use the main roads (the route being compulsory)

Good enough for me.  The route sheet helped in places too.

[Ivo]

I managed to miss a sign before Loudeac on the way back (the lany bit). It was dark, pissing down and I hadn't slept apart from half an hour in a hallway since Loudeac on the way out. Missing that arrow cost me all the spare time I had for sleep. At that moment a GPS would have saved me from wandering and loosing 1-2 hours.

[tkatzir]

You don't need a GPS on PBP, just follow the signs.

In 2007 I didn't use a GPS, nor did I use the route sheet.
I mainly followed other riders,
and when alone (or at the front) I followed the signs.

However, on the way back to Loudeac, it was VERY dark, and not all junctions were signed (no PBP arrows, and no any other road signs, so the route sheet wouldn't have helped) so I stopped, and waited for others to come and rode with them.
I could have got lost with them, but it was a little more reassuring to have several other riders around me.

Tal.

[Hummers]

+1

Never too much trouble route finding.

H

[Weirdy Biker]

GPS is useful for getting from the ferry terminal to YStQ.  Other than that, a waste of time.  For the first 400km you'll be able to tell the way by the conga of riders on the road.  Thereafter, the signs at each junction.

The only time I got seriously lost (+1-2 hrs on time) was trying to locate the campsite Liz was staying in, in order to pick up new (dry) clothes from ye olde ACF bag droppe.  Entirely the fault of the brain not registering clear instructions - as GPS back then couldn't do routes on the fly, it wouldn't have helped.

[Martin]

the arrow tip is reflective; you get these at every intersection

[Ian H]

Things can go wrong. The later you are on the return the more likely that signs have been removed by souvenir hunters. This happened to me in 99 when I was on fixed and quite slow. I spent some time route finding.

Last time I fell in with a French group for the last 10k or so and we steamed to the finish without hesitation or deviation.

[Mr Larrington]

I used a routesheet both times, and both times people we met on the road kept asking me how far it was to the next town/control/whatever...

I found it useful.

+1.  The signs are not infallible.  A big group of us went mildly wrong shortly after the pace car left us when we reached an R @ X at which the local minipikeys had turned the sign umop-ap!sdn.  Not long after that a sheep-like devotion to following the Canadian in front had me doing L @ T when it should have been R, but fortunately a local motor-ist put us right before we'd gone far off-route.

[Ian H]

In 95 I saw a sign and turned right, but very quickly realised my error and signalled to stop. The large group of Italians on my wheel surged past and into the distance, despite my shout. I retraced, feeling a little guilty.

[Fidgetbuzz]

My addled brain does not recall where this was - but in the dark homeward bound - there was a right fork off a straight road - I ( and maybe a couple more) were about 200 yards behind a small faster moving group - after they had passed and missed the right fork - an "official" woke up - stood up and with a bright light flagged us to fork right. For the  group in front we did our best  yelling and shouting but to no effect - have sometimes wondered how far that group went before correcting.

Other than this I would have said my GPS ( which did not have the route loaded ) was of no value other than as a computer and record of where I went.

But this potential error sticks so strongly in my mind - that in 2011 - not only will I have GPS on handle bar - but I will also have route in GPS and use it.

[EdinburghFixed]

The main reason I like to take my GPS on rides is not to navigate with it (in fact, embarrassingly I don't know how to use it for route-finding on the fly!) but to have a record of where I've been and how I got on.

That said, it did come in quite handy on the recent Etal-u-can where I made up a good bit of ground, not having to worry about which minor unsigned roads were which.

How is the openstreetmap coverage of northern France though?

[Nuncio]

Last time I fell in with a French group for the last 10k or so and we steamed to the finish without hesitation or deviation.

Nor repetition, presumably.

[Greenbank]

How is the openstreetmap coverage of northern France though?

Have you tried looking?

(Yes, it looks pretty good. Probably enough to get by on.)

[Ian H]

Last time I fell in with a French group for the last 10k or so and we steamed to the finish without hesitation or deviation.

Nor repetition, presumably.

Perhaps next year.

[Martin]

the only slight doubt I had about having followed the right arrows was after St Martin des ? (the place with the big tent outside the cafe; on the official DVD)

I ended up in a lonely lane so just waited for about 30s and 50 riders came along.

There is one place just before Fougeres (near the level crossing where I passed Drew Buck) which is famous for being a stretch where you can be the only rider on the road (on the first afternoon)

[frankly frankie]

How is the openstreetmap coverage of northern France though?

Have you tried looking?
(Yes, it looks pretty good. Probably enough to get by on.)

The 2007 PBP route is all on - I added all the missing bits (about 50% of the total route) early last year.
However that alone is not particularly useful - there aren't even enough surrounding roads to make a credible 'strip map' say 200m wide, in many areas.  St Quentin is good, and so is Brest - but rural Normandy and Brittany are very sketchy.

[Panoramix]

How is the openstreetmap coverage of northern France though?

Have you tried looking?
(Yes, it looks pretty good. Probably enough to get by on.)

The 2007 PBP route is all on - I added all the missing bits (about 50% of the total route) early last year.
However that alone is not particularly useful - there aren't even enough surrounding roads to make a credible 'strip map' say 200m wide, in many areas.  St Quentin is good, and so is Brest - but rural Normandy and Brittany are very sketchy.

OSM is not quite there in France, nevertheless I know that some people are mapping eastern Brittany and each time I check, new roads appear so it should be much better in 18 months!