PBP: Bag storage in Paris

[wilkyboy]

I s'pose this is something les anciens just know all about, but us first timers have no idea ... where can you store your aprés-cycle luggage while riding PBP?

At the moment it's looking most likely that Mrs W and the little w's won't be joining me in Paris, so I won't have the convenience of a soigneur to look after my kit and caboodle while I'm riding.  Is there an official left-luggage service?  Or is this something that has to be arranged with your hotel?  If so, do all hotels offer this facility?  I am currently considering either riding down or taking the Eurostar, but should I drive instead and leave everything in the back of the car?

TIA.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Most bigger/ better hotels will have a room set aside for bike storage before/ after PBP and will allow riders to store their bags there during the event.

[Wobbly]

Easiest to take a bike trailer and carry it with you.

[Revellinho]

On LEL I was roughing it (slept on the grass, even though I don't think we were supposed to) and so did not have anywhere to leave kit, but there was a room (I think on an 'at your own risk' basis) at the start for a limited amount of storage.  If I get there, it is unlikely that I will be able to get a hotel - do people 'in the know' think that it will be OK to leave a bag of clothes at the start snook away in a broom cupboard somewhere?  I suppose the alternative would be to put it in the bag drops - I'm assuming that there is one or two bag drops.

[Salvatore]

No official bag drops, unless it's different this year.

[Somnolent]

I s'pose this is something les anciens just know all about, but us first timers have no idea ... where can you store your aprés-cycle luggage while riding PBP?

YHPM

[T42]

We left our street duds in the car in the allocated parking-space. Safety in numbers.

With 5000+ riders, bag drops would be hell for the organizers.

[Ivo]

Mostly I stayed on the campsite. On the startday most people checked out with 'my tent stays here, I'll return, don't know when'. After finishing you went to your tent and all your kit was still there just like you left it.

[T42]

This time we're going with a camping car. No idea what we're going to do with it, presumably the organizers will tell us.

[L CC]

There was a left luggage room at the gym in 2011.

[Charlie Boy]

This time we're going with a camping car. No idea what we're going to do with it, presumably the organizers will tell us.

There was a designated parking place last time.

[LiamFitz]

Most bigger/ better hotels will have a room set aside for bike storage before/ after PBP and will allow riders to store their bags there during the event.

Top tip - make it a specification of your reservation.  The store room at the Ibis in Versailles filled up and I had to throw my best gallic strop to get them to accept my bag.

[T42]

Received the following from the ACP this morning:

It will be possible to let a luggage in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome (and even a bike box) before the start and to get it back at your arrival.
 
Cordialement / Regards
ACP / Thierry RIVET


Going to have to buy M. Rivet a beer, he's been very helpful over the last couple of months.

[redfalo]

My plan is to carry everything I need before, during and after the ride on the bike all the time.

[Ivo]

Received the following from the ACP this morning:

It will be possible to let a luggage in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome (and even a bike box) before the start and to get it back at your arrival.
 
Cordialement / Regards
ACP / Thierry RIVET


Going to have to buy M. Rivet a beer, he's been very helpful over the last couple of months.

Thanks, already passed the info on to the Geman forum.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I booked an apartment 8km away from the start where I can leave my stuff.  So if you are confident of making it back by 9am Thursday I can look after stuff for you 

[redfalo]

Thanks, already passed the info on to the Geman forum.

What's the best German forum for Audax related things? I'm a regular on rad-forum.de, but Audaxing is a fringe topic there.

[Ivo]

Thanks, already passed the info on to the Geman forum.

What's the best German forum for Audax related things? I'm a regular on rad-forum.de, but Audaxing is a fringe topic there.

Even worse, audax is frowned upon by some of the loud people on rad-forum.de. I left it ages ago.

At www.rennrad-news.de/forum there's aven a subforum for audaxing.

[LEE]

I may make use of the bag storage as I'll have a small amount of "civvies" in a small backpack as part of my ride to the start and back.

Alternatively I may just dig out some of my old, worn out, gear and use it sacrificially along the route to Paris.

[Chris S]

My van will be parked in the motorhome park for the duration. Happy for folks to dump any stuff they want in there - bike boxes, that kind of thing.