PBP 2023 - Rulz

[John Stonebridge]

Lots of riders leave stuff - including helmets - at controls. 

Did it myself in 2015 at Loudeac on the way back - and I was miles down the road before I realised.  In mitigation it was night and I had a buff covering my head otherwise I might have twigged instantly on departure. 

Guy at Tinteniac just laughed at me when asking if they had any casquettes (sold out monsieur) and it took a visit to a Decathlon in Fougeres some 150km later to restore a lid. 

It subsequently turned out that Id not got my brevet card stamped at Loudeac either so I must have been a bit gubbed.  When contacted by ACP afterwards I resisted the temptation to suggest they could use my left behind helmet (with my rider number on it) as valid proof of passage and instead accepted my 2 hr time penalty which took me up to 89h 54m though I believe the official record has me as 90hrs dead. 

Wonder if/how this will be policed this time.   Crazy to leave such a decision so late.  I can see it being reversed very late in the day or not actually policed - neither of which will be any use to folk who dont normally wear a helmet. 

[Plodder]

How should we rebel? The French do it so well ... perhaps a blockade of something or someone? Maybe set fire to some stuff?

Nowadays French protesters wear yellow vests, so don't forget to take one... 

[Wycombewheeler]

Oh bother.
Now looking for the lightest thing I can find.
Didn't need this additional cost

lighter should cost more, since all should meet the safety standards (such as they are)

[Graeme]

Oh bother.
Now looking for the lightest thing I can find.
Didn't need this additional cost

lighter should cost more, since all should meet the safety standards (such as they are)

Merlin Cycles have some hefty discounts at the mo.
Ordered a few on credit, and will return all but the most comfortable one.

[Lightning Phil]

The reason riders get Sherman’s neck is because they don’t sleep enough, not to do with the weight of the helmet on their head.

Isn’t it the tank pressing down on their head that causes that alternate condition?

[Lightning Phil]

Now ordered three helmets in the hope one is comfortable enough. Not surprised that price and weight have no correlation.

Us casquetteurs are in a the minority aren't we. Rebelling just makes us look petty to all those who've never understood why we don't wear these magic hats.

Not sure we are, but I doubt there is any unbiased data available on the subject.

[Lightning Phil]

Can you even wear a helmet if riding a 'bent? Genuine question; I've no idea

Depends on the model and how reclined, whether the rider uses a head rest etc.

[mattc]

This is a pain.

On a practical level, I am concerned about the risk of getting Shermer's neck from doing a long ride with a helmet when I've not worn one all year. Neck muscles need to be trained to carry the additional weight.

I only have physics and anecdata to back this up, but I'm happy to believe that helmets+headtorches are the worst combination.

[quixoticgeek]

I only have physics and anecdata to back this up, but I'm happy to believe that helmets+headtorches are the worst combination.

I think there's a certain amount of positioning that's relevant here getting the light to closer to the centre of gravity of the head helps.

But yes. I have a helmet mount light for descending in the dark, but I rarely use it.

J

[Ivo]

There's another item which greatly enhances the risk of Shermer's Neck, the kangaroo pouch. If loaded with all kinds of heavy stuff, like passport and coins, and then the cord pushing on one of the nerves in your neck, your muscles can give in.
I've seen this happening with other people, when the kangaroo pouch is removed, they miraculously recover in a few hours. (No 100% guarantee though)

[Dai P]

On LEL many year ago, I was pretty close to the end, Last controlI think, it was then dark, put on head torch and within a few minutes neck just dropped.  Whilst sleep is important, weight makes a big difference. Now doing neck exercises with old helmet and weights, as well as planks, so hopefully this year…………

[Pingu]

...Caps are so much nicer.

+1

[Mr Larrington]

This is a pain.

On a practical level, I am concerned about the risk of getting Shermer's neck from doing a long ride with a helmet when I've not worn one all year. Neck muscles need to be trained to carry the additional weight.

I only have physics and anecdata to back this up, but I'm happy to believe that helmets+headtorches are the worst combination.

Helmets and cameras are probably worse, especially if you actually crash, cf. M Schumacher.

[frillipippi]

There's another item which greatly enhances the risk of Shermer's Neck, the kangaroo pouch. If loaded with all kinds of heavy stuff, like passport and coins, and then the cord pushing on one of the nerves in your neck, your muscles can give in.
I've seen this happening with other people, when the kangaroo pouch is removed, they miraculously recover in a few hours. (No 100% guarantee though)

My personal experience is that, when you start feeling your neck dangerously tired, if you remove all the stuff you have in your jersey pockets (and put it in some bag, tied to your bicycle instead of your body) the situation improves.

Always in my personal experience, the rougher the road surface is, the sooner Shermer's neck happens.

[Ian H]

Lots of riders leave stuff - including helmets - at controls. 

Did it myself in 2015 at Loudeac on the way back - and I was miles down the road before I realised.  In mitigation it was night and I had a buff covering my head otherwise I might have twigged instantly on departure. 

Guy at Tinteniac just laughed at me when asking if they had any casquettes (sold out monsieur) and it took a visit to a Decathlon in Fougeres some 150km later to restore a lid. 

It subsequently turned out that Id not got my brevet card stamped at Loudeac either so I must have been a bit gubbed.  When contacted by ACP afterwards I resisted the temptation to suggest they could use my left behind helmet (with my rider number on it) as valid proof of passage and instead accepted my 2 hr time penalty which took me up to 89h 54m though I believe the official record has me as 90hrs dead. 

Wonder if/how this will be policed this time.   Crazy to leave such a decision so late.  I can see it being reversed very late in the day or not actually policed - neither of which will be any use to folk who dont normally wear a helmet.

I was asked if I'd forgotten my helmet when exiting a control somewhere, whatever year it was.  My negative reply seemed to confuse them.

[postie]

Ian you normally confuse your self and baffle the rest of us

[Ian H]

Ian you normally confuse your self and baffle the rest of us

Careful, I might come and ride one of your events.

[LateStarter]

The “updated” date on The “Rules” says 12th August. The English version equipment section now says,

“ It is requested by the french administration to wear an approved helmet throughout the event”

The French section translates to something stronger,

“The wearing of a hard shell helmet is made mandatory throughout the patent by prefectural decision” (Apple Translate)
"Wearing a hard-shell helmet is made compulsory throughout the patent by prefectural decision." (Google Translate)

The pre start check-in section (both English & French) still only mentions checking of lights & vest.

[grams]

The updated English rule saying "recommended" and the French saying "obligatoire" is exactly what was in the email.

That email also introduced the change with the word "compulsory". I don't think you can pretend the intention isn't clear. The best hope is another last minute rule change or at least some exceptions being added.

[Ivo]

In the international world, the original language usually is the valid version, everything else is just for convenience. So hair-splitting should be reserved for the French text.

[Flatlander]

I assume the photo bit is optional as was said above otherwise the admin would have wanted one at sign in. I only rembered about it when i opened the brevet.

Has anyone filled in the medical / 3rd party insurance stuff in the brevet card? NHS number or eqiv is a bit lost on me. Asking so I can stop worrying.

Would have checked on the PBP website but it appears to be down. Who would want to look at such things on a Saturday night whan they should be in a bar😁?

[Frank9755]

I don't have a pen and am not too worried about it.

[mattc]

I don't have a pen and am not too worried about it.

  how did you plan to fill out your Infos?!?

Anyway, plastic hat updates:
At least two of us only wore them at the start (to avoid hassles), and finished without any serious challenge.
The latest official photo shows me sans casque 

Of course there may yet be a post-mortem enquiry, but we have our medals, completed brevet cards (and tracker screenshots :⁠-⁠P )

The few AUK helmet evangelists can kiss my calloused arse.

(At least) some down-wrong riders were officially exempted.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Good work mattc. I capitulated and complained and I turned into little puddles of lard each afternoon. The maximum temperatures may not have sounded too high but they sure felt it.

[Zed43]

I did email Jean-Gualbert Faburel (the international contact of ACP, and rider A001...) beforehand and got a reply that the volunteers would be informed that a helmet is not required in a velomobile because the risk of head injury is neglectable compared to riding a regular bike.

Well, not all volunteers got the message... Passing through Mortagne the "man with the whistle" said I should wear a helmet, but let me pass when I replied (in rehearsed French phrases  ) that this was not required for velomobiles. Forty kilometers later the two motards who stopped me were not to be convinced, not even by reading Faburel's email. After 15 minutes driving with a helmet (I did bring one to avoid discussions) my neck started to hurt and I ditched it. On the German velomobile forum I know of one person who got stopped twice and even got threatened with a time penalty (he couldn't care less, finishing in 70 hours).

Not a word about helmets when I had a chat with three motards of the Gendarmerie Nationale in Pontivy at 760km.