Paris Brest Paris

[Damiano Machiavelli]

I think I would like to do it in 2015.

Who has done it? What was it like? How big is the jump from doing the occasional double century to what is required to finish?

 

[rgmerk]

I think I would like to do it in 2015.

Who has done it? What was it like? How big is the jump from doing the occasional double century to what is required to finish?

I dunno if you've seen it but there's this first person account on Cycling Tips.

Read it for yourself, but the author didn't appear to overly enjoy the experience.

 

[Race Radio]

I would recommend you use some good shorts, like Rapha or Assos, to insure you tender parts do not suffer during such a ride

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

I would recommend you use some good shorts, like Rapha or Assos, to insure you tender parts do not suffer during such a ride

I draw the line at Brooks saddles. I do not think I have the beard growing power to own a Brooks.

 

[durianrider]

Ive done it before. Here is my tips I share.

I rode PBP in 2003 and with an official time of 51:30. (harley johnstone)

http://www.harms-sh.de/pbp/download/2003 pbp.pdf

#I didnt have a support team.

#I was vegan at the time but not all raw. I did eat 100% raw during the event though as I knew anything heavy would be hard on the blood stream. I ate 100% water and fruit. No caffiene, salt pills, sports drink etc.

#I carried a really light pack the whole race. One of those ones that have strings as straps. I carried about 4-5kg of dried fruit and stuffed my jersey pockets full of it at each check in station.

#I rode with the race leaders till about 600km mark and just bonked due to dehydration. That was my plan. I slowed right down and eventually found some water at a shop. I bonked enough not to be able to ride at race pace but enough to not be in serious health issues. After a few litres and a 10minute power nap, I was good to go and hoped back on the next rider train that rolled thru.

#I got some serious hallucinations and just laughed it off. I got a few waves of self doubt and apathy but looking back, I blame it on a bit of dehydration/under eating.

#It was a warm year. Get a pair of 'crud road race' fenders if it looks like rain. Use the best light you can. Make sure your light is on strong cos LOTS of people lose em over the first few train crossings lol!

#Run Specialized armadillo tyres and new tubes. Carry a lightweight spare tyre.

#Get out of the saddle often to maintain blood flow. Mark your seat with a paint pen incase anything slips, now you have a reference point. Same with cleats/bars etc.

#SIT on vs riding like a 'hero'. Its an EPIC race so you need all your glycogen for the last 300km when many DNF and are crying on the couch in a glucose exhausted state.

#Expect waves of euphoria and apathy. Focus on forward motion and riding smart. Its going to be hard so why make it harder. Eliminate time and distance remaining. Let the clock take care of itself. Cry if you have to, just keep on moving forward.

# I set the fastest all time UNSUPPORTED aussie record. I was around 2hrs off the supported record. Having a support crew is great but not essential for finishing.

#FORCE in the food and water even if you dont want it. Its a bit like plugging in your computer even if you dont want to. You NEED to, otherwise there will be consequences later.

#Learn how to pee on the bike. 100% of the good riders no how to. If you want to stay with the pack and get the slip stream, you need to pee on the bike. Go to the back on a slight downhill and let it rip. Make sure your peeing clear ALL the time. 'Cut a cable' in the bushes if you have to aswell. Nothing like holding it in and diverting blood flow cos you want to be 'proper' and use the stinky, sweaty toilet at the check in stations.

#Eat 1g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per hour. Learn what this looks like in dried fruit. Its around 5 big dates per hour for me. Eat over 10g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per day the week leading up to it. I eat that all the time anyway but just be sure to be getting enough so your body isnt saying '1243km buddy? Er yeah RIGHT!! LOL!'

#Its a great event and the fact that you have QUALIFIED means you CAN do it. Its just a matter of you riding smart and keeping your head on vs riding silly and bonking and hating life and DNF'n.

#Get a copy of 'bicycle dreams' and watch it over and over. Watch it a few hours before the start. I was sleeping on the side of the road 2mins before the start. Close your eyes when you can, just dont crash lol! Resting the eye muscles helps trick the body into going further.

Bottom line:
Eat before your hungry, eat every hour, drink before your thirsty, drink enough so your peeing every 2 hours at least and CLEAR. PACE yourself and sit on as much as you can. Start getting early nights now. See it as just a few days in your life and its gonna hurt but you will get used to it and get over it. Right something down to read when you when Dr Apathy asks you to take a seat.

 

[Polish]

I did the qualifying Brevets in '91 and '95, and the great advice durianrider supplied applies to those "shorter" rides as well.

But the longest brevet is 600km
Or Triple Century, short nap, then 72 more miles.

And PBP is 1200km.
Or Triple Century, short nap, Triple Century, short nap, then 150 more miles.
That will get you in under the time limit of 90 hours.

If you want a world class time like durianrider, however, you will ride the 750 miles without much naptime if any.

I will add that in the hotel room after the longer brevets, I would always reward myself with a BK Double Whopper with cheese.
Durianrider would not approve, but Horner would lol.

Oh, that reminds me of something durianrider did not mention....
while riding avoid foods/fluids that give you juicy productive farts.

 

[vorsprung]

Here's my blog entry on "stuff that worked" for me during the recent PBP

http://audaxing.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/pbp-stuff-that-worked/

To answer your questions "What was it like? How big is the jump from doing the occasional double century to what is required to finish?"

It isn't like any other amateur cycling event because all the towns on the route turn out to cheer you on. This happens 24h a day. There are stalls and a carnival atomosphere in many places.

The qualifiers for the event are 200,300,400 and 600km. If you can do these events as a series, you can do PBP. The qualifiers help you to step up the distance and work out how to cope with sleep depreviation etc

 

[Deagol]

Ironically, I just read a good write-upon PBP on the Rapha site a few days ago ......

 

[luckyboy]

#I rode with the race leaders till about 600km mark and just bonked due to dehydration. That was my plan.

lol ..

 

[kielbasa]

lol

#I rode with the race leaders till about 600km mark and just bonked due to dehydration. That was my plan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXU7EVXs2A