Paris-Brest-Paris 18-22 August 2019

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Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull

Have registered on the PBP site and it now has my 2018 1000km pre qualifying brevet in place. Ready to do the pre registration and pay them some money next week. Wonder what the price will be this time round? Well thanks to our lovely politicians it is going to be more expensive anyway.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
I've done the same as @YukonBoy and it has gathered up all my BRMs including the West Highland 1000 last May/June.
£140ish then (thanks @Ivo ) but only a deposit on Monday.
Still fretting over the choice of start slot. As I understand it, the early pre-registerers get first dibs. For me this is either early 90s or early 84s.
90: Great atmosphere for the 'depart'. I'll be away near the front of and going faster than the bulk of the 90s but there should be some decent trains and quite likely I'll catch a useful few of the 80s who take a stop earlier than me. The bulge will always be behind. But it means riding into the night and straight through for 24 hours (probably to Carhaix) before a good sleep. And get away early doors before the bulge arrives.
84: Lots of riders with a suitable pace starting at 5am (graveyard start). Long first day to Tinteniac (say), problem being that I'll have just caught the height of the bulge so getting a decent sleep will need (planning) effort. Quite like the idea of riding to an arranged bed, riding to Brest at dawn and back to same bed on second night (Quedillac?). But I'm not quite fast enough.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Sleep during the day the control dorms are empty. Then just micro sleeps at night. Food is quick as well whilst many sleep. If you are in the first 90 waves and fairly quick you can stay ahead of the bulge. My advice, race out to Brest, then tour back enjoying the parties in the villages and the odd dance.

Plus if you do not handle heat well, sleeping during heat of day is a good option.
 

Ivo

Well-Known Member
Location
Maastricht
I've done the same as @YukonBoy and it has gathered up all my BRMs including the West Highland 1000 last May/June.
£140ish then (thanks @Ivo ) but only a deposit on Monday.
Still fretting over the choice of start slot. As I understand it, the early pre-registerers get first dibs. For me this is either early 90s or early 84s.
90: Great atmosphere for the 'depart'. I'll be away near the front of and going faster than the bulk of the 90s but there should be some decent trains and quite likely I'll catch a useful few of the 80s who take a stop earlier than me. The bulge will always be behind. But it means riding into the night and straight through for 24 hours (probably to Carhaix) before a good sleep. And get away early doors before the bulge arrives.
84: Lots of riders with a suitable pace starting at 5am (graveyard start). Long first day to Tinteniac (say), problem being that I'll have just caught the height of the bulge so getting a decent sleep will need (planning) effort. Quite like the idea of riding to an arranged bed, riding to Brest at dawn and back to same bed on second night (Quedillac?). But I'm not quite fast enough.

If you're still doubting on monday, then I'd say first get a 90h slot. You can still change it when there's enough space. The 90 hour start tends to fill up fastest, the 84 hour start slowest.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
If you're still doubting on monday, then I'd say first get a 90h slot. You can still change it when there's enough space. The 90 hour start tends to fill up fastest, the 84 hour start slowest.
Thank you, Ivo. That was/is exactly my assessment having had such fun gaming the LEL start preferences 22 months ago. On the other hand, if I ask for an 84hr start and then prefer to change to 90hr, I'm fast enough to work my way through most of the 90 hr riders in front of me by Fougères and before that, clear of the bulge by Villaines.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Thank you, Ivo. That was/is exactly my assessment having had such fun gaming the LEL start preferences 22 months ago. On the other hand, if I ask for an 84hr start and then prefer to change to 90hr, I'm fast enough to work my way through most of the 90 hr riders in front of me by Fougères and before that, clear of the bulge by Villaines.

Do not underestimate how fast the front of the 90 hour groups is. I was riding fast in a large group at 40km/h for long periods. Fastest 300km ever, hitting the opening times for my start at the early controls before it calmed down the next day. The 84hr start is some time after the 90ht starts so I would doubt you'd catch them by around 300-350km.
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
I started in the penultimate group on Monday morning last time, finished in a fairly leisurely 80hrs on the fixed-wheel. I'm planning a gentle ride with gears this year (assuming I get that far), but probably still 84hr. As for sleep, I've always just winged it and slept wherever/whenever. I find it's good to get to Brest before any serious stops.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Thank you.
The 84hr start is dome time after the 90ht starts so I would doubt you'd catch them by around 300-350km.
I said: "if I . . . then prefer to change to 90hr, I'm fast enough to work my way through most of the 90 hr riders in front of me."
That is: if I transfer to a 90hr start later and don't get away till 2000 Sunday (say) I'll work my way though most of the 2000 riders who started 1730-1945.
If I started on Monday morning, I reckon I'll have caught more than half the 90hr riders by Carhaix on the way back, having had a 5 hour sleep stop. In 2011 half the 90hr finishers finished in over 85hr. I guess there's more full valueness during the return leg.
From the 2015 Brochure:
Sunday 16h00 to 17h00 : solo bikes, 80-hour time limit
From 17h30 to 20h00 : solo bikes, 90-hour time limit
Monday 05h00 to 05h15 : wave starts of solo bikes, 84-hour time limit
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Thank you.
I said: "if I . . . then prefer to change to 90hr, I'm fast enough to work my way through most of the 90 hr riders in front of me."
That is: if I transfer to a 90hr start later and don't get away till 2000 Sunday (say) I'll work my way though most of the 2000 riders who started 1730-1945.
If I started on Monday morning, I reckon I'll have caught more than half the 90hr riders by Carhaix on the way back, having had a 5 hour sleep stop. In 2011 half the 90hr finishers finished in over 85hr. I guess there's more full valueness during the return leg.
From the 2015 Brochure:
Sunday 16h00 to 17h00 : solo bikes, 80-hour time limit
From 17h30 to 20h00 : solo bikes, 90-hour time limit
Monday 05h00 to 05h15 : wave starts of solo bikes, 84-hour time limit

So you did! Missed that bit.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
I can enter from the 28th of Jan as I've a 600 and I've registered. However, the start clashes with the Irish Youth National Road Championships so unless SWMBO looks after him in Cork for that weekend then I'm out :sad:
 
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