PBP Stories #46: 12 tips from 4 riders who have completed a total of 17 PBPs:
Corinne Warren – 1 DNF + 1 PBP
Georgi Stoychev – 3 PBPs
Deirdre Arscott – 10 PBPs (Female record for most PBPs)
Pascal Ledru – 3 PBPs
Paris Brest Paris: PBP Stories and Tips
Join Peter Curley (PBP ’19, ’23) as he interviews the riders who have completed (and DNF’ed!) Paris Brest Paris, the most famous (and oldest) endurance ride in the world. Learn firsthand what to expect and how to give yourself the best chance of a successful PBP.
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Paris Brest is a long-distance cycling event with a rich history. Established in 1891 as a professional race, it has evolved into the premier amateur endurance cycling event. Every four years, thousands of cyclists from around the world, attempt to finish PBP’s grueling 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) route, within the 90 hour time limit.
10 PBP Stats (2023)
Participants = 6431
Finish rate = 76%
Average age = 51
Oldest female & male = 69 & 79
Youngest female & male = 17 & 17
Female participation = 7.24%
French participation = 29.03%
Charly Miller (56:40) = 12
Adrian Hands (88:55) = 62
Club with most riders = San Francisco Randonneurs
(To share your story email petercurley@gmail.com.)
Great. Okay. So, we’re going to end with your three tips. And you have amazing experience. Okay. Since you’ve qualified three times, and this guarantees a finish for anyone that follows your tips. No pressure. So, this first one’s going to sound stupid. It’s going to sound a little bit glib, but I’ve looked at some of your other um interviews and nobody says, “My first one is don’t crash.” and and and I mean but I mean some specific things by that. Um with PVP you’re going to be in a big group of people all mixture of abilities and some people without pack riding skills. So if you feel like you’re in a in a situation that isn’t safe, you know, extricate yourself from that. Um, if you need if you know you need sleep and that you can get squirly on the bike without it, then take the extra time and sleep. But if you crash, if you’re involved in any kind of, you know, crash, you’re going to greatly reduce your chances of of finishing. And, you know, I’ve had two experiences and I yeah, I wouldn’t recommend that. So, so you have to just be more aware, situ situationally aware. And also, um, there’s more road furniture over in Europe than we have here in the States. And so, yeah, you you have to keep your eyes and ears open. Um, and yeah, stay alert. Um, so yeah, don’t crash. Seems like an excellent tip number one. I not live at all. Yeah. Okay. My second tip is aimed at people who have dietary restrictions. And um so I bet celiac um it could be, you know, if you’re lactose intolerant. Um I have a friend who is vegan and ran into problems. Uh you need to cover your bases with food. Uh don’t rely on the controls for for your meals. U maybe maybe for snacks. You know, you can get fruit there if you have time to peel a banana. Um you can get soda, but bring your food whether it’s on your bike, whether it’s in your drop bag, if you have support, you need to be able to feed yourself. Um yeah, and and for me, liquid calories don’t work. I need to have actual food. So, so it is hard, but uh yeah, again, you’ll increase your chances of finishing if you know that you have what you need to get through the whole 1200K. And then my third tip would be have a plan. I really think it helps to have a plan, but have a backup plan as well. Um there are so many things that can go wrong. Uh you could get separated from your writing partner. there can be terrible weather. Uh, and for me in 2019, I literally never thought of a plan B. It was just Charlie Miller. And so when that started to, you know, when it become unlikely, you can’t after you’ve been awake for 50 hours, you can’t start to, you know, to to plan something then. you need to do it ahead of time. So, planning is really important. And those would be my three tips. All right, Georgie, let’s end it then with your three tips that guarantee a finish. Tip number one, efficiency. Do not waste time at controls. Okay, cool. Um, tip number two, write your own pace. Nobody else’s. Uh even if you’re a friend now, you’re strong. 3 hours later, he’s strong. If you’re not together, you will regroup eventually. We see that a lot. Um tip number three. Yeah, I think that was pretty good one that I said earlier. Arrive earlier, adjust to the time zone, test your equipment. Cool. No. Tip number one. Tip number one is uh don’t go out too fast. It’s so exciting and people often go out, they don’t realize how fast they’re going and that they’re tiring themselves. So, um, tip number two probably, you know, you want to ride with your friends, but I’d say two two people, you know, two people are enough. Three is pushing it and no more than that because otherwise you’re wasting time. Like, three is getting hard already. Uh, what else do did I think about? Um, don’t waste time at controls. Like, get through the controls efficiently and you can socialize while you’re riding. Yeah. Cool. Speaking of tips, Pascal, we’re going to get your three tips from a genuine French person on that guarantee a finish. Okay. Tip number one. I have my three tips here. So, so this one, the first one is not really, you know, to guarantee to finish, but uh I think it’s nice to have, you know, the little souvenir or little things that that you can give to the kids along the way or to the to the volunteer. So, in 2015, we didn’t have anything, but 1923, we had these little pins. Yeah. And we had two type of pins. One with the flag of Colorado. Maybe I should replace with California now. Okay. On the flag of Britany. Yes. And then we we had the other, you know, pins with the flag of France on the US which maybe this day could be very appropriate. So yeah, in 2019 we were eating in Fer and I, you know, there was a motorcyclist helping along the course and I gave one pin to one guy and then the other guy was like, “Oh, what about me?” So then I had to go to my bike to get one. Great. But yeah, this motorcyclist, you know, they are also volunteers. They’re part of some motorcycleycling in Norandy. So it’s really nice. And then yeah, one time I give a pin to a kid. He was giving the to the towels, you know, they’re not really towels, but the kid was like, “Wow, that’s for me.” So I think, you know, that’s you know, try to interact on, you know, that’s little things which improve the experience, I think. Um my second tip, yeah, so my second tip is is if you have time, try to arrive early. Uh you know, you you can make sure your equipment is okay. If you need to buy CO2 cartridge, you have time to do that. And then if you have time, you know, the area s of east of Kuya is beautiful. It’s called Valro. There’s like plenty of small villages, old castle because it’s little bit of reserve. It’s a park regional. So it’s really beautiful area and then if you have time, you know, it’s a beautiful part of spend to spend little bit of time. The third tip is that yeah, you know, make make a plan but also, you know, be flexible. In my case the plan doesn’t really work and then you you know you you are going to spend four day in a foreign country probably spend lot of money so you know you know try to have fun and if the plan doesn’t work you know I know some people who went for the Charlie Miller didn’t make it but they still you know try to finish you you you’ll be happy no matter what so I say be flexible so great uh three great tips possible Uh, it’s been a complete pleasure. Like, it’s just wonderful to hear from a French perspective, right? You have a lovely country, by the way. I’m a big fan. Okay. Big fan of Highland, too. Okay. Talk soon. Okay.