Important information and tips for PBP’07!
Updated: 30-Aug-2007 5:30am
— Post-Event Info —
- It may take a while for the ACP to mail your result
packet (brevet card, medal, etc.) - estimate January, 2008.
- If your check-in packet did not include a
Super Randonneur medal, the ACP will include it in your result packet.
— Rider Contact Info —
Rider
|
Arrival
|
Insp.
|
Start
|
Hotel
|
Remarks
|
Stacy Abernathy
|
Thu. 16
|
9:15a
|
90h
|
Auberge du Manet, Trappes
|
|
Debra Banks
|
Fri. 17
|
6:00p
|
90h
|
Camping Huttopia, Versailles
|
|
Bob Barday
|
Thu. 16
|
|
90h
|
Mercure, St. Quentin-en-Yvelines
|
|
John Lee Ellis
|
Fri. 17
|
9:00a
|
90h
|
Novotel, Magny les Hameaux
|
|
Mike Fox
|
Thu. 16
|
2:15p
|
90h
|
Novotel, Magny les Hameaux
|
|
Mike Fulton
|
Fri. 17
|
3:45p
|
80h
|
Ibis Hotel, Versailles
|
|
Larry Leinhart
|
Thu. 16
|
|
84h
|
Relais de Voison
|
Café du Auberge 16-18
|
Charlie Henderson
|
Thu. 16
|
2:15p
|
90h
|
Mercure, St. Quentin-en-Yvelines
|
|
Mark Jilka
|
Fri. 17
|
|
84h
|
Novotel, Magny les Hameaux
|
|
Gary Koenig
|
Thu. 16
|
4:00p
|
90h
|
Ibis Hotel, Versailles
|
|
Sandra Loflin
|
Fri. 17
|
5:15p
|
90h
|
Campanile, St. Quentin-en-Yvelines
|
|
Bill Tankovich
|
Thu. 16
|
9:15a
|
90h
|
Auberge du Manet, Trappes
|
|
Dick Wiss
|
Fri. 17
|
3:45p
|
90h
|
Ibis Hotel, Versailles
|
|
Some Lodging Contact Info
Lodging
|
Telephone
|
Fax
|
E-mail
|
Novotel
|
(+33)1/30576565
|
(+33)1/30576500
|
H1139@accor.com
|
Campanile
|
+33 1 30 57 49 50
|
+33 1 30 44 27 37
|
|
Mercure
|
(+33)1/39301800
|
(+33)1/30571522
|
H1983@accor.com
|
— Tips from July REI Seminar —
Intro Remarks
- Checklist
and Planning - Mike Fulton has a detailed packing and to-do
list, provided as a thought-provoker for riders, as riders must adapt
their own list to their goals and strategies. Mike urges riders to draw up the list
early, so that in the hectic time of final supply and packing, things do
not fall through the cracks. If you
are riding with support, think of all that needs to go in the support
vehicle. If you are using
drop-bags, plan out when you will most likely encounter your drop-bags,
and what cumulative supplies you will need based on those stages (how many
changes of shorts, jerseys; inner tubes; batteries, etc.). See also Bill Bryant’s article and list
in the May issue of American
Randonneur.
- Lithium
vs. Alkaline Batteries - Rex Farnsworth has run tests on the
Cateye EL-500 and EL-530 LED headlights which indicate that alkaline
batteries actually last longer than lithium batteries. Both types give up to ten hours’
acceptable light, but then the lithiums fall off sharply. He would advise alkalines for Cateye and
perhaps other LED units. (If you
want to carry an extra set of batteries, the lighter-weight lithiums would
serve that purpose.)
- Scheduling
and Contingencies - Charlie Henderson’s spreadsheet allows for
a conservative 81-hour finish assuming only a moderate pace, good sleep
breaks, and buffer for contingencies.
“You do not have to ride fast to finish PBP. You just have to ride consistently.” Mike and others advised riders to plan
on the unexpected contingency, problem, or other speed bump - “80% of the
ride is mental at this point, now that we’re physically trained.” Confront and deal with unexpected
glitches with sang froid.
- PBP
Economics - Everyone agreed that a moment saved (eating
or chatting on your bike rather at the controls, etc.) is a moment earned,
to be put away for contingencies, a faster finish, or sleep. Getting to Brest expeditiously should be
a focus. All the same, Gary Koenig
urged riders to take time to enjoy the ambience, to share a meal with
other riders from all over, for example.
Q&A
- Are
there services between start and mile 87 (Mortagne-au-Perche
revitaillement)? - Not really, but for 90h and 80h start,
conditions should be cool overnight, and for the 84-hour start, you should
be reaching Mortagne by mid/late-morning.
- What
about food sources between checkpoints? - Virtually no
convenience stores - this is a rural route passing mainly through
villages. But there are
neighborhood grocery stores, bakeries, charcuteries, and they are “at
curbside” - you are riding right past them and can just pull off. Keep your eyes open, as they can be
time-savers vs. waiting in line at the controls. Also, there will be plenty of water and
snacks provided by people living along the route. Finally: village stores in France are
typically open in the mornings and then late afternoon and evening, but
may be closed in between.
- How
easy is it to spot the controls? - Controls are well-signed, and are
generally in complexes such as schools, so the card-check, sleeping, and
dining facilities will be in large structures, with bike parking out
front.
- What
about secret controls? - Most secret controls are well set
up, with a large tent or other structure and clear signage. They may also offer useful food and
drink. An additional help is that
that the French for “secret control” is “contrôle secret” … which should
be a recognizable phrase.
- How
easy is it to meet up with your support crew (if you have one)? -
Crews may support riders within 2km of a control, so you will see them
stacked up along the roadside, generally in the approach to the control
itself. Crews and riders need to be
alert. Mike Fulton’s crew mounted a
special, visible sign (a large diamond) on their vehicle.
- How
to get ice? - If you are riding unsupported, you should not
count on finding ice along the route.
If you have a support crew, they can find ice at places like
MacDonald’s or markets such as Carrefour where fresh fish is sold.
- How
to get from airport to hotel? - If you do not have reserved
transportation (e.g., Des Peres Travel), take the Air France coach to
Montparnaisse and the metro from there to St. Quentin-en-Yvelines. This avoids many stairways and toll
gates taking the Metro and RATP.
- Are
showers easy to come by? - Most/all controls offer
showers, for a fee. But you may be
waiting in line. Important is to
keep yourself clean on a regular basis - take along items such as
antiseptic towelettes, or put them in your drop bag. Just rinsing your face and arms at
controls can be refreshing.
- What
about care for the derrière? - Mike Fulton recommends a
gel saddle cover (adjust your seat-height to accommodate!), especially
since many of the roads are chip-sealed.
To prevent abrasion, JLE recommends a layer such as Second Skin
against the skin. And from the
start, consider applying antiseptic creams prophylactically.
- Is
salt intake a concern? - It is not unusual to see warm
temperatures, into the 80’s and even 90’s, at PBP. With the lack of convenience store foods
to bolster sodium levels, riders need to assure they’re keeping up their
sodium levels. Carrying along salt
tablets (ThermaTabs rather than Endurolytes) is one good safety
measure. Mike Fulton also suggests
pouring water over your head and torso to cool yourself (assuming you have
the extra water!) as, unlike perspiration, that does not deplete salt and
other minerals from the body. Check
out articles
on sodium needs and hyponatremia at the UMCA website. (Note: there is some difference of
medical opinion as to the incidence of actual clinical hyponatremia, but
the need for adequate sodium intake is clear.)
- What
do I do when I get there? - Once you’ve gotten from
the airport to your lodging and have checked in, the only remaining duty
is to show up for bike inspection, at the time on your registration
form. Be sure to have lights correctly mounted on your bike, with
appropriate back-ups, and bring your vest, ankle bands, and other
reflective gear. Do not rely on all
stores being open on Sunday - you may have to do your final provisioning
on Monday. And do not count on
buying favorite American food items in France - bring them with you if you
count on using them during the event.
Same for lights and batteries.
Merle’s Tips (from Merle
Baranczyk, PBP ancien)
- Those staying at hotels along the route need
to be wary of getting to and from. Example: Des Peres advertises a hotel
that's just 1 km from the control. But finding that hotel at 4 a.m. or
whenever can be daunting. Locals are virtually no help with directions.
Streets in France are not like those in the U.S.; they curve around,
change names, etc. Make sure you have a map to get to each hotel from the
control. Best bet ... sleep at the controls.
- 2) Tip from Martin [Fahje], RBA Minnesota, I
found useful (for those without support) ... pack a complete set of change
of clothing including jersey, shorts, socks, etc., into 1 gal. plastic baggies, then put soiled,
worn stuff into the empty. Helps greatly to organize drop bags.
- 3) The Des Peres drop bag service at Villaines
in 03 was a ways from the control. From how I read the current Des Peres
info, this year's bag drop will be 200 m from the control. On the inbound
in 03 I parked my bike then found I had a lengthy walk in cleats to and
from the bag drop to the shower and back. No fun after 600-plus miles and
time consuming as well. The Loudeac bag drop was right in the compound and
relatively convenient. Pack flip-flops or some such to get out of shoes to
get to showers, sleep area, toilets, etc.
— Applying for PBP —
- All RMCC PBP-qualifying brevets now have certificate numbers posted on the
RUSA site. So now you can include
these on your application.
- If you are a RUSA member, you may apply through
RUSA: see www.rusa.org/pbp.html
for complete details and application form.
You must send your application to RUSA by July 1 - this means mailing the application by Saturday, June 30.
- Try to use a two-sided application form
(either the sheet out of American
Randonneur or a two-sided copy).
- You can find your brevet certificate numbers on the RUSA site by Searching for
Results: www.rusa.org/results_search.html.
- Club ACP Code for the RMCC is 906002. Club name is "Rocky Mountain Cycling Club".
- If you rode a longer distance brevet for any of the qualifying brevets,
enter the certificate number for that longer event - for example, if you
rode a 300k in place of the 200k, enter that 300k’s number in the blank
for the 200k.
- Consider your starting time wisely, not based on “best case scenario.” If you do feel comfortable that 84 hours
provides you enough cushion, the ACP is encouraging more riders to choose
that start, to offload ridership from the other times. Remember you aren’t allowed to change
the starting time you select on the application (8pm 80h, 9:30pm
90h, or 5am 84h).
- Remember to get your physician statement and passport-size
photo, so you’ll have them in time to include with your application
(as well as proof-of-insurance and return-address labels). Cut photos to match the size on
application. Write your name on the back.
- The PBP
Jersey offered through the application is the ACP PBP Jersey. In addition, you may wish to consider
ordering the RUSA PBP Jersey www.rusa.org/rusaitems.html.
- Do not send your form by a method requiring a
signature on delivery. This will only delay processing and increase
workload. USPS “Delivery Confirmation” for example
does not require a signature but does give you a web-accessible
confirmation of delivery.
Bon courage et bonne route!