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Club Member Spotlight: At 5:00 AM Paris Time on August 21, 2007, Bill Brier, cyclist and FFBC member, left St. Quentin-en-Yvelines (just outside of Paris) to embark on his first Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur 2007. Despite the foul weather, physical pain and exhaustion, Bill returned to Paris just after 73 hours. After his return home, Bill recounts his experience at the 16th Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur.
A: In short riding the qualifying brevets got me interested in Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP). I eventually decided to participate because I wanted to do longer rides. I felt to do a full brevet series without finishing with PBP would leave me feeling as though I missed out on something. I learned of PBP when I rode my first 200k brevet in January last year. At that time this 200k was my longest ride. Beforehand, my longest ride was Brad’s Birthday ride – the Mount Hamilton Century, which was 116 miles for me. When I completed my first, I had no intention of doing PBP and thought it was rather extreme to fly all the way to Paris for a bike ride. I ended up doing a few 200k’s and 300k’s last year but did not attempt any 400k’s or 600k’s. Partly because it took time to convince my wife that riding all night was not crazy and secondly I was doing a lot of remodeling work on the house. So last year I did brevets and double centuries. Around October when I was done with the DC’s, I started planning for 2007 and decided to do PBP. It seemed like a good chance to see France and do something I enjoy at the same time. I’ve never traveled much but cycling is changing that. A: My simple plan was to ride lots of miles. Since I decided to do PBP last October I set a goal to do at least 1,000 miles a month. I finished last year with over 10,000 miles and completed nearly 10,000 miles this year before PBP. To get this many miles without being a total stranger at home I rode a couple of hours before commuting to work during the week. On weekends I’d do extra mileage before and after club rides. I figured if I got 100 miles in by noon I wasn’t missing any more time at home than a regular club ride. I used the Wednesday night Pizza Rides to work in intensity during the last two months before PBP. A: My greatest concern was deciding whether to stick with a few friends I was starting with or maintain pace for my original plan. My friends had the same time goals as me but with so many riders you were never alone for too long. There were always people ahead and behind. I was also concerned that it might rain the entire time and that I might go out too hard. I also feared my generator light might fail. My light was great during training but it failed during a raining 600k brevet last April. There I had to ride all night in the rain with only a helmet light. I relied on lights from other bikes to help see the wet road. A: Being well prepared for the cold and rain gave me the confidence to keep going. Also seeing 100’s of other riders doing the same thing motivated me to keep going. The weather was actually no worse than some of the tough brevets I did. I rode from control to control and had two bag drops: one in Villaines, mile 139 and 623; and one in Loudeac, mile 281 and 480. My feet were wet much of the time but they never got cold. I had proper gear so I never got cold either. One of the hardest moments was leaving Loudeac at midnight in the rain. I did not want to waste time standing in line for a cot so I continued on to Tinteniac. A: No. But I did think to myself how crazy this whole thing is though. It takes incredible organization and effort to support such a big event. The French take this very serious with many rules and controls and check-in’s etc.
Q: What part of your training regime you thought integral in your success? A: Having qualified in rainy brevets was certainly integral to my success here. This was my first 1200 k so much of what I learned to expect came from the training brevets. I’d heard so many times that PBP is due for bad weather so I was not surprised when it rained. Q: What did you think you could have trained better in retrospect? A: I could have trained better at pacing myself the first day. I planned to not go out too hard but after 40 miles the pace picked up too much. My heart rate data shows the first day I was 85% and up. Day two had dropped to the 70%’s and finally settled about 65% maximum heart rate (MHR). I think if I had maintained less than 75% the first day I’d of felt stronger for the day 2 and 3. A: It was a relief to finally make it to the finish. The last 90 miles took much longer than I expected. The roads seem to go on forever up and down. I was so sleepy I thought I was riding in circles. My next thought was how to ride back to the hotel about two miles away. Q: How were the fans in France? A: The French are great people. Every town you pass through people are clapping and cheering you on. Cars pass with kids hanging out the window clapping at you. Such a difference from some of the hostilities we experience at home. Q: Would you endeavor the PBP again? A: Definitely – looking forward to 2011. I’ve modified my plan and I’m hoping for better whether next time. I’m not sure if I’ll do any other 1,200k’s but I’m considering Boston-Montreal-Boston and the Gold Rush 1200. Interesting Facts about this Year’s PBP
Poetic Descent Wynn rode his bike on one fine day I then received, like swarming bees, The cube of M times S, then sum The stories shared are fun to read Cyclist’s Dictionary Road cyclists are the biggest sandbaggers and secret trainers around. They'll say anything to soften you up for the kill. Don't let this happen to you. Study this handy rider's phrasebook to find out what they really mean when they say: "I'm out of shape." "I'm not into competition. I'm just riding to stay in shape." "I'm on my beater bike." "It's not that hilly." "You're doing great, honey." "This is a no-drop ride." "It's not that far." |
Q: What made you decide to participate in the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur?