These are the notes from the January 11, 1999 meeting of the North Carolina Bicycle Club. 36 people attended. Vice-president Jim Zearfoss presided.
Gilbert Anderson and panel of select experts (Steve Knight, Alan Johnson, and Richard Laurance) were on hand to present and discuss their experiences cycling the 1200K (750 mile) Paris-Brest-Paris ride.
What is Paris-Brest-Paris? It started in 1891, intentionally organized as as a bicycle race that noone could finish. It was a seemingly impossible race from Paris to the coastal town of Brest and back. Incredibly, some 8-900 riders participated, and some 600 finished the event! Not to be bested, the promoter developed an even more difficult race, what we know today as the Tour de France. Paris-Brest-Paris was run as a professional race until the 30's. In the 50's it was taken over as an amateur event and has prospered in this manner since.
P-B-P is run in randonneur format, meaning you have designated checkpoints and route cards which must be stamped. There are time limits - you must finish within 90 hours, which forces a minimum speed of 8.3 mph, including all stops. Moreover, riders cannot pass the checkpoint "too early," which enforces a maximum speed of around 18 mph. (If you really want to go faster, you may delay your start by 6 or 12 hours.) No real provisions are made for eating or sleeping, except for what you may find at the checkpoints. The emphasis throughout is on self-reliance; nobody has any sort of support team, so riders need to be prepared for any and all eventualities.
The rules require that you have a variety of equipment, such as lights and fenders. Steve Knight explained that although the roads are good, 750 non-stop (mostly) miles causes things to break that just don't normally break at home. Hence, you're well-advised to have spare bulbs for your lights, extra spokes, a freewheel tool, and be prepared to repair your bike on the road, possibly in the dark.
The weather in France can change quickly, and riders should be prepared for rain and cold weather. Gilbert described the misery of some folks who had sent their warm clothes ahead, thinking they didn't need them, only to get caught in wet, cold conditions.
Cyclist must qualify for P-B-P by completing four qualifying brevets of 200, 300, 400, and 600 kilometers. Various organizations host these around the country, and the NCBC has distinguished itself by being ranked 11th in the world for qualifying riders for the '91 event. Al Johnson will be hosting the series of qualifying brevet rides this Spring, starting from the Morrisville Town Hall.
Richard Laurance reiterated that you don't have to be a super athlete to complete the ride, just in generally good shape and determined. (Richard completed his first P-B-P in his mid-sixties!) Gilbert mentioned that the average age of the riders is around 42, so it's not particularly a young person's event. Steve said you see lots of older riders, and many of them will pass you!
As gruelling as the event sounds, Gilbert and the others spoke with real fondness of their memories. There are thousands of riders from all over the world, all riding through the countryside of France, making it a unique cultural experience. The bikes are as varied as the riders. You see tricycles, tandems, triples, recumbents, and various combinations. What also impressed them is how whole villages would come out to cheer the cyclists on, even at 4:00 in the morning. Amidst the pain there's a sort of mass euphoria that transforms the event into something truly special.
If you're interested in riding P-B-P in '99 there are a variety of things to plan for, beyond just the qualifying brevets. Gilbert says that many of the folks who dropped out did so due to joint pain - knee, back, neck, and such, so you'll want to have a good endurance base. Folks ride all kinds of bikes, but Gilbert prefers a good steady touring bike with a long wheelbase. Many riders use triple cranksets, too.
When Gilbert gets talking he covers a lot of territory, and this write-up doesn't really do justice to the mass of interesting details and stories which he related, such as crawling around on the pavement in the middle of the night trying to feel out turn sign which had been pasted to the road in a roundabout out in the middle of the French countryside. Nor does it fully catch the stories that Steve, Richard, and Al offered.
Al Johnson presented a series of slides that he had taken, that further brought the event to life. I came away convinced that Paris-Brest-Paris is simultaneously intense and laid back, demanding and satisfying, exhausting and exhilarating, and made all the more so by the level of preparation that's demanded. What a ride!
A group of club members brought forward a proposal to create a USCF-affiliated racing team within the NCBC. The racing team would have a developmental emphasis and would encourage riders to both improve their cycling skills and participate in organized road race events. The proposal was approved by unanimous vote and Rich Hunt was elected to the position of racing committee chair, as called for by the NCBC bylaws.
Details of the racing team will be forthcoming in both the NCBC newsletter and webpage. Interested parties may contact the racing team officers: