audax: Paris Brest Paris 1200k

Well happy with that. No longer a ride only other people have done. For the sake of controversy, I found it easier than London Edinburgh London in 2017.  That would I guess be down to my readiness and the favourable weather we had. 

Hope there is something here that resonates with anyone that completed, had a go, or is thinking of taking the ride on one year. Well done to you all.

PBP 2019: Delighted by.

• Not having any stomach problems. Not losing my appetite. 
• Not having painful toes. All I needed to do was to wear my socks such that the seam did not sit on my little toes. 
• The Garmin Edge 1000 performing without a hitch. The Garmin battery pack was also 100% reliable.
• The generosity of spirit of the French public. The calls of Bon courage! Bon route! Allez! Allez! 
• My overall match fitness. 
• Having a couple of sleeping bag liners. One inside the other. Beats wrapping up in a recycled blanket any day of the week.  
• Having no aspirations other than to complete within 90 hours. That created many options I would not otherwise have had. I had pretty much no stress at all about time. 
• The protective layer of Sudocream on my undercarriage. Cheap and effective. I recommend it. 
• Riding with random groups and individuals at various times. The company and aero assist were both very much welcomed.   
• Getting three good periods of sleep and three warm showers along the way.

PBP 2019: Surprised by.

• Getting to Brest in 33 hours.
• Having a room to myself in Brest for three hours. That was Luxury.  
• Not feeling the cold at night very much at all.  
• Being able to feel my fingers and toes at the end. Just a bit of tingling in my left pinki and ring finger. 
• My overall pace, occasional turns of speed and ability to climb. 
• Not noticing the 'headwinds' I heard others speak of. 
• How similar some of the landscape was to that in England.   
• The absence of energy drinks at controls. Are Red Bull or Relentless not a thing in France?  
• The quality of road surfaces. Pretty smooth most of the way. Played a big part I reckon in helping stave off cyclists palsy.
• Seeing some familiar faces. Richard of Dulwich CC, Tom of ACME and Tom of Gravesend CC. The latter I saw a few times and enjoyed spending time with him and his family over some food at Villaines-la-Juhel.
• Coffee being served in pudding bowls. Guessing that's about cooling it down quickly.
• Some of the bikes people chose to ride.

PBP 2019: Could have done without.

• Struggling to stay awake riding through Huelgoat Forest.
• Some people at the controls not giving change.
• The poor provision made for a vegetarian diet.
• The terrible band playing at Tinténiac or perhaps it was Loudeac, on the way and the way back. The equally terrible troubadours at Villaines-la-Juhel on the way back. 
• Getting confused about the first secret control. Thought it was Brest we were heading to. Got there very quick! Ahh. It's not Brest. There's another 90 km to go.
• The Thermarest mat and bivy sack. Only used them once and could easily have done without. 
• Long stretches of straight roads and monotonous scenery. 
• The final stretch through the park and over cobbles. Whose idea was that?
• The poor excuse for towels proffered at controls with showers.

PBP 2019: Should have done differently.

• Descending all the way down from Roc'h westbound without a jacket on at around 4.00 am. I put my jacket on at the bottom shivering. The only time I really felt cold.  
• Sort out better front lights. My two front lights would not charge from the battery I had. I  relied on a backup, the longevity of which I was not confident of. I spent longer at some controls than I needed to simply so I would be riding into the dawn if and when the lights failed.  
• Sorting out getting a proper cable to connect the Garmin Edge and battery pack quicker than I did. Not doing so led to a last-minute panic buy costing a fortune in postage.