PBP Final Thoughts

PBP Final Thoughts
By Jeff Bauer
July 15, 2007

Final thoughts.

For what it's worth. You've may have already discerned from the other PBP ride reports:

1) PBP is crowded.
2) PBP is possibly cold and wet.

The intersection of these two possibilities can make for an unpleasant nighttime on-bike/off-bike experience.

In 2003, France went through a severe heat wave. Temps were over 100F and 14,000 Parisians died due to heat related illnesses. IN SPITE OF THIS, the late evenings and early mornings were pretty chilly. On the third night, it dropped into the 40's and riders donned every piece of clothing they had. On the way back through Loudeac, the cafeteria was stuffed with riders crammed into every nook and cranny trying to stay warm.

When you are acclimated to riding in temps ranging from the 70's through the 90's, such a drop in temperature feels extreme. This is not like riding in 40F temperatures in March, when you've had all winter to acclimate to wearing just a vest and arm warmers.

For anyone who's not ridden more than a 600K ...by the second night of a long ride your body no longer produces the same amount of heat to keep you warm. You'll need more clothing than usual to keep you comfortable. And you can't count on places during PBP to stop and warm up.

We were all cold in 2003 and it didn't rain. If it does rain (why is Brittany so green?), expect the night riding to be even more challenging if you're unprepared. The Europeans will probably have fewer problems as they're used to this climate. For those of us training here in the southern United States, we need to be prepared for some slight adjustments.

Bon Route!