RonStewart Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 For those who recognise the avatar: A couple of years ago I posted a bit about how things were going in my life. Pretty well, actually. I included mention that I had a goal of completing Paris-Brest-Paris in 2015. That's a 1230 km (769 mile) bicycle ride in France that is run every four years, and must be completed in 90 hours. The good news is that I qualified for the ride by completing a series of 200 km in under 13.5 hours, 300 in under 20, 400 in under 27 and 600 km in under 40 hours this year. The better news is that I went to France, and rode from Paris (actually a suburb west of the city) to Brest at France's extreme west, and got started on the return trip. The less wonderful news is that I only made it another 90 km before my fitness and my bike let me down. I took the train back to Paris. I have spent several weeks trying to determine how I feel about the experience. This link will give you a sense of what a grand occasion this event is. 6000 Riders. Hundreds of volunteers. Riding through the night. Sleeping while riding. Climbing innumerable hills. Sleeping in French ditches. Cheering from the locals. Ultimately, I am satisfied with my performance, but I think I will probably go back in 2019 to complete the full ride within the time limit. I will need to do some things differently - mainly I am going to need to take preparation much more seriously. My local paper ran before and after stories with pictures and details that you may find interesting. In other news, I just started working part-time on a master's degree in electrical engineering, so priorities are shifting again. Wishing you all well! Link to comment
Oldironken Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 i know you wished the outcome was different but i have to say, Congratulations! The vision, training, commitment, and personal sacrifice required to even attempt such an event is huge. It is something you'll never forget and will influence everything else you do for the rest of your life. My pair of 4 1/2 hour marathons are nothing compared to that kind of an endurance event. Link to comment
MT Wallet Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Most people dream of doing this thing or that and never follow through. You on the other hand followed the dream and actually qualified and participated. You rock dude! The fact that you were there regardless of finishing is of major importance. You're a winner just by being there. I wouldn't look at it as a defeat or failure for those reasons. How would you feel if you finished but were dead last? Life doesn't give us enough victories as it is. Enjoy the thrill of participation. Link to comment
elkroeger Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Hey Ron, That's AWESOME! You da man, on two fronts. And as they say, the journey is the reward. We need to get together and do some rides. We talked about that some time ago, and then the Mrs. and I had to pick up and move to Hawaii. We'll figure something out, tho. Keep in touch. On another note, sparky, come over here and show me how this stinkin' automatic valve works, will ya? Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 600 km in under 40 hours!!! That's Very impressive!!! What kind of seat do you have? It seems hard to believe from the looks of it that you could stay in the saddle that long. Very minimalistic. Best of lick on the Masters. This should help if you accidentally let any smoke out. http://www.auto-video.com/smoke-in-a-can-p-221.html Link to comment
RonStewart Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 What kind of seat do you have? It seems hard to believe from the looks of it that you could stay in the saddle that long. Very minimalistic. In the "Before" picture, you see an Infinity Seat, Eric. The idea is not to support your weight on your ischial tuberosities (sit bones). I bought it at the recommendation of a friend of a friend. It is okay for about 200 km. Usually I ride on a Sella Anatomica which is a saddle in the conventional sense. I shipped the Infinity Seat to a point 500 km into the ride, with the intent of switching from that point to Brest and back, and then returning to my Sella Anatomica. Surprisingly, I really didn't have much butt pain, and I always have a sore butt after 400 km. I did not switch saddles. Every randonneur (participant in these types of events) has a collection of rejected saddles. Oh, while I am bragging about the ride, here is my gps track. BTW, about 10 years ago I did a Saddle Sore 1000 on my R1150RT. That was when I learned about sit bones. Link to comment
Matts_12GS Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 600 km in under 40 hours!!! That's Very impressive!!! What kind of seat do you have? It seems hard to believe from the looks of it that you could stay in the saddle that long. Very minimalistic. More importantly, does that seat make the stock BMW seat feel comfortable? Amazing accomplishment, thanks for sharing the ups and downs of it with us. Link to comment
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