Conference noted::bicycle

    
    This is the info on the Boston PBP brevets, put on by Charlie Lamb.
    (If I get time, I'll reformat it with shorter lines.)
                                                                -john
    
From:	DECWRL::"cwl@odi.com" "Charlie Lamb" 12-MAR-1991 03:07:23.13
To:	shalot::ellis, nova::fisher 
Subj:	brevet info 

Here's the brevet info for Boston.   Please post to an appropriate DEC
notes file if you feel so inclined.
 
Regards,
-cwl
 
The qualifiers for PBP are nearly upon us.  The following has all the information that
you'll need.  Preregistration is required.  Registration fees must be received 5 days
prior to event.  Send check payable to "Boston-Montreal-Boston" to 28 Hurlbut St #6,
Cambridge, MA 02138-1634.  Indicate name, address, and brevet(s) to be ridden.  This way
I can have all the paperwork done up ahead of time.  Questions may be addressed to the
same address, but you must enclose an SASE.  No SASE, no answers.  I may be reached at
617-354-2887 from 9-10pm only.  If you want me to call you back, leave a number where I
can call collect.
 
PBP Qualification: PBP is on the week of August 26 -- 1200km, 90 hours.  To qualify, you
must ride the 200, 300, 400, and 600km brevets in 1991, AND one of the following:
 
     (1) completed (not just entered) a PBP in 1975, 79, 83, or 87,
     (2) completed a BMB in 1988, 89, or 90,
     (3) completed the 200, 300, 400, 600 km events in 1990, or
     (4) completed the Boston, St. Louis, California, or Syracuse 1000km in 1991.
 
200km (129 miles): May 4, 5:00am, from Newton to Rindge, NH, to Sterling, Mass to
Newton.  14 hr time limit.  Moderately Hilly. $10.  Start at the Charles River in
Newton.
300km (200 miles): May 18, 4:00am, Newton, Amherst, Newton (around the Q. reservoir). 20
hr time limit.  A challenging ride. $15.  Start in Newton Centre (see below).
400km (250 miles): June 1, midnight (i.e. starts late Friday night, early Saturday
morning), starting in Newton, Mass.  24 hr time limit.  Moderate to difficult terrain.
$20.  Start in Newton Centre (see below).
600km (375 miles): June 15, 16, 3:00am.  Newton, Troy, NY, Newton. 40 hr time limit.
Difficult hills. $30.  Start in Newton Centre (see below).  Meal at halfway point.  Make
a reservation at the Maple Terrace Motel (555 Main St, Williamstown, Mass 413-458-8101)
if you want to sleep at the 225 mile point on the first night.
1000km (625 miles): June 28, 29, 30, midnight 6/28 (Thursday night). 400km and 600km
back to back.  72 hour time limit. $50.  Includes limited bag drop and meals.
 
There will also be a 400km and 600km event during the 1000km event.  You may use the 400
and 600 on that weekend as qualifiers for PBP, but you may not get double credit for
your miles.  That is, if you need a 1000km ride, you must have completed the 400 and 600
before starting the 1000km event.  Even if you don't need to ride anymore qualifiers at
this point, these are ideal training rides.  The 400km will start midnight on Thursday,
and the 600km will start at midnight on Friday.
 
ARRIVE AT LEAST 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE DESIGNATED STARTING TIME FOR BRIEFING AND
EQUIPMENT CHECK.
 
LIGHTING: It's the same old story, and no matter how many times I tell it, there's
always someone who doesn't hear it.  The rule is, "you must be lit up like a Christmas
tree" during night riding.  That means at least the following:
* red rear light with at least a 1 inch lens, continuous beam (not blinking), visible
  for 300 feet
* white front light, continuous beam, visible for 1000 feet.  Halogen bulb required.
* ankle bands, at least 1 inch wide, one on each leg.  "Bike-a-lite" yellow bands are
  preferred.
Wonder lights are not good enough.  If that's all you have, you won't ride.  Halogen
bulbs are required in front.  I've found that the Union system works quite well on the
front, and the Cateye works well on the rear.  Belt beacons aren't good enough.  They
aren't visible for a long distance.  You're welcome to use them, but you must have the
three items listed above in addition to the belt beacon.  Strobe lights like the ones
that they strap to life jackets are highly desirable.  They attract a lot of attention
and are visible for quite a distance.  I want you to attract a lot of attention during
any night riding.  The strap on cateye front (white) lights aren't good enough unless
you put a halogen bulb in them.  Note that I won't require lighting for the 200km since
it will be during daylight hours.
FENDERS: Required on the 400, 600, and 1000km rides.  1/4 circumference front, 1/2 rear.
COST: As shown above.  Preregistration only please.  UMCA membership is not required,
but I'll validate any UMCA NPC forms.  International Randonneur membership is required
if you want to go to PBP. $3 surcharge/event for non members.  IR membership is $20 and
should be applied for in advance (c/o Konski Engineers, 727 N. Salina St, Syracuse, NY
13208, 315-471-2101, ask for Vicki).
SUPPORT VEHICLES: Follow vehicles aren't allowed.  I prefer to not have support vehicles
on the 200 and 300.  For the 400, 600, and 1000, PBP rules will apply so that support
crews can only meet you at designated places along the route.
ROUTE: During the briefing, I will hand out a detailed route description.  It is between
two and four pages long, so you might want to bring some sort of plastic bag or other
protection for it.  There won't be any extra route sheets, so make sure you protect
yours from sweat, weather, etc.
FOOD: You should bring whatever you think you need as dictated by how much you want to
buy along the way.  Beware that there will probably not be many stores open on the
routes before 7am, so you should be ready to go at least 2 or 3 hrs on your own.  Same
for water.  For the 400km, there will be a vehicle to take small bags to various
checkpoints.  There will be a meal available at the halfway point of the 600km (Troy,
NY).  We will have minimal snacks at some checkpoints on all the rides.
BROOM WAGON: I will try to arrange for a broom wagon to sweep the course and pick up
dead riders.  Don't bet on there being much in the way of supplies or parts available.
There may be a minimal amount of water and snacks in the broom wagon.  It is there
strictly for emergencies.
SLEEPING AND TOILET FACILITIES AT THE START: Unlike previous years, there are no
sleeping or toilet facilities (floor space or otherwise) at the starting location.
ULTRA ENERGY: You may purchase Ultra Energy for $5/package.  If you order in advance,
we'll have it available at the start of the event.  There will be only one order: April
15.  Your order will be available at the 200km (or later brevets if you don't make it to
the 200km).  We may have some extra at the start of each event, but no guarantees.
Specify quantity and type (chocolate or grape).  You may include the amount in your
entry fee.  No shipping except to the brevet starts.
ACCOMODATIONS: Day's Inn Newton 617-969-5300; Marriott Newton 617-969-1000; Red Roof Inn
Framingham 508-872-4499.
 
ACCOMODATIONS FOR PBP: Here are the names of some agents who are setting things up:
Claus Claussen, Uniglobe Des Peres Travel, Manchester/270 Office Center, 12444
Powerscourt Dr, Ste 190, St. Louis, MO 63131 800-727-2960.  He's arranging airfare,
hotel accomodations, and airport transfer for PBP.  He'll be traveling to PBP with the
group so he can take care of any problems.
 
Greg Hogan, Breaking Away Bicycle Tours, 1142 Manhattan Ave, Ste 253, Manhattan Beach,
CA 90266 213-545-5118.  Also arranging complete tours with bag drop service at the
checkpoints.
 
Philip, Globe Travel, somewhere in Vermont. 802-222-5727-day, 800-621-5526-evening.
Seems to be good at finding cheap airfares.  I'll probably be using this guy to set up
my arrangements.

DIRECTIONS TO THE 200KM STARTING POINT:
OVERVIEW: There is a small parking lot next to a pond right at the intersection of Rt 30
and 128 (I 95).  If you look at the actual intersection of Rt 30 and 128, it is right on
the northwest corner of it.  Getting there is a little harder though.  Note that this is
right near the intersection of the Mass Pike and 128.  If you look at the Marriott
hotel, it is across the pond from it.  If you get lost, this is the best landmark in the
area.
FROM RT 128 HEADED SOUTH: Get off at the Rt 30 exit which is immediately after the Mass
Pike exit.  You will do a quick 180 degree turn on the ramp and be at a light.  Go
straight through the light and you'll see the entrance to the Mass Pike.  Go straight
past the entrance and take the next right (there is a sign which says "Feeding and
Parking Area").  You'll go underneath 128.  Turn right and you're in the parking lot.
FROM RT 128 HEADED NORTH: Get off at the Rt 30 exit.  When you finally get to Route 30
(I haven't been on this exit ramp recently, but I seem to recall that it goes on for a
while), you will be at a stop sign.  Turn left onto Route 30 west and you will
immediately cross 128.  Just after you cross 128, turn right at the sign which says to
Brandeis and the Mass Pike.  Go straight on past the Pike entrance and make the right
hand turn at the "Feeding and Parking Area" sign just after it.  Go under 128 and turn
right into the parking lot.
FROM MASS PIKE EASTBOUND: Take the rt 128 exit.  Follow signs for rt 30.  You will
almost get onto 128 North after you loop around the ramp.  When you get to the rt 30
intersection, turn left onto rt 30 west.  Cross over 128, and turn right at the sign for
Brandeis and the Mass Pike.  Go past the Mass Pike entrance and turn right at the sign
which says "Feeding and Parking Area".  Go under 128 and turn right into the parking
lot.
FROM MASS PIKE WESTBOUND: Get off at the 128/30 exit.  Bear right immediately out of the
toll both and follow signs for 128 North and Rt 30.  (When you come out of the toll
booth, there are signs for both I 95, and rt 30.  At that fork, go to the right towards
I 95 North and South.  Then, once you have past that, follow signs for rt 30.  If you
follow signs for rt 30 immediately out of the toll booth, it will take you to the wrong
place.)  When you get to the end of the ramp at the intersection with 30, turn left onto
30 west and cross over 128. Turn right at the sign for Brandeis and the Pike.  Go past
the Pike exit, and turn in at the "Feeding and Parking Area".  Go under 128 and turn
right into the parking lot.
FROM COMMONWEALTH AVE (Rt 30): After you pass the Marriott (a good place to stay before
hand if you're not local, 617-969-1000), turn right onto the entrance ramp for rt 128
north.  Just after you get on the ramp, there is a quick road to the right which takes
you down into the park.
DIRECTIONS TO THE 300KM, 400KM, 600KM, AND 1000KM STARTING POINTS:
FROM THE MASS PIKE EASTBOUND:
Take Exit 17, and turn right at the first light immediately after the exit ramp.  See
the directions "from Centre Street".
FROM THE MASS PIKE WESTBOUND:
Take Exit 17.  Stay to the left on the ramp so that you go straight ahead.  Cross the
trolly tracks in the middle of the road and put the hotel over the highway on your left.
Just after you pass the hotel, turn left and cross over the pike.  Turn right at the
first light onto Centre Street.
FROM CENTRE STREET IN NEWTON:
Head up the hill and go through several lights.  You'll come to a big intersection which
is Commonwealth Ave./Route 30.  There's a Ski and Tennis Chalet on the far left corner
there.  Go straight through this light.  When you come into the center of town (the
second light), turn left at Beacon Street.  At the Exxon Station on the right, turn
right onto Langley Road.  The house is 135 Langley Road on the right, about a quarter
mile past the Exxon station.

    Name:	
    Address, City, State, Zip, Phone:
    International Randonneurs Membership #:
 
    I intend ride the following events (enclose check payable to Boston Montreal Boston,
    and circle the events you want to ride).  Add $3/brevet if you aren't a member of IR.
    If you don't have a number yet, write "new member" above.
 
    200km ($10) May 4:
    300km ($15) May 18:
    400km ($20) June 1, June 28:
    600km ($30) June 15/16, June 29/30:
    1000km($50) June 28-30:
 
				    Waiver
			    Boston-Montreal-Boston
			   International Randonneurs
 
    In consideration of accepting this entry, I (we) the undersigned, intending to be
    legal bound hereby, for myself (ourselves) and my (our) Heirs, personal
    representatives, assigns and executors, do hereby release and forever discharge
    the International Randonneurs, the Boston Montreal Boston, any of its
    members, member clubs, sponsors, administrators, officers, directors, or
    associations, for any and all claims, demands, costs, expenses, illnesses,
    inconveniences, loss of service actions, forseen or unforseen, arising from any
    act or occurance and particularly on account of any and all personal injury,
    disability, property damage, loss of any kind that I may sustain or inflict as a
    result of training for and participation in any event sanctioned by, sponsored
    by, or associated with, the International Randonneurs, the Boston Montreal Boston
    or its affiliates, even if said organizations and/or affiliates are negligent
    or at fault.
 
    I fully understand the nature of the activities I am participating in and
    acknowledge the hazards of said activities and voluntarily assume the risk of
    injury to my person, property or the person or property of others.  If an injury
    should occur to me, I authorize proper treatment.  I understand that even though
    every effort has been made to use the safest routes, the routes chosen for these
    events are not necessarily the safest ones available.  I promise to obey all
    applicable federal, state, and local traffic laws, including, but not limited to,
    night time lighting requirements.  I attest that I am physically fit and
    sufficiently trained for these events.  I warrant that I am sufficiently
    competent at cycling to handle the road conditions and that my bicycle is in safe
    operating condition.  I also understand that wearing a helmet can minimize or
    prevent head injuries which may occur in a cycling accident and that the
    organizers of the above mentioned events encourage all riders to wear helmets.
 
    If the participant is under the age of 18 years, this form must be signed by
    his/her parent or guardian.
 
    To the best of my knowledge I believe the information above is correct.
 
    Signature:					Date:
 
    Signature of Parent or Guardian if under 18 years old:
 
    Mail to:
    28 Hurlbut St #6
    Cambridge, MA 02138-1634
    (enclose an sase if you have questions that need answering)
 
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To: shalot::ellis, nova::fisher
Subject: brevet info
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 14:43:11 -0500
    

    

From:	DECWRL::"cwl@odi.com" "Charlie Lamb" 12-MAR-1991 03:07:23.13
To:	shalot::ellis, nova::fisher 
Subj:	brevet info 

Here's the brevet info for Boston.   Please post to an appropriate DEC notes
file if you feel so inclined.
 
Regards,
-cwl
 
The qualifiers for PBP are nearly upon us.  The following has all the
information that you'll need.  Preregistration is required.  Registration fees
must be received 5 days prior to event.  Send check payable to
"Boston-Montreal-Boston" to 28 Hurlbut St #6, Cambridge, MA 02138-1634. 
Indicate name, address, and brevet(s) to be ridden.  This way I can have all
the paperwork done up ahead of time.  Questions may be addressed to the same
address, but you must enclose an SASE.  No SASE, no answers.  I may be reached
at 617-354-2887 from 9-10pm only.  If you want me to call you back, leave a
number where I can call collect.
 
PBP Qualification: PBP is on the week of August 26 -- 1200km, 90 hours.  To
qualify, you must ride the 200, 300, 400, and 600km brevets in 1991, AND one
of the following:
 
     (1) completed (not just entered) a PBP in 1975, 79, 83, or 87,
     (2) completed a BMB in 1988, 89, or 90,
     (3) completed the 200, 300, 400, 600 km events in 1990, or
     (4) completed the Boston, St. Louis, California, or Syracuse 1000km in
	 1991.
 
200km (129 miles): May 4, 5:00am, from Newton to Rindge, NH, to Sterling, Mass
to Newton.  14 hr time limit.  Moderately Hilly. $10.  Start at the Charles
River in Newton.

300km (200 miles): May 18, 4:00am, Newton, Amherst, Newton (around the Q.
reservoir). 20 hr time limit.  A challenging ride. $15.  Start in Newton
Centre (see below).

400km (250 miles): June 1, midnight (i.e. starts late Friday night, early
Saturday morning), starting in Newton, Mass.  24 hr time limit.  Moderate to
difficult terrain. $20.  Start in Newton Centre (see below).

600km (375 miles): June 15, 16, 3:00am.  Newton, Troy, NY, Newton. 40 hr time
limit. Difficult hills. $30.  Start in Newton Centre (see below).  Meal at
halfway point.  Make a reservation at the Maple Terrace Motel (555 Main St,
Williamstown, Mass 413-458-8101) if you want to sleep at the 225 mile point on
the first night.

1000km (625 miles): June 28, 29, 30, midnight 6/28 (Thursday night). 400km and
600km back to back.  72 hour time limit. $50.  Includes limited bag drop and
meals.
 
There will also be a 400km and 600km event during the 1000km event.  You may
use the 400 and 600 on that weekend as qualifiers for PBP, but you may not get
double credit for your miles.  That is, if you need a 1000km ride, you must
have completed the 400 and 600 before starting the 1000km event.  Even if you
don't need to ride anymore qualifiers at this point, these are ideal training
rides.  The 400km will start midnight on Thursday, and the 600km will start at
midnight on Friday.
 
ARRIVE AT LEAST 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE DESIGNATED STARTING TIME FOR BRIEFING
AND EQUIPMENT CHECK.
 
LIGHTING: It's the same old story, and no matter how many times I tell it,
there's always someone who doesn't hear it.  The rule is, "you must be lit up
like a Christmas tree" during night riding.  That means at least the
following:

   * red rear light with at least a 1 inch lens, continuous beam (not
   blinking), visible for 300 feet

   * white front light, continuous beam, visible for 1000 feet.  Halogen
   bulb required.

   * ankle bands, at least 1 inch wide, one on each leg.  "Bike-a-lite"
   yellow bands are preferred.

Wonder lights are not good enough.  If that's all you have, you won't ride. 
Halogen bulbs are required in front.  I've found that the Union system works
quite well on the front, and the Cateye works well on the rear.  Belt beacons
aren't good enough.  They aren't visible for a long distance.  You're welcome
to use them, but you must have the three items listed above in addition to the
belt beacon.  Strobe lights like the ones that they strap to life jackets are
highly desirable.  They attract a lot of attention and are visible for quite a
distance.  I want you to attract a lot of attention during any night riding. 
The strap on cateye front (white) lights aren't good enough unless you put a
halogen bulb in them.  Note that I won't require lighting for the 200km since
it will be during daylight hours.

FENDERS: Required on the 400, 600, and 1000km rides.  1/4 circumference front,
1/2 rear.

COST: As shown above.  Preregistration only please.  UMCA membership is not
required, but I'll validate any UMCA NPC forms.  International Randonneur
membership is required if you want to go to PBP. $3 surcharge/event for non
members.  IR membership is $20 and should be applied for in advance (c/o
Konski Engineers, 727 N. Salina St, Syracuse, NY 13208, 315-471-2101, ask for
Vicki).

SUPPORT VEHICLES: Follow vehicles aren't allowed.  I prefer to not have
support vehicles on the 200 and 300.  For the 400, 600, and 1000, PBP rules
will apply so that support crews can only meet you at designated places along
the route.

ROUTE: During the briefing, I will hand out a detailed route description.  It
is between two and four pages long, so you might want to bring some sort of
plastic bag or other protection for it.  There won't be any extra route
sheets, so make sure you protect yours from sweat, weather, etc.

FOOD: You should bring whatever you think you need as dictated by how much you
want to buy along the way.  Beware that there will probably not be many stores
open on the routes before 7am, so you should be ready to go at least 2 or 3
hrs on your own.  Same for water.  For the 400km, there will be a vehicle to
take small bags to various checkpoints.  There will be a meal available at the
halfway point of the 600km (Troy, NY).  We will have minimal snacks at some
checkpoints on all the rides.

BROOM WAGON: I will try to arrange for a broom wagon to sweep the course and
pick up dead riders.  Don't bet on there being much in the way of supplies or
parts available. There may be a minimal amount of water and snacks in the
broom wagon.  It is there strictly for emergencies.

SLEEPING AND TOILET FACILITIES AT THE START: Unlike previous years, there are
no sleeping or toilet facilities (floor space or otherwise) at the starting
location.

ULTRA ENERGY: You may purchase Ultra Energy for $5/package.  If you order in
advance, we'll have it available at the start of the event.  There will be
only one order: April 15.  Your order will be available at the 200km (or later
brevets if you don't make it to the 200km).  We may have some extra at the
start of each event, but no guarantees. Specify quantity and type (chocolate
or grape).  You may include the amount in your entry fee.  No shipping except
to the brevet starts.

ACCOMODATIONS: Day's Inn Newton 617-969-5300; Marriott Newton 617-969-1000;
Red Roof Inn Framingham 508-872-4499.
 
ACCOMODATIONS FOR PBP: Here are the names of some agents who are setting
things up: Claus Claussen, Uniglobe Des Peres Travel, Manchester/270 Office
Center, 12444 Powerscourt Dr, Ste 190, St. Louis, MO 63131 800-727-2960.  He's
arranging airfare, hotel accomodations, and airport transfer for PBP.  He'll
be traveling to PBP with the group so he can take care of any problems.
 
Greg Hogan, Breaking Away Bicycle Tours, 1142 Manhattan Ave, Ste 253,
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 213-545-5118.  Also arranging complete tours with
bag drop service at the checkpoints.
 
Philip, Globe Travel, somewhere in Vermont. 802-222-5727-day,
800-621-5526-evening. Seems to be good at finding cheap airfares.  I'll
probably be using this guy to set up my arrangements.


DIRECTIONS TO THE 200KM STARTING POINT:

OVERVIEW: There is a small parking lot next to a pond right at the
intersection of Rt 30 and 128 (I 95).  If you look at the actual intersection
of Rt 30 and 128, it is right on the northwest corner of it.  Getting there is
a little harder though.  Note that this is right near the intersection of the
Mass Pike and 128.  If you look at the Marriott hotel, it is across the pond
from it.  If you get lost, this is the best landmark in the area.

FROM RT 128 HEADED SOUTH: Get off at the Rt 30 exit which is immediately after
the Mass Pike exit.  You will do a quick 180 degree turn on the ramp and be at
a light.  Go straight through the light and you'll see the entrance to the
Mass Pike.  Go straight past the entrance and take the next right (there is a
sign which says "Feeding and Parking Area").  You'll go underneath 128.  Turn
right and you're in the parking lot.

FROM RT 128 HEADED NORTH: Get off at the Rt 30 exit.  When you finally get to
Route 30 (I haven't been on this exit ramp recently, but I seem to recall that
it goes on for a while), you will be at a stop sign.  Turn left onto Route 30
west and you will immediately cross 128.  Just after you cross 128, turn right
at the sign which says to Brandeis and the Mass Pike.  Go straight on past the
Pike entrance and make the right hand turn at the "Feeding and Parking Area"
sign just after it.  Go under 128 and turn right into the parking lot.

FROM MASS PIKE EASTBOUND: Take the rt 128 exit.  Follow signs for rt 30.  You
will almost get onto 128 North after you loop around the ramp.  When you get
to the rt 30 intersection, turn left onto rt 30 west.  Cross over 128, and
turn right at the sign for Brandeis and the Mass Pike.  Go past the Mass Pike
entrance and turn right at the sign which says "Feeding and Parking Area".  Go
under 128 and turn right into the parking lot.

FROM MASS PIKE WESTBOUND: Get off at the 128/30 exit.  Bear right immediately
out of the toll both and follow signs for 128 North and Rt 30.  (When you come
out of the toll booth, there are signs for both I 95, and rt 30.  At that
fork, go to the right towards I 95 North and South.  Then, once you have past
that, follow signs for rt 30.  If you follow signs for rt 30 immediately out
of the toll booth, it will take you to the wrong place.)  When you get to the
end of the ramp at the intersection with 30, turn left onto 30 west and cross
over 128. Turn right at the sign for Brandeis and the Pike.  Go past the Pike
exit, and turn in at the "Feeding and Parking Area".  Go under 128 and turn
right into the parking lot.

FROM COMMONWEALTH AVE (Rt 30): After you pass the Marriott (a good place to
stay before hand if you're not local, 617-969-1000), turn right onto the
entrance ramp for rt 128 north.  Just after you get on the ramp, there is a
quick road to the right which takes you down into the park.

DIRECTIONS TO THE 300KM, 400KM, 600KM, AND 1000KM STARTING POINTS:

FROM THE MASS PIKE EASTBOUND: Take Exit 17, and turn right at the first light
immediately after the exit ramp.  See the directions "from Centre Street".

FROM THE MASS PIKE WESTBOUND: Take Exit 17.  Stay to the left on the ramp so
that you go straight ahead.  Cross the trolly tracks in the middle of the road
and put the hotel over the highway on your left. Just after you pass the
hotel, turn left and cross over the pike.  Turn right at the first light onto
Centre Street.

FROM CENTRE STREET IN NEWTON: Head up the hill and go through several lights. 
You'll come to a big intersection which is Commonwealth Ave./Route 30. 
There's a Ski and Tennis Chalet on the far left corner there.  Go straight
through this light.  When you come into the center of town (the second light),
turn left at Beacon Street.  At the Exxon Station on the right, turn right
onto Langley Road.  The house is 135 Langley Road on the right, about a
quarter mile past the Exxon station.


   
Name:	
Address, City, State, Zip, Phone:
International Randonneurs Membership #:
 
I intend ride the following events (enclose check payable to Boston Montreal
Boston, and circle the events you want to ride).  Add $3/brevet if you aren't
a member of IR. If you don't have a number yet, write "new member" above.
 
   200km ($10) May 4:
   300km ($15) May 18:
   400km ($20) June 1, June 28:
   600km ($30) June 15/16, June 29/30:
   1000km($50) June 28-30:
 
				    Waiver
			    Boston-Montreal-Boston
			   International Randonneurs
 
In consideration of accepting this entry, I (we) the undersigned, intending to
be legal bound hereby, for myself (ourselves) and my (our) Heirs, personal
representatives, assigns and executors, do hereby release and forever
discharge the International Randonneurs, the Boston Montreal Boston, any of
its members, member clubs, sponsors, administrators, officers, directors, or
associations, for any and all claims, demands, costs, expenses, illnesses,
inconveniences, loss of service actions, forseen or unforseen, arising from
any act or occurance and particularly on account of any and all personal
injury, disability, property damage, loss of any kind that I may sustain or
inflict as a result of training for and participation in any event sanctioned
by, sponsored by, or associated with, the International Randonneurs, the
Boston Montreal Boston or its affiliates, even if said organizations and/or
affiliates are negligent or at fault.
 
I fully understand the nature of the activities I am participating in and
acknowledge the hazards of said activities and voluntarily assume the risk of
injury to my person, property or the person or property of others.  If an
injury should occur to me, I authorize proper treatment.  I understand that
even though every effort has been made to use the safest routes, the routes
chosen for these events are not necessarily the safest ones available.  I
promise to obey all applicable federal, state, and local traffic laws,
including, but not limited to, night time lighting requirements.  I attest
that I am physically fit and sufficiently trained for these events.  I warrant
that I am sufficiently competent at cycling to handle the road conditions and
that my bicycle is in safe operating condition.  I also understand that
wearing a helmet can minimize or prevent head injuries which may occur in a
cycling accident and that the organizers of the above mentioned events
encourage all riders to wear helmets.
 
If the participant is under the age of 18 years, this form must be signed by
his/her parent or guardian.
 
To the best of my knowledge I believe the information above is correct.
 
Signature:					Date:
 
Signature of Parent or Guardian if under 18 years old:
 
Mail to:
28 Hurlbut St #6
Cambridge, MA 02138-1634
(enclose an sase if you have questions that need answering)

    
    RE: .3 - I am keeping my options open by doing the 1991 Brevets
    and reserving flight and accomodation.  We'll see.  :-)
    
    -john

    I completed PBP in '87 and going back the "la centenaire" has been my
    constant goal since. I've already put away the first two qualifiers
    (200 and 300K). BTW, the 300K was excellent training for PBP, raining
    and cold.
    
    See you all on the Champs d'Elyses!
    
    GS

    
    The preceding 1-page table is based on Jeff Bell's list.
    It may be handy for anyone going over to France, e.g., to do PBP.
    
    I also have translated the UMCA NPC Open and Standard ride forms
    into French.  Send mail if you'd like the PostScript (or the .GRA
    file -- I used RAGS to produce them).
    
    -john

    
    The following reply contains an write-up on PBP'91.
    
    The same story, in LN03-format and article style, 
    can be copied from 
    
       SHALOT::USR2$:[ELLIS.PUBLIC]PBP91_ARTICLE.LN03.
    
    (I wrote it for the Charlotte club newsletter.)
    
    -john

    	Looks to me like you recovered pretty well from your
    	exertions during RAAM '91.
    
    	I guess Pavelka will have an upcoming article for
    	BICYCLING (as you mentioned).
    
    	Scott

    
    Yes, RAAM recovery took about two days.  (How embarassing!)
    I'd have opted for the 8pm or 5am start if I'd known that.
    
    PBP was lots more fun than anticipated.  Oh, a strenuous,
    hard ride, to be sure, but great scenery, and opportunities
    for speed if you wanted to ride that way.  
    
    And... the sun helped a lot.  I kept thinking I'd not paid
    my dues, as for example Ed Fisher did in moisture-laden PBP'87.
    
    I'll be curious what Ed Pavelka writes.  He'll have more and
    better statistics, for one thing, and maybe a broader picture.
    In a couple weeks, he's off on Lon Haldeman's transcontinental
    PAC tour.
    
    -john

>    The breakfasts at the more western checkpoints featured a baguette,
>    butter, and a large bowl.  Into the bowl they'd pour chocolate, broth,
>    or coffee, your choice.   
 
    
    The idea being that you dip the baguette nto the bown and then chew the 
    soggy bread.  Of course the crumbs fall into the bowl and you get to
    eat them later..  Great I *love* french breakfasts...

    
    FYI, Ed Pavelka's article on PBP is scheduled to appear in the
    December, 1991 issue of Bicycling, which in fact, because of 
    printing schedules,  reached newsstands last July, approximately 
    a month before PBP.  :-)
    
    Seriously, look for December's issue.
    
    -john

    
From:	DECWRL::"cwl@odi.com"  2-OCT-1991 18:06:40.36
To:	nova::fisher, decwrl::fhsu, shalot::ellis, pamela@camex.com, milner@medcn.umontreal.ca, linda@ksr.com
Subj:	PBP trip report

Here's my PBP trip report in case you're interested:

The Paris Brest Paris is a 1200km (750 mile) bicycle ride from Paris
to the tip of Brittany (Brest) and back again, taking place in 90
hours (almost 4 days).  It's not really a race except for a few really
strong riders up in the front.  Hence, there are no winners.  Instead,
it is a challenge for its participants to see if they can complete the
ride in the face of a variety of conditions.  This was the centennial
of the quadrennial event.

Participants are tracked by the organizers as they progress through
the route.  Each of the 3300 riders carries a control card which must
be stamped at several checkpoints along the way.  Each checkpoint has
an open and close time associated with it and the rider must arrive
between those times.  If they arrive at a particular checkpoint early
(few do), they have to stick around until it opens.  If they arrive
late, they're dq'd from the ride.  Most of the locations of the
controls are published before the ride starts.  However, every once in
a while, they throw in a "secret control" which is designed to make
sure that no one is taking short cuts.  I doubt if anyone is really
interested in short cutting on the route.  Instead, the secret
checkpoints lend to the atmosphere and tradition of the ride.  When
you finish, you turn in your card to the official at the last control
(back in Paris) and they validate it by making sure that it has all
the stamps from the various controls in the right places.  If your
card checks out, then you receive a nice medal (and bragging rights
with your friends.)

As some of you may know, this was my second PBP, my first being the
previous event in 1987.  You may also know that it has been a fairly
long road getting there.  All participants must go through a series of
qualifiers (also know as "brevets") which range from 200 km (124
miles) to 600 km (673 miles).  They're run in a similar format to the
PBP in that you have a certain time limit to complete the ride and you
must arrive at various control points along the way within
predetermined time limits.  My training actually began last summer
when I decided that if I were not going to suffer through the PBP (as
I had in 1987), I had better put in some serious effort and miles.  In
August 1990 I made a commitment to commute as far into the winter as
possible (that would give me 22 miles per commute on the days that I
rode) as well as to ride as many qualifiers as possible in southern
cities during the early part of 1991.  Fortunately, I was able to
commute right through the winter and never had a week where I rode to
work fewer than three times out of the five.  Further, I was able to
complete the first three qualifiers (200, 300, and 400km) in January,
February, and March in Miami and South Carolina.  Hence, they were not
only "out of the way", but they provided a nice base from which to
progress into the regular New England cycling season.  Along around
April I was feeling like I was in the best condition that I had ever
been in (at that time of year) and was having rides during which I
felt "possessed".  That is, they would just feel so good and so fast.

Unfortunately, a run in with a car running a red light slowed things
down a little.  I only lost a week on the bike, but mentally and
physically, I had been damaged.  I never really regained that
"possessed" feeling until PBP.  But enough of that.  The training went
on and I rerode the entire set of Boston qualifiers (200, 300, 400,
and 600km) in May and June thus completing my qualification for PBP
along with roughly 15 to 20 others from the Boston area.  We were off
to PBP, I guess.

The problem was that I was never really sure that I wanted to do the
ride in the first place.  It was a damned if you do, damned if you
don't situation.  You're damned to spending three or four days in the
crummy weather of Brittany while you endure long wet miles.  You're
damned to knee pain, butt sores, a stiff neck, and lack of sleep too.
On the other hand, it is the premier event of this kind, and it only
comes once every four years (so I might never get another chance to
ride it), and it is the centennial, and there will be a lot of people
there, and ...  So I reluctantly agreed with myself that I should do
it.  You might be wondering why I was so worried about all this when I
had trained relatively well (starting the event with 6600 miles since
January 1, 1991).  The reason is that from 1987 I had a healthy degree
of respect for this event.  The terrain and weather are such that it
will just wear you thin after a while.  If those two things don't get
you, something else will.  Even right up to the start of the event, I
was fairly leary of the whole thing.  But again, enough of this.

The actual event didn't really start in Paris, but out near Versailles
in a place called St. Quentin en Yvelines.  It's a nice new part of
town and it's right on the edge of the countryside.  This was the
first year that they started in this new part of town so St Quentin
seemed to put a lot of promotional effort into PBP by getting their
name on all the banners and materials that were sent out.  Also new
this year was recognition from the mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac (man
do I love that name -- it just rolls off the tongue).  So, they had a
symbolic start in Paris the afternoon before the actual ride started.
Everyone made their way into the Hotel de Ville (the City Hall) and
listened to a speech by Jacques and a bunch of other people.  Then we
were all escorted on our bikes for the 17 mile ride out to the actual
start (St. Quentin).  It was kind of interesting to get to ride
through Paris like that.  Even though the prologue (this part of the
ride) was optional, I figured it was a rare opportunity to ride
through Paris with an escort, so what the hell.

At this point I should explain that there are three starting times for
the PBP, each of which gives you different time limits for the entire
event (as well as slightly different opening and closing times at the
checkpoints).  The way it goes is that one of the starts gives you the
full 90 hours of time -- the neophytes and slow ones take this start.
The next start gives you 84 hours (and in exchange you get a "better"
starting time), and the last one gives you 80 hours.  All the racers
must take the 80 hour start because the opening and closing times are
such that you can't finish in less than 50 hours unless you take that
start.  This year, the 80 hour start was at 8pm on Monday, the 90 hour
start at 10 pm on Monday, and the 84 hour start the next morning at 5
am.  Also, it's worth mentioning that this is a brand new format for
them.  It used to be that the 90 hour start was at 4am, the 84 hour at
10 am (6 hours later), and the 78 hour start -- the racers -- at 4 pm.
It seemed a little more clear cut back then.  If you wanted all the
time, you got up early.  If you wanted to get a good night's sleep,
you took the 10 am start, and if you wanted to race, well, you got
penalized and had to start in the afternoon and ride all night.  This
year, no one could quite figure out why they had the wierd starting
times In any case, I decided that I didn't want to ride all night long
on the first night after being up most of the day, so I took the 84
hour 5 am start.  In retrospect, I think I would have taken the 8 pm
80 hour start.  Oh well.  Just for the record, about 700 people
started in the 8pm, 2000 in the 10 pm, and 700 in the 5 am.  I had
expected more to take the 5 am.

Getting back to the prologue, this was a real pain in the neck for the
8 pm and 10 pm starters since they had to ride out to the start that
afternoon, probably not get any sleep before starting, and then ride
all night.  I guess that was the advantage of the 5 am start.   One
other thing was that I didn't get too worried about losing the extra 6
hours for the 84 hour start.  In 1987 I finished in 79 hours and I
figured I wouldn't do any worse than that this time around.

As for a strategy, I had a fairly loose one in mind.  It was loose
because you have to stay that way on this ride.  This is not so much a
ride of cycling skill or speed, but of organization and contingencies.
Things will never go as you planned, and you have to figure out ways
of getting back on track as well as ways of rearranging your plans.
Also note that the checkpoint closing times were not exactly even --
they get slower on the way back in.  Roughly, you have 40 hours to get
to Brest (the turnaround), and 50 hours to get back (if you're in the
90 hour group).  With this in mind, my plan was to get to a place
called Loudeac sometime between 9 pm and midnight (16 to 19 hours
after the start), sleep some, and then carry on.  Getting to Loudeac
would require riding 275 miles, and that would be a pretty healthy
distance to cover.  Fortunately, I had planned on having crew this
year.  Let me digress a minute.

The spirit of this ride is to be a randonneur -- an adventurer so to
speak.  You are really supposed to do the whole thing in a self
suffient manner.  You can get food and other things at all the
checkpoints, but having a support crew is not really in the spirit of
things.  Further, if you do have a crew, they are strictly fobidden
from being on the route at any time.  If you are caught getting
assistance from a crew along the route, you can be penalized in the
form of time added to your overall time.  This is actually a really
good rule in that it keeps the traffic down on the route.  In 1987 I
rode without a crew for much of the way -- I was met by some people at
a few of the checkpoints, but it was not really what I would call a
"full service" operation.  I swore that I would not ride the event
again without a crew, whether or not it was in the spirit of the ride.
Also, in 1987 I learned that many of the french clubs have their own
crew supporting several of the riders.  If they can, then why
shouldn't I?  That being said, let me get back to where I was -- the
275 miles from the start to Loudeac.

Fortunately I had a competent crew (my wife Linda and my mother Nancy)
who had been well briefed ahead of time.  Nancy had already been to
PBP in 1987, and Linda was well versed in crewing this type of event
(not for me, but in general as she had helped with several of the
qualifiers in previous years).  Both performed near flawlessly and
contributed to my success.  On the way out to Loudeac, they were ready
with everything required at each of the checkpoints (88 miles, 137,
183, 221, and 275).  I doubt that I spent more than 10 minutes at any
one of them, and often times less.  All in all, this kept me well on
schedule up to Loudeac.

I arrived pretty early at the start on Tuesday morning.  I wanted to
be pretty far up in the front so as to not be caught in a crowd.
Although I was not planning on running out to the first stop real
hard, I figured it was better to be near the front anyway.  I made a
spur of the moment decision to see how long I could stay with the
front of the group, if nothing else, just for the experience.  Things
started with a pretty healthy pace, and we followed the lead car away
from the gymansium (the starting place).  At 5 am it is still dark, so
everyone was equipped with lights.  However, since it was only going
to be dark for an hour, I decided to leave my backup lighting off
until the next night.  The secondary system is quite powerful, but
also weighs quite a bit.  Hence, it seemed safe to go with no backup.
Besides, I reasoned, if anything did go wrong, I would be in the pack
and could certainly just follow their lights for an hour.  Nice try.
One mile down the road from the start, my headlight started flashing,
right while I was sreaming along at about 27 mph near the front of a
pack of 700 riders.  OK, what to do?  I started by jiggling all the
connections I could lay my hands on while still riding.  Nothing was
helping there.  Only one thing was left -- the battery pack in the bag
under my seat.  So I reached down, unzipped it, and jiggled the
batteries around.  Sure enough things came back to life.  But every
time I went over a bump, things would flicker.  That will teach me to
buy a cheap battery pack from Radio Shack.  I finally resolved the
situation by pulling the pack out of the seat bag and putting it in my
jersey packet where it wouldn't take the bumps as hard and where I
could press things back together as necessary.  That got me through
that first hour or so until it was daylight again, and I was able to
remain with the head of the pack.

I have to say that as soon as I started the ride, the adrenilen
started pumping and I knew why I had returned to PBP.  Where else
could you get to ride with 700 other people in the middle of the night
at 27 mph with motorcycle escorts and traffic blocked off?  What a
rush!  The lead cars would occasionally make a wrong turn, but the
group would pick up the mistake since the course was marked with
arrows.

Things actually started slowing down after a while, and we were
averaging only about 20 mph (a good healthy clip, but less than I
would have expected for the front of this set of riders).  Around
about 60 or 80 miles there was a wreck somewhere behind me and I heard
about 10 people go down.  Fortunately I wasn't in it.  I guess that
was one of the reaons that I had vowed to stay up front.  It also
served to remind me of how easily I could blow the whole ride on
something stupid like that.  I digress again...

Also reminding me of this mortality was the gauze on my elbow.  About
4 days before the start, I had been riding with Linda on the Loire
River levy when I heard a rattle in my rear fender.  I reached down to
try to fix it, and I ended up going over the handle bars at 22 mph.
Fortunately I walked away from that with a scraped knee and elbow and
a damaged, but serviceable fender.  Having no fenders going into the
ride would have meant elimination before I even started.  They're
required equipment since the weather in Brittany is usually crummy.
And now back to our regular programming.

Also during this first 88 miles, it was interesting to see the
dynamics of the "peloton".  There were many French riders, a handful
of Americans, and a few from Britain.  For the most part, the French
were taking the lead, although not a very agressive one.  A couple
times, an American or an Englishman (myself included) would try to get
up front and get something a little faster going.  However, no one
ever took the bait and the French always reeled us in and slowed
things back down to their old speed.  The guy from England made some
comment about national pride, and that was that.  I was somewhat
surprised when I made it to the first checkpoint (88 miles) with the
lead group.  But there we were after a little more than 4 hours of
riding straight through.  I gassed up in about 5 to 7 minutes and was
back out on the road again.  This time, however, the group had been
broken apart (by the checkpoint), so I was mostly riding alone.  That
was fine with me since I had vowed to pretty much ride my own ride by
not ever waiting for anyone at a checkpoint (this had cost me a lot of
time in 1987 as I rode with a friend of mine), and only riding with
other people on the road when I came across them and deemed it to be a
suitable pace.  For the next two checkpoints I ended up riding with
four or five guys from a French club.  Of couse I really couldn't say
a whole lot to any of them (since I don't speak French) except minimal
smalltalk.

The French were represented by 2200 riders in the event, the US with
400, and Great Britain with about 180.  Hence, most of the people you
would meet on the road were French.  And that's kind of a funny thing
because they are often rather leary of you (it's always obvious who is
American and who isn't).  The French almost always ride as a club, or
at least with 3 or 4 other other club members.  Americans really don't
ride with clubs, but rather with friends that they have met from the
qualifiers.  When the French clubs ride you will generally see a few
of the stronger riders doing all the work and the rest just sitting
there "sucking wheel".

An explanation of "sucking wheel" is in order.  You've no doubt
noticed that when people race bicycles, they generally try to ride
behind one another very closely.  This is just because the one in back
gets a break from any head wind that they may be riding into.  It
turns out to make a significant difference to be able to "draft"
someone.

So, a few of the stronger club members will do most of the work, and
the rest will just go along for the ride.  Generally, they don't mind
if a foreigner goes along for the ride either, but the politically
correct thing to do is to try to do some of the work.  Until you do,
you haven't really proven yourself.  I generally had no trouble doing
that.  During this first day, I latched onto one group of people
riding about my speed and an older guy (50's maybe?) who had been
riding with them but had fallen off the pace.  As a courtesy, I
dropped back and pulled him back up to the group.  I think he was
grateful for the action (it seemed unlikely that he would have made it
back up there by himeself, and I don't think they were planning on
waiting for him).  That sort of gained acceptance for me into that
group.  There were several other incidents like this throughout the
ride.

Oh yes, you're probably wondering about the weather since I mentioned
that it is generally crummy in Brittany.  Actually, we had beautiful
weather leading up to the event (I was certain that was a bad sign
since the same thing had been true in 1987) and all through the event.
Four straight days of cloudless weather.  The temperatures were in the
mid to high 80's in the afternoon, and in the 50's in the evening.
Quite a spread, and hot during the day, but certainly manageable given
what I had been training in this summer.  The winds?  Normally the
prevailing winds are from the west.  This time, we had 4 days of
Northeasterly winds.  It made for a fast trip going out, but a
difficult time coming back.  For me, the weather contributed a lot to
my positive feelings about the ride.  More on that later.

Are we in Loudeac yet?  Not quite.  As early as the 120 mile point, we
caught riders from the 10pm start (that means we had made up 7 hours
on them).  I suspect that many of them dropped since they were so far
behind.  For the rest of the ride, it was not uncommon to see riders
from this group (they could be distinguished by the color of the
number on the bike).

Well, I made it to Loudeac (that's the 275 mile point for all of you
who haven't fallen asleep reading this yet) at 9:15pm -- 16 hours and
15 minutes.  A rather respectable performance so far.  The only
problem was that I was completely sick of the stuff I had been eating,
errr drinking.  I decided early in the season that I would be using a
liquid diet for the qualifiers and the PBP.  The stuff digests easier
and you don't have to wait in line for it.  Great idea.  Except that
some of the stuff is pretty hard to handle in the heat.  By Loudeac I
was quite sick of the whole affair and ended up sleeping there a lot
longer than I wanted to.  Actually, I only got 2 hours of sleep on the
seat of the van, but lost 5 hours total there.  I ended up leaving at
2 am.  It seemed like plenty of time to accomplish my second day's
goal of 256 miles which would take me from Loudeac to Brest, back to
Loudeac and beyond to the next checkpoint (Tintineac).

The leg of the trip from Loudeac westbound (towards Brest) was quite
interesting -- kind of a death march.  I left Loudeac at 2am, and at
almost every mile along the road you would see people sleeping in the
grass.  They'd just lay their bikes down and sleep in the grass.  It
was a little disconcerting at first since you kind of wanted to stop
and see that they were ok.  But you knew they were when you saw their
hands under their heads.  Really strange though.

I had gone about 40 of the 50 miles to the next checkpoint (Carhaix)
and was really starting to fall asleep.  All of a sudden, this cafe
appeared, and believe it or not, it was open.  Well, it's not really
all that surprising.  The French are really into bicycles (you know,
Tour de France and all that), and the PBP is one of their prized
events, albeit not quite as well known as The Tour.  It was not
uncommon to see people at the side of the road applauding the riders,
offering them water, or giving out coffee at night.  There were
several times when I thought I was going to just fall over due to lack
of sleep, and all of a sudden one of these offerings would be at the
side of the road.  I can remember the second night where I rode right
through without any sleep.  At each little town that I went through,
there would always be someone out there in the center cheering everone
on.  Truly a rush.  Some people have said that they thought that there
were fewer spectators this year.  I think there were more.

Which brings me to another point.  Cycling in France is truly a
pleasure since you are not a piece of road trash.  That was something
which made the ride quite gratifying.  You could ride along pretty
much without fear of being killed or abused, unlike in this country.
In a few cases, people would pass rather close and fast, but I had a
lot more confidence in them than in the idiots driving cars in the US.
If there was a group of cyclists riding up a hill at 5 to 10 mph, and
there was oncoming traffic, or the road ahead was blind, cars would
wait patiently behind you until it was safe to pass.  That's pretty
much unheard of here.

But enough of this.  I made it to Brest by 11:30 the next day (30 and
a half hours), had some lunch and turned around into the headwind that
awaited me.  Not only that, but I had roughly 40 miles of road which
mostly climbed (up the Roc Trevezel as it's called).  By this time I
had turned around my lousy digestive condition and was starting to
blow people off the road.  Linda rode with me for 30 miles just before
dark, and I was back to Loudeac again at 9 pm.  Since I was feeling so
good, I made a decision to ride straight through the night, thus going
beyond the 256 mile goal that I had set.  This was completely new
territory for me as I had never really gone that far without some sort
of substantial rest.  By 5 am (48 hours into the ride), I had a mere
186 miles left to the finish.  12 hours for 300km seemed possible, and
60 hours was within my sites.  Note that going into the ride, if I
followed my plan of 275, 256, and 221 miles per day, I would finish in
72 hours or less.  60 hours was astounding to me.  But like I said,
this is a ride of contingencies and changed plans.  Inside the 183
mile point, while riding with a friend of mine from North Carolina, I
really started falling asleep.  A short 5 minute nap on the side of
the road, and I was back on the bike, although not feeling much more
awake.  Score!  A citizen serving coffee in return for telling him
where you were from so that he could put a pin in his map.  I could
swear that I remembered this same guy from 1987.  Awake again, and
onward to the 137 mile (from the finish) checkpoint of Villaines la
Juhel.

The headwinds were starting to pick up again now that it was daylight,
and I was taking it easy, sort of.  Coming out of that stop, I had
picked up Linda (she had been riding one leg of the route each day)
and another friend of mine from Cambridge.  Success seemed imminent,
so some fooling around was in order.  That "possessed" feeling came
over me once again (remember that I hadn't slept since two nights ago
except for the 5 minutes sometime around 6 in the morning), and I took
off with about 10 people in trail.  It was, well, rather amusing to
hear from Linda what some of the stuff going on behind me was.  I just
jammed away, and the people behind me just hung on as best they could.
Nice roads, nice weather, nice company, nice scenery. What a blast!

For the most part the rest is history except to say that the headwinds
killed me badly, and I didn't get in until just after midnight that
night (I was trying real hard to not ride into the third night),
giving me a time of 67 hours and 12 minutes.  OK, so I broke the 72
hours that I wanted, but I really wanted to get into around 60 hours.
But this is a ride of changed plans.  There were few other people who
didn't have their plans altered by the strong headwinds on the way
back in.

Now back to the weather.  It was a real relief to see such great
weather for the entire ride, and I think it had a lot to do with my
attitude throughout.  I will admit that the ride had it's low points
(during the last day with the headwinds), but not having to ride in
the rain was great.  Overall, I thought it was a fantastic event and
definitely plan on returning in 1995.

    
    I keep forgetting to mention that someone (Ed Pavelka) had
    one of those new fangled altimeter cycle computers along,
    and measured Paris to Brest at 13,700 feet of climbing, making
    for over 27,400 feet of climbing on PBP (more on the way back
    because Brest is at sea level and Paris is not).
    
    -john

    
    "[Elaine Mariolle's] time of 62:11 was the best among the 80-hour
    women, and she received a winner's accolades.  Hours later, however, 
    it became known that another woman, Nicole Chabirand of France, was
    riding strongly in one of the 2 groups that started later, reportedly
    with full support and pacing by several countrymen.  When this
    45-year-old mother of 2 finished in 59:43, it was seen as a legal
    but unethical victory, at least by some Americans.  Unlike the top men,
    who race head to head, Chabirand chose to start 9 hours behind the
    strongest women [including Mariolle and Nancy Raposo] so she'd know 
    the time to beat.  The strategy worked, but there were calls for a rule
    change in '95.
    
    "... [Elaine] wouldn't allow herself to be bitter for long.  ...  'I still
    wasn't that slow,' she added with her trademark chuckle. 'I don't think
    I gathered too much moss out there.'"
    
                                 - Ed Pavelka in Bicycling, December 1991

    
    "Okay, so why am I strapped into this gurney, being wheeled by French
    medics through a maze of hallways to an emergency room?  How come the
    white tile ceiling is beginning to spin and Im'm seconds from flooding
    the place with the liter of Evian I just drank?"
    
    			- Ed Pavelka, after biking back into Paris
    			  in the afternoon heat after his 58+ hour PBP.
    
    
    This is from a quite good article in Bicycling (Dec.91) including
    pictures, and in-depth analysis of Pavelka's Merlin Spectrum.
    
    -john

     The latest issue of BICYCLING (December 1991) contains an article by

     Ed Pavelka about PBP 1991.  Pavelka writes:



        "Soon after leaving the Carhaix control, we caught North

        Carolina's John Lee Ellis, the Ultramarathon Cycling

        Association's perennial mileage champion (28,200 last year).  A

        90-hour starter, he was riding P-B-P not to compete but as part

        of 2 weeks of seeing France - which he did by being on the bike

        almost all of 14 days.  He made us a threesome, and I was glad.

        His conversation and strength were as good as Chandler's."

    28,200?  Is this for real?  Check me if I'm wrong but that works out to
    77.26 miles a day!  This is a very, very serious bicycling habit.  In
    this light I'd like to change my vote for the conference name to the
    "John Ellis must be very stupid" entry. :-)
    
    Don

    
    	There is an elite club in Britain for riders who have done over
    300,000 miles. Most of these guys, and there's not that many eligible,
    are in their 70s. At 28,200 a year, he could join in under 12 years!
    
    Graham.
    

    From an article in the Dallas Morning News
    Reprinted here sans permission for your enjoyment:

                   Paris helps rider keep cancer at bay

    The next time you don't feel up to going that extra 10 miles or pushing
    up a hill, think of Greg Dean.

    The 31 year-old ultramarathon cyclist from Coppell faced a bigger
    obstacle than muscle cramps and flagging energy in his big rides this
    year. He had cancer surgery and radiation treatments in between races
    of as much as 750 miles.

    This spring, doctors told Dean he might have testicular cancer. "I said,
    'That's fine, but I've got this qualifier coming up,'" said Dean. That
    was a 625-mile race in St. Louis on June 20th to qualify for France's
    prestigious Paris-Brest-Paris race.

    The doctor "just gave me this blank stare, like 'You've got to be
    kidding,'" Dean said.

    He went on to qualify for the Paris ride less than a month after
    surgery. Then came the radiation treatments that sapped his strength
    during training for the Paris race in late August.

    Riders have 90 hours to make the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris circuit.
    Dean did it in about 88.

    Dean's determination has even the road-hardened band of
    ultramarathoner's awestruck.

    "I have to ask myself, 'Would I have gone out and done it?' He was in
    immense pain," said Rick Wilson [qualifier for RAAM '92] of Arlington,
    Texas, who trained with Dean.

    But Wilson said riding through adversity is part of an
    ultramarathoner's psyche. "You don't allow quitting as an option until
    it absolutely forces you off the bike."

    For Dean, riding was part of the cure.

    He said he got through the surgery and radiation treatments because, "I
    had the Paris race to look forward to."

    His wife, Patti, said thoughts of Paris "took our minds off the
    implications of the cancer."

    "I guess I'm the kind of person who gets his mind set on something and
    tries to follow through on it," said Dean, a liability claims
    representative for Central Insurance Companies in Las Colinas.

    
    It turns out that Greg Dean was in our 8-person (!) suite in the
    FIAPAD in Paris.  A very nice guy, you couldn't tell he had been
    through that struggle (even though I knew from a friend of his
    that he had, he gave no hint).  Oh, he did manage to finish in PBP.
    
    -john

    
    RE: .-4
    
    Strange but true.  :-)
    
    28,200 was total 1991 miles.  My highest was actually 30,100 in 1986 (!)
    and in between I've managed over 26K per year.
    
    -john (tired but incorrigible)

    
    Enfin... yesterday a packet arrived from M. Lepertel with a customs
    declaration listing:
    
       1. IMPRIMES SPORTIFS
       2. MEDAILLE
       3. CARTE DE ROUTE
    
    Alas, the envelope had been ripped open, and only contained item #1, 
    the "sports printed matter," a thick journal about Paris-Brest-Paris.
    After several phone calls to USPS officials, one to U.S. Customs,
    one to International Randonneurs, and a visit to the local Post Office, 
    I had done all I could to trace the missing medal and route-card.
    
    But... *today* in the mail comes a packet from "AMF Atlanta USPS - 
    Items Found Loose in the Mails" - with the missing items, which,
    as PBP-veterans will know, are personalized and not duplicable.
    
    Ok, as if I were a kid, the medal impressed me.  It's a real hunk:
    2"x4" and hefty, with a nice tableau on the front expressing the
    PBP Centenary, and stamped with my personal time: "71h05" (which
    doesn't count the fact that my group started half an hour late).
    
    And really even more a souvenir is the route-card, bearing the
    individualized stamps of all the checkpoints, including the four
    secret checkpoints, plus, taped inside, the computer-printout of
    the computer checkpoint times registered on my id-card's mag-stripe.
    
    This booklet brings back the memories of dismounting from the bike
    at all hours of the day or night, walking into a strange building,
    and having your card stamped and id-card scanned by the checkpoint
    officials at Fougeres, Tintignac, Loudeac, Carhaix, Brest, and so on.
    
    Before PBP, I never thought I'd think as much of this event, or enjoy
    it as much, as I ended up doing.  And these little commemoratives
    just remind me of that fact.  If you are thinking of something to do
    'round about August, 1995, keep PBP in mind.
    
    -john

	I agree with you, John, just keep it in mind - far less painful that
way !!!

	Seriously, I'm envious, the 100th was THE one to be in and I was too
feeble to do it.  I just wonder if I will be too old in 1995...  Getting thro'
the Qualifiers looks harder than the event itself.
You getting the stuff back gives you some comfort that there are some good guys
about still.

    re .29 - Start training now.
    
    re .28 - any news on BMB 92?  I was thinking of doing the first two
    brevets this year with the hope that I may be able to do PBP in 95.
    
    Rich

    
    Robin, yes I was pleasantly surprised that these items were retrieved.
    For your locale, you may be right - the qualifiers (in the Alps?) may
    indeed be more difficult than the event. :-)
    
    Rich, yes, BMB'92 is planned for the third week in August.  Jeff Vogel
    of NYC is directing it this year. No word on how organized the brevets
    will be, or who will be running them where.  It looks like many clubs 
    who've run PBP brevets will (almost as if by inertia) run some againg
    this year - the NC Bicycle Club in Raleigh, for example.
    
    -john