From American Randonneur Summer 2018 Dr. Codfish BY PAUL JOHNSON

I was thrilled when the responses started pouring in. I mean pouring in! So many great tips and suggestions that I have enough material for several more articles. The challenge is presenting this information in an organized way. Since the event is still a year off, I will focus this article on things you can do now that will make a difference later.

Several riders suggested that you modify your riding now to include some speed work. You can use a coach or you can coach yourself, but the idea is to raise your rolling speed. If your average speed is 12.5 mph it will take you sixty hours to ride seven hundred and fifty miles. How hard would it be to raise that average on your brevets to 13.5 mph? A very slight increase in effort, yet you will save 5.5 hours over seven hundred and fifty miles. That could mean that you will finish in 82.5 hours instead of 88. It could also mean that you won’t be freaking out when you break your chain; it could mean that you will get five more hours of sleep during your ride; it could mean you might stop and take a few more pictures along the way or have a comfortable meal at a roadside bistro with some of your new friends. Faster means you have options, and your ride will likely be more satisfying and less of a death march, and it will certainly be much less stressful.

Since we are talking about speed I will include this mention from several riders: think about all the stuff you will be hauling across the French country side. Weight affects speed nowhere more so than when climbing, and if you have not heard, there are a few hills on PBP.

I am not talking about your three spare tubes, your multi-tool, or your leg warmers, I am talking about your bare-naked weight. You can spend $5,000 for a new bike that weighs a pound less than your current ride, but really is that the best way to lose weight? If you need to lose some weight (and who doesn’t?) NOW is the time to start that effort. Yes, losing weight is hard, but it will be next to impossible if you try a crash diet in the three months before the big ride. Just to test the theory, put ten or twenty pounds of weight plates in your seat bag or panniers the next time you ride a 600km brevet; now how hard does losing weight seem?

I mentioned the value of riding a long brevet in my last article. This was echoed by many of the respondents. You will gain ‘overnight’ riding experience learning what works and what doesn’t. Your butt, hands, and feet will tell you what changes are needed. You will figure out the right clothing combinations and you will learn how to handle sleep deprivation.

There are a few things that conspire against you on PBP: the terrain (lots of up and down), the distance, the weather, and the ticking clock. All of these things will force you into some degree of sleep deprivation. How you deal with this is one of the most important lessons you can learn by riding multiple overnight events in the next year. PBP is not the place to be learning these lessons. 600 km’s will introduce you to night riding and sleep deprivation. Multiple overnight rides will remind you of what you forgot on that first overnight ride. You will learn how far you can go before you must sleep. You will learn a few tricks that will help stave off sleepiness and you will also learn how to sleep most I mentioned the value of riding a long brevet in my last article. This was echoed by many of the respondents. You will gain ‘overnight’ riding experience learning what works and what doesn’t. Your butt, hands, and feet will tell you what changes are needed. You will figure out the right clothing combinations and you will learn how to handle sleep deprivation.

There are a few things that conspire against you on PBP: the terrain (lots of up and down), the distance, the weather, and the ticking clock. All of these things will force you into some degree of sleep deprivation. How you deal with this is one of the most important lessons you can learn by riding multiple overnight events in the next year. PBP is not the place to be learning these lessons. 600 km’s will introduce you to night riding and sleep deprivation. Multiple overnight rides will remind you of what you forgot on that first overnight ride. You will learn how far you can go before you must sleep. You will learn a few tricks that will help stave off sleepiness and you will also learn how to sleep most French, but you will learn the history of the language and a lot of the history of France, and you will gain an appreciation for why the French have such a love for their language. I will gift my copy to the first person who promises to read it cover to cover and will commit to passing it along.

Do you have a current passport? If not, then now is the perfect time to take care of this detail.You won’t be allowed into the country without one.

As for equipment, the coming year is the time to try out any new gizmo, gadget, or item of clothing you may be considering using. You want to have all this sorted out, including your nutrition strategy well in advance of the big event.

In the next issues I will share more insights which I have received from the ‘expert’ class but here are a few things that stand out:

• Ask questions of veterans as most are eager to help. There is no one right way, so ask the same questions of multiple veterans, and then distill an answer that works for you.
• Remember, this is just a bike ride. Take it exactly as seriously as you need to finish but have some fun on the ride.
• Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty, and sleep before you are sleepy. This is a good mantra to repeat while riding solo through the night.

Try to do something every day that makes you better prepared for PBP. This could be practicing those key phrases in French, taking a walk around the block, or doing a few stretching or core strengthening exercises. Know your weaknesses and work on them.