PBP controls
#51
Senior Member
The French weather service (Météo France) shows a 50% chance of rain in Rambouillet for Sunday between 14-20h with west winds of 15km/h and gusts of 45! They're also calling for a chance of rain in Loudéac on Monday so who knows. If their climate is anything like ours there's a lot of variability in the rain forecasts so I am not too concerned either way... still bringing all the rain gear I'd usually bring on a long brevet.
#52
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Thanks for your control notes. I was a bit wiped at Villaines-la-Juhel on the return, and remembered to ask for the restaurant. One of the highlights of my ride.
Villaines La Juhel. This town really enjoys having a control There is a street party the whole time. In 2011, the mayor had a mic and was playing master of ceremonies. I think he might have interviewed me.
The card stamping is on the right as you enter. They also had rigged up a way to fill your water bottles. The cafeteria is on the other side of the street. They have schoolkids to carry your tray for you, and my experience was that he will follow you around if you carry your own tray. So let them do it. Plus the eating area is at the bottom a ramp, so having someone carry your tray down that is nice.
...
The card stamping is on the right as you enter. They also had rigged up a way to fill your water bottles. The cafeteria is on the other side of the street. They have schoolkids to carry your tray for you, and my experience was that he will follow you around if you carry your own tray. So let them do it. Plus the eating area is at the bottom a ramp, so having someone carry your tray down that is nice.
...
#53
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I dnf'd in Villaines on the way back due to knee problems. They really are great there. I slept for a while on the cafeteria floor before I decided to quit, and then I was wandering around the courtyard outside looking for the couchage when someone came up, wrapped a blanket around me and led me to the right place. They also arranged buses to a train station, which was a lot better than riding back 250km with painful knees.
#54
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@unterhausen - so sorry to read about your dnf due to your knees. Hope that you heal up quickly. Had you been having issues with them on longer riders before PBP?
#55
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I don't regret not finishing all that much, I had a great time.
I am pretty sure the knee problem was because I had trouble marking my saddle height and it was just a tiny bit too high. I just don't take the saddle off my bike often enough to be good at it, and the tape I marked with fell off. I also wasn't really aware how sensitive to seat height my knees are, my saddle couldn't have been more than a few mm higher than normal. I do have to baby my knees, I dnf'd a 1200k last year due to knee issues. I should have been swimming, that's the cure. I had my right knee taped at the beginning of the ride, but it wasn't enough.
Some of the rides I did over the last 2 months were probably ill-advised. I don't think I fully recovered from some episodes of cramping from some high intensity rides in high heat. I felt a little stale on the first day and I would cramp if I went as hard as I wanted to.
I am pretty sure the knee problem was because I had trouble marking my saddle height and it was just a tiny bit too high. I just don't take the saddle off my bike often enough to be good at it, and the tape I marked with fell off. I also wasn't really aware how sensitive to seat height my knees are, my saddle couldn't have been more than a few mm higher than normal. I do have to baby my knees, I dnf'd a 1200k last year due to knee issues. I should have been swimming, that's the cure. I had my right knee taped at the beginning of the ride, but it wasn't enough.
Some of the rides I did over the last 2 months were probably ill-advised. I don't think I fully recovered from some episodes of cramping from some high intensity rides in high heat. I felt a little stale on the first day and I would cramp if I went as hard as I wanted to.
#56
Senior Member
Saddle height was definitely an issue for my knees last year, I really hurt them on the fleche because my saddle was too low. I have been lucky since that I haven't had major problems. When I "packed" my bike into the plastic bag I made a point not to lower the seatpost. The only thing they ask to turn the bars sideways and remove the pedals (I thread them in the backside of the crank for storage). I was kinda bummed for you when your tracker hadn't updated but having having DNF'd from injuries I think it's worth it in the long run rather than risk permanent injury.
#57
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I put my bike in my car when going to France (I live in the Netherlands), but upon arriving in Rambouillet I couldn't get the bike out of the car without lowering the seatpost, and thereby lost the right height. So after Loudéac I began to notice left knee probleems. Then I put the saddle a little higher, which lessened the pain, but on the back leg between Carhaix and Saint Nicolas du Pélem it got so bad that I considered giving up. The other possibility was just hammering through the pain which I of course did, being drowned in endorfine, and after that the pain subsided and I got back to Rambouillet without feeling the pain any more. A day after PBP it came back of course, but I think nothing has been damaged irrepairably. First time having knee problems, by the way.
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