unterhausen

I'm pretty sure I saw some uprights in the specials group. I don't think it was the people that were riding in the concours. I was a bit surprised the ACP didn't stop them, tbh.

I'm conflicted about starting later at night. Might be people that start out at a more realistic pace though. Last time in group G I felt like I was in the TdF when the sprint teams want to catch the break. Single file paceline stretching as far as I could see and virtually no draft into a fairly stout headwind. I should have waited for a pack.

antimonysarah

I'm not doing it this time around, want to have success at a domestic 1200k before I take another shot, but I think I'd actually opt, even with an early registration, to be at the back of the bulge at the start; even if I get faster I'm still going to be on the slow end, and it was so crowded on the roads. Yes, the ribbon of taillights was dramatic, but having to brake a lot down just about every dip and scrub speed I would have loved to keep for the other side would have been better. (I'm fat, I descend well, but it's one thing to yo-yo with two or three friends on empty roads at each hill; in the PBP pack I couldn't get around people and had to brake.)

downtube42

I vaguely recall a few uprights when we (specials) started. I assumed it was people who missed their 80 hour start group. It's a zoo getting to the start, and eventually plans go out the window.

unterhausen

I saw people online saying they were going to sign up for the special start. I don't recall if I saw if the number plates had the right group on them or not.

GhostRider62

There were plenty of normal upright riders with F plates starting in the Specials. I saw it with me own eyes. There were a couple E riders, probably late train or something.

I don't have the facts only rumours. I was told by another recumbent rider that there were leftover spots in the Specials groups and rather than let them go to waste, they were opened to uprights later. There is a Specials group on Sunday and one early Monday 84 IIRC. The tandem, recumbent, and velomobile community is very small. But one wave would be too small for sure.

GhostRider62

Also, it could be that crafty upwrong riders figured nobody would know.

Take rider F178. Started in Specials group with finish results listed as a regular bike. F214 started in the Specials on a mountain bike listed as a Special (VS) and was HD by 22 minutes. F152 is in the Specials on an upright and is listed as finishing in 66 hours on a "regular" bike. A French, a German, and a Seattle person. So, go figure.

GhostRider62

I noticed many uprights in the Specials had the same jersey. It could be these are the 30 Concours Des Elegance competitors. F152 on the red bike for sure was in that bike competition for best builder.

unterhausen

The concours riders were identifiable. They had special number plates. I don't remember if they still said group F or not. I saw one struggling near Tintineac and figured if I was passing them they weren't doing too well in the competition. My definition of struggling has always been "I passed them." I suppose I wasn't doing too badly at that point, my knee wasn't really acting up until after Brest. I saw some of the competitors as I was getting close to Loudeac. I was a bit surprised they were doing so well but not bunched up at all. When I saw the lead bunch in 2011, they were in a big pack.

GhostRider62

The 20+ upright bikes with riders in white jersey with red stripes had F frame plates. I cannot read anything on their jersey, just guessing these could be the concours riders. They are special, too.

Every single control, people at the controls would fondle my recumbent and especially the e-Tap blips. There does seem to be a fascination with Special bikes at the controls, they even have valet type spots for the velomobiles with the red carpet treatment.

GhostRider62

Copied from another site, it looks like they might fill up but as usual, some pre-registered won't do the qualifications or have an injury or family commitments. There even seems to be dent in the 84H start places remaining.

4 Feb Time limit Remaining Taken by '600s'
20/08 80h00 501 358
20/08 90h00 1494 1644
21/08 84h00 1063 233

27 Jan - pre-600 Taken by '1000s'
20/08 80h00 859 390
20/08 90h00 3138 1662
21/08 84h00 1296 354

13 Jan - pre-1000
20/08 80h00 1249
20/08 90h00 4800
21/08 84h00 1550

clasher

I finally registered, despite finishing a 600, I was waffling on it for a while... decided to pick the 84h start, wave X with a 5:15 depart. I'm close to the start with an airbnb so no worries about getting there early morning. I wasted a ton of time at controls in 2019, so my plan is to not do that this year. Going to be packing lighter, not going to bother with dropbags either, they were a massive time-sink and of limited value to me. In 2020 I did a whole series with fast enough brevets, 18h 400k and 13.5h 300k that I know I can ride efficiently. Hopefully I can enjoy more of the course in daytime and stick to an efficient plan. We'll see how I do with the qualifiers, my local series is in terrain that's not unlike the PBP course, though not quite at 1% climbing it does try to get there.

GhostRider62

I've mused many times over the best plan on the 84H.

One of my ideas was to ride the first day easy and stopping at Tintineac at sunset and sleeping until 3 am. They have really good accomodations. Ride to Brest in the daylight and return partway to Loudeac (Carhaix? or St. Nick?) and sleep again until 4 am and riding to next night's stop (Villaine or Mortagne) and then doing either 221 or 140 km the last day. This approach gives a lot of daylight and with an easier first day, you would be fresher for the relatively hard Loudeac round trip, which is partially split into two days. Also, you won't hit the blob until the return and probably between Loudeac and Tintineac and it will be most disbursed whereas if you push to Loudeac on day 1, you will be very tired and will be right inside the blog fighting for resources. I think?

GL....sure you will do well

ThermionicScott 

Just (pre)registered for the 90 hour group. I'd been watching the number of remaining slots every day, and as I logged in today, it appeared that a bunch of them had been moved from the 80 hour group to the 90 hour group. All of a sudden, the 80 hour group was down to ~200 openings, and every start time in the 90 hour group had 15 or more openings. A rando buddy had signed up a week or so ago, and told me that only the 2100 start time had openings when he signed up.

P.S. Those extra openings in the 90 hour group went fast! As I check it one last time before posting, only time slots after 2030 are open.

clasher

Those extra spots have all been spoken for, except for 2 at 20:15, and there's ~360 left in the last two 90h waves. If similar numbers of pre-registrations don't end up doing their SR, it seems plausible spots might open up in June for anyone with an SR. Only thing I can think of is that some might go to French riders to help reach the ACP's goal of keeping it somehwat French.

GhostRider62

Does anyone know if one can switch from one group to another? Say you are pre-registered in Group B but then decide you want to ride a Special bike and ride in Group F or maybe, you decide you want to do the 84H Monday morning. If this is possible to switch, is there a deadline? Maybe before you complete registration, enter your SR ride numbers and pay up? (I know I can do PBP on a recumbent but would like to do it once more on an upright bike, but am not feeling confident)

ThermionicScott 

I'm curious, too. I noticed that my selections got locked down once my pre-registration was "validated", but I feel like I read somewhere that things will open back up when we go to final registration.

GhostRider62

What would prevent a B framed bike from starting in the F specials group? I saw several of them in the Specials in 2019, probably because they could not make it thru the hordes who came to the start way before their start and clogged it all up. Their results were homologated. The timing software wouldn't care and I doubt the control people would care either. A bent with the Etoiles would raise ire. The wrong plaque on a bent? Nobody would give a damn, I guess. I suppose you would only get 79 hours (80H minus a 1 hour late start). A recumbent just isn't as fun and riding with others at least until I get dropped can really only work on an upright, and I want to do it on one but realistically, I might need to revert backward (get it, bend backwards). If I find anything on changing groups, I'll link it.

clasher

You might be able to email the ACP and ask to switch to 84h group and might get lucky there, seems like that's the group with the least amount of take-up. I've seem some posts on other forums suggesting it might be possible to get a change but no one has posted any sort of official answer to that question.

Andrey

I m part of PBP google group and one of the people e-mailed ACP about pre-registrants to switch groups.

ACP e-mail response:
Pre registrants will be able to change their departure time during the registration process.

GhostRider62

I read this on the official PBP facebook page

So, we can change up until registration and more importantly for those not preregistered, ACP is releasing non-transformed pre-registrations. There had been speculation that given the increase in spots for 2023 compared to 2019, they might not release "unclaimed" preregistered spots (due to vacation, sickness, or simply not qualifying with a SR). Also, I have to check but I thought we had had later than June 10th to register.....this might be a change too. Given it takes 10-14 days to get a homologation number, the 200, 300, and 400k should be done sometime before the end of May.

This was my pre-registration e-mail

esther-L

In North Carolina (USA) many MUPs are built in floodplains next to streams or near rivers, because that land has very few allowed uses. That means debris from flooding.

ThermionicScott 

Mind if we use this thread to continue discussing PBP?

It's a hot one this year! A few people I'm following have dropped out due to the heat. Experienced, strong riders, too.

Nicolas Dehaan from Detroit has finished first, in a time of 41:46:30! I'm impressed by how well he interviews immediately after finishing:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8nefte

GhostRider62

Low 80's and high 50's or low 60's at night. Fabulous weather.

Chronic health issues got the best of me, was doing fine to Fougeres conservatively keeping my average power to 40-45% of FTP but then the occipital neuralgia cropping up was very hard and then was seeing double vision with some vestibular matters and simply was not safe. It took me over 4 hours to get to Tinteniac whereas it is usually 2 hours or less. Stopped, ate, slept. This nerve issue takes a few days to resolve when it happens. In short, I quit. Sadly. There is zero chance I would have even made Loudeac. C'est la vie. Tant pis.

unterhausen

Now all the facebook groups are full of people looking for larger jerseys. It seems to me that they should have a cross reference of sizes into actual human size. I see a lot of requests for larger jerseys in French, so it's not just us 'Muricans.
I wonder if you can buy a couple of cases of XXL, XXXL, and XXXL for next time. Seems like there would be a demand.

I ended up giving my 2011 L jersey to an American, and it actually fits them. I was pretty happy about that.

GhostRider62

I don't get it. The website gave the chest sizes albeit in CM. I ordered two jerseys as usual but both were a size smaller than last time. In 2019, it took 3 sizes up and more like 2 sizes up this time. So, I ordered 2xl and 3xl. One is a touch big and one is a touch small, so, I am gaining a few pounds. They are sized like Caselli. The quality is pretty poor but the price is low.I think most riders would prefer to have higher quality and much more specific size guidance. Mine fit, they just suck. Disappointing. My best fit PBP jersey is 1995. It is a club fit. Maybe they need to abandon the race fit Italian model and just do a club fit.