Basti, Falko and Stephan are now already in the saddle for the first 100 kilometers. The swarm of fireflies has disappeared and we come inside again to listen to Basti. All thoughts of the preparation step into the background. The journey is running.
Watch out!
In the first hours our PBP action team is busy overtaking people. That’s not supposed to be a subtle hint that they’re fast. It’s just the sheer mass of Randoneure* on the road. Thus the first kilometers are also a matter of concentration, since it is always necessary to be careful during this process. Trips in stately group size pay off here just as much as caffeine gum and common sense. With the first stop and the natural signs of disintegration of the whole field of riders, the situation relaxes. Somehow it was clear from the start that there was always a distance of about 70 to 90 km between the checkpoints. To consult the watch is logical. Freedom or not. At the stations, depending on the time of day and the driver’s* personal condition, there is a meal, water to refill, a smallest room, a bed or even a stamp. But you don’t have to fiddle out the Brevet book at every checkpoint. Thus the trio leaves out the food and stamp at the first station, so that no loss of time occurs, and simply glides on.
Over the distance, of course, there is also a routine for this. Basti describes the checkpoint cycle as follows: Arriving, filling up water bottles, picking up stamps if necessary and grasping food, definitely relubricating and on we go.
Days in the sun
Beside the stamping, the possibility to sleep and to shovel some energy into your body again, you also have to kill some kilometers. Most different impressions pelt down on you and Basti picks out the most exciting ones for us.
The route, from the center of the country to the coast and back, is rather in a flat, but undulating corner with the highest point at 352 m near Brest. They run on traffic-calmed roads through a jewel of villages with charming stone houses and beautiful landscapes, which makes the rolling extremely pleasant. The most beautiful thing that deeply impressed are the people along the route. Everywhere there are residents or travelers standing or sitting and cheering for the participants on the whole trip. No matter in which direction the furious caravan rolls. IT is celebrated! Everything is decorated with pennants, flags and bicycles. There is water to fill up – free of charge -, small food stands with an attractive offer of cake. People are dearly to all participants and very proud to be a part of this traditional monument. You can hardly believe it, because the ability to feel and to show beautiful things is unfortunately sometimes missing in the native ridges of our latitude.
Our trio crashes into Brittany under the best conditions. The sun gives a pleasant warmth at 20°C. Only the wind conditions cloud the summer feeling. According to the weatherman up to 20 km/h are announced, which can quickly go up to 35 km/h in open fields. The experienced driving in a group as well as the experiences through the beloved native wind-situation pay off. Once there is a short downpour. But for scheduling reasons the boys sit in the canteen – luckily.
Savage nights
Around 10 pm it gets dark, which makes light a must have. Due to the clear, cloudless nights, warm clothes must also be quickly at hand. And don’t forget the sparkling brevet vest. Stephan allows himself to wear his own, is promptly checked and friendly instructed to strap on the official one. So everything is safe and under control? The joke is: The darkness is accompanied by illuminated figures rolling all over the asphalt. One participant makes the crazy Ivan while completely sleep drunk and the question arises how such comrades-in-arms can be protected from themselves? Stopping or passing by is not an option. Sharing is caring!
In the TOP 3 of things that should not be done, we find: sleeping in curves, preferably without a rescue blanket at 5°C and driving without a helmet, but with a vest! Crazy. The language barrier makes the pedagogical conversation or appeal to common sense more difficult, and there is a growing desire that the organizer be made more responsible in these cases.
Our illustrious trio has indeed indulged in sleep. The length was apparently diced or simply adapted to the sequence: one – two – three. For the last, extended Power-Nap they really indulged themselves to cover the last 90 kilometers in warming light of the morning.
Basti tells us that, only at his insistence, the shower in one of the cultural sports centers was lit at 700 km. What’s the point of the stinginess when everything is dragged along? For three to eight Euro the overnight stay on camp beds with blanket and a delightful wake-up service was included. It was only important to leave your wake-up time behind. Basti draws a picture in the mind’s eye: a room, smells, noises, dreams.
Never change a running system?
Basti waves at the question: Firstly, new is always better and secondly, it was easy to take over the data from the old donkey. It’s fitting that Light Wolf’s boys are fit for it. In addition, the myth: “I got used to my bike” is simply buried. After 700 kilometers, these knight*ess also hang in the saddle like a withered marsh marigold. So please, take care of your position!
For our banger, however, this was not the case and everything worked out. The choice of the thicker slippers was right for the rather rough asphalt. It needs a few more watts to float over it. But Bastis thrust chamber can withstand that, even makes carbon look old and after about 360 km he is also warmed up. (sic!)
Our Clueless got a lot of attention at the usual check out standoffs, says Basti. Especially from steel lovers. So nothing stands in the way of the next round for man and machine. Again and again – preferably longer.
Recapitulation
No complaints. Even the ass didn’t kill him. In no minute of the journey did Basti came up with an exit-strategy. He simply descended, the functionality of the body was given, the bike worked and every level was defeated in the Bike-Packing-Tetris. Only a long thin jersey would have been the cherry on the cream of this princely journey.
The question about the negative and positive moments comes quick like a shot: The food. In the gourmet program, smoked pork chop, chicken and fish with either rice or noodles appeared at all intervals. Therefore a visit to the restaurant “Golden seagull” is like a visit to the Ritz. On the bright side the first thank you goes out to us, because our Clueless is the best travel company. Noooo, you are crying…
The second then to Saint Peter, because the weather was just right, if not perfect. Just the idea of drizzle at 10°C or worse is rather creepy. So knock on steel to keep it that way in the future, even if this negative experience would also be an experience. The last sentence, however, knocks us out of our socks: “If Brevet, then never again in this format, but rather classic”.
With this in mind we wish the best for our lonely long-distance cycler!
Christoph, Henri, René – August 2019
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