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How to manage the 1,200 km of Paris-Brest-Paris

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To complete a Paris-Brest-Paris bike ride is not an easy task, it's certainly a matter of bike training, but not only. Paris Brest is 1,200 km, which is a trip between the capital and the end of the world that is Brest. The peculiarity of this cycling tour is that it attracts many people, so it's "easy" to ride at 30 km/h in a group and reach Brest in less than 24 hours, but what about the return?

Different theories and practices stand out among cyclists, there is the point of view of those who go fast, opposed to the point of view of those who care about regularity.

The return trip is slower than the outbound trip

Riding in a group is a strength, it allows you to avoid the wind and ride sheltered, while ensuring your part of the relay. On PBP, it's thus possible to reach Brest in more or less 24 hours. However, it doesn't guarantee being able to reach Paris in 48 hours. If the outbound journey can be done without sleeping, it's necessary to dedicate rest time for the return (maybe not for the first ones, but it's not our subject). Thus, the return journey may take more time than the outbound journey, for some there's even a little calculation: the return time is one and a half times longer than the time taken for the outbound journey. Thus, the 24 hours outbound can give a total time of 60 hours. This practice can be summed up as "Paris-Brest in one go and we'll come back as we can."
Another theory is regularity.

A regular average over 1,200 km

This second point of view gives great importance to regularity. 60 hours for PBP is a total average of 20 km/h, to which it's necessary to add rest, control, and food times. It can be to reach Paris to Brest in 28 hours (21 km/h average) and to do the return journey in 30 hours with 2 hours of sleep (18 km/h average).

Not only does this theory work, but it also finds its echo in a similar running race event in its spirit: the 100 km of Millau. According to specialists, the one who ends up with an hour ahead on the paced walk chart on the minimum average will finish his 100 km in disappointment, if he finishes. The friendly formula that says "What's taken is no longer to take" is to be forgotten... what has been taken is costly!

The argument for this point of view is that in running, the difficulty of the effort taking gradually over the ultra-marathoner is better felt, whereas on a bike, it's possible to ride in the group to recover.

An example of this regular average: you'll read in "Paris-Brest-Paris from Dream to Project" a lively account of PBP at a regular pace, in less than 65 hours. On a more festive slot, as for this fantastic international cycling festival, discover how to do Paris Brest Paris in 90 hours.

Fast outbound or regular pace, it remains for the 8,000 cyclists to be able to manage one of these two theories over the 1,200 km length.

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