My first Grand Randononèe is the granddaddy of them all, Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) in 2023. In many ways, the terrain is like that in New York State. However, the size of the event (thousands of riders) and the welcome attitude of the people along the route make it vastly different than any other ride I've done.

We had a support car to meet us near controls and stayed in simple hotels to mitigate delays in controls and the troubles that come with thousands arriving at a control simultaneously. It was a good move and helped us keep pedaling through. The ride had its ups and downs for me, but it was an overwhelmingly positive experience that made some indelible memories.

Towns roll out the red carpet for randonneurs during this event. Families turn out to cheer, feed, and water the participants and just watch the parade of bikes go by. I never heard a negative word about cyclists from the people along the route or a frustrated car horn during the whole event. In fact, beeps of encouragement were the norm. Trucks and cars waited patiently for bikes, sometimes following for minutes at a time until it was safe to pass.

This was 1220 km and 40,000 ft of climbing. It's Type II fun for three and a half days of riding with people who like to ride long distances and cover a lot of ground.

https://sean.keesler.org/paris-brest-...