Le Petit Brevet 2024

Ever since I first did Le Petit in 2021 I have tried to convince friends to do it. This year a couple seemed like they actually would have a crack. So I was wondering about doing it again myself.

For me the first time was about the challenge and to try a few things. But a second time around I needed some other motivator. Doing it faster didn't really appeal much. Le Petit being so local and short was still a great option for night riding experiments.

I decided to take a different approach.

1. Minimise stops (e.g. the Little River detour) and consequently carry more food.
2. Try and ride through the night. I had struggled to get going last time after a four hour stop. Not taking a sleeping bag or mat would make up for the weight of extra food.

The training was a bit haphazard mostly riding on my own mid week and I only got to do one medium size training ride with each of James and Scott. I didn't get the ideal warm up I had last time where three weeks before I did the 500km Finish Line Party brevet. That was not running in 2024.

For a change there was an online sign up form. A smidge of formality for the ultra casual Le Petit Brevet! It provided a sense of commitment to making the start line.

Company

I met James and Scott at the start in Hansens Park. When I ride with James he is often waiting for me at the top of climbs and if he isn't, he's holding back. With Scott it's the other way around. So I was fully expecting to be riding solo and I think most people do with Le Petit, it's the nature of climbing a hill 95% of the time.

Reaching the top of the first climb, Kennedy's Bush, the organiser Andy was waiting at the top holding the gate open for me. I think I was the last one before he closed it and moved on. James was ahead of me but not out of sight.

A stop at Diamond Harbour for toilet at water, we headed up Purau Saddle with a few others around to chat to including one Richard recovering from covid. James still wasn't getting ahead of me and I was a bit puzzled. The reason, it turned out, was he wasn't feeling well.

After the descent it flattened out a little and I managed to peel and eat a banana while coasting. I'd been practicing "position zero", as I call riding no hands, riding around town with my 6 year old (who in turn had been inspired by the Cashmere High kids riding down our street on their way to school, hands in pockets).

Towards the top of next major climb over to Pigeon Bay, I got ahead of James. He got ahead of me again next climb up the steep Pettigrews Road. I found that climb quite hard this time for some reason. I thought I'd find it easier because I had an even lower gear than 2021 with my beloved out-of-fashion 2x setup. 38-24x11-42. In 2021 I had 24x36 as my lowest.

Double Fenceline was hard work as always with a bit of hike a bike but fairly sociable with a few people around us. James joined me in not detouring to Little River and we had a bite to eat at the water tap by the Cooptown garage.

There we also met another James, who I had only met recently, riding with a mate. We vaguely rode with them up the next climb to Hilltop before they disappeared along Summit Road. I struggled a bit on this section as I do so often after eating.

On Summit Road my body settled in and I was getting ahead of James again, cruising the tarmac. At the point of the turn off to descent to Little Akaloa I waited for James to catch up. We had a little chat as he still wasn't feeling well. To ride down would be quite committing. So he decided to turn around. Unfortunate given the training etc but sometimes it happens.

The slog begins

I carried on my own and once again the ride from Little Akaloa to Okains Bay was deceptively hard work. This time at least I managed a tiny detour to the store where a few others, including the other James, were hanging out. Amongst the chat I had an offer to stay in a dorm room in Akaroa. Not my original plan but I kept it in mind as an option given how I was going. The store had slim pickings remaining, in terms of quick food so I was soon heading up Big Hill Road, albeit rather slowly.

I was feeling flat by now and little did I know that my legs would not come back for 18-20 hours.

The ride back up from Le Bons Bay was slow. The rain started at Summit Road and it was getting fairly cold. I was concerned about getting a better resupply than last time in Akaroa but wasn't making much better time despite the lack of detour stops.

Descending into the streets of Akaroa I spied a burger place that I had not seen before on my left, with bikes outside and clearly open. It must have been 8:15-8:30pm. So having loaded my water bottles I went in. The burgers were very cheap. I ordered two, one for the road plus some other food.

There were a couple of young guys there who got there before me but were finding it hard so were planning to scratch. I tried to talk them out of it.

Another guy (Evan I think) arrived a little later and filled up on the food too. He was riding through the night as well and we left about the same time. So given the better-than-expected resupply I figured I'd push on too.

The Night Shift

My knackered legs were unable to keep up with Evan even though he was poorly geared on his Midnight Special for the climbs, zigzagging his way up at times.

I think I passed through Duvauchelle a bit earlier than 2021 but this time I pushed on. No option of stopping there as it no sleeping mat. My lights were good though.

Coming out of Wainui a bit after midnight I was starting to feel sleepy and my legs were just not getting going. It was a calm, warm night and the shelter belt at the side of the road looked inviting. So I gave in thinking I'd have a quick two hour kip and move on. It didn't take long to make a bit of a bed and fall asleep. It was dry and more comfortable than a mat on concrete. I ended up staying for 2-3 hours.

Pushing on I got a podcast going out to try and help me focus to no avail. I crawled the initial steep climb, stopping fairly regularly. It was just ridiculously slow progress.

Poor Decisions

Eventually I arrived at Little River still feeling like I needed another nap. It was 7:00. I met someone who's wife was doing it and had same ride through plan but had decided to stop instead at Akaroa. Maybe I should have done the same.

I had a choice to make:

1. Turn around and heading home via the flat rail trail. I had nothing to prove to myself or anyone else by finishing as I'd done it before.
2. Find a discrete spot nearby for a 30 minute nap until the cafe opened.
3. Push on given I still had plenty of food.

I chose option 3 and soon regretted it. The next major climb, Western Valley Road, starts very steep and I just wasn't in the mood. It was still not 8am so I figured I could get away with a nap on the side of the road.

Micro Sleeps

I was out like a light. Bliss. But just my luck, not one but three cars happened to go past. Two of them stopped to check on me. The first stopped and started to back up the road towards me so I sat up and waved them away. The second was coming up and turned around, stopping for a chat. So I figured I had to carry on. But no improvement in my legs. And only one more car came through the rest of the way!

At one point Rufus rode powerfully past while I was pushing my bike. Or worse, standing still. Embarrassing. I pulled myself together once the gradient tapered and rode properly to the top during which the first of the gravel bikers started to pass me.

The Gravel Bike Takeover

These gravel bikers had very little gear on their bikes. Presumably they had stayed at Akaroa and had an early start. I was jealous of how light their bikes looked. It seemed like they were having a couple of nice days out.

At the intersection before the Purau Saddle climb I stopped to check brake pads as I had my full kit of tools and spares including new pads. I felt like I was riding a different event with all the stuff I was carrying.

One of the gravel bikers did a couple of circuits and kept pulling on their derailleur so I investigated and it looked like a broken shifter cable. She rang her friends up the road and about three of them came down to assist. I asked if they had any zip ties. None had! I lent them some of mine and saw one whip out some surgical gloves before starting work! Interesting choice of things to take and not take.

As I headed off I commented they'd soon catch me and headed up the hill. Soon enough they did and she was riding fine, presumably in a single gear.

Choccy Milk

I was looking forward to some different food at Diamond Harbour. For some reason none of my food helped. Unusually for me I even had some gels but they had no effect.

I bought a chocolate milk (as it had done wonders at this point in 2021) and a brownie and headed off up the road. The effect wasn't immediate but slowly my legs started to wake up and by the time I got to the top of Summit Road I was riding normally as if I hadn't just done 300km and nearly 9000km of climbing.

I figured it must be something in chocolate as that was what I didn't have in any of my food the whole brevet.

I got to Hansens Park with my family to greet (and James, albeit a couple minutes late). A little later than in 2021 after all that, somewhere between 2 and 3pm.

Thoughts

Le Petit 2024 was not that enjoyable to be honest from Akaroa on. I don't do well on little sleep and I seem to need chocolate. So I guess a learning experience. I chose the worst of three options at Little River.

I'm done with sleep experiments. If I did this event again I'd book accommodation in Akaroa and have a big comfortable sleep. And take a lightly laden gravel bike (though I don't have one currently so it's off the cards). Would definitely want zip ties though! And a good forecast.