On Biking: local woman aims to cover 750-miles in under 90 hours

By Jonathan Simmons, Guest Columnist

On August 21st, Melinda Lyon will begin her fifth Paris Brest Paris Randonneur (or PBP, as it’s affectionately known), a 750 mile bike race that goes from Paris to Brest and back again. That’s hard enough, but what makes PBP especially challenging is that it must be completed in under 90-hours. This means riding with few (if any) breaks for three or four days in a row.

When Melinda first heard about PBP from a friend in the mid-80’s she thought, “It seemed kind of cool.” Still, it was not until 1995 that she did her first PBP.

But first she had to qualify.

You can’t just hop on your bike and join PBP. To participate you first need to qualify by completing a series of brevets (long distance bike rides) that are 200 to 600 kilometers long. Each of these rides must be covered within strict time limits.

To prepare for PBP, Melinda completes long weekend training rides which are usually well over 100 miles. Melinda also rides from her home in Boxford to her job as a cardiac technologist in Salem. That way, weather permitting, she can log 50 or more miles a day.

It seems like Melinda’s training plan has worked out pretty well for her. She has won PBP twice, and has the second fastest women’s time ever. Not bad for a 49 year old cyclist.

PBP draws about 5,000 riders from all over the world, each of whom speak the language of biking. “Even if you can’t speak with one another you’re under the moon at night and it’s pretty neat. I’ve made lots of friends from this kind of riding.

PBP takes place in Brittany and Normandy, which Melinda described as, “A region of huge cycling fans. They love the fact that you’re out on the bike. If there’s a problem they’ll run out and help you. I’ve heard of people having crank-sets and chains being replaced in the middle of the night by farmers.”

Even in the middle of the night fans come out in droves. Melinda said, “It would be like riding through Worcester at 2am and there are thousands of people out cheering for you and offering you food and shelter. It’s like the Boston Marathon only it’s a bike race in France.”

To have any hope of winning means no sleeping, save for a catnap on a park bench. Melinda expects to sleep no more than one or two hours during the 55-hours it will take her to finish. In this kind of race, “The clock is always running.”

On this long a race, food becomes a major challenge. Melinda doesn’t mean getting a good croque monsieur, she’s talking about just making sure she gets enough to eat. In New England Melinda said, “You can stop at a convenient store and stock up on food. In Europe there aren’t convenient stores.” Fortunately, every 50-miles there is a control point (PBP’s way of keeping track of the riders and avoiding a Rosie Ruiz) with a cafeteria stocked with coffee, hot meals, even beer and wine. “Good biking food,” is how Melinda described the fare. “And the croissants are great.”

Melinda hopes for this year’s PBP are simple: not necessarily to win, but to “Ride the best time I can. Maybe I’ll finish in 55-hours. I’m 49, and this is probably my last time that I’ll be able to compete [for a win].” Her strategy is to ride “less aggressively and smarter. But really, the weather is a huge factor. Your time is really in Mother Nature’s hands. You try to get there rested and in good shape. After that it’s up in the air.”

Melinda has a secret weapon that might help push her to victory. “One town, for whatever reason, has taken me on. The last time I went through they had a party for me and wanted me to stay around. When I ride by they scream for me…It’s hard to quit when people are cheering for you.”

For Melinda, one of the big draws of PBP is, “Being out on the road with like minded cyclists, enjoying the countryside. If you can complete PBP then suddenly nothing is hard anymore. It re-centers yourself and you can take on anything.”

“It’s amazing what your body can do if you stretch and get outside your box.”

Jonathan Simmons is an avid cyclist. His book on cycling will be published next spring by Cadence Press.

Interested in trying your hand at a long distance ride? Melinda suggests that you start out with a century (a 100-mile ride). If that goes well, you may wish to check out the New England Randonneurs, who have on line advice and people who are glad to share what they know.

Check out of Melinda’s account of her PBP ride in 2003. For a detailed history of this classic ride, check out Randonneurs USA.

You can also follow Melinda’s progress at PBP this weekend here.