Machka 

The Paris-Brest-Paris is just wrapping up for another year ... it is run every 4 years for anyone who might be unfamiliar with it ... so I thought I'd post a little bit about the history of the Paris-Brest-Paris since there is something of a car-light/free connection.

Paris-Brest-Paris 2015

To quote the above article ...

"In 1891 the Petit Journal organized the first Paris-Brest-Paris. Pierre Giffard, head of the newspaper, promoted the 1200km race to demonstrate the practicality of the bicycle."

And toward the end of the article ...

"Since 1931, 22445 cyclists have completed the Paris-Brest-Paris ride."

Also mentioned toward the end is the variety of bicycles on the event. I noticed that on both the 2003 PBP, which Rowan and I completed, and on the 2007 PBP which Rowan and I started.

The long history and huge variety of bicycles were and still are attractions of the event for us. To me, having done the event, it is especially amazing what the early riders would have had to endure with bad roads and the bicycles they had then. But I think it did show what bicycles are capable of.

2manybikes

It's interesting to me that this ride and also the Tour de France were both started by newspapers. The end game started out as a way to sell newspapers. Apparently it works. I wonder about others events now.

Machka 

The same newspaper, if I am not mistaken. I think the TDF is an off-shoot of the PBP.

2manybikes

Interesting. Make your own news by having an event. I would guess that at the time, bicycles were something very popular to most people. And, at a time when many different types of bikes were being invented and introduced.

Maybe the bicycling equivalent to NASCAR.

I-Like-To-Bike

RAGBRAI was the creation of Des Moines Register newspaper.

2manybikes

I guess it works well.

Now the newspaper equivalent must be web sites with lots of ads. When I post an odd or interesting thing in the forums, I get ads for it soon after. Just as a joke I posted "heart attack". Soon after I was getting adds for Heart surgeons. The data mining also get me ads from Bike shops not far away, and whom I know I have never told them I have an email address. They don't even know my name.

Money money money -------MONEY.

cooker

Like the World Series, (supposedly) originally sponsored by the World newspaper.

EDIT. Or maybe not. https://www.snopes.com/business/names/worldseries.asp

Machka 

As some of you may know, the PBP has a bit of history for Rowan and me too ... we met in person for the first time on the last day of the ride. That was 12 years ago!

And we were both car-free at the time.

I-Like-To-Bike

This is the LCF list. Anything can be true or reality if you can imagine it.

Machka 

Today is our wedding anniversary ... 7 years!

Happily, it worked out that we could be married right around the time of year we met on the PBP. And we made the wedding day more special by riding a century earlier in the day. We'd like to celebrate with a century again now, but it might have to wait just a bit.

Roody

Congratulations on lucky number seven!!!

Maybe one year you will ride again at the PBP for an anniversary celebration.

Machka 

We're talking about it.

After 2007, I didn't want to know about 1200K events ... lost all interest in them. But the interest is returning.

Roody

Yes, it can be a cyclic thing. My new interest in walking has me returning to places I last walked to many years ago.

And please tell Rowan that "Mr. Heartless" wishes him a Happy Anniversary also!

2manybikes

Happy Anniversary.