PBP 2007 Fini

Monday—Day One, or rather, Night One, PBP starts in waves around 10pm. We should sleep a lot before the ride, but who's sleepy? We head over to Hôtel Moncure to set up bag drops, then hang out at the start, check out bikes, meet folks, etc…. Somebody's making crêpes—choice of nutella or sucre, none savory. A Norwegian randonneur invites us to their "Viking Ride". He says American randonneurs are fun to have along because they're always cheerful. Gilbert and I step out to find a payphone. When we get back, it's about an hour until start, so I check in with some officials…

Apparently all the other «velo bizarres» are already queued up for the start, but after a cursory bike inspection I get in line and we're still waiting a good half-hour. Jim Wilson and Barbara are there, as is "Johnny Onion"—a British guy dressed up in retro French gear—beret, striped shirt, knickers, on an ancient bike with a string of onions hanging along his push-rod brakes and a two-speed shiftless dérailleur—for the climbing gear, one pedals backwards!