Fergus Coyle

Documenting PBP from the saddle

On 20th August 2023, I joined 8000 riders from around the world to participate in one of the oldest and most prestigious cycling events of its kind, Paris Brest Paris. The 1200km timed event has been continuously running since 1891, pre-dating the Tour De France by 12 years. It is considered a Mecca for all long distance cyclists.

Riding and photographing from the saddle was a huge challenge and I constantly felt the pressure of managing to do both within the allocated time limit of 90 hours. By running on 2.5 hours of sleep per night and cherry picking opportune moments here and there for photography, I just about managed it!

Big thanks to Cyclist Magazine for believing in the story and to fellow PBP rider Matt Swaine for the wonderful words.

The camaraderie, atmosphere and support along the way was unmatched by any ride I’ve experienced.