Cycling UK Forum

Fantastic documentary about an old cyclist touring France on his bike. Think I had the pleasure of cycling up a mountain with this guy once, about 8 or 9 years ago. He didn't speak English and I didn't speak much French, but we chatted and laughed all the way up.

https://vimeo.com/58201809

He was killed by a vehicle on the road three years after this video was filmed. And Ken Kiver. And Ian Hibell.

horizon wrote:He was killed by a vehicle on the road three years after this video was filmed. And Ken Kiver. And Ian Hibell.

That is very sad, and he talks about the risks and his fears of being run over in the video, which makes it more poignant

He died doing what he loved.

Really sad that he was killed by a moton. I watched some of the film which was difficult to follow in places, not the quality you get on Youtube. Despite his cycling achievements and beliefs, he appeared very stubborn and set in his ways, he can't have been an easy man to get along with. How old was he?

Having seen at the end of the film that he had completed many PBP's I realised that our paths must have crossed and on checking the finishers of the 1979 event I find his name finishing in less than 53 hours and in 20th place. For those of you who have seen the film - highly recommended - he was described as Ind 38, not a club member. I started with the fast group - les vedettes - and my strong memories are riding through the night with a police escort and one rider alongside me riding no hands and fixing his faulty Ever Ready front lamp, which we had all been forced to use by then organisers. These were lamps we had a problem to fix in daylight in your own kitchen.

I had some problems on the ride. The first of which was a puncture during the night which made me the last rider on the road. I never caught the fast group in which Monsieur Plaine must have ridden most of the ride. The two fastest riders that year were inside 45 hours. I was disappointed with my time of 67 hours, especially having got to Brest in 27 hours. These were the early days of British participation in PBP and we had much to learn.

And another one:

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=118025

atleast he was old and clearly lived the life he wanted.

His camping gear was interesting

re HONKING. well his body was going all over the place?

Patrick Plaine was killed by a tractor or forestry vehicle of some kind.
There's a lot of information about him on this page http://tignon.andre.free.fr/report.php?id=1480 it's in French though.

mercalia wrote:atleast he was old and clearly lived the life he wanted.

His camping gear was interesting

re HONKING. well his body was going all over the place?

Funny but I really liked his cycling technique

I've watched that film a few times. I thought it was really good. However he came across, to me anyway, as a lonely figure. He apparently lived on his own, I assume, originally lived with his mother as he became upset when she was mentioned. He apparently had no relationship and his house was a bit of a tip. I reckon he lived his life on his bike. Maybe it worked for him, but it would be a nightmare for me, but everybody to their own I guess. Do you think most dedicated cyclists are loners? I expect a long term partner would not put up with it. The guy attempting the current long distance challenge seems of the same ilk. Jobst Brandt was another.
I thought his choice of bike was interesting. He was a bit of a curmudgeon, not interested in modern cycle wear or ideas but rode a modernish bike with Sora STIs. I could not work out the model. Giant, but seems like a touring model with steel fork.
Terrible way to end up, being mown down by a tractor. Near his home as well. I liked him.

bigjim wrote: Do you think most dedicated cyclists are loners?

Cycling is bound to attract and be attractive to the sort of person who wants a very direct and intimate relationship with their environment (or indeed the environment). Cycling can be very social but it also allows you to travel independently and self-sufficiently. Yes, I think it might have been better if he had allowed himself more of what conventional society has to offer. But what he gained was not having to compromise his beliefs and principles. What he lost in home comforts he would have made up with a sense of oneness with what he valued most. And that, I think, is priceless.

Watching the video and reading about his death reminded me of the opening line of Its Not About The Bike

"I want to die at a hundred years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at 75 miles per hour."

We've all got to go at sometime and he died doing what he loved. I'm not sure how old he was but he seemed to be a good age. My Grandad cycled everyday into his 90s and then had an accident that meant he could no longer ride. I watched his slow decline over many years in home. I'm with Lance on this one

I think he was 72 when he was killed. So pretty young in my book.

bigjim wrote:I think he was 72 when he was killed. So pretty young in my book.

Oh I thought he looked a lot older than that....he still had a lot of years ahead of him