London-Edinburgh-London 2013: The thread

[Arch]

Right. Anyone mad enough to be even considering the LEL 2013, pile in here, and hopefully any questions can be answered, training plans shared, and fevered brows mopped.

Edit: If anyone would like to appear on the potential particpants map, PM me with an approximate location (/village/town/city name will do) and I'll add you. I'll assume it's ok to label with your forum name, unless you ask otherwise.

The map is here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie...6088710563736732072.0004805b07a6256f45c55&z=6

 

[MacB]

My preparation is complete, I asked Jane if I could do it and she said yes

 

[Arch]

Posted by Arallsopp in the touring section thread:

I was not, and am not a member of AudaxUK. There were no qualifying rides, and a reasonable contingent got around so I'm guessing that won't change.

I can share my (intended) training calendar if you fancy, but it'll only kick in for the final 6 months before the event. I didn't manage to join any organised events (even missing the dun run) but would recommend a few FNRttCs or overnight rides.

The rescuing factors for me in training were:
- Having access to Dellzeqq for day rides to the coast + a fast local loop.
- Finding ILB, who got me from 60 to 250+ mile days.
- FNRttCs for learning night, group, and sleep deprived riding.
- The Mouseketeers for company and inspiration riding to/from not quite local CC rides.

If your motivation works like mine, solo rides are good up to about 4 hours / 60 miles, but then it gets a little hard. If you can make that a 60 mile run to find another CC'er, then a loop, then a 60 mile back, you're all good.

I am so not the expert on these things, I feel quite silly even posting this.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Awww, g'wan then. Put my name down.

 

[ianrauk]

Me too....

 

[dmoan]

I am most definitely in. Pain and glory awaits...

 

[Ashaman42]

I'm a definite-maybe

Only cycled 180 miles last year but already on track to beat that since I started cycling again a couple of weeks ago.

Arallsopp's account has inspired me to start cycling again (even if just a few commutes so far).

 

[darkstar]

I would love to do it, i'll be 24 by then so should be old enough. Want to get an ironman under my belt first though. 3 years is a long time in the future, so things may change.

 

[PpPete]

I'm in.

But forgive my ignorance .... who (in the context of this forum) are the mousketeers? Been seeing references to it in sigs, but never thought to ask before.

Can we ask Panter to do a map of all those who are intending to take part, it might aid planning joint training rides?

 

[MacB]

I'm in.

But forgive my ignorance .... who (in the context of this forum) are the mousketeers? Been seeing references to it in sigs, but never thought to ask before.

Can we ask Panter to do a map of all those who are intending to take part, it might aid planning joint training rides?

do one silly ride, get lost a lot and you're a Mouseketeer, most of us probably qualify by default anyway. If you're a traditionalist then the ride should have Aperitif or Arallsop navigating, better yet both together with their Garmins. This has been proven to be the most successful method for turning a direct route into the TDF

Seriously it was just a tongue in cheek comment about some of the silly rides/distances, that stuck. It seemed to originate around the night rides to the coast and the opinion, of a few, that it would be rude not to cycle home again as well. Cue ever increasing distances, I maxed out at 167 miles and came to the conclusion that 120, in one hit, was enough. Others have gone well beyond that mark

 

[Keith Oates]

That was a question I always intended to ask but never got around to doing it, thanks for the explanation, MacB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PalmerSperry]

Right. Anyone mad enough to be even considering the LEL 2013, pile in here, and hopefully any questions can be answered, training plans shared, and fevered brows mopped.

Oh count me in! Just need to decide what bike I'd be wanting to do it on. The Focus Culebro I'll (hopefully) be doing an SR series on this year, or should I resurrect & upgrade the Giro 26 for an event of that length? Or should I just get another bike? (Is LEL a good enough excuse for n=h+1? )

Oh yeah, it would probably be a good idea if I actually managed to finish a 200 before then - 3x DNFs out of 3 starts is my record so far!

Between then and now I hope to complete 4x SR series, and I might try my luck at the 1000km event in OberÖstereich in July 2012 too. (Though that goes over Großglockner, so it could influence the upright/'bent decision.)

 

[Arch]

Hello! Consider yourself counted...

With a recumbent on hand, I don't think I could consider doing such a long ride on an upright. Might be slower uphill, but think of the downs!(esp on a trike)

Porky, that's a good idea on the map - I can set up a google map. So if anyone wants to PM me a vague location (city/town will do I reckon, for privacy), I'll plot people. (or I can take locations from profiles, but I think maybe better for people to actively PM me if they want in....)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Oh count me in! Just need to decide what bike I'd be wanting to do it on. The Focus Culebro I'll (hopefully) be doing an SR series on this year, or should I resurrect & upgrade the Giro 26 for an event of that length? Or should I just get another bike? (Is LEL a good enough excuse for n=h+1? )

Oh yeah, it would probably be a good idea if I actually managed to finish a 200 before then - 3x DNFs out of 3 starts is my record so far!

Between then and now I hope to complete 4x SR series, and I might try my luck at the 1000km event in OberÖstereich in July 2012 too. (Though that goes over Großglockner, so it could influence the upright/'bent decision.)

Kudos. My worst day on a (hired) bike so far.

 

[Arch]

OK, map created, link in first post. So far, there are two of us, and it's unlikely we'll manage many rides together on our current home turfs...