Riding Back From Hull - April 2012

Ok due to some criticism for chatting on a thread relating to the York - Hull ride 2011, I've set this thread up. The basic premise is to set up a DIY Audax to ride part of the 2013 LEL route back from Hull to London in April 2012 (provisional date for the York - Hull ride is 27th April).

I'm considering this as part of my preparation for LEL 2013 but this ride is open to anyone who fancies the challenge. It's around 300km and as it's being set up as a DIY Audax, it will qualify as part of an SR for anyone who is thinking of doing one.

Let the discussion begin......

What's an 'SR'...a Saturday Ride?

Hull to London will be flat. You need some decent hills.

Unfortunately not. It's an Audax thingy for awarding those who complete a 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k ride in one season. It's my ambition for 2012.

Why?

First, I'd like to congratulate Martin 235 for saying in 115 words what I have used 394 to say. This is what i said on another thread. So, for those who like this sort of thing, here it is again:

Just a note to say that you are welcome to join me on the return ride from this.

(Some of you may find the next bit impenetrable gobbledegook, for which I apologise.)

I am thinking of getting the train up to York, riding with the Fridays to Hull overnight, then sleeping on Saturday afternoon and night in a Travelodge or similar near the Humber Bridge and on the Sunday, riding back along the 2013 London-Edinburgh-London route as a DIY Audax ride to the start near Theydon Bois in north-west London (or south-east Essex), and then staying in a hotel or youth hostel there and riding into the office on Monday morning.

I reckon the route from the bridge to the start of LEL is 300k so do-able in a long day (and worth a coveted three points!). This works for me more than riding London-York because I'd have to leave early on the Friday, which makes getting into London impossible by train, or on the Thursday, which means taking two days off work then sleeping somewhere and then hanging around all Friday waiting for midnight.

If you are thinking of doing LEL in 2013 and provide some feedback on the route, your name goes into a lottery and one person wins free entry to LEL but obviously that is not in itself sufficient reason to do this ride.

There's obviously plenty of time to plan for this, but thought you might like to start thinking about it.

Also, I don't think it's really necessary for a group to stick together like glue all the way back, so if you are faster than me, don't feel you have to hang around. We can regroup as and when.

The route I plan to do is obtainable from the audax website, John Hamilton is LEL DIY org. If you ride it as a DIY audax you'll need to enter as per usual. It can be verified by GPS or "brevidence". Obviously you might just want to come along for the ride: you're welcome. Riding 300k at minimum audax speed gives you about 23 hours I think.

The GPX tracks and Audax entry to the LEL perm are available on the auk website, so there's a big saving on the pre-ride faffing normally needed with routes and GPS on the usual DIY audax ride.

PM me if interested.

It means a Super Randonneur, a status acquired when you have done the 600k, 400k, 300k, and 200k audax rides in an audax season, which as any fule kno runs from the end of October to the start of the following November. Last year was the four-yearly running of the Paris-Brest-Paris ride, which is 1,200k and the SR needed to qualify for that had to be a "Brevet Randonneur Mondiale" (BRM) done at a speed of 15 kph. So most events last year had to be completed at that speed.

But - good news! Hurrah!

This year there is no PBP event so the audax events will (largely but entirely) be "Brevet Randonneur" and have a slower minimum average speed of 12.2 kph (I think it's 12.2 anyway, might be 12.4). This means that whereas last year, obtaining SR status meant you had to be a God Of The Cycling World and, for instance, do a 300k ride in 20 hours, this year they can be at BR standard and you get a whole 24 hours 35 minutes (ish) to do it. And I can assure you, those extra hours can make a big big difference. Which means an SR is this year within the sights of a lot of people whereas last year it was a lot harder.

And please don't fall about laughing at the ludicrously slow speed* we old duffers travel at on audax rides. It's not as easy as it sounds. Ask Mr Allsopp. Or better still, buy his book of LEL.

*This of course does not include Polepole, Swarm_catcher, Frank9755 or Rimas, all of whom did PBP. As if we'll EVER forget................

I had already been discussing this with MMMartin. Definitely interested, although I had suggested riding up to York instead.

No reason both up and back couldn't be ridden. But as I said, for me riding London-York means I'd have to leave home really early on the Friday, which makes getting into London with a bike impossible by train, or on the Thursday, which means taking two days off work and also after the ride sleeping in York somewhere on the Thursday night and then hanging around all Friday waiting for midnight to do the ride.The LEL route doesn't actually go to York, it goes across the Humber Bridge, so Hull is a more logical place to ride to or from, and since the FNRttC goes to Hull, it seems logical to me to ride back to London.

Tim I have GPX tracks and routesheets if you want them.

There are back for me I would like...

But this time, back away from my inner tubes..

http://www.aukweb.net/perms/detail/JHA09/

is the place to start for the downloadable routesheet, GPX files, how to enter, etc etc.
I fear this ride may actually take place.

While we're on the subject...... 2-1, 2-1, 2-1, 2-1

I just felt that it really, really had to be mentioned. You've got to Tuesday without me bringing it up.

is it really 'only' 300km from Hull to London

that sounds rather good value for such a heroic sounding trip, and flat you say?

I think I've managed 200k twice now so I might be good for this, 23 hours sounds a bt larey though, how much of it will be in the dark?

silly cheap train fares up there?

Hmm, don't rides that qualify for a SR series have to be the official BRM, BR (whatever the official thing of audax thingie's is) rather then a DIY ride?

Needless to say though, sounds like a great ride. Enjoy, those that are doing it.

Edit: And great result Sunday, standing in ''The Shed'' winding up Chelsea fans, singing about Luis Garcia. Few Sunday afternoons are any better - without riding a bike or course.

Depending if I can get the time off, could be interested...

Via michelin gives the shortest distance as 200miles, which is sort of 300k. That distance last April took me 18 hours and a bit. The days are about 16 hours long from memory. Do the maths. Many doing the FNRttC York-Hull will get the train up so early purchase of ticket would seem a good idea.....

Possible here!