LEL 2017

[PpPete]

Which is not to say it isn't fun to play with spreadsheets! Well - for some of us saddos anyway.
Just don't take it too seriously like .... er ..... this

 

[Ajax Bay]

But working your strategy back from the "last" night? Really?

You have done this all before, Pete, as your subscription bears witness.
Perhaps what I was trying to say is: decide whether you plan to get a 'decent' sleep all five nights, including the fifth night. If you're only planning four nights 'sleep' stopping, then you can afford to be slower over the ground or stop at controls and enjoy being sociable, as you will not need to establish a 5 hour buffer for Thursday night.
I guess one approach is: set off and see how it goes. That's a strategy; of sorts.
You've suggested 'have a plan' and hope it lasts (eg to Edinburgh) and implied that 'events' will find you there with time in hand. This suggests that things are going well and you could sleep a bit longer on D3,4 and 5, indeed it suggests that the rider could have slept longer on the first two nights and kept closer to their plan. Perhaps they were not tired enough on that first night with an afternoon start, only 240 to Louth, the exhilaration of the start and the flatness of eastern England.
But another is to say, I'm setting out to complete in 110 hours (say - gives a healthy margin to the 116:40 deadline) and, based on experience/achieved speed on previous long rides (eg 300+), and a decision to get some sleep during part of each night, one will plan to stop (between 2300 and 0200) at a control and sleep. If you're planning NOT to sleep on the 'last night' (the 87% moon does not set till 0224) then your strategy can be different (less need for time in hand). But if you are then the allocated start time (and therefore completion time) narrows which control you need to plan to stop at (Spalding 180 to go, St Ives 120 to go). 1430 start requires a finish by 1050 Friday which gives about 6 hours of daylight (sunrise is 0525 at St Ives).
Personally my plan is to ride 310km (+ or - 10km) on the first 4 days in 17 hours including stops and allow 6 hours for each 'sleep' stop, aiming to complete by sunset on Thursday.
As you say:

fun to play with spreadsheets!

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'm hoping to do without a big saddle pack. Just don't tell my wife!

Why? Does your better half appreciate big saddle packs?

 

[fatjel]

I still have no plan except starting at 11.45 Perhaps it's a denial thing.
I've been doing 200k rides fairly regularly (8 so far including two on consecutive days in feb)
and mean to start doing 3 and 400 k rides from May onwards.
My hope is that if I do enough long training rides everything will fall into place
I'll be happy to finish in 116 hours

 

[Ajax Bay]

BCM audax completed last weekend in 36 hours elapsed, 25 hours rolling time (so 24kph average), 4 hours of stops during the days, and a 7 hour sleep stop (5 1/2 hours actual sleep; shower before and breakfast after). Climb was 6680m over 600km (had to do an extra 5km to make it up to that btw). Menai Bridge control before 7pm and so reached B&B stop by 10pm, so only 2 hours of interrupted rain and one hour of dark. Left at sunrise (5am), cracked on to King's (375km) and on east then south back to Chepstow by 6pm. A bit slower than this will be fine for LEL and on the first 600km of LEL the climb is (only) about 4000m.
20kph average during the days with 6 hours sleep stops (x 4) will get me round 1433km in 96 hours.
I note @fatjel is in the same start box as me (V - 1145).

 

[fatjel]

@Ajax Bay Well done on the BCM .
Yeah I noticed we have the same start time.
I imagine I'll be traveling slower than you tho ,so may be the only time we meet.
I'll be more than happy to get round in 116 hours and bag the points.

 

[Redlight]

My "plan": Cycle to Edinburgh. Several hours sleep in the nearby Travelodge. Cycle back, probably stopping for a few hours at the Travelodge near Pocklington. A bit of catnapping at some of the other controls.

 

[iZaP]

four weekends to go and we'll be cycling at this time!

 

[Ajax Bay]

Night ride last night (100 miles audax - Dartmoor Ghost) to thoroughly test lighting and a bit more night riding practice. Start 2230. Finish 0720 (but sunrise at 0509). Left front light on full from 0509 and it was still blasting out at 9am (Magicshine clone with 4.4Ahc external battery). My LEL plan envisages ~14 hours of 'sunset/sunrise' riding (and at sleep stops for 23 hours) so I'm thinking that I can run it without a recharge: running on 'low' (circa 30% I estimate) for 2/3rds the time.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Design for officially approved LEL 2017 frame/mudguard stickers.

Size: 3cm round, material: gloss vinyl laminate. Same spec as the 2013 stickers which are still going strong.

£1.00 per sticker but I suggest you get 7 for the bargain price of a fiver.

I am volunteering at Innerleithen control and will have some with me but I can post them out after LEL subject to £1.00 P&P.

All profits will go to a charity chosen by Danial Webb (your LEL supremo)

 

[jiberjaber]

Design for officially approved LEL 2017 frame/mudguard stickers.

Size: 3cm round, material: gloss vinyl laminate. Same spec as the 2013 stickers which are still going strong.

£1.00 per sticker but I suggest you get 7 for the bargain price of a fiver.

I am volunteering at Innerleithen control and will have some with me but I can post them out after LEL subject to £1.00 P&P.

All profits will go to a charity chosen by Danial Webb (your LEL supremo)
View attachment 362009

Great news! Hopefully I can remember to collect some on the way through if I'm still awake enough by then !

 

[Ajax Bay]

if able to ride

Good to see your final long DIY went OK, DC. Hope the body recovers well and your 'taper' brings you to the start line with all the boxes ticked.
Any comments on the substantial part of the route you did?

 

[DCLane]

Any comments on the substantial part of the route you did?

A few:

• The bit between Louth and the Humber Bridge is hilly and the official route goes over some nice but unnecessary climbs. I tried the A173 instead on the return trip and that was worse.
• Avoid Cambridge - the route goes through the centre and along the River Cam. It's bumpy and likely to be full of students.
• Some areas have very few facilities/ shops (before St Ives, around Spalding)
• The route itself appears to take the 'nice but hilly' options in many places. That's fine but also challenging.

 

[iZaP]

Can't wait to start now!!!

 

[DCLane]

I've now sorted out my route, which deviates from the official one between Horncastle and Thirsk each way: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/23238900

All now planned, just need to sort out which wheels to use, fit new tyres and brake pads, order extra snacks for my bags and pack everything.