middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
I have all LEL online shop sticker order details. I'm on holiday at moment and will be sending them out by end of August.
LEL 2017
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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redfalo
known as Olaf in real life
- Location
- Brexit Boomtown
I eventually managed write something on London-Edinburgh-London. Shied away from the traditional ride report though but tried to compare it to my experiences two years ago in France on PBP
LEL and PBP – how does it compare?
LEL and PBP – how does it compare?
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
Olaf - I thought your @redfalo blog was insightful as well as very readable. Interesting to find how many of those that have shared, went for similar sleep plans. Yours was Pocklington, from a later start, Gretna (hotel), Alston and Louth. My plan was Hull (South Cave travelodge), Moffat, Barnard Castle and Spalding (would give me 315km x 4 plus 180 to finish off) but ended up as Hull, Moffat, Alston and Louth.
A bed(room) at Hull (South Cave travelodge) could be mine from 1500 Sunday to 1200 Monday so not knowing my start time when I booked it was 'not an issue'. Previous experience has suggested that getting a good first night (when you're not 'really tired' is sometimes difficult and was keen to get my ride off to two good days. I also decided to use a motel that Sunday night (0100-0600) to mitigate the 'first night mayhem' that one might expect (cf 2013 at Pocklington). Given the larger field, much wider spread of start times also going on much later, I thought that Louth was liable to be in 'over demand' as a first night sleep spot, especially for those (200 odd) who'd asked for a 0900-1030 start time but would be relegated to 1430+. My expectation was that after that first night I would be ahead of the bulge - and so it proved.
My plan remained intact but I could not resist the siren calls of Alston at 8pm Tuesday (no mast to tie me to) and, as I understood it, they were using the youth hostel as 'back-up' accommodation: this sounded attractive (very). The kindness of the volunteer team (combined with a bit of persistence from me) got me a YH bunk (mattress, duvet, charging, adjacent shower/loo) from 2130 till 0330 - result (and the top of Yad Moss as dawn broke was a bonus - instead of riding it in the dark).
I still planned to make Spalding but in the event attempting a 365km day on Day 4 was a control too far. By Louth at 2140 (which as an additional positive twist, was where I'd selected a 'bag drop') I'd had enough (I'd dried out from the 2 hours of rain - the only 'jacket time' on the whole ride btw). Saw @DCLane at Louth who was setting out for Spalding (he likes riding in the dark, apparently) - chapeau. Bed in the 1/4 full gym was excellent and sustained though, and I left at dawn. As an aside, when I enquired (at about 0420) about 'breakfast type stuff' (eg cereal or porridge) I was told that it wouldn't be 'on' till 5am - that was the chef's plan - and no amount of 'influence' from the controller and her volunteers could persuade him to bring that forward. I guess the concept of riders breakfasting at 0330 onward to get away at or before first light had not crossed his radar (and he'd not had the experience from catering for the north-bound riders to draw on). He did get a pan on (how hard was that) but by the time it was at the servery (about 0455), I was about to leave. The controller came and (genuinely) thanked me for raising the request with the chef: they had been trying get him to move, with no result up till then.
Apart from St Ives (after 100km) I ate at every control, without any delay/queues.
I wonder if there a strategy one could recommend to those (fairly) full value riders to avoid the challenges of the dreaded 'bulge'. Being prepared to ride through the first night from an afternoon start perhaps and only sleep when you have enough time in the bank to sleep and leave before the control closes (ie not Louth). Also, be prepared to sleep in the daytime, when the gyms will be fairly empty.
A bed(room) at Hull (South Cave travelodge) could be mine from 1500 Sunday to 1200 Monday so not knowing my start time when I booked it was 'not an issue'. Previous experience has suggested that getting a good first night (when you're not 'really tired' is sometimes difficult and was keen to get my ride off to two good days. I also decided to use a motel that Sunday night (0100-0600) to mitigate the 'first night mayhem' that one might expect (cf 2013 at Pocklington). Given the larger field, much wider spread of start times also going on much later, I thought that Louth was liable to be in 'over demand' as a first night sleep spot, especially for those (200 odd) who'd asked for a 0900-1030 start time but would be relegated to 1430+. My expectation was that after that first night I would be ahead of the bulge - and so it proved.
My plan remained intact but I could not resist the siren calls of Alston at 8pm Tuesday (no mast to tie me to) and, as I understood it, they were using the youth hostel as 'back-up' accommodation: this sounded attractive (very). The kindness of the volunteer team (combined with a bit of persistence from me) got me a YH bunk (mattress, duvet, charging, adjacent shower/loo) from 2130 till 0330 - result (and the top of Yad Moss as dawn broke was a bonus - instead of riding it in the dark).
I still planned to make Spalding but in the event attempting a 365km day on Day 4 was a control too far. By Louth at 2140 (which as an additional positive twist, was where I'd selected a 'bag drop') I'd had enough (I'd dried out from the 2 hours of rain - the only 'jacket time' on the whole ride btw). Saw @DCLane at Louth who was setting out for Spalding (he likes riding in the dark, apparently) - chapeau. Bed in the 1/4 full gym was excellent and sustained though, and I left at dawn. As an aside, when I enquired (at about 0420) about 'breakfast type stuff' (eg cereal or porridge) I was told that it wouldn't be 'on' till 5am - that was the chef's plan - and no amount of 'influence' from the controller and her volunteers could persuade him to bring that forward. I guess the concept of riders breakfasting at 0330 onward to get away at or before first light had not crossed his radar (and he'd not had the experience from catering for the north-bound riders to draw on). He did get a pan on (how hard was that) but by the time it was at the servery (about 0455), I was about to leave. The controller came and (genuinely) thanked me for raising the request with the chef: they had been trying get him to move, with no result up till then.
Apart from St Ives (after 100km) I ate at every control, without any delay/queues.
I wonder if there a strategy one could recommend to those (fairly) full value riders to avoid the challenges of the dreaded 'bulge'. Being prepared to ride through the first night from an afternoon start perhaps and only sleep when you have enough time in the bank to sleep and leave before the control closes (ie not Louth). Also, be prepared to sleep in the daytime, when the gyms will be fairly empty.
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Redlight
Senior Member
- Location
- Blackheath, London
Finally got my head together to write up my thoughts on this. Grab a cuppa first, it's a long one...
robmcivor.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/losing-my-religion-london-edinburgh-london-2017/
robmcivor.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/losing-my-religion-london-edinburgh-london-2017/
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
Great write up @Redlight and I'm really glad you made it in less than 117 hours.
I think I saw that garish top at Spalding (I started with Deano in 'V'). And then at the end (having finished after dark on Thursday) I was on volunteer 'duty' at the bike park entrance when you arrived on Friday morning, in haste.
When you're up against time (and normally I'm not but found myself in this situation with 300+km of a 600 Permanent to go earlier this week after oversleeping my alarm by 2 hours (!)) the lesson from your story is to keep going and minimise time at stops, commensurate with not having so little sleep /food that one slows right down.
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jiberjaber
Veteran
- Location
- Essex
Good write up Rob, I bumped in to Alison on the R&R and I think her and Barry are signed up for Flatlands to get their Essex SR.. they asked me what it was like and whilst haven never ridden it, I just laughed and I think they got the message LOL... I'm in no rush to revisit teh dutch hills of the Fens either..
Hope the mojo reappears
Hope the mojo reappears
Redlight
Senior Member
- Location
- Blackheath, London
Thanks JJ. I'm planning to join the Fridays' ride down to Bognor tonight; I reckon that a leisurely ride in good company is just what I need to get me back in the mood. I went out briefly this morning for the first time since LEL just to make sure that the hands weren't going to be a problem. They should be OK, but I may not be changing gear quite as often as normal!
Glad to read that Alison is not defeated and, even with the wind, The Flatlands is a pretty benign 600 so hopefully she will get the bug properly. After all, she's to less than two years to get ready for PBP...
Glad to read that Alison is not defeated and, even with the wind, The Flatlands is a pretty benign 600 so hopefully she will get the bug properly. After all, she's to less than two years to get ready for PBP...
Redlight
Senior Member
- Location
- Blackheath, London
You're absolutely right. My mistake - which is embarrassing to confess as a reasonably seasoned randonneur - was treating the ride too much like a Sunday 200km and sitting around at too many of the controls still chatting after I had finished eating. At one, for example, I was just about to leave when someone that I hadn't seen since PBP came in, so that was another half hour gone! Looking back, I think it was stopping at Alston that tipped the scales against me. It was right to do so - I couldn't leave the French guy stuck up on the hill with no tyre - but my original plan of going straight through to Brampton was the right strategy.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Nice write-up and yes, I do like night riding. It's quieter and I seem to make better progress for odd reasons. There's less distractions and I can just keep pedalling.
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
LEL stickers.
Sorry for the delay in sending these out. Some pressing family issues. The bulk will start dropping through letterboxes in the coming week. Orders have exceeded my original supply though which is great. I have another print run on the way to me so a few will not be sent until w/c 18/09/17. All in, after I tally up costs, I expect at least £800.00 left over. As per Danial Webb's request I will be sending this to the charity RoadPeace which campaigns for victims of road related injuries.
Sorry for the delay in sending these out. Some pressing family issues. The bulk will start dropping through letterboxes in the coming week. Orders have exceeded my original supply though which is great. I have another print run on the way to me so a few will not be sent until w/c 18/09/17. All in, after I tally up costs, I expect at least £800.00 left over. As per Danial Webb's request I will be sending this to the charity RoadPeace which campaigns for victims of road related injuries.
TheAdventureCapitalist
Darren Franks
The second half of my LEL write-up is now live. https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/lel-2017-part-2/
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
All the LEL frame/mudguard sticker orders have now been posted (phew!). They should arrive by the middle of next week. I have lots left. If you didn't place an order but still want some please message me.
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
I have read this but not on here (?). Really well done to her long-sufferering 'chaperone'.
Someone else on another place highlighted her slightly skewed perception of 'safety' implicit in this paragraph (warning: passage includes the word 'helmet'):
He was impressed by her determination but found it baffling that somebody simultaneously thinks:
"Someone did suggest I should try riding without my helmet, the reduction in weight would make a difference but this seemed like a step too far. I was finding my limits and pushing myself but I wasn’t prepared to go this far with my own safety."
and
"The hills were proving to be a greater challenge for my neck than my legs, being able to keep my head up and see was now my biggest problem. I just trusted myself enough to keep turning the pedals, hoping a car wouldn’t come in the opposite direction as I had veered to the right side of this narrow road."
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DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Have others got their brevet cards back?
Mine came back today and it's made my weekend. This little bit of paper spent 4 days with me and now sits with the medal and frame badge *
* The frame badge is going back on the Ridgeback Platinum, along with the PBP one. If my little second-hand component shed bike made it through both events it deserves both badges of honour.
Mine came back today and it's made my weekend. This little bit of paper spent 4 days with me and now sits with the medal and frame badge *
* The frame badge is going back on the Ridgeback Platinum, along with the PBP one. If my little second-hand component shed bike made it through both events it deserves both badges of honour.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
