LEL audax is it possible?

[DCLane]

How did you manage to navigate at night?

I use a Garmin 200, the little one, hooked up to a power bank with the backlight on. It works fine as there's a line to follow.

You'd be surprised how easy night navigation is.

 

[DCLane]

The impact of extreme tiredness is bordering on scary.

One of the riders told me he saw some Banksy pictures on the road in front of him in a remote spot.

It was an hallucination, but he was so convinced, he got off the bike and took out his camera to take some photos.

Steve Abraham spoke of riding in a dream like state.

I've been nowhere close to such conditions, but the road safety aspect is a concern.

On LEL I didn't hallucinate, but did get tired. On PBP I saw blue flying chickens which was a signal to sleep; as soon as it got light I had 20 minutes in a field.

 

[cougie uk]

Love cycling. Hate the idea of being sleep deprived.

OP as others have said - start with smaller events and work up.

 

[Pale Rider]

I saw blue flying chickens which was a signal to sleep

I will try to remember that.

 

[Drago]

Lets see, what attributes do those taking part in this event have:

A body

Two arms

Two legs

A head

A torso

No significant health issues

The ability to ride a bicycle

Supreme fitness as applied to the passtime of cycling.

You have all of those attributes already, except perhaps the last. If you do not poseess the last then there is no reason that you could not acquire it by effort and dilligence.

If you fancy a crack, do it. Don't enter into it lightly, do take time to research it and even more time to prepare, but whatever you do don't end up a sad old fart who could've done loads of great things but never got around to it. You only get one crack at this life.

 

[rogerzilla]

I helped out at LEL once. Never would I consider riding it. I struggle with summer day rides of over 70 miles due to cramp (I'm fine at night, or in cooler conditions - it's basically salt depletion).

Also, the route is hard, both in terms of terrain when you get to Teesdale and also psychologically. It goes through some pretty bleak parts of the UK.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I had spent many hours studying the route and using Google StreetView for critical junctions. I had a paper map displayed (strips fashioned from 3":1 mile atlas and head torch when needed. Nightime riding: 3/2/0/1/1 hours each (of 5) evening(s), finishing at 10pm (9 hours after @DCLane whom I'd seen when he departed Louth at 9pm Day 4. I'd been riding since 4am (sunrise at the top of Yad Moss ) so slept for 7 hours leaving at 5:30am: he rode through the night (see comments above).

 

[Ajax Bay]

I usually sleep 8-9 hours a night I can't comprehend how people survived on so litte sleep. The safety aspect I agree is conncerning as cycling accidents can be very serious.

Bet you sleep less at uni (depending on your social approach).
All sorts of accidents can be serious, including when drivers are tired on motorways in charge of a ton of momentum. Most cycling accidents are not serious, especially those which do not involve interaction with a motor vehicle.

 

[matticus]

After 13 years of Audax, I am still a little uncomfortable about the riding-fatigued-on-public-roads thing.
But remember 2 things:
- noone is made to do it - there are regular rest-stops available. And
- the likely 3rd-party damage is teeny-tiny.

The accident rate is monitored and - despite thousands riding at PBP (over a hundred years old remember) - is very low.
Doctors driving home from double-shifts are a greater risk (and probably 6am taxi drivers).

 

[Anonymous1502]

Bet you sleep less at uni (depending on your social approach).
All sorts of accidents can be serious, including when drivers are tired on motorways in charge of a ton of momentum. Most cycling accidents are not serious, especially those which do not involve interaction with a motor vehicle.

I will probably still get my 8-9 hours of sleep I am not into the night club and bar scene. I am an early riser usually I rarely sleep past 8am.

In my answer I assumed the accident would be a motor vehicle one.

 

[matticus]

On the other hand I've only ever ridden continuously* for 24 hours or more.

So when you get on a bike you can't get off until at least 24hours later??

It's like a curse from the greek gods!!

 

[Anonymous1502]

I'm a Friday Night Ride regular and I'm used to riding all night after a day's work, and then riding home the next morning. I tend not to feel sleepy on the bike, but it hits me like a hammer as soon as I stop. On the other hand I've only once ever ridden continuously* for 24 hours or more. At one point near the end I really had to stop and shut my eyes for a bit.

As for LEL. I'll leave that to people with plenty of experience riding 600k audaxes. It's not for me.

*OK, with a few breaks, so continually.

Where did you manage to cycle to in those 24hours?