London-Edinburgh-London 2013: The thread

[Scruffy]

Hello. Haven't been on here for a while cos haven't been cycling for quite a while. I am going to do the LEL and somewhat scared and excited by it. I have got overweight since stopping smoking last year so fatter and unfit . Have to figure out how to do those five days gluten free and get back on my bike.

Just selling my cyclecross at the mo and buying a second hand road bike so hope to get decent one for this ride. Eek, so much training to do.

Please can I go on the map? I'm in Lancaster. Thank you.

 

[PpPete]

To my mind the significant difference between LDWA 100 and the longer Audaxes (apart from the wheels!) is the sleep deprivation.
You won't have to ride particularly quickly on LEL to build up enough time buffer for a few hour's kip each night, whereas on LDWA 100 you are, as I understand it, deemed to have retired if you spend more than two hours in any one control.

 

[Cush]

The main problem I had with the 100 was holding food down, that certainly finished me on one or two, sleep was a problem in the last stages but not a massive one.

 

[Bikerchick]

To my mind the significant difference between LDWA 100 and the longer Audaxes (apart from the wheels!) is the sleep deprivation.
You won't have to ride particularly quickly on LEL to build up enough time buffer for a few hour's kip each night, whereas on LDWA 100 you are, as I understand it, deemed to have retired if you spend more than two hours in any one control.

What's LDWA 100?

 

[martint235]

What's LDWA 100?

Long Distance Walking Association 100 miles (I think)

 

[PpPete]

Long Distance Walking Association 100 miles (I think)

correct - was sort of responding to Cush's post upthread.

 

[Tynan]

toying with this after reading some blogs, it's still a full year way init, surely there's no real need to be training now other than for experience, the time off is the sticky bit I fear

 

[Cush]

I have never done an ultra none stop cycle ride, other than a 112 lone ride two or three years ago and that took me about 14 hours but untill last year I had done at least one 50 mile walk a year for five years and a lot of distances in between. Luck always played a part in these but so did prep, getting the right kit, getting in to the right mind set but above all getting the miles in before the event. In my opinion it would be wrong to enter the LEL with out doing a lot of hard miles in the saddle before hand but the added worry to the LEL is the chance of a mech breakdown, so a little practice at changing tubes and maybe other minor mech jobs would be part of the prep as would working out the route on the map before hand and practice map reading. I know how easy it is to take a left turn instead of a right turn or worse miss out a turn altogether at 03:00 when the eyes and mind are not working together. I will make up my mind some time in August and if I decide to go for it I will hit the road heavy all winter.

 

[Starbuck]

Hi - as the future of my favourite Rad am Ring hangs in the balance for 2013, and I am unable to start there this year for a number of reasons, I was looking for another challenege and came across LEL...
I am very tempted - I must admit....
Is it individual riders only or possible as a team relay?
I'd have a year to get ready and with the sun finally out, I can start today....
Anyone ever done it before???

Oh: hello everybody! Sorry for dropping in like this...am new on this block...

 

[Sittingduck]

I have had to think seriously about this and if is within my capabilities. At first it sounds doable then you break it down into exactly how many miles you need to do, on consecutive days, with little sleep.

The last point there could be the killer, for me! Will have to give it some serious thought...

 

[mcshroom]

Hi - as the future of my favourite Rad am Ring hangs in the balance for 2013, and I am unable to start there this year for a number of reasons, I was looking for another challenege and came across LEL...
I am very tempted - I must admit....
Is it individual riders only or possible as a team relay?
I'd have a year to get ready and with the sun finally out, I can start today....
Anyone ever done it before???

Oh: hello everybody! Sorry for dropping in like this...am new on this block...

Hi Starbuck. It's an individual ride - you do have to ride the whole 1400km in the time limit

For more information on the ride, have a look at http://www.londonedinburghlondon.com

 

[martint235]

[QUOTE 1952826, member: 1314"]arallsopp just liked this. Bloody hell. Better get my arse into gear, then. [/quote]
I think the operative word in all this is gear User. I think LEL would be a fantastic achievement on a fixie!!

 

[martint235]

I have had to think seriously about this and if is within my capabilities. At first it sounds doable then you break it down into exactly how many miles you need to do, on consecutive days, with little sleep.

The last point there could be the killer, for me! Will have to give it some serious thought...

Ant, you decide your own sleep. Effectively you have to do something like 180 miles per day. If you can do that within say 16 hours, you can have 8 hours sleep. It's just that people do tend to snatch short sleeps in between relatively short bits of riding.

My plan A is not to sleep on night 1 and then have 8 hours a night. We'll see how that works out.

 

[arallsopp]

Just read this thread front to back. Got to get my head back in the zone as I've committed to meeting my family in Cornwall next week, and I'm not planning on using the car... Ah, quite exciting really. Hoping to be there for start of play Thursday, which will be good considering I can't set off until some as yet undetermined hour on Weds.

Its about time i got a long ride in. Missed too many of late, with a resulting dent in my confidence that says "you won't make it past croydon."

Time will tell... And im lookimg forward to the result, even if I dont know which way it'll go.

Now that the summer has arrived, who else is chasing big miles?

 

[middleagecyclist]

Now that the summer has arrived, who else is chasing big miles?

I'm hoping to get a 300 in this summer. Lots going on at the moment so it will be a squeeze but I have wifey approval to got for it*. I plan on an SR in 2013 though.

*She doesn't know about the Audax bike i'm planning to purchase!