Audax rides

Thanks for posting this. I met Gavin on the Cogidubnus last month and he was talking about this ride.

That pizza was amazing.

You must have been really early, beer would usually be the first thing sorted at any ACH gathering!

I was actually first back - an hour quicker than I'd ever been round. One factor was that Jasmijn's GPS died so she was waiting at a junction for someone to navigate her back. So I got a good workout on the last section!

http://www.celticknot1000.com/

It goes to some good places but I hate clover-leaf routes! They do it so everyone can sleep back at a youth hostel or something, but what's wrong with everyone doing the distance they want each day and sleeping in a bus shelter or wherever? Never did me any harm!

After another disaster ride on Greenwich Meanclimb, I need to do a DIY Sunday to get my September RRTY done, got a bike fit booked on Saturday so good opportunity to test out my new position too.

My mate came over from Sweden to ride GMC, and lost his wheel on some mud after about 25k and crashed my Colnago (argh) that he was riding. Felt really bad for him as he had been looking forward to the ride, we carried on to the first control, but he was pretty banged up and riding a bike at least two sizes too small, we packed at about 80k as realistically he wasn't going to be able to get round in the state he was in with bad knee pain too, thanks to everyone who stopped, and also who checked he was alright at the first control!

We went home, and cracked on the beer instead. In a pub later that afternoon someone tried to give him first aid on his knee which was quite amusing, but gives you an idea of how it looked!

Amusing.

So LEL, who has ridden it before and who is planning on doing it?

It has been my plan for the last two years, but after Flatlands which some of the route is not dissimilar too, I'm having second thoughts, I'm not sure if the route is going to be interesting enough?

Started having second thoughts, and maybe Thinking Milles Pennies or the Irish one Hippy posted instead.

I've not ridden before but it's still on my list at the moment because I don't know when TCR is starting. TABR is a priority so it will also depend on how broken I am after that but I'll likely enter unless there's definitely a conflict.

PBP is made interesting with the riders and roadside shenanigans. Although this will likely not have roadside fans it will have arseholes in white vans to laugh at/with. ;)
I hear the controls are better at LEL and also, it's another event that only happens every 4 years so you'll be kicking yourself a bit if you miss it and then realise you wanted to do it. Hard to mindread for you though. I'm kinda stupid in that I'd do it even if I hated it just to say I've done it. Mille Pen is also on the cards. Annoyed I had to DNS this year. Cloverleaf route is probably too much.

Don't forget the weather ;-)

And you pay all that money for not getting a bed.

Was very much in two minds as I was not a big fan of the Arrow route which is Flatlands is LEL.

But as @hippy this is all about the rave and I wouldn't wanted to have missed Omen in the nineties.

Beds? Wassat?

Not done either Arrow or Flatlands

You just have to increase your speed on these events.

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Still hoping to do it if I can work it round childcare issues. As you know, I share your lack of enthusiasm for miles of dull lanes, but I'm hoping the scenery in Scotland + the atmosphere will make up for that. Will this be the biggest UK audax ever? I think it's the same organisers as did windsor-chester-windsor last year and the catering & controls on that were great.

I didn't use any beds in PBP and if I do LEL it'll probably be faster than PBP.

So LEL, who has ridden it before and who is planning on doing it?

I've not done it before and probably won't do it. For various reasons it's never appealed to me and I'd rather spend the time and effort doing something a bit more special. The scenery in the North, from where Flatlands finishes, is much better. Mainly, I don't like the mollycoddled aspect of it, with the food, beds, etc all laid on, and drop bags.

For most people that is a plus, so I accept I'm just a bit strange! I liked the Flatlands where I had to carry what I needed and sleeping strategy was part of the challenge!

You can make LEL as hard as you want though.

Yes, but that's just being perverse. I don't want it to be harder for me than it is for everyone else. If they have laid on food and accommodation, and you've paid for it, and everyone else is using it, why would it make sense to sleep under a tree next to the control, and eat cream-filled croissants?

It's like saying you could make it a bit longer and take in Jo'G, or carry a pannier full of bricks, but who would do that if it put them at a disadvantage to others? I just prefer more basic events where everyone has to think more for themselves. For me, it's about the mental challenge, sorting this stuff out on zero sleep, putting yourself in situations you've never been before and surviving, and enjoying the hallucinations! I don't expect most people to agree with that, it's just how I feel.

I make an exception for PBP as it is such a special event. But not for LEL, cos it isn't!

Someone will finish first, racing it like pbp. Do you think they will use the beds, food and drop bags?

Depends what you consider a disadvantage. Look how those supported riders must feel after losing to the German unsupported guy in Pbp.

You're trying to apply logic to something inherently silly. Why LEL? Because it exists and I've not done it before. If something better is on that weekend, sure, forget it, but is there?

LEL- very much on my list for this year, if I can get a space. Looking at bike setup after a couple of long rides this year, and what I need to do to make it better.

Kinda like the mollycuddling bit. Will be the first time I've gone anywhere near this distance, and a bed to collapse in if I f#ck it all up sounds like a good idea.

So LEL, who has ridden it before and who is planning on doing it?

I'm 50:50 at the moment. Mostly depends on family time.

2009 was great fun. Overstretched controls, only some food included, only 3h sleep in a bed (Langdon Beck YH) but I did have two 3h sleeps on an inflatable mattress at Thorne Rugby Club, horrible weather for some of it.

The first 300km across the flatlands is great to get some time in the bank, it gets a lot more varied after that and the bits up in Scotland are utterly gorgeous.

I hadn't thought of the flat bits in that way, I will certainly need to build up some time!

I think I will end up doing it, living in London it will be pretty cool to ride from my flat to Edinburgh and back, and I don't mind a bit of tlc on a ride. Brian Chapman was ace for that reason.

I entered the Pendle this week should keep the motivation up this winter!

Crawled round The Shark today 4th time this year. In bits now, doing a AAA ride the day after a bikefit with completely different position, new shoes and saddle is fucking stupid.

Such a tough ride, Toys and Brasted after 170k are brutal.