LEL 2021 / London - Edinburgh - London Audax

I assume you still automatically qualify for a place if you've been an AUK member for X amounts of years?
The later stages of the last one (before having to abandon at Barnards Castle) is probably the worst time I've ever had on a bike. Part of me wants to do it next year just to have a go at completing it. Another part of me thinks of all the much more enjoyable rides I could do instead.

Despite having audaxed since 2010 I've never done LEL. I always think about it every time it comes round, and I've entered once or twice when there's been the option to cancel later. But I've always found there's been something else that had appealed more than a long UK ride.
I'm sure I've missed out to an extent as I'd know loads of people riding. One thing that puts me off is people emphasising how well-organised it is. Being a bit weird, I genuinely prefer X-rated stuff where they give you nothing much.
I expect I'll think about it again but not enter, and leave the place for someone who'd value it more highly

So far, I’ve done 3 x LEL and my partner, 4 x LEL. We are marginal on doing LEL again next year as the planned additional gratuitous climbing doesn’t hugely appeal.

Originally the LEL dates appeared to overlap HBKH, which made things easy. We enjoyed the previous HBKH and we are definitely going back to that one. Now I just have to decide whether to line up for another LEL between PBP Audax and HBKH next year.

Is anyone entering the ballot tomorrow? From the looks of things on the Facebook page they're not expecting to sell out this year so ballot chances are pretty high.

Can't work out if I want to do it or not.

Given there's London > Anglesey > London and Bristol > Glasgow > Bristol in the calendar, both of which obviously x-rated but far cheaper and they cover terrain I love riding in.

I would like to ride LEL for completeness sake, but I need to muster up some more enthusiasm I think.

Sort of want to do it having failed to finish it last time, which still bothers me. But on the other hand the best thing about it was how international it was - my best memories were things like riding with a load of Thai audaxers and their excitement at British villages, etc. Assuming that won't be the case this time.
Plus I've not done more than a 300 in the last two years and am generally preferring to ride offroad when I can.
Still it's tempting. Bits of the route were really good - Scottish borders on way back in particular.

I'm in the same boat. DNF'ed last time so feel I have unfinished business.

Have a guaranteed place, but still undecided having not done an audax in a couple of years. Think I'm gonna go for it...

I think I'm going to enter but can't decide whether opting for the 5am start and committing to the 100hrs deadline is shooting myself in the foot.

I finshed last time, but I'm currently about 15kg heavier and barely rode my bike last year. I'm entering as having a massive ride hanging over me seems to be the best way to motivate myself.

Also going to actual Edinburgh (not a school on the outskirts) and the forth bridge will be much better this time.

Is it 1100km in 4 days?
It’s been loosely on my radar but think my AUK membership has expired for starters.

It is 1500km in 125hrs

Hmmm I think the alps might be more appealing

That's the problem with LEL, it's in the UK with UK drivers. Therefore there's always going to be something better to do

Do people do this fixed?
If so, what sort of ratio?

That's the problem with LEL, it's in the UK with UK drivers. Therefore there's always going to be something better to do

This neatly encapsulates the main reasons I think I'm not going to do it.

Do people do this fixed?
If so, what sort of ratio?

It's an audax so obvsiouly yes. There were no particuarly steep hills that I remember, aside from one cobbled one somewhere around the English border on teh way back.

Yes, 48-19

I don’t hugely worry about UK drivers but it doesn’t excite me seeing unseen bland bits of the UK in comparison to going somewhere more spectacular :-)
I’d like to go back to Selle Ronda after TCR

Cheers!

Also @Greenbank has done this fixed maybe?

I've entered the ballot so we'll see.

Do people do this fixed?
If so, what sort of ratio?

I used 71" or 67" I think (46 x 17/18 on 700x25c tyres). That was on the shorter side of what people were using. Looking back at my list of rides in 2009 I'm pretty sure it was 67" as I switched to that for the BCM (which is hilly) and I was too lazy to change sprockets.

A few others were using mid 70s and then Steve Abraham was probably on 95" (but he's a nutter).

The route has changed several times since 2009 but I can't really remember anything properly steep. The cobbled street mentioned above was probably in Alston.

Yes, that's it, really. If I'm going to spend a few days riding a bike then I want to get the most pleasure I can out of it, so it's worth going a bit further afield. There are bits of the LEL route I would like to do, but maybe as a weekend audax trip, not as my main event of the year.

100%
There are great places to ride in the UK.

I think I'm the opposite, I'd rather cycle in nice parts of Europe on holiday where I can plan my own routes and set my own schedule. If I'm doing an event and putting myself through some suffering and riding through the night then it'd be shame to do it somewhere spectacular and not have the time or mental capacity to soak it all in.