LEL 2025 / London - Edinburgh - London Audax

Early entry ballot call has gone out. Anyone looking at giving it a go?

https://londonedinburghlondon.com/enter

I kinda feel like I should check this one off.
But it's spendy and I've ridden a lot of the route anyway I think.
What would Jeebus do? (He would probably do the lumpy LEJOG instead...)

It feels expensive upfront, but you end up spending nothing on the ride except the odd ice-cream or in my case beers, I spent a packet on PBP, the food at controls was so much better on LEL too.

I've heard that the food is good. But I could also go ride in Spain or Italy or Slovenia or something :)

I tried the old route as a DIY many years ago and bailed after a day. Blocked headwind, overtrained, etc. So, I 'kind of' have unfinished business with it.

Actually, does anyone have the latest route in GPX form (I should probably just look at RWGPS)

@youramericanlover doing this?

A big chunk of fens riding always puts me off too. Bristol>Glasgow>Bristol is 15 quid and way more interesting terrain imo, though granted is x rated

Oh yeah, that's also on my list. That's the problem. The earth is too big and the time off too limited. I need to retire early.

I've never done PBP or LEL and while the routes for both don't excite me terribly, but I know that's not the point. At some point I'd like to at least once enter one of these huge events with school dinners catering that attract a load of Thai or Indian subcontinent audaxers wearing absolutely all of their layers to ride in dry 15C conditions who've never seen a thatched roof before, as that does sound like a lot of fun and not your usual Brevet.

Problem is every time they come round again, I start thinking 'for this outlay I could be in a nicer bit of Europe' and that includes train travel

Yeah fuck it I'm in

My main doo-doo stain! Excited for you.

I am in, insha'Allah.

Tempted, mainly because I went to school in Spalding

I did it last year and think I'll do it again in 2025 . It was good, the food really is excellent. They're changing the route from the 2022 edition I think, taking out some of the sketchy North York Moors bits.

I've just had a better look at the website. It starts and finishes in Chelmsford now (so really isn't London - Edinburgh - London at all) and the price has gone up by about 1/3. As enjoyable as it was last time, I'm not sure I'll enter now.

PBP doesn't start in Paris either tho? And I'm not sure I'd want to cycle out of London. Anyway I think I'm just defensive because I'm excited for it, but your reasons make sense.

To be fair the overall route does look much better for this edition. There were some sketchy parts last year (that they've addressed). Shame they've removed the 100hr wave though.

There's still going to be a Guildford start option AFAIK.

Yes but you still finish out in Chelmsford regardless of start. I'm sure it'll probably improve the overall experience being out of London but I just struggle with the title of the event going forward.

Start: "Guildhall Yard, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HH" is literally in the City of London.

If anyone is that keen on finishing IN LONDON then they can go ahead and do that. But 99.9% of people I know will be thankful to finish at all and happy there's a train anywhere.

Wait until you hear about London Wales London and Paris Brest Paris!

I joined Willesden CC many years ago and I've never done a ride starting from Willesden!

and the Transcontinental? Doesn't even start from a coast! Scammers! :-*

I'd have similar issues with all of them. Genuinely think that if you are billing something as a 'A' to 'B' to 'A' then the locations in the title need to be accurate. Although maybe I'm in the minority on that.

One of the most annoying things about last year's LEL was that we didn't turn around at Edinburgh but further North at Dumfermline.

Anyway no point me derailing the thread, it's a really good event, excellent controls, great volunteers and would fully recommend if you're OK with doing Chelmsford - Edinburgh - Chelmsford ;)

Can you extend it to London - Chelmsford - Edinburgh - Chelmsford - London?

I expect you can ECE it if you want to.

If it was a mass start from London you'd probably be paying a few grand for entry

Everyone else will probably be coming from London anyway. Only the people living in Chelmsford will have to ride to London and back home to finish it properly.

Or, just wait 50 years and Chelmsford will be a suburb in London.