Audax rides

Not at all, all you really need for LEL is to be able to complete in about 18.5 hours and the ability to operate on limited sleep. In PBP year, I pushed to finish this ride in 17 hours and still finished PBP with enough time to sleep for four hours and go do the extra 200 of LEL in 15 hours.

Plus it's colder at this time of year. Has a bit of effect on times.

My first Dean (2008) I finished in 20h55, but it was a blizzard at the top of Broad Hinton. After my 4 hours of sleep in the Travelodge I did a DIY 100 to get home in the baking sunshine.

2009 (in prep for LEL) was a bit better at 19h05.

Don't worry too much about times. I rarely finish rides with more than an hour in hand and had no problems on LEL or PBP, but then I do deal with sleep dep very well (I had ~10 hours sleep on both LEL and PBP). All on fixed FWIW.

Never had a problem taking a bike into my room in a Travelodge in the ~20 times I've used them before/after Audaxes. Also never taken anything other than a light cafe lock with me on an Audax.