LEL 2013 / London - Edinburgh - London Audax

The book reveals that it's not just pain, blood, sweat and tears. There's worse stuff in there, including a row of pixies in a ditch. And Rich Forrest's buttocks.

Out of consideration for the author, I should also mention that the paperback is available for under £6 and the kindle edition is £2.06.

It's interesting enough reading. Buy the book and save someone posting it to Manchester. That way the author gets some love too.

It does highlight to me that I seriously underestimated the task when I entered. The mileage is one thing, but you need to get ahead of the cutoff times to give youself a buffer - in case of bad weather, mechanicals, etc.

sleep appears to largely go out the window for 4 nights.

Hey, if that man could do it with those mechanicals, leading to those ridiculous gears, and to top it off those ridiculous weather conditions, there's hope for us all!

Buy the book and save someone riding to Manchester to deliver it to me.

:D

Well, there would be some sense in this particular book being carried across the country by bike.

Someone going to ride an ElliptiGO for the LEL.

I'd pay good money to see that.

Someone going to ride an ElliptiGO for the LEL.

I'd pay good money to see that.

The ambiguity of this post intrigues me!

From the LEL Facebook group;

I had stuff to do in the late afternoon and evening today so I put in my scheduled 35-mile ElliptiGO ride earlier than normal. I rode in very windy conditions and the first half was ridden into a consistent and dreary headwind, from Milton Keynes to Northampton. I was 'painfully' slow in the first half but I was literally sailing all the way back - and even manged to crank it up to an 18 mph average to close out the last few miles. The ride map and stats can be seen here: (http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/243474350). I hope everyone's having a good LEL training week. — in Milton Keynes, England.

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

I have a feeling the odds are stacked against them...

He did a 70 miles ride not long ago;

https://www.facebook.com/The.E.GO.Maniac

I gotta says, I'm impressed.

I'm still not optimistic personally...

He's doing more training than I am.

and if I get another notification from Phil Whitehurst

Having second thoughts about a later 10:30am start now, tempted to go for the oppposite end of the spectrum to maximise daylight hours on the first day?

Plus the 6:00 am start would put me in the largest starting group (currently 102), helping to whizz along during the first 24hours ?

It's much of a muchness.

I had an 8am-ish start on LEL '09 and got to Thorne (330km-ish - there was a outbound detour via Wragby) at 2am or so. I was able to grab food, a shower and then a few hours' sleep and went to sleep with no problems.

I had an 8pm start on PBP '11 and it was really easy going through the first night with a little 15 minute power nap in Mortagne (140km). That kept me going all the way through to Loudeac.

For future events I'd do either early start or late start, but nothing in between as I wouldn't be able to get far enough (i.e. to still be within time limits after a sleep) before my body wanted to sleep or could sleep (a few days into a ride like LEL or PBP I can sleep on demand but the first).

8am would be my latest start, and 8pm my earliest IYSWIM.

My start is 7:30am, can't get the 8am start.

I would like to take it nice and easy in the morning after a good rest to be honest.

Vesalius perhaps it worth having everyone on here having a similar start time?

I'm doing the Prologue... not sure I'd make it by 7.30. Not that I have any idea how far the Prologue is.

I decided not to do that, rather save my strength for the actual event.

Here's the prologue route, so you can gauge roughly how long it'll take

I'll join you on the 7:30 then Ed.

I (currently) live in stratford so cycling out to Loughton early in the morning (currently) isn't an issue.

Saying that, could jump on the tube from leyton--> loughton as well :)

I'm asking a friend to drop me off (live in Wimbledon).

^Makes good sense.
You're perfectly placed to do the ditchling devil 200 and perm :)

Here's the prologue route, so you can gauge roughly how long it'll take
it says
20.2 mi, 6 hours 52 mins
That will warm you up for the start.
If you're going by tube Debden is better than Loughton.

[QUOTE]20.2 mi, 6 hours 52 mins

[/QUOTE]

Presumably if you walk it.. Traffic lights do have to be factored in though, I suppose!

I'm down for a 7.45 start and am IN! for the prologue, looks like a nice route too.