News about changes to rules, start times and rider facilities

[alwyn]

I thought I would share some changes for 2025.

Firstly there will be no 100 hour 'fast' group. We will instead offer start times from 05:00 to all riders. This will help maximise the number of riders who can start early.

Secondly, we are going to ban support vehicles. We are going to offer considerably more support to riders compared to 2022, making a support vehicle unnecessary. Support vehicles can be disruptive both along the route and at controls, and we've concluded their benefits to the limited number of riders that have them do not merit the problems that they can generate.

Finally, like PBP, we will be putting into place a series of time sanctions for rule infringements. These will include; not riding the published route, accepting personal support along the route, and behaving in a discourteous manner to volunteers or other officials.

More details to follow as get closer to 2025.

[The French Tandem]

Secondly, we are going to ban support vehicles. We are going to offer considerably more support to riders compared to 2022, making a support vehicle unnecessary. 

That's an excellent idea! Some support vehicle drivers were a nightmare for volunteers as they expected us to do everything for their rider in priority! Other drivers were just fine, but we can't know in advance which ones are going to behave poorly!

I don't know what kind of "extra support" you are planning to offer. In my view, there is already everything a reasonably fit and motivated rider could expect.

not riding the published route, 

You know the rule, don't make a new law if you have no mean to enforce that new law. Well, there is the secret control, but are you planning extra means to enforce the "ride on the published route" rule?


A

[alwyn]

I don't know what kind of "extra support" you are planning to offer. In my view, there is already everything a reasonably fit and motivated rider could expect.

You know the rule, don't make a new law if you have no mean to enforce that new law. Well, there is the secret control, but are you planning extra means to enforce the "ride on the published route" rule?

Proper medical care at controls, around 10 or 15 village halls and cafes open for the duration, some of which will have dormitories, teams on standby in case of severe weather, sag wagons to controls.

We are going to patrol the route this time. Partly to look out for broken-down riders, partly to catch cheats being transported by cars between controls and partly to catch riders taking short cuts.

[Orbiter]

around 10 or 15 village halls and cafes open for the duration, some of which will have dormitories

That's interesting, does that mean the number of controls will be reduced in 2025 vs previous years, or will these village halls be supplementary?

partly to catch cheats being transported by cars between controls and partly to catch riders taking short cuts

It amazes me that this is a sufficient thing to be bothered about - but obviously it is.

Anyway, I assume you'll be announcing the 2025 event cost when you offer advanced entries in November?

Cheers!

[vorsprung]

partly to catch cheats being transported by cars between controls and partly to catch riders taking short cuts

It amazes me that this is a sufficient thing to be bothered about - but obviously it is.

i suppose you are saying the policing will be there to put people off doing it?

Kinda difficult for me to appreciate the mind set of people who - enter a long distance cycle event and then don't cycle()

[alwyn]

around 10 or 15 village halls and cafes open for the duration, some of which will have dormitories

That's interesting, does that mean the number of controls will be reduced in 2025 vs previous years, or will these village halls be supplementary?

partly to catch cheats being transported by cars between controls and partly to catch riders taking short cuts

It amazes me that this is a sufficient thing to be bothered about - but obviously it is.

Anyway, I assume you'll be announcing the 2025 event cost when you offer advanced entries in November?

Cheers!

There will be one additional control compared to 2022. The village halls will be supplementary, community-run, and the food and drink will have to be paid for. Any dormitory space will be free though.

I had a handful of complaints/reports last year about cheating. From the descriptions given they were not the same cheats. We tried to disqualify one but AUK gave the validation on appeal. They are now banned by their home country's association. Another report surprised me somewhat, but explains why the two riders in question looked so fresh at the finish. I'm about to report them to their home country association too.

None of the reports of cheating through lifts came from the UK. All of the reports of not riding the official route (Yad Moss diversion excepted) were from the UK.

[alwyn]

i suppose you are saying the policing will be there to put people off doing it?

Kinda difficult for me to appreciate the mind set of people who - enter a long distance cycle event and then don't cycle()

That, and banning support vehicles. They are a significant source of the cheating.

[alwyn]

Anyway, I assume you'll be announcing the 2025 event cost when you offer advanced entries in November?

Cheers!

I hope to announce it in a few weeks. Just chatted with the central catering chap who is very busy with his own event at the moment. The catering costs are proving the trickiest to nail down so I may delay until November. But the clear vibe I am getting is that folk would rather pay for quality, so that it is where I am going with it. Cooked breakfasts are expensive to put on, especially as a one-off for an event like this.

[Ian H]

partly to catch cheats being transported by cars between controls and partly to catch riders taking short cuts

It amazes me that this is a sufficient thing to be bothered about - but obviously it is.

i suppose you are saying the policing will be there to put people off doing it?

Kinda difficult for me to appreciate the mind set of people who - enter a long distance cycle event and then don't cycle()

A few years ago we got chatting to a bar owner in Loudeac.  He said he was a PBP commissaire and told of doping, and certain 80hr riders leaving the control and climbing into camper vans.  No independent verification.

[abc123]

When I was charting the LEL data, I did have a wee look to see if there were any "interesting" values. There were a few absurdly high stage speeds (which would have required helicopters) and on closer examination these were obviously due to rider arrival times being recorded against the wrong destination. After discounting these, there were one case where a rider appeared to record a speed for a hilly stage that was way faster than all their other stages (and not inconsistent with motor vehicle speeds) and a couple of riders who did a similarly fast shift for the penultimate stage. There were a few other cases where the differences were less dramatic, but riders still appeared to have put in significantly faster times for the penultimate stage, compared to their other stage speeds.

[MikeFromLFE]

Proper medical care at controls, around 10 or 15 village halls and cafes open for the duration, some of which will have dormitories, teams on standby in case of severe weather, sag wagons to controls.
[/quote ]
This is, in my view, a set of very positive innovations.

I'd guess that having a minimal volunteer presence at the optional village halls & cafes is a given, rather than a full volunteer team?

It would seem to be unfair on (particularly) cafe owners to be the sole shepherds of riders who choose to use these facilities.

[alwyn]

Proper medical care at controls, around 10 or 15 village halls and cafes open for the duration, some of which will have dormitories, teams on standby in case of severe weather, sag wagons to controls.
[/quote ]
This is, in my view, a set of very positive innovations.

I'd guess that having a minimal volunteer presence at the optional village halls & cafes is a given, rather than a full volunteer team?

It would seem to be unfair on (particularly) cafe owners to be the sole shepherds of riders who choose to use these facilities.

It will vary from cafe to village hall depending on need. Some groups will manage everything (because they want to) and others we will bolster with our volunteers. The cafes are usually self sufficient - we sometimes underwrite their extra/overnight staff costs.

[alwyn]

When I was charting the LEL data, I did have a wee look to see if there were any "interesting" values. There were a few absurdly high stage speeds (which would have required helicopters) and on closer examination these were obviously due to rider arrival times being recorded against the wrong destination. After discounting these, there were one case where a rider appeared to record a speed for a hilly stage that was way faster than all their other stages (and not inconsistent with motor vehicle speeds) and a couple of riders who did a similarly fast shift for the penultimate stage. There were a few other cases where the differences were less dramatic, but riders still appeared to have put in significantly faster times for the penultimate stage, compared to their other stage speeds.

I would be very grateful if you could message me with your findings. It's all good intelligence for next time.

[MikeFromLFE]

I've just read the FAQs on the website - there's a LOT of significant changes in there (and nearly all of them for the better IMO ). I do hope that the anciens (& anciennes) are pointed towards these changes - preferably with a pointy stick in some cases.
It might be a labour of love for someone to make a list of the changes to rules & arrangements for those who are hard of learning.

[alwyn]

I find it best to ignore them, tbh. They bring nothing to the event or its organisation, and are mostly tolerated by others more patient than me.

BTW thanks for your feedback in '22. The post-event feedback is always a tough read (folk are brutal in private) but worth the pain.

[Ajax Bay]

I've just read the FAQs on the website - there's a LOT of significant changes in there (and nearly all of them for the better IMO ). I do hope that the anciens (& anciennes) are pointed towards these changes - preferably with a pointy stick in some cases.
It might be a labour of love for someone to make a list of the changes to rules & arrangements for those who are hard of learning

Why do you think a pointy stick is required? What push back do you perceive? Here's the FAQ link, for ease of access:
https://londonedinburghlondon.com/faq
I have gone through these (for fun) and really don't see the "LOT of significant changes" you mention (I agree your "for the better" assessment btw. Perhaps you might help everyone by pointing out a few? Which changes do you think are not "for the better"?  Here's my 'starter for 10', none of which I can see les anciens knashing their gums over:
1) No support vehicles
2) Pop-up support: LEL "have joined up with local businesses and community groups to provide pop-up cafés and dormitories. These will (mostly) be open 24/7"
3) Bag drop limitation to one in England and one in Scotland (NB FAQ says "Can I send two bags to the same control? Yes, you can!" which seems incompatible with "You can send one bag to an English control (Louth, Hessle, Malton, Richmond, Brampton), and one to a Scottish control (Moffat, Edinburgh, Innerleithen)."
4a) Starts at Writtle (as opposed to inside M25) but London Guildhall start option available. "The start point for [LEL] 2022(sic) is Writtle University College, CM1 3RR." (near Chelmsford)
4b) Better support (various but esp accommodation) at Writtle cf Loughton but is logistically harder to get to and from. NB outside London ULEZ!
5) Turns at Edinburgh (not across the Forth)
6) Over 1525km and mandatory route as in 2022 (boo!)
7) Early starts available to all, not just those opting for the 100 hours limit
Taking 2000 entries (NB experience from 2022 was that several hundred entered but did not turn up (some because of visa issues))
9) Though a self-supported ride LEL moto crews will patrol the route's most remote sections. LEL will "have limited capacity to recover riders stranded in remote locations" . . but you will be responsible for getting yourself back to the start.
10) Limited device charging at controls and (for a fiver) a charged powerbank service (assume in an effort to cope with the whole (likely beyond capacity) device recharging demand at controls).