LEL preparation

[vorsprung]

re finger numbness / neck pain

In 2005 I rode a couple of 600s + LEL on my yellow bike.  This has very high handlebars and is made of steel. 28mm tyres
2006 I did a couple of 600s, and a 400.  Two long rides on a Al framed Orbea racing bike with 25mm tyres.  The frame on this bike is a bit too big for me
2007 all PBP qualifiers and PBP.  bike was custom Ti with 28mm tyres
2008 I busted my collar bone but I did manage a 600 later in the year

Anyway, if you disregard the undoubted fact that I must have been getting used to riding a long way over this period, I did long rides on 3 bikes

They all had brooks and lots of handle bar padding.  I think that handlebar padding is good and it might help with road buzz.  But it won't help with neck pain

On the yellow bike I had occasional numbness in my hands but this passed in few weeks/days
On the Al Orbea i had worse numbness and some shoulder pain
On the custom Ti I had no issues of this sort whatsoever

What I'd guess from all this is that the frame fit is the most important factor.
Although I used 3 different frame materials and the Al frame was worse, I think this was due to the terrible fit of the Orbea and my body

[Really Ancien]

Having seen on DVD the pitiful sight of PBPers struggling to reach the arrivee, holding their heads up by hand or using rudimentary hand-crafted neck braces (including spare tube wrapped round the forehead and tied astern somewhere), what does the panel suggest can be done to prevent this eventuality happening to me on LEL?  I have never suffered any neck pain before, but distances beyond 630km are an unknown quantity and will remain so until I reach Eskdalemuir.

Some training of the neck muscles may be helpful. Positioning your computer monitor on the floor so that your position when working is close to the cycling position is one possiblity. Another idea would be to add ballast to a cycling helmet to help strengthen the muscles. The ballast would need to be reasonably aerodynamic, easy to attach to the helmet with tape and readily deformable in the event of an impact. I would suggest bananas, they would also be useful as an emergency food source and the hat could double as a Carmen Miranda style fancy dress costume.
Google Image Search

Damon.

[red marley]

Although I think you need a way of getting rid of the bananas if you are too full to eat them all...
<a href="http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf?autostart=false&token=b48_1223279289" target="_blank">http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf?autostart=false&token=b48_1223279289</a>

[Nuncio]

Thanks jwo.  That's my nightmare sorted for tonight, then.

[Really Ancien]

Although I think you need a way of getting rid of the bananas if you are too full to eat them all...
<a href="http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf?autostart=false&token=b48_1223279289" target="_blank">http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf?autostart=false&token=b48_1223279289</a>

I can foresee a H&S issue. That's not just an exploding Banana Mask it's an S&M Exploding Banana Mask.

Damon.

[MSeries]

What I'd guess from all this is that the frame fit is the most important factor.

the frame,saddle, pedal and handlebar positions relative to the rider. The shape of the bars is important too. Padding bars is only addressing the symptoms IMO and not the real problem

[radelwombat]

it starts with the tyres and their pressure IMO. Then the frame geometry and its material and last but most importantly the contact points with the rider, i.e. handlebars, saddle and pedals. Everything else is a toss up between comfort or convenience and weight.
If you split up the bike as above it's much easier to achieve your ideal bike.

[Chris S]

Problem is, as you get tired - more and more of your body weight goes through your arse and hands because less is offset by your efforts on the pedals. I don't see any way round this, and it's probably worse if you are heavy as there will be more load on those contact points.

[LEL]

Problem is, as you get tired - more and more of your body weight goes through your arse and hands because less is offset by your efforts on the pedals. I don't see any way round this, and it's probably worse if you are heavy as there will be more load on those contact points.

Surely the moral here is to lose some weight.....?
And wear well padded shorts with plenty of  backside cream.

[Greenbank]

Found a Lifeventure silk sleeping bag liner in the last day of a Milletts sale for a third off. Only 110g. Perfect for sleeping at controls.

Going to have a trial pack today (in prep for next week).

[hellymedic]

Problem is, as you get tired - more and more of your body weight goes through your arse and hands because less is offset by your efforts on the pedals. I don't see any way round this, and it's probably worse if you are heavy as there will be more load on those contact points.

Surely the moral here is to lose some weight.....?
And wear well padded shorts with plenty of  backside cream.

I do feel I am teaching female grandparents techniques of egg juice extraction!
The most important aspect of pressure area care is
TO GET ALL OF THE WEIGHT OFF THE PRESSURE AREA!
(Actually, I thought the worst pressure sores were often found on thin people.)

Padding of shorts and saddle
Weight reduction
Local hygeine
Creams and lubricants
are all secondary...
...but they help (some people)

They may be counterproductive in that they do not train people to get the weight off the saddle.

[Giraffe]

Losing weight will help of course ([structural] damage is proportional to the fourth power of the loading), but if the loss is significant, e.g. Fat Bastard to Whippet, the fit of the saddle is effectively altered and can allow the saddle to apply pressure to the prostate area (not in all cases, I understand).
So, if getting slimmer (losing fat arse) beware of complications.

[mikewigley]

As part of my own LEL Preparation I'm planning to do a DIY 300 from Carlisle-Dalkeith-Carlisle.  To get the distance up to 300, I may have to detour through Gretna or Lockerbie, so my question to anyone who lives near the
"Cumberland Gap" is:- 
has the M6 extension now been completed and (more to the point) is there now direct Gretna-Carlisle access on the now much quieter A6?

[Really Ancien]

The A6 stops in Carlisle surely, I understand that there is now an all purpose road from Gretna to the A7/M6 junction.

Damon.

[mikewigley]

The A6 stops in Carlisle surely, I understand that there is now an all purpose road from Gretna to the A7/M6 junction.

Damon.

Yes, of course, it's the A74 not the A6 I'm interested in.  That all-purpose road alongsde the M6 (or perhaps it's M74, or A74M) is what I'm after, without having to divert through Longtown.  Part of the challenge of plotting a DIY route is to get it over the nominal distance, but not by too much

[Really Ancien]

Yes, of course, it's the A74 not the A6 I'm interested in.  That all-purpose road alongsde the M6 (or perhaps it's M74, or A74M) is what I'm after, without having to divert through Longtown.  Part of the challenge of plotting a DIY route is to get it over the nominal distance, but not by too much

It now changes from the M6 to A74 M at the Border, the all purpose road is on Google maps and seems to start at the turn for the Kingstown industrial Estate close to the A7 Junction North of Carlisle.

Damon.

[LEL]

By the way, if you are aware of randonneurs who think they need to get a
long distance brevet under their belt before LEL, they might want to
consider a totally unsupported 2000k brevet on Vancouver Island – Ultimate
Island Explorer 2000 Vancouver Island Schedule
Scenic seaside, wilderness forests lakes and rivers.  Almost guaranteed to
see a few black bears along wilderness stretches, and deer around suburban
Victoria. ! I am the organizer on behalf of the BC Randonneurs Cycling Club.
Anyone interested should contact me directly.

 

Cheers …. Ken

 

Ken Bonner

2609 Orchard Avenue

Victoria, British Columbia

V8S 3B2

CANADA

 

Tel:  1-250-598-4135

[JayP]

I am totally unfamiliar with the areas passed thro’ on LEL to the south of the Wahingborough control. So I have agreed a 400k DIY with Danial to cover Lea Valley to Washingborough both up and down. The sole purpose of this ride is route familiarisation. I plan to ride over the Easter weekend starting the ride from St Neots where I have booked camping. The controls agreed for this ride ( after much negotiation!) are;

St Neots,  Ingoldsby, Wasingborough, Ingoldsby,  St Neots,  Cheshunt,  St Neots

Danial tells me this is 400k spot on according to Autoroute. I have used the LEL stages posted on Bikely by Thunderthighs to give me an idea of what the actual route will be (Thank you Thunderthighs) but what I really need is a proper ‘blow- by-blow’ route sheet as close as possible to what the actual route will be. I don’t have a GPS.
Can any kind person help me? I don’t suppose these southern stage routes change much from one LEL to the next so a photocopy of a previous LEL route sheet might do the trick.

[Greenbank]

From here: London-Edinburgh-London

Click on "LEL Controls/Route" in the sidebar.

Then at the bottom of the page click on the blue "LEL Route". Note that it says "Provisional Only".

That gives you a page with links to two Google Docs spreadsheets containing the current northbound and southbound routesheets.

[EDIT] Note that the LEL route doesn't actually go through Ingoldsby, so you'll need to detour to go there.

[JayP]

Thanks Greenbank. I just read down the thread and discovered the existence of these provisional routes. Dooh!!

[mikewigley]

From here: London-Edinburgh-London
LEL route doesn't actually go through Ingoldsby, so you'll need to detour to go there.

What's in Ingoldsby anyway for control purposes?

I'm just packing my bags for this weekend:  Sunday Start of Summertime 200, Monday Hertford-Sleaford DIY 200, Tuesday Sleaford-York DIY 200 so I'll have a good look at the northbound LEL route

[Wolfie]

As part of my own LEL Preparation I'm planning to do a DIY 300 from Carlisle-Dalkeith-Carlisle.  To get the distance up to 300, I may have to detour through Gretna or Lockerbie, so my question to anyone who lives near the
"Cumberland Gap" is:- 
has the M6 extension now been completed and (more to the point) is there now direct Gretna-Carlisle access on the now much quieter A6?

There is a relief road that is now fully open that you can follow from the North of Carlisle, it goes past Asda and then runs parallel to the A74 and will take you to Gretna direct, (subject to a few R and imm L). It is a bit windy at times though!!

When are you planning this?, I am going to do the same route as a 300.

W

[mikewigley]

When are you planning this?, I am going to do the same route as a 300.

24th May as a DIY 300 (Carlisle-Dalkeith-Carlisle).  It's the day after the Clarten 200 from Longtown so I'll make a weekend of it (Late May Bank Holiday) and do the 2 rides as back to back training, along with Martin Newstead

[teethgrinder]

From here: London-Edinburgh-London
LEL route doesn't actually go through Ingoldsby, so you'll need to detour to go there.

What's in Ingoldsby anyway for control purposes?

I'm just packing my bags for this weekend:  Sunday Start of Summertime 200, Monday Hertford-Sleaford DIY 200, Tuesday Sleaford-York DIY 200 so I'll have a good look at the northbound LEL route

If you like fish and chips, there's a very good chippy in Sleaford.
Follow the B road north towards the roundabout with the 15/A17. Go through town and on the way out, heading north it is on the left. It's called, "Scoffers," and is easily missed. If you pass Mc Donals on your right, you've gone too far and will almost be on the roundabout.


I don't remember Ingoldsby being much use as a control. You're in the desert there. There may be something at Corby Glen. There is a service station at Colsterworth, which I think is 24 hour on the A1/A151.
Otherwise it's Grantham.
There could possibly be a pub in Ingoldsby, but I wouldn't count on it.

[JayP]

From here: London-Edinburgh-London
LEL route doesn't actually go through Ingoldsby, so you'll need to detour to go there.

What's in Ingoldsby anyway for control purposes?

I'm just packing my bags for this weekend:  Sunday Start of Summertime 200, Monday Hertford-Sleaford DIY 200, Tuesday Sleaford-York DIY 200 so I'll have a good look at the northbound LEL route

The first route prediction I looked at went through Ingoldsby which looked like a substantial place .
But your right - there's no way to control at Ingoldsby. Changed my plans. Controls will now be
St Neots  Oundle Washingborough Cheshunt St Neots. Oundle is only 5k's or so off route and just brings the shortest overall distance up to 400. Thanks for pointing this out. Enjoy your weekend
 
Just by the way while looking for reliable places to control  I noticed two SNAX 24's within a couple of miles of each other on-route at Wansford (A47 West of Peterborough). Might be handy.