[LEL17] Hotels / B&Bs - Pros and Cons ...

[eml1909]

LEL 2017 will be my first ever *really* long ride.  The longest I've cycled to date is a 350km (in one day).  Our provisional plan is to ride at a brisk(ish) pace in the hope that we can get a decent amount of sleep each night (5-6 hours?).

We're attracted by the idea of finding some hotels / B&Bs along the way, rather than sleeping at the controls.  I know from my camping experiences in the past that sleeping on an inflatable bed on the floor usually leads to aches and pains the next morning.  The idea of being able to have a nice shower in the comfort of a hotel/b&b also appeals!

However, I'm conscious that making arrangements with hotels will create another thing to worry and stress about along the way.  I realise that there is a lot to be said for turning up at a control, eating and simply crashing on the floor, as opposed to having to get back on your bike to find the hotel you've booked at (check in, park your bike, sort your stuff out etc etc). 

I recognise that the hotel option will probably lead to extra faffing and losing time.  The question is whether the pros outweigh the cons.

So I'm just interested to hear the thoughts of those with a lot more experience of this type of thing than me....  Any thoughts or advice would be VERY much appreciated!

PS I realise that checking in to a hotel or B&B late at night might not be straightforward either.

[mmmmartin]

plan is to ride at a brisk(ish) pace in the hope that we can get a decent amount of sleep each night

That's everyone's plan. But as Mike Tyson said: "Everyone has a plan until they're punched in the face."

Last time on LEL I found sleeping on the mattresses very easy - the halls are quiet, warm, and the mattresses are very comfy indeed. More to the point, you can be asleep within 10 minutes of arriving at a control and the volunteers had a brilliant system of bed numbers and they tiptoed in and woke you up at your requested time. So sleeping in controls is efficient and easy.

You'll not want to go off route to a B&B and if you try to arrive at a B&B in the middle of the night you might be disappointed. You might be able to ride fast enough to have a decent sleep each night: but after 700k you might not be moving as fast as your plan. 

Controls are good: free food, good sleeps. No time wasted.

[Salvatore]

I tend to mmmmmmmartin's view, but some alternatives are discussed here; https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=101181.msg2120329#msg2120329

[frillipippi]

In 2013 my experience was very similar to yours: my longest distance was 400k. I slept in the controls the first two nights, then switched to B6B and hotel because I was experiencing Shermer's neck and thought that a proper pillow would have helped (it did, after all). I hadn't booked. In Barnard Castle, the volunteers very kindly found a B&B for me, phoned to the host and explained the situation. She accepted me even if it was very late. I'm still very thankful to the volunteers and to that lady! In Woodhall Spa I found a hotel by myself.

It can turn out to be more expensive than other solutions, but I didn't waste much time. Furthermore, I use to visit the toilet frequently while sleeping (to be precise, I wake up, go to the toilet, get back and fall asleep again within microsecs) and a B&B/hotel room has a clear advantage from this point of view: in a control you have to put something on your feet (this subject is already being discussed in other threads), get decently dressed if you sleep naked to give air to those parts of your body that the saddle has irritated, cross the dorm, the corridors, find the toilet and then get back, try to remember the position of your bed, undress and finally realize that you're now completely awake and it'll take you a while before you fall asleep again.

I repeated the "no booking, just look around when you're really tired" strategy in my country last Spring on a 7-day-long audax, and it ran even smoother, because I had no linguistic/cultural obstacles. For cultural obstacles I mean that in my country I can predict accurately the price of a single room just looking to a hotel or B&B from the road, while in the UK my error is much larger. In my country, just by reading the names of the towns the route'll pass through, I can predict where accomodation will be available, in the UK I'm a foreigner and names don't tell me anything.

It's good to have plans, but it's better to be ready to modify them as your ride goes on.

[Bairn Again]

Im not riding LEL but reckon that a cheap hotel close to the route isnt a bad shout even if just for one night

Would have to be close to the route though and it might be one of those occasions when a "faceless" accommodation option such as travelodge / premier inn might be better than old Mrs Miggins B&B as you can treat it badly with less guilt.

I booked a F1 hotel for one night on last two PBPs and they were a great morale booster.

control sleeping options are normally a bit of a snore fest (don't get the wrong idea - I can contribute my fair share) 

IIRC, I think that ESL of this parish used the Tushielaw Inn on a previous LEL. 
 
in any event, good luck and hope to see you in Edinburgh at the turn!

 

[rob]

Travelodge at Scotch Corner was a mile-ish off-route last time and I had 6hrs sleep there.   You can turn up there whenever you like as the desk is manned 24/7.

[Liamo]

I'm all for a bit of time out in a hotel. But if thinking about booking ahead, think about where. On the last PBP I booked a B&B for the second and third nights. My chief concern was arriving in the small hours and finding everybody had gone to bed.  But I arrived early (@19:00) on both days. In retrospect that was a mistake, as it meant losing daylight riding hours (when you make faster progress) and so getting up in the early hours to head off again.

On LEL I've booked a hotel at @1100k. It's  something to look forward. But also I know that whatever time I get there, I've got a day's ride after to get home. That might mean I have hours to relax. Or it might mean I've only time for a shower and a nap.  I also agree that booking a hotel with 24hr reception makes sense.

[Bus Shelter Bertie]

IIRC, I think that ESL of this parish used the Tushielaw Inn on a previous LEL.

I too used the Tushielaw Inn on a previous LEL. Basic accommodation consisting of a comfortable table in the beer garden, didn't bother booking. I personally take the view that the ad hoc approach is the most relaxing one.

[Pichy]

Im not riding LEL but reckon that a cheap hotel close to the route isnt a bad shout even if just for one night

Would have to be close to the route though and it might be one of those occasions when a "faceless" accommodation option such as travelodge / premier inn might be better than old Mrs Miggins B&B as you can treat it badly with less guilt.

I booked a F1 hotel for one night on last two PBPs and they were a great morale booster.

control sleeping options are normally a bit of a snore fest (don't get the wrong idea - I can contribute my fair share) 

IIRC, I think that ESL of this parish used the Tushielaw Inn on a previous LEL. 
 
in any event, good luck and hope to see you in Edinburgh at the turn!

 

This. On the back of the advice of ' I did exactly the same for PBP and booked a room about 10km short of Brest. It proved a great target to aim at as the Monday seemed to go on and on. However, knowing I'd get a bath and a proper bed, even if just for a few hours, made a massive difference. I'd ridden right through to that point but on the back of a proper sleep I did the return leg on an hour's kip on the floor in the Villainess control. I'll sort of be doing the same for LEL. I live in Edinburgh, so plan to sleep in my own bed on the Monday night, all being well. #softasputty

[Exit Stage Left]

IIRC, I think that ESL of this parish used the Tushielaw Inn on a previous LEL.

I too used the Tushielaw Inn on a previous LEL. Basic accommodation consisting of a comfortable table in the beer garden, didn't bother booking. I personally take the view that the ad hoc approach is the most relaxing one.

I had to book it anyway, as my mate Dave was filming from a motorbike in 2005 and 2009. In 2013 it was closed, so we used the Gordon Arms. It's back open again now.

I was there at a reasonable time in 2005, in 2009 I was there about 1 am, and I had to twist their arm to stay open over the mobile. It's worth remembering that there's very little signal in that part of the world, so you can't get a mate to come down to open the door, as you can't call them.

In 2011 we were the Southern control on 's EPE ride. A tandem couple had a Travelodge booking in Kendal on the return, but found the room taken on arrival at 1am. You have to confirm to make sure.

There's a thread on accounts of previous rides, and Agnes Baudry tells of a supporter booking hotels along the way, as they got there. You'll often find that all accommodation is provisionally booked, but frees up as it's not needed.

[mmmmartin]

Be aware that Travelodge has form on selling your room if you're not there by late evening. There are several accounts of this happening to auks.

[hellymedic]

Be aware that Travelodge has form on selling your room if you're not there by late evening. There are several accounts of this happening to auks.

I understand Premier Inn can do the same.

Suggest repeatedly phoning to confirm. Some 'displaced' friends were put up in another hotel a few miles away but this is really something you would not want on LEL.

[LMT]

For sure, psychologically it would help knowing that once you get to the hotel you can have a quick shower and sleep in an actual bed. IME nothings beats an actual bed for rest. Just be sure to go with a major chain which is staffed 24hrs, also make a note when booking the room that potentially you could be rolling in in the early hours and also put a request in to have a room on the ground floor if possible to stop you having the faf of using the stairs or lift to get to your room.

I suppose a disadvantage would be finding a hotel en route, having said this you can free route between controls so this would make it easier to route from the previous control, rather than from a point on the recommended route.

[Ben T]

One of the dangers is you will find it so comfy you won't want to leave. Do not under any circumstances book a hotel that offers an inclusive breakfast especially if it looks a really nice one, you may inadvertently decide it's more important not to miss it than to set off early enough to compete the ride, don't ask how I know that! Best to identify one with an early opening mcdonalds or better still a control a few miles down the road to get you on and riding before a feed.