[LEL17] 16:00 Starters

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Since JTZ is likely to be tired from the Celtic Knot 1000 the previous week, I can understand his wish to sleep each night from the start. I was more sleep deprived at the start of PBP07 than at the finish but it was a fairly nervy, uncomfortable ride bouncing against the 84hr time limit till I gained time on the last day. In other circumstances (no accumulated sleep debt), I'd plan on riding through the first night of LEL from a late afternoon start but everybody is different.

[jayteezim]

I would prefer to rest/sleep every night from the beginning and if need be ride through Thursday night. That's why I asked about the times.

If like me you plan to stop at Spalding on the first night you might be at risk in departing from some subsequent controls as they are packing up, so the availability of breakfast may not be guaranteed.  Most late starters seem to be planning on cycling through the first night to build up a good time buffer early on.

true, however if you used your same sort of plan but started at 12pm you would always be guaranteed food so if you are a late starter shouldn't it be the same?
with regards to riding through the first night i had no intention of doing so regardless of start time. obviously if i started in the morning the idea was to go further before stopping however from personal experience if i cycle through the first night i will suffer for it a later stage. with the PBP i found the sleep deprivation by riding through the first night after being awake all day before hand very difficult to recover from and the last 400km was done on autopilot.
redlight mentioned "Given that you are towards the tail end of the start times, one (perhaps) disadvantage of that is that you may find yourself riding alone for much of the second day"
this is also true however it is what is. all the other people i cycle with(mainly Audax Club Lincolnshire) are leaving in the morning. my plan for how much cycling to do each day and sleeping/resting is the same as it was regardless of start time. by starting later this means the less cycling time on sunday however more will be available on friday. as long as the availabilty of amenities, food etc are equal to the same extent regardless of start time then overall it shouldn't make a difference.

[Bolt]

as long as the availabilty of amenities, food etc are equal to the same extent regardless of start time then overall it shouldn't make a difference.

I think they are based on an anticipated average daily mileage tally.  An early sleep stop at 159km at Spalding is a nice option for those not wanting to cycle through the night, but it might restrict the option of a full "bed, breakfast and evening meal" at the subsequent controls.  I'm likely to be disadvantaged in this respect myself but ultimately it's up to me to balance my plan to take into account the challenge faced by the organisers and volunteers.

My advice would be to try and rest and sleep as much as you can prior to the start and aim for Louth or Pocklington for your first proper rest, that way you should be certain of being able to enjoy a fully catered experience.

[jsabine]

Since JTZ is likely to be tired from the Celtic Knot 1000 the previous week, I can understand his wish to sleep each night from the start.

The Celtic Knot's a month earlier, n'est-ce pas? June 23, so the same weekend as the National 400.

As for stopping early for an extended period, having finished hors delai on LEL 2013 largely as a result of doing just that, I'd recommend against it. I was very inexperienced though, so with better judgment and pacing in sure it's doable: I'll still be trying to establish a bit of a buffer for myself though.

[Chris N]

I'm starting at 1545 not 1600 but here's my (vague) plan, FWIW:

Ride to Louth, probably at somewhere between 26 and 29km/h inc. stops then decide if I'm going to stop there or press on to Pocklington.  After that, who knows?   It's unlikely that I'll make it far past Pocklington without needing to sleep - but I won't decide what I'm going to do until I'm on the road.

[tippers_kiwi]

I'm starting at 1545 not 1600 but here's my (vague) plan, FWIW:

Ride to Louth, probably at somewhere between 26 and 29km/h inc. stops then decide if I'm going to stop there or press on to Pocklington.  After that, who knows?   It's unlikely that I'll make it far past Pocklington without needing to sleep - but I won't decide what I'm going to do until I'm on the road.

I'd be lucky to do anywhere near that NOT including stops  , still that is what I love about Audax, room to go faster or slower.

[Somnolent]

.... the availabilty of amenities, food etc are equal to the same extent regardless of start time then overall it shouldn't make a difference.

ISTRC alwyn assuring us of that some time ago.
Like you the p.m. start on PBP (and the tighter outbound time limits) had us following the conventional advice to ride through the first night.  That had us 'on the back foot' as far as sleep deprivation was concerned for the rest of the ride. 
For LEL a Spalding stop from a p.m. start sounds like a fair plan - but reckon on a 'big' second day - maybe leave at 5 am and aim to build your time buffer from there.

[vorsprung]

I'm starting at 1545 not 1600 but here's my (vague) plan, FWIW:

Ride to Louth, probably at somewhere between 26 and 29km/h inc. stops then decide if I'm going to stop there or press on to Pocklington.  After that, who knows?   It's unlikely that I'll make it far past Pocklington without needing to sleep - but I won't decide what I'm going to do until I'm on the road.

I'd be lucky to do anywhere near that NOT including stops  , still that is what I love about Audax, room to go faster or slower.

The early phases of LEL are quite fast particularly if you spend time with a group

[jayteezim]

26-29km/hr  maybe downhill with a tail wind. i am more of a 12.5-13 mph/20-21kmh sorta guy myself so no sprinting off into the sunset. spalding with a rest then big day on monday remains the plan. obviously all plans have to have a bit of flexibility but this one is pretty much set in stone. if all goes well i will arrive between 1-2am...

[Chris N]

I'm starting at 1545 not 1600 but here's my (vague) plan, FWIW:

Ride to Louth, probably at somewhere between 26 and 29km/h inc. stops then decide if I'm going to stop there or press on to Pocklington.  After that, who knows?   It's unlikely that I'll make it far past Pocklington without needing to sleep - but I won't decide what I'm going to do until I'm on the road.

I'd be lucky to do anywhere near that NOT including stops  , still that is what I love about Audax, room to go faster or slower.

The early phases of LEL are quite fast particularly if you spend time with a group

Quite.  In 2009 I got to Thorne (321km) from a 9 am start in 14 1/2 hours, and on PBP '11 I was at Villaines (221km) in 9 hours.  I'd hope to cover the 242km to Louth a little faster this time round, with minimal faffage/stopped time on the way.

[vorsprung]

https://www.strava.com/clubs/274598 "Living too late LEL 1600 starters" strava club