[LEL17] LEL Planning

[reynard]

Now that I've bitten the bullet and signed up, I've had a go at creating a spreadsheet to help think about and plan start time / distances / sleep stops. It's an Excel file (".xlxs") and I'm not sure if it will work the same on earlier versions of Excel. If anyone is interested, the file is linked below...let me know if it works, where it is faulty, and where it can be improved. Instructions included...

disclaimer: caveat emptor!

http://bit.ly/2iUWgih

[Smeth]

The mutts nuts, thanks a lot. Works on my brand new Excel with Windows 10 and on my old banger with Office 2003. Saved a lot of effort.

[toestrap]

Brilliant, saved me a job, thanks

[alfapete]

That's brilliant, but very simple at the same time - great work.

As controller at Barney I can see I've got a lot more time for setting up on Sunday than I thought!

[redfalo]

Works even on Open Office   

Prior PBP, I spend what felt like decades poring over such a spreadsheet, tweaking average speeds between stages and targeted stopping times at every control. I liked it beforehand, but most of it turned out to be bollocks in reality  , as stuff like taking a wrong turn (yes, possible on PBP despite signs and GPS), having my gear cable replaced at Loudeac, running into a fantastic ride companion who I decided to stick with for big chunks of the ride tore up the whole schedule.

I still have a spreadsheet for LEL, but this time it's a bit simpler. I don't bother with predicting the lengths of the breaks at each control, but only the overall average speed I'm expecting to ride. I know that up to the first sleep stop, this hopefully will be around 20 kph, and then drop to around 14 kph for the remaining bit including sleep. 

[Redlight]

Excellent. I have downloaded it and will revisit it sometime around July 28th 

[hellymedic]

Sounds wise. There are so many unpredictable events on a ride of this length which can scupper any schedule.
You will need to be flexible, comfortable and efficient.

[DCLane]

Great - oddly enough it was a spreadsheet that kept me on track in PBP.

It'll be even more important this time, if I make the start, due to only having 1 1/3 pedalling legs thanks to a crash last April.

[Smeth]

need to be flexible, comfortable and efficient.

Agree, but a really useful spreadsheet. Great to have a starting point for sleep/bag-drop planning then contingency for faster/slower. I was ahead of schedule as a newb on PBP as I'd underestimated the effect of being wafted along working with groups. Flipping handy later as I went through tough spells. Not going to be so much the case with a smaller (!) field I guess.

What do experienced LEL riders think about moving speed compared with a small field 1200+ event given same terrain etc?

[yanner]

Really helpful , thanks! 

[martint235]

I had a plan for 2013. I ditched it on the first day. It was a tad ambitious (hit Brampton)

Good luck to all for 2017, hopefully I'll be waving you into Pocklington.

[Redlight]

Facetious comments aside, I found in 2009 that having a plan of sorts did help, even though I didn't stick to it because of the weather in the Borders. I'd assumed that I would be slower than turned out to be the case, so always knowing that I was ahead of "schedule" gave me confidence at those times when the legs were being uncooperative and helped me to make better use of the controls on the return leg.

[reynard]

Me too...though I pretty much stuck to my plan for PBP. In any case, it's fun thinking through different scenarios with a tool like this. Psychologists call it the "work of worry"!! 

Prior PBP, I spend what felt like decades poring over such a spreadsheet, tweaking average speeds between stages and targeted stopping times at every control. I liked it beforehand, but most of turned out to bollocks in reality  , as stuff like taking a wrong turn (yes, possible on PBP despite signs and GPS), having my gear cable replaced at Loudeac, running into a fantastic ride companion who I decided to stick with for big chunks of the ride tore up the whole schedule.

[R_nger]

This is excellent, thanks for sharing.  I would quite like to customise for personal use but it appears to be password protected...would it be possible to have a non-protected version ? (pretty please  )

[reynard]

This is excellent, thanks for sharing.  I would quite like to customise for personal use but it appears to be password protected...would it be possible to have a non-protected version ? (pretty please  )

Password is "LEL2017" ... should say this in the instructions. Only protected to prevent fat thumbs    accidentally changing one of the formula cells 

[R_nger]

This is excellent, thanks for sharing.  I would quite like to customise for personal use but it appears to be password protected...would it be possible to have a non-protected version ? (pretty please  )

Password is "LEL2017" ... should say this in the instructions. Only protected to prevent fat thumbs    accidentally changing one of the formula cells

Many thanks...now that I know it's there I can see the password...it's simply truncated on my version of Excel.

[Chris N]

Yeah, I wanted to add a few more columns but couldn't - so made my own.   Currently LEL looks like a nice touring holiday with a late start and 5 nights sleep. Thanks reynard

[Planet X Paul]

I made a very comprehensive spread sheet last year when getting excited about entering my first LEL.  This included distances, average speeds, riding time, stopped time, cumulative distances & times etc, and I'll tweek this depending on my actual start time.  I'm sure the schedule will go out of the window at some point, but rather than being a slave to it, I will use it as a guide to how I'm progressing and whether I can treat myself to an extra hour sleep or not.

[Kangaroocourt]

Gulp! This confirms what I'd feared - I may the wrong age profile for this adventure.  I could no more manage a spreadsheet than (say) cycle from London to Edinburgh & back in 116 hours

[dod]

Many thanks Reynard, this will keep me entertained for hours

[Bolt]

Many thanks, this is really useful and has actually boosted my confidence in being able to enjoy the ride and get round in time!

[Aidan]

Great spreadsheet, think its saved me the work completing my own, question though, has anyone used this on a Mac in Numbers as the daily distance collumn doesnt seem to work?

[mmmmartin]

Works even on Open Office   

Prior PBP, I spend what felt like decades poring over such a spreadsheet, tweaking average speeds between stages and targeted stopping times at every control. I liked it beforehand, but most of turned out to bollocks in reality  , as stuff like taking a wrong turn (yes, possible on PBP despite signs and GPS), having my gear cable replaced at Loudeac, running into a fantastic ride companion who I decided to stick with for big chunks of the ride tore up the whole schedule.

I still have a spreadsheet for LEL, but this time it's a bit simpler. I don't bother with predicting the lengths of the breaks at each control, but only the overall average speed I'm expecting to ride. I know that up to the first sleep stop, this hopefully will be around 20 kph, and then drop to around 14 kph for the remaining bit including sleep.

Great sig line there, thanks @redfalo.

[GavinC]

Great spreadsheet, think its saved me the work completing my own, question though, has anyone used this on a Mac in Numbers as the daily distance collumn doesnt seem to work?

I got the daily distance working in Numbers on my iPad by deleting the formula from cell E5 (daily distance for Loughton) and replacing it with a 0.

Many thanks for sharing this reynard   

[Aidan]

I got the daily distance working in Numbers on my iPad by deleting the formula from cell E5 (daily distance for Loughton) and replacing it with a 0.

    Thanks Gavin