LEL things that don't need a thread of their own

[Salvatore]

I didn't wear any socks on LEL 2005. As part of some sort of sponsorship deal, Bernard had some Michelin-branded socks to give away, and he awarded me a pair (there's a picture somewhere of the presentation taking place). I've probably never used them.

[Lightning Phil]

Sunset in Fens on Sunday



Sunrise at Audley End on Thursday

[Feanor]

I had a minor panic on the way to Great Easton where I came upon a sign welcoming me to Debden.
Had I messed up my gps tracks and missed a control?

Different Debden.
Needed a correx sign saying "Not That Debden!"

[zacklaws]

I had a minor panic on the way to Great Easton where I came upon a sign welcoming me to Debden.
Had I messed up my gps tracks and missed a control?

Different Debden.
Needed a correx sign saying "Not That Debden!"

I had exactly same problem, and speaking to others, I was not alone. I actually thought that maybe Great Easton was my last checkpoint I had passed through and forgot. Then I checked my brevet card to confirm I had been there, no stamp, so had I forgot to stamp my card, or following the wrong GPX, or was the GPX faulty, so I stopped it, and reloaded it, but no change. I was not amused.

[Feanor]

My logic told me that I was still on the coloured track from St Ives to Gt Easton.
I did not have any track on the device that lead from St Ives to the finish at Debden, so it *must* be a different Debden.

But I could have done without that!

[Feanor]

I've not had time to do a write up yet, but I'd like to thank alfapete OTP for his help.

My front light is an Exposure Strada.
This recharges using a propreitary USB to barrel connector.
After one full night, the light needed charging.
But the cable had died, and I could not recharge it!

I had backups of everything in Edinburgh, but I didnt have enough runtime left to reach it overnight.

At thr control, there was a light for sale, and I offered to buy it.
The vendor had a name badge with his forum name.
After a short discussion, he agreed to just lend me the light to get to Edin, and I would post it back.

So kudos and thanks to Pete.

[GavinC]

I had a minor panic on the way to Great Easton where I came upon a sign welcoming me to Debden.
Had I messed up my gps tracks and missed a control?

Different Debden.
Needed a correx sign saying "Not That Debden!"

I live just down the road from the other Debden and wondered if it would confuse any riders 

[zacklaws]

Oddly enough, I have just recalled in my state of confusion, and not really knowing what this "Debden" was, was it really the finish at Debden and it was the second secret control and we did not pass through Great Easton, and it did not help as my distance travelled up to that point and what was remaining was close to 1540 km.

[Fidgetbuzz]

I fully appreciate that after 1500kms riders  are  approaching brain dead .. but how a small village just after Saffron Walden .. could be confused with the location that you had started from on the edge of London .. just makes me realise quite how exhausted and brain dead you must have been. It must have been puzzling  that there was  no welcoming party , no finishing line , no marquee, no cheering family and spectators and no big school buildings .

[Wycombewheeler]

I've not had time to do a write up yet, but I'd like to thank alfapete OTP for his help.

My front light is an Exposure Strada.
This recharges using a propreitary USB to barrel connector.
After one full night, the light needed charging.
But the cable had died, and I could not recharge it!

I had backups of everything in Edinburgh, but I didnt have enough runtime left to reach it overnight.

At thr control, there was a light for sale, and I offered to buy it.
The vendor had a name badge with his forum name.
After a short discussion, he agreed to just lend me the light to get to Edin, and I would post it back.

So kudos and thanks to Pete.

knowing the exposure light will not see me through an entire event and also in case of failure I carry a second. two lights got me through the ride with some hours to spare, however some light economies are required, such as maximising riding during the day, and using the lowest setting you can at any time. In hindsight, I would have been much more comfortable with a charger in my Brampton drop bag.

[Ian H]

I didn't wear any socks on LEL 2005. As part of some sort of sponsorship deal, Bernard had some Michelin-branded socks to give away, and he awarded me a pair (there's a picture somewhere of the presentation taking place). I've probably never used them.

http://www.aukweb.net/resources/gallery/photo/1029/

[Wycombewheeler]

looking at my logged control (arrival) times against my control closing times (from email, not revised with extra allowance) calculating 'time in hand'
St Ives  4:03
Boston  7:18
Louth   8:40
Hessle  10:11  (slept here 1.5 hours)
Malton  9:09
Barnard Castle 9:18 (considered giving up here, sleeping here or continuing - continued, should have slept)
Brampton 7:26 (slept here 4 hours)
Moffat  4:18
Dunfermline 6:33  (slept here 5 hours)
Innerleithin 1:26
Eskdalemuir 2:08
Brampton 3:13  (changed kit and showered)
Barnard castle 2:57 (slept here 4 hours)
Malton -0:50
Hessle -0:45 (changed kit and showered)
Louth -0:17
Boston 0:26 (slept here 2 hours)
St Ives 0:13
Great Easton 1:06
Debden 1:33

One thing that jumps out at me is that despite the same track and the same time allowance, I lost nearly 2 hours going north between Barnard Castle and Brampton, but only lost 17 minutes on the same stretch going south despite showering, changing and dealing with drop bag at Brampton South. Not sure if this is due to slower travel at night, slower travel due to fatigue, longer stop at the Nook (not likely against petrol station and st johns chapel stops combined) or because steep ascents and long descents are more time friendly than long ascents and steep descents.

[Flite]

steep ascents and long descents are more time friendly than long ascents and steep descents.

I find this this makes a huge difference. (accepting that I am fairly old and very slow by audax standards)
I live at the bottom of another of Weardale's notorious hills.
Going over the watershed east to west takes 30-60 minutes up, 5 mins down, depending on the wind direction/ferocity. So 35-65 mins total.
West to east takes about 10-15 mins up, 10 mins down. So 20-25 mins total.
So many things to factor in.

PS I'm never going to ride anything like LEL, but I have enjoyed following these threads, thanks everyone.

[Captain Nemo]

There is still one live green dot on the route, just south of Horncastle as I write. Reminds me of the Goon Show episode "The Last Tram":

Seagoon:
Yes, take your tongue off my boot. Now, some fool just phoned up and said there is still a tram at large on the Highgate-Kingsway route.

Sellers:
Oh, but that is impossible, sir. All trams have been melted down and made into melted down trams.

Seagoon:
Every one?

Sellers:
All except the one you're living in, sir.

Seagoon:
Wait! Wait, look! That tram map on the wall! There's still one flag-pin stuck in it.

Sellers:
Good heavens! I had never noticed it before, sir.

Seagoon:
What does it mean?

Sellers:
It means sir, that, that there is a tram still running! According to the flag it's a number 33. (or rider G32 in our case)

Seagoon:
When did he leave the depot?

Sellers:
1952.

Seagoon:
He's running late! He's running terribly late.

Sellers:
Yes.

[Mr Larrington]

I gather rider G32 is grimly determined to ride the whole thing no matter how long it takes her

[Mr Larrington]

Initiative! by Mr Larrington, on Flickr.  Seems a couple of out-of-time riders decided they needed a stamp in St Ives so visited a local nightclub

Photo blatantly nicked off of Debden controller Tim Decker.

[Captain Nemo]

I hope there will be some sort of official reception 👏 for her when she finally arrives and not just a ball of tumble weed blowing across the carpark.

[Lightning Phil]

I gather rider G32 is grimly determined to ride the whole thing no matter how long it takes her

Is she a Indian with an injured knee?

[Mr Larrington]

I gather rider G32 is grimly determined to ride the whole thing no matter how long it takes her

Is she a Indian with an injured knee?

I believe so.  Certainly Indian anyway.

[Lightning Phil]

I might have caught her before Whittlesey on day 1.  I remember asking if she was alright, the discussion about the knee, and whether she had some pain killers (she did).  She said she’d injured it on the way to LEL, but was determined to give the event a go anyway.  Determined she is.

[slugbait]

Just updating my audax logbook and I noticed that my moving average on LEL is exactly the same as on the superrandonnee (i.e. a 600km with 10000m+ of climbing) I did last year. And the average speed (including stops) just shy of 13 1/3 km/h. So, at PBP I would've been hors delai.

[hellymedic]

I gather rider G32 is grimly determined to ride the whole thing no matter how long it takes her

Is she a Indian with an injured knee?

I believe so.  Certainly Indian anyway.

G32 is Gareema Shankar.

I thnk troops are being encouraged to cheer her arrival.

[Lightning Phil]

Can we banish overnight oats to room 101?

[Mr Larrington]

I gather rider G32 is grimly determined to ride the whole thing no matter how long it takes her

Is she a Indian with an injured knee?

I believe so.  Certainly Indian anyway.

G32 is Gareema Shankar.

I thnk troops are being encouraged to cheer her arrival.

She’s not far north of St Ives now.  Someone on WhatsApp has offered to pick her up this evening, give her a decent feed and a proper bed then drop her off at the same place in the morning.  Depending on what time she reaches Debden I might pop up there to give her a cheer.

[Snotty Gilbert]

Certainly gets my vote for room 101 
And I eat "Proper Porridge" most days...
I chewed a mouthful of overnight oats for 5 minutes, and I still couldn't swallow it.
I think the problem at Louth was Overnight Oats need overnight soaking, not an hour or so...

Can we banish overnight oats to room 101?