[LEL17] LEL2017 biomechanical fails.

[grams]

Let's list our aches and pains.

- Right hand only half works. At certain angles I have limited strength/dexterity to grip things.
- Both knee joints ache.
- Neck pain is subsiding.
- Vision is ever so slightly blurry, ears are ringing and thinking is even harder than normal.

Hoping all of these will go away on their own.

[Mr Larrington]

Both my calves were so thoroughly seized this morning that I really needed the BC massage crew - Mauro and Verity - to take a leg each.  And I didn't even ride it...

[Simonofthepiemans]

Some nice chaffing to various parts of the undercarriage (despite regular application of embrocation)
Pain in right foot
Right knee nearly meant end of play between Spalding to finish.
Right ankle nearly double the size today
Not much feeling today in my toes or fingers
General body aches, but not too badly other the the above

[Somnolent]

Not sure if this belongs in the bike fail thread or this one - my main problem more about the 'interface' as much as anything.

I desperately need to review my saddle choice for long brevets.
What works for me on shorter brevets and on previous LEL & PBP (a Brooks Swift) now raises huge blisters around my sit bones
Creams don't help, although they do help with chafing issues around other hirsute parts of the anatomy.

Previous experience suggests the tingling in left hand and generally 'achy' quads will subside in just a few days.

[mcshroom]

I've had pins and needles in my left big toe for over a day now. Also managed while volunteering rather than riding

[jochta]

My hands are wrecked. Barely any grip, my wife had to cut my dinner up! Right-hand is especially bad. Right ankle is purple and swollen, that started hurting somewhere near Pocklington southbound, managed it with painkillers riding but now very sore. Legs are generally sore. My tongue hurts. A few of my toes are numb. My arse was getting a bit sore later on but held up well (Assos bibshorts FTW!), no neck or back pain at any time.

[Kangaroocourt]

Third eyelash on the right eye lid isn't too bad.  The less said about the rest the better for everyone.

[postie]

My left hand still works ok. 

[The French Tandem]

Both my calves were so thoroughly seized this morning that I really needed the BC massage crew - Mauro and Verity - to take a leg each.  And I didn't even ride it...

Actually we slept more in 2013 when we were on the tandem than this time as volunteers.

[Flatlander]

I was convinced the left hand gear lever/cable was seizing up on my tourer. I could shift  into the small rings ok but by the time I left St Ives had to use both hands to prod the chain into larger rings. Swapped bikes at Cambridge and front shifting became easier but not perfect, I was probably too dazed to make a precise judgement. Went to work on the second bike for Thursday afternoon but today used the tourer because I had to go shopping after work. I don't need the front changer in Cambridge anyway. Tried to change to big ring and guess what - worked perfectly, free as a bird, it's amazing what 40 hours rest does for gear levers

[Mr Larrington]

My left hand still works ok. 

You were certainly looking pretty energetic when I followed you through Loughton (in my car) on Thursday afternoon.  My passenger, a DNF, was most impressed!

[Alex B]

I completed with around two hours in hand. I'm basically okay (Trek Domane and 30mm tyres ftw), except for my willy - which is rather numb.

[hellymedic]

This issue seems to have been reported FAR more after long rides a few decades ago than recently, as far as I can see.

[aidan.f]

Maybe increase is due to ease of reporting combined with popularity of sports bikes and rough roads. I have very few problems, compliant steel frame and forks combined with 35mm tyres

[Nelson Longflap]

I wasn't going great northwards; sleep dep seems to provoke the severe loss of appetite others have reported elsewhere (and I started with sleep dep) so I wasn't eating well, but getting along well enough. On Monday, stopping at the monument by Castle Howard Priddy kindly squashed a mosquito settling on the back of my calf, and I swatted away a couple more, but I didn't notice the one that got me dead centre on my left leg, about 10 cm up from the heel (it's important because I sometimes get an allergic reaction, but more usually from midges rather than mossies). Anyway I started to feel better as I got to Scotland and turned round taking a bit of sleep in Edinburgh and the lovely Eskdalemuir; as I was approaching Thirsk for my next sleep I noticed a bit of an Achilles tendon niggle on the left leg and hoped it would disappear after a rest. Next day the Achilles tendon pain was bad and I was limping along; however I could cruise at reasonable speed on mostly right leg, although any kind of acceleration was slow, and hills were excruciating, but getting back within time was just on. By the end of Thursday I was in Spalding at 21h25 with 180km remaining and a finish deadline of 09h05, so being in time was still on. But I felt it would be too dangerous to try to get to London without sleep (I knew I was tired), so took a good feed and an hour's sleep, heading off for St Ives at midnight. The headwind across the fens was really hard going and it was 03h15 when I got to St Ives, at which point I knew the game was up given the continuing wind, with added hills.

So a mosquito bite bang on the line of the Achilles cause a slight swelling, which caused the back of my shoe to rub (although I didn't notice) bringing on the tendonitis. Some ibuprofen gel helped mask the pain while cruising along, but any flexing of the ankle was mega-painful although I did my best to ignore it. The outcome was I felt great in terms of power and energy all the way from Edinburgh, but the tendonitis meant I couldn't apply it and was unable to make up time. Anyway I finished the ride in proper tourist mode, including an unscheduled pub control, and feel very pleased to have completed the ride, even though out of time.