Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: canuckystan on 18 July, 2017, 05:57:41 pm
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I thought it might be helpful to first-timers like myself who have never ridden anything close to this distance if some of you might share stories about completing LEL in the face of adversity - mechanical breakdown, physical breakdown, weather, sheep, you name it.....
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Try this one:
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=82280.msg1681531#msg1681531 (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=82280.msg1681531#msg1681531)
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And not on a cycle but well worth reading stories from this link:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?site=&source=hp&ei=yUNuWeP7L9DawALW-bioDw&q=lel+2013+elliptigo+&oq=lel+2013+elliptig+&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.30i10k1.2154.26154.0.28719.19.19.0.3.3.0.241.2547.4j13j2.19.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..0.18.2175.3..0j41j0i131k1j0i131i46k1j0i22i30k1j33i21k1j33i160k1.9OB5_ye-uhk (https://www.google.co.uk/search?site=&source=hp&ei=yUNuWeP7L9DawALW-bioDw&q=lel+2013+elliptigo+&oq=lel+2013+elliptig+&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.30i10k1.2154.26154.0.28719.19.19.0.3.3.0.241.2547.4j13j2.19.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..0.18.2175.3..0j41j0i131k1j0i131i46k1j0i22i30k1j33i21k1j33i160k1.9OB5_ye-uhk)
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And maybe not always adversity but well worth a read from this link:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=50NuWfiBC8zZwALf1I5w&q=lel+2013+ride+report&oq=lel+2013+ride+report&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...29135.38442.0.39456.20.20.0.0.0.0.529.3037.9j7j2j0j1j1.20.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-serp..2.17.1992...41j33i21k1j33i160k1j0i22i30k1j33i22i29i30k1.HyWSJW3vX34 (https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=50NuWfiBC8zZwALf1I5w&q=lel+2013+ride+report&oq=lel+2013+ride+report&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...29135.38442.0.39456.20.20.0.0.0.0.529.3037.9j7j2j0j1j1.20.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-serp..2.17.1992...41j33i21k1j33i160k1j0i22i30k1j33i22i29i30k1.HyWSJW3vX34)
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I think this is what you're after.
Still probably my all-time favourite. Will-he, won't he?
https://vimeo.com/44577637
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Short version - I returned from Scotland in 2013 with the power of about one & a half legs.
It seems I damaged my right knee & surrounding musculature trying to hold onto a train that was a fraction too 'hot' for me.
But I'd masked the pain with 'vitamin I' :facepalm:
As a result, from Brampton to Gt Easton I was convinced that my sluggish pace was due to the recurrence of a previous mechanical.
The frequent stops to investigate that (and finding nothing wrong) + the headwind and my inability to generate any power at all meant shedding every bit of time buffer built up northbound, despite riding through the night and the efforts of my riding partner to tow me along.
Finally about half way from Gt Easton to Loughton I diagnosed the problem: the 'drag' was my right leg preventing my left from generating full power. Once I knew to let the right relax and 'freewheel' and focus my remaining energies into the left I was able to finish with 20 minutes to spare.
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My right hand shifter (SRAM Apex) stopped working 2km out from the start so I ended up rigging the chain to run in the middle of the block and riding it as a two speed ;D though as I was on a compact crank it was more like single speed as the change over from grinding up a hill to spinning like a loon was more than my legs could take , I nearly packed at Thirsk but decided to push on and see how far I could get and managed to finish with four hours to spare :thumbsup:
Paul
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Short version - I returned from Scotland in 2013 with the power of about one & a half legs.
I've only one and half working legs to start with following an accident last year (both legs still there, severe damage to one hip). But having ridden the southern stretch S then N from Pocklington last week I'll be on the start line!
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Barring Mechanicals - Andy Allsopp (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barring-Mechanicals-Edinburgh-recumbent-bicycle/dp/1445255103)
It's well worth a read and is based on a series of posts he did on Cyclechat, so if you can't get the book in time then you can probably still find them over there.