I was looking at LEL 2005 photos and I found one of me and the bike I rode.
It had started out in 2000 with a titanium cycle cross frame and a carbon fibre cyclecross fork, with components I sourced locally at discount prices. So it had Shimano RSX 8 speed levers, RSX rear mech. RSX front mech, some cheap cyclocross wheels from Ribble, Tektro mini V brakes, a 180mm Sugino MTB chainset, 11-21 cassette, Turbomatic 4 saddle, 3TTT randonneur bars and Look pedals.
That configuration completed LEL 2001, but some spokes pulled out of the rear rim. That wheel was rebuilt with a tandem rim.
The titanium frame cracked at the bottom bracket, and was replaced with a Hewitt Chieviot touring frame.
For PBP 2003 I got a pair of wheels made up by Paul Hewitt. DRC ST19s on Shimano XT hubs, paired with some fast Panaracer 26 mm tyres. They were good, but I got knocked off by a scooter, and the PBP helpers got me a pair of Mavic Cosmos, which was all that was left in Fougeres.
In June 2005 the eyelets pulled out of the rear rim, so I had a new one fitted by Paul Hewitt. I started LEL 2005 from Thorne on that wheel set, on returning to Thorne the rear rim was failing, but I had the tandem rimmed Tiagra hub wheel as a spare, which I carried on to London with.
I’d fitted a titanium bottom bracket before PBP 2003, and that must have been compromised by the PBP scooter incident, as it broke just North of Kimbolton. I was filming the ride, so Simon Doughty kindly diverted to bring me a replacement, which is what this picture is about. I finished the ride with the help of LWAB.
That bike was also used for PBP 2007 and LEL 2009, but it evolved as bits broke, wore out or I sought improvements.
For PBP 2011 I bought a bike that Paul Hewitt had built for a Cycle Plus test of steel-framed Audax bikes, and rode that unmodified, apart from the saddle. I finished PBP in under 84 hours on that, but my hands suffered.
There are two approaches to bike selection, tweak what you have as you go along, or buy a proven design. The second is probably more certain if LEL is an isolated adventure. If I was doing LEL as a stand alone ride today, I’d probably get a disc-braked cyclocross/ touring bike.
I popped into ‘Buy A Bike’ on the A49 near Chorley to see what they had, and the Specialised Sequoia looked good. Essentially it’s a disc braked equivalent of the bike Andy Wilkinson uses for everything from touring to setting 12 and 24 hour records. With mudguards, that would get you round LEL in any conditions, and do a lot else.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/bikes/road/product/specialized-sequoia-elite-review-50893/