LEL Stage by Stage Breakdown

[Lightning Phil]

Looking at Killhope ,there’s a couple of single chevrons after you’ve passed the second woods on right after Cowshill.  On the other side coming from the north, there’s a single chevron after nent head and the minor road has gone off left.

[ealer]

Could I just check whether the Route Sheet updates to Leg I and Leg J on the website dated 18 July also caused updates to the GPX tracks - or were they just necessary to correct descriptive errors etc? Thanks

[Fidgetbuzz]

Just to confirm our secret control does not lie between Middleton and Alston. So if you think the road closure doesn’t “really” exist you are welcome to take the direct route.

Honestly, do you think I just make this stuff up out of boredom? 

Just in case you think you might be tempted. Danial has confirmed to me that this  was a light hearted throw away jest .. the diversion is mandatory . the main road will be totally fenced and closed to ensure that no sheep can get into the works area, no idiot car drivers assuming they can get round it somehow .. and NOT EVEN  ONE CYCLIST .. never mind 1900 in both directions

[Lightning Phil]

Had a look at the necessary diversion and the road over Swinhope does look like a superb road to ride.  I’d estimate I’ll hit it around last light on Monday, if things are going to my non plan, be nice if weather clear to get the views in that light.

Edited - Swinhope

[Lightning Phil]

Could I just check whether the Route Sheet updates to Leg I and Leg J on the website dated 18 July also caused updates to the GPX tracks - or were they just necessary to correct descriptive errors etc? Thanks

There’s some more updates coming for Yadd Moss closure. I’d wait till we get the rider email saying those updates are done. I’ve fettled the route sheet into A6 format , but only as far as Barnard Castle, pending the updates.  Only a backup but as I estimate entire route sheet will fit on 5 possibly 6 sheets of A4 , it’s no hardship to carry.

[aidan.f]

So are we now diverted over Bollihope common to Stanhope? I thought it was Westerhope moor from Newbiggen?

[Lightning Phil]

No, that was me being lazy, I meant Swinhope Head which I’m presuming at the moment is the way we are going. No uphill chevrons when heading north.

[aidan.f]

Yeah that would be my choice, it's a reasonable descent on the North side, in fact a lot of  nice new tarmac. And of course on the return you know what to expect, it's actually not too bad.
Kilhope cross Northbound is just well uphill, on the return from Nenthead a false summit and second kick up.
Must let David at Nenthead cycles know LEL is on the way past!

[Zed43]

More climbing for the same entry fee, what's not to like 

For some reason the fact that the works starts precisely on the Monday we're passing through (and then lasting for [edit] 3 months weeks) irks me more than the closure / diversion itself.

Fond memories of Yad Moss. Steady climbing, gentle slope. Drew serving tea from his camper on the summit. Descents without having to brake, lasting forever. Sigh. Already looking forward to 2025 

[alwyn]

Fresh tracks and routesheet on our website. Fill yer boots.

[Ivo]

The quality of the descent is also something which decides your time loss. Apart from the Alston cobbles, Yad Moss has some of the least time loss descents during the whole of LEL. That's at least when there isn't a head wind. Part of the new route has too narrow roads to really blast it.

[Feanor]

Thanks.

Are the Yadd Moss diversions ( stages G and M ) the only changes since the previous revision (07-07-22)?

Trying to avoid a total "?REDO FROM START"

Edit: I see the website has just been updated to say that stages G/M and also J, P have been revised.

I've just imported the 27-07-22 version of section J, and I can't see any difference between that and the 07-07-22 version.  Only a few more trackpoints, with slightly improved track fidelity at Barnton Av staggered SO.

Stage P has a tweek around Humberside Airport.

[alwyn]

I've just imported the 27-07-22 version of section J, and I can't see any difference between that and the 07-07-22 version.  Only a few more trackpoints, with slightly improved track fidelity at Barnton Av staggered SO.

Stage P has a tweek around Humberside Airport.

That sounds about right. Not sure why Barnton Ave junction was such a mess, but it's a slightly scruffy junction that warrants explicit instruction. Also tidied up a junction in Bonnyrigg (I think).

Section P has a 2km diversion near Kirmington to avoid roadworks announced this morning.

[Lightning Phil]

Luckily my track preparation is less than 5 mins.  I pass it through my simple gpx tool after creating a single northbound and single southbound track. Plus pass through the bridge closure sections separately. Then once route sheet prep done (I format for A6 mounting of folded A4 sheet) which should be less than hour for entire route, now workflow setup, I print it off and read through the cautions to see which ones I want to create waypoints alarms for.

I like to keep things simple with nice clean minimal tracks and no turn by turn alerts. The tracks just work, even for 750km or more.

[Feanor]

This is what my mapsource looks like right now...


LEL_mapsource by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

[Zed43]

The GPX zip I just downloaded still has a "control 2" waypoint in Spalding. I'll ignore it as the track doesn't stop there but continues to Boston. (it's also still on RWGPS at https://londonedinburghlondon.com/route)

[L CC]

Is that a joke or for realz? I'm not riding (& wouldn't even if I were fit) but lordy, that raises an eyebrow. Or two.

Oh this is just adorable! “I’m not riding your event, and nor would I anyway. But if I were riding this event I would never ride I would not be happy about this.”

Never stop being you, babes.

Heh.
That diversion is in my back yard and despite playing Explorer round here I've never ridden some of those roads, I'm far too fat. It scares the beejuz out of me. It's not that I wouldn't be happy- it's that any diversion round there moves you from the easiest crossing of the Pennine watershed to something much more like hard work.

Good luck to your riders, who will get to see some great bits of The North.

[howdee]

Am I able to trust the RwGPS route published on the LEL website as being up to date?

It's what I've been using to build my own gpx section files (with the help of Phil's wonderful Simple GPX tool).
Individual sections are published on the LEL website but there are too many for my old Etrex Legend (max 20 track capacity).

[R_nger]

I think Danial mentioned on Facebook that the single RWGPS route might not always get updated.  It’s quite cumbersome to deal with anyway.

You can upload the individual tracks and combine them on RWGPS if you have device limits (and use Phil’s tool to reduce point count)

[Lightning Phil]

Taken latest route sheet update and formatted to A6 folded , printed on A4 double sided.  The entire route sheet only comes to 4 sheets of A4, it is quite remarkable for a route as long as this years LEL.

[Peter]

A thing of beauty, Phil.  Do you do IT for a living?

[Feanor]

A further update to stage M.

Yay! We go to Langdon Beck!  An oasis on Easter Arrows Past.
I'll have the steak pie, please.
I wonder what's in it?

[Lightning Phil]

If anyone is after a single northbound track and a single southbound track then these are the output of my processing and the ones I'll be using during the event. The tracks have pretty much gone through the same processing I did for the LEL 2017 GPX tracks when I was in charge of the IT.   Both tracks below 10,000 track points, the cause of failure on older devices, and have been cleaned of any extras, no turn by turn or cue points, or rogue timestamps within. I have also added in the tracks for bridge closures, which I've also cleaned of any extras. These are pure tracks with no added extras.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/oaw5xmuxqcy67lz/LEL22-Routesheet-GPS-Tracks.zip?dl=1

The northbound track GPX LEL22-N also contains waypoints for all the controls (north and south) and I've added in waypoints for the 24hr cafe in St Johns Chapel as well as Nook Farm beyond Alston. All waypoints have 100 meter proximity alarms for GPS that support it.

[Lightning Phil]

A thing of beauty, Phil.  Do you do IT for a living?

Since I was 22, thus a few decades!

[davocon]

Taken latest route sheet update and formatted to A6 folded , printed on A4 double sided.  The entire route sheet only comes to 4 sheets of A4, it is quite remarkable for a route as long as this years LEL.

Is there any way I can cheekily ask for this to be shared in some way? I’ve tried to do it from the Excel file to a pdf and then 4 sheets to a page but the text is so small - yours looks much more usable!