What has changed?
When I rode in 2001 I remember feeling I was in a parallel universe - whenever someone asked us what we were doing there were blank looks of disbelief.
you still get asked about sponsorship, but I guess due to Sky Sport, Bradley Wiggins, and Team GB's performance in the Olympics you are not regarded as completely weird, I had an interested person start conversation in Quick-fit in Sleaford - (coffee & toilet stop) & also in Howden. Press & general public interest seems higher - eg Washingborough posts
Traffic was generally better behaved than 2001/5 although that may have been due to the weather & making an effort to avoid rush-hours. The last 5K to LV is a pain though.
Only general grip I have about the ABM (average British motorist) is he/she does not comprehend that it's necessary to cycle across a railway crossing at right angles to the rails, there are plenty of skewed crossings on LEL & I got tooted at once, Understand a few riders went down on these.
As we seem to have signs for everything in this country why not some zig-zag cycle signs like the ones on slip roads?