LEL 2017

[Ajax Bay]

my route, which deviates from the official one between Horncastle and Thirsk

Assume that your route variation north of Louth is family/friends driven. I considered going via Stamford Bridge and Easingwold to Thirsk and will probably take that way southbound, but I thought it'd be nice to go past Castle Howard going north on Monday morning.
The slight variations from the suggested route that I'm considering taking are:
1) After Shepreth (SW of Cambridge) take Orwell Rd and use BOAT north to just W of Harlton - got to get just a little 'off road' in for an audax.
2) South of Spalding, out of / back to Crowland use the old A1073 (the 'new' A16 takes all the traffic) staying east of R Welland
3) Tempted to go through Boston or otherwise take a more easterly route to cross the Lincolnshire Wolds on the Ruckland road, south of Louth.
4) NW of Thirsk, will keep closer to the R Swale and go via Gt Langton and Scorton.
5) Coming south from Edinburgh I'll take the A7 for a few (~5) km before turning off into N Middleton and thence to B7007. 25% shorter (10 v 13.4).
Mille Pennines proved bike, lighting and load carrying. Gearing reverted to normal for LEL, headset fettled, new mudguards on, new chain and old Brooks to go on shortly. Pub ride last night to compare preparations with 2 other East Devon LEL fellow travellers. All good and like @iZaP , looking forward to it. I'm volunteering/helping on the Friday and Saturday so see you in Loughton.

 

[DCLane]

Assume that your route variation north of Louth is family/friends driven. I considered going via Stamford Bridge and Easingwold to Thirsk and will probably take that way southbound, but I thought it'd be nice to go past Castle Howard going north on Monday morning.
The slight variations from the suggested route that I'm considering taking are:
...
2) South of Spalding, out of / back to Crowland use the old A1073 (the 'new' A16 takes all the traffic) staying east of R W

I tried that coming north. It is a little shorter if you are going straight into Spalding but not if you're heading to the Control. Nice wide road though with a good view.

The other bit I've forgotten to change, but will just ride it anyway going north, is going via Coningsby through to Horncastle: it's an easier road and goes right under the RAF flightpath at Coningsby.

In terms of route it is simply about removing the unnecessary hills. I rode the stretch between Pocklington and Thirsk in May and it seemed a scenic, if avoidable, stretch. The same applies to the hills between Horncastle through to Pocklington: rather than go the hilly route I thought I'd go via Grimsby . Overall it's about 5k further with an awful lot less climbing.

 

[tatr]

I quite enjoy cycling up hills.

Of course, I might change my mind by then...

 

[PMarkey]

Unnecessary hills are an Audax tradition as is complaining about them

Paul

 

[Nebulous]

Unnecessary hills are an Audax tradition as is complaining about them

Paul

And long-cuts to avoid them?

Last Audax I did we detoured through a village to avoid a big sweeping bend in the road. Apparently the road through the village was straight, which was better.

 

[tatr]

Lesson learned from the BCM - if it's shorter but has the same amount of climbing, that means it's steeper

Mind you I'm planning on taking the alternate route from Brampton to Moffat with the bonus climbing so I'm clearly not good at leaning from my own experience.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Anyone going the party Friday?

 

[PpPete]

Anyone going the party Friday?

No chance. Hummers will amost certainly be there and that, in case anyone is unfamiliar with this thoroughly congenial gentleman and Audax legend, is a sure-fire recipe for a hangover that will last at least well into Sunday, if not for the entire duration.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'm planning on taking the alternate route from Brampton to Moffat with the bonus climbing

But you'll be there early enough (from your 0600 start and 95 hour schedule to do it in daylight. I'm off at 1145 (V35), on a 100 hour schedule and expect to leave Brampton at sunset Monday so I have resigned myself to the Gretna and M74 shadow/parallel route, though I may come off and do the last 20km east of the M74.
Loughton 0 1145 Sunday
St Ives 100 15:35
Spalding 161 18:26
Louth 244 22:38
Pocklington 340 Mon 7:49
Coxwold 392 10:11
Thirsk 407 11:16
Barnard Castle 472 14:43
Alston 523 18:24
Brampton 555 19:51
Moffat 630 8/1/17 Tue 0:16
Edinburgh 709 9:51
Innerleithen 750 13:01
Eskdalemuir 797 15:39
Brampton 860 19:01
Alston 886 21:23
Barnard Castle 943 Wed 0:53
Thirsk 1008 9:50
Coxwold 1019 11:20
Pocklington 1075 13:53
Louth 1172 18:47
Spalding 1256 23:36
St Ives 1317 Thu 8:23
Great Easton 1389 12:09
Loughton 1437 Thu 14:50
time in hand 0:54

Anyone going the party Friday?

After helping set up at Loughton, I plan to be there (and am in the nearby YH overnight). Hummers will have his hands (etc) full 'introducing' a range of our foreign guests to the various types of English beer (I refer the Honourable Member to an exchange on the subject on Fb (LEL) a month or so ago).

 

[Brandane]

Just a wee bit of information which might be useful for those looking for the control point in Moffat.
I was having a look through the LEL website and noticed that they have the location of Moffat Academy given at it's old address in Academy Road. Confusingly, Moffat Academy is no longer in Academy Road. It was closed a couple of years ago and a new school opened at Jeff Brown Drive. The post code given on LEL website is the correct one and will take you to the new school (the map on the LEL website also shows the new location).
Any locals will be able to quickly point you in the right direction, but given that some riders will be arriving in the wee small hours, finding a local could be problematic! Good luck to all of you taking on this challenge; I doff my cap to each of you.
Weather and time permitting, I might take a run down the borders one afternoon next week and see if I can spectate at one of the controls, probably either Moffat or Eskdalemuir. I'll be on the engine assisted bicycle though (purely due to time constraints, of course ).

 

[Ajax Bay]

Thank you @Brandane - the LEL signs will be up and I don't think people take much notice of the actual address (at least the road name bit). Perhaps we shall see you at either of those controls, or outside them anyway. I think the 'bulge' can be expected through Moffat mid morning Tuesday and at Eskdalemuir Tuesday evening for 12 hours. Midnight Monday for me at Moffat leaving after sunrise Tuesday, and then Tuesday tea time at Eskdalemuir - at least that's the plan. Tuesday's forecast to be OK in the Scottish Lowlands in the morning, but with rain coming in in the afternoon. Ventusky. Yellow Dawes 531 triple with grey Apidura framebag - CS Dynamo (East Devon) green/white cycle top. V35.

 

[Brandane]

Thank you @Brandane - the LEL signs will be up and I don't think people take much notice of the actual address (at least the road name bit). Perhaps we shall see you at either of those controls, or outside them anyway. I think the 'bulge' can be expected through Moffat mid morning Tuesday and at Eskdalemuir Tuesday evening for 12 hours. Midnight Monday for me at Moffat leaving after sunrise Tuesday, and then Tuesday tea time at Eskdalemuir - at least that's the plan. Tuesday's forecast to be OK in the Scottish Lowlands in the morning, but with rain coming in in the afternoon. Ventusky. Yellow Dawes 531 triple with grey Apidura framebag - CS Dynamo (East Devon) green/white cycle top. V35.

Good luck, @Ajax Bay . If I manage down, I will keep an eye out for you.

 

[Ajax Bay]

route between Thirsk and Horncastle

That's a long way left flanking. Since your route spends time on the A158 I'm surprised you don't just bang up the Louth Road out of Hornchurch (A153) all the way. And the latter is marked as 'scenic' in my atlas. Well after sunset for me, though, but hopefully the rain will have blown through.

 

[DCLane]

That's a long way left flanking. Since your route spends time on the A158 I'm surprised you don't just bang up the Louth Road out of Hornchurch (A153) all the way. And the latter is marked as 'scenic' in my atlas. Well after sunset for me, though, but hopefully the rain will have blown through.

I tried that on my practice route a couple of weeks ago. The road was just too busy with some nastily steep climbs. Hopefully the alternative, which is parallel to the official route, will be flatter.

The reason for a flatter route is health-related: I can't stress the hip too much or it'll go. That's why I'm also going the long way round to the Humber Bridge and the flat, but shorter, route to Thirsk.

Overall my route seems about 10k longer than the official one, but has about 1000m less climbing.

Planned times on a 92-hour schedule are:

Loughton 0 10:30 Sunday
St Ives 100 14:50
Spalding 161 18:00
Louth 244 22:30
Pocklington 340 Mon 03:20
Coxwold 392 N/A
Thirsk 407 07:22
Barnard Castle 472 11:45
Alston 523 N/A
Brampton 555 16:00 and sleep!
Moffat 630 8/1/17 Tue 02:40
Edinburgh 709 07:10
Innerleithen 750 10:00
Eskdalemuir 797 13:00
Brampton 860 16:10
Alston 886 N/A
Barnard Castle 943 21:00
Thirsk 1008 Wed 01:20 and some more sleep!
Coxwold 1019 N/A
Pocklington 1075 10:45
Louth 1172 16:15
Spalding 1256 21:00
St Ives 1317 Thu 01:00
Great Easton 1389 06:40
Loughton 1437 09:30
time in hand 24:24

 

[Ajax Bay]

The reason for a flatter route is health-related

Entirely understand. I hold no candle for the suggested route, particularly, and will look for alternatives (eg N before Barrington).
Some suggestion that there are road diversions where we cross the A1(M) at J56/Barton Park services. Know any more about that? Going up to Barton village and crossing to Aldborough St John will cost only a mile (bridge across A1).
That's an ambitious schedule, facilitated by only 2 sleep stops: 6 hours then 7. My 'time in hand' is from a 100 hour schedule (ie averaging 14.37kph).

will I be able to dot watch like the Indipac?

Go to the LEL site and there's tracking - not active till riders start checking drop bags in on Friday. We are 'swiping' in and out of controls which will provide the data.

I'm not wedded to a fixed plan though because headwinds in the fens could change everything.

This is my optimistic plan - based on good weather and no head wind.

Tail winds for the first day, if a little damp, from your 0615 start.

I'm now not sure whether to make an earlier stop or crack on for the first night.

Just don't take it too seriously like .... er ..... this

I still have no plan except starting at 11.45

My "plan": Cycle to Edinburgh. Several hours sleep in the nearby Travelodge. Cycle back,

Would others, including @iZaP, care to share/update their plans (and start times)? [Or should I go and get the bag packed instead of wasting time on Cycle Chat?]