London Edinburgh London 2025

[Ming the Merciless]

pointless gadgets. It could just mean that most people have phones

If it needs regular charging then the phone is being used for pointless non essential stuff during the event. Even if you want it switched on for the entirety of an event, it will last the whole period, with a small powerbank kept on the bike. No need to try and charge anything in controls, and get those time penalties.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If it needs regular charging then the phone is being used for pointless non essential stuff during the event. Even if you want it switched on for the entirety of an event, it will last the whole period, with a small powerbank kept on the bike. No need to try and charge anything in controls, and get those time penalties.

Fair enough. I think this shows just how far outside my cycling universe an event like this is.

Hats off to all participants and best of luck.

 

[T4tomo]

If it needs regular charging then the phone is being used for pointless non essential stuff during the event. Even if you want it switched on for the entirety of an event, it will last the whole period, with a small powerbank kept on the bike. No need to try and charge anything in controls, and get those time penalties.

I'd want to keep mine charged to take a few photo's and maybe order a pizza to meet me at the next village hall control point?

Fair enough. I think this shows just how far outside my cycling universe an event like this is.

Hats off to all participants and best of luck.

I echo this!

 

[matticus]

<thinks:> This may be the summer that I finally get round to buying a cheap-ish camera.

 

[blackrat]

ha ha! I do sympathise somewhat with this view, but ...

there are 2200 people riding, all with access to the internet. We don't hear from the people who know what they're gonna do, or are quietly figuring out the minor details i.e. most riders!

Also, we know for a fact, before The Interweb riders on PBP had tons of private support that solved these problems for them. Early editions of LEL it was less so, but there have been plenty of spouses-driving-campervans over the years.

"..but there have been plenty of spouses-driving-campervans over the years"
Clearly stated to be illegal on LEL. If anyone is seen taking private support, penalties will be issued - and rightly so. A level playing field is what we all want and not a caravan of private support vehicles to contend with.

 

[matticus]

"..but there have been plenty of spouses-driving-campervans over the years"
Clearly stated to be illegal on LEL. If anyone is seen taking private support, penalties will be issued - and rightly so. A level playing field is what we all want and not a caravan of private support vehicles to contend with.

I'm describing previous editions. I think my use of the past tense was pretty clear!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'd want to keep mine charged to take a few photo's and maybe order a pizza to meet me at the next village hall control point?

Why not have the food already available at the next control, and included in the price? As for taking photos, a powerbank on the bike will keep it topped up, no extra control charging necessary.

 

[LondonEdinburghLondon]

What's the rationale behind the ban on use of sockets at controls?

I don't doubt that there's a very good reason or else they wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of power bank hire. Is it safety? (Non PAT tested devices?) Unfairness/ conflict? (Many participants, few sockets?)

I have to own up that I have at least once plugged a thing in at a control in an ordinary Audax.

There are a number of reasons why we have blocked them.
- Because we are not offering any free charging there is a risk people will use plugs. In some old school the electrics can be old and unable to cope with the load given what else we have running.
- Sometimes riders will unplug our equipment to get a charge.
- We have seen squabbling over plug use.
- We want to maximise uptake of our safe alternative, so it washes its face financially. We are taking a risk on offering this service as it's entirely new to audaxing as far as we know.

We discussed various options around rules, and decided a total ban was simplest to enforce, and fairest given our confidence that the battery system will work (albeit at a cost).

 

[blackrat]

Self contained is what LEL is and should be.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Self contained is what LEL is and should be.

I think for charging I’d agree, but for food and sleep and volunteer help, the TLC at LEL controls can’t be beat.

 

[Dogtrousers]

There are a number of reasons why we have blocked them.
- Because we are not offering any free charging there is a risk people will use plugs. In some old school the electrics can be old and unable to cope with the load given what else we have running.
- Sometimes riders will unplug our equipment to get a charge.
- We have seen squabbling over plug use.
- We want to maximise uptake of our safe alternative, so it washes its face financially. We are taking a risk on offering this service as it's entirely new to audaxing as far as we know.

We discussed various options around rules, and decided a total ban was simplest to enforce, and fairest given our confidence that the battery system will work (albeit at a cost).

Thanks for the response. It's an enlightening insight to the kind of stuff and detail that you have to deal with. Things that would never occur to an outsider.

 

[blackrat]

I think for charging I’d agree, but for food and sleep and volunteer help, the TLC at LEL controls can’t be beat.

Agreed 100%, I was referring to 'on the road' aspect of the event.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Clearly stated to be illegal on LEL. If anyone is seen taking private support, penalties will be issued - and rightly so. A level playing field is what we all want and not a caravan of private support vehicles to contend with.

Support vehicles are discouraged. But foolish to have a rule you can't enforce.
The rule is that any support must be away from controls and 'off the recommended course'.
If a rider has a wonderful relationship with someone who wants to support them, despite the fact that controls offer all the support needed, the recommendation is for the rider to leave the course and meet their support vehicle at an RV well away (I suggest a mile away). And then rejoin the route where the rider left it.
FAQ Answer: "We do not permit personal support vehicles. These can be a hazard to riders. In particular, they can be a hazard when driving along the route and when parked on narrow roads.

• "Any rider seen to receive support from an unregistered vehicle on the route will receive a time penalty according to the published tariff of penalties."

LEL is not PBP. I have not seen any "tariff of penalties", with the exception of attempting or actually connecting a power socket with a device in a control (2 hours).
On no account is a vehicle being so used drive on any roads on the recommended course.
In extremis, the organiser can decide not to validate a rider's completion of the course.

 

[matticus]

Thanks for the response. It's an enlightening insight to the kind of stuff and detail that you have to deal with. Things that would never occur to an outsider.

To add some anecdata to the list of unexpected ... bul ...nonsense that can occur around charging: last time, someone stole my phone-charging cable from the volunteer area!

 

[blackrat]

Support vehicles are discouraged. But foolish to have a rule you can't enforce.
The rule is that any support must be away from controls and 'off the recommended course'.
If a rider has a wonderful relationship with someone who wants to support them, despite the fact that controls offer all the support needed, the recommendation is for the rider to leave the course and meet their support vehicle at an RV well away (I suggest a mile away). And then rejoin the route where the rider left it.
FAQ Answer: "We do not permit personal support vehicles. These can be a hazard to riders. In particular, they can be a hazard when driving along the route and when parked on narrow roads.

• "Any rider seen to receive support from an unregistered vehicle on the route will receive a time penalty according to the published tariff of penalties."

LEL is not PBP. I have not seen any "tariff of penalties", with the exception of attempting or actually connecting a power socket with a device in a control (2 hours).
On no account is a vehicle being so used drive on any roads on the recommended course.
In extremis, the organiser can decide not to validate a rider's completion of the course.

On a side-ish note: My experience is that the French are a lot less concerned about observing rules on PBP than are AudaxUK organisers on any British brevet - and the French invented the bloody sport.