LEL 2013 / London - Edinburgh - London Audax

Only found this so far, couldn't find Vesalius as he arrived earlier than the photographer sadly.

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You look rather happy Ed for a fella that's about to enter a week of pain!!

toeclips? A week of foot pain too. Why make LEL easy?

I'm even more impressed now

Fantastic effort.

Ed, are those Quocs?

Yep, worn to bits now.

Who's laughing now bitch?

Must spread rep etc.

Both of us can laugh though.

You because I'm still experiencing mobility issues with both my ankles and you have just finished LEL.

Me because I get to tell a tale of dering-do about the time I big ringed it to Cumbria with a pratt on a triple chain ringed childs bike loaded with panniers desperately playing catch up ;)

Back to reality...how do you feel Ed? You must be exhausted?

Feeling fine, heading up to Norfolk now to go camping, should be a nice little wind-down.

Muscle around my kneecaps were tight as hell, just gotta keep walking to stop them from seizing up, otherwise the picture of health.

Well, if you call eating everything in sight and pooing as much as you can "fine".

You'll do your ride soon Dan, you're a much stronger man than I am.

New slogan time...

LFGSS
Eating everything in sight and pooing as much as you can since 2007

You'll do your ride soon Dan, you're a much stronger man than I am.

Ed - are you showing everyone your medal today?
nice to see you, well done!
(also, heading in the wrong direction for norfolk)

how many hours a day were you cycling?
was that by design, or did the controls dictate?

were you aiming to keep at a certain speed, or stay below a certain exertion?

Ed where abouts in Norfolk?

The bugger of the whole situation was that I got stuck on my big ring before we had even left London and it was me who arrive in Cumbria with a double achilles injury and Ed was as fresh as a daisy. Great memories and its fantastic to see Ed carry it on. That bastard is putting me to shame :P

I also rode with a quite bad pain in my achilles for the last 9-12hrs probably just wear... Went for a massage today because I was off and the guy was really good but said my tendon was in a pretty bad shape and I should take it easy because it may go completely if I stress it. You can actually feel it rubbing tendons if you move it sideways a tad - Teach me to add cleat wedges two days before (i have slighly wonkyness in my hips/legs) , or not train :-)

There's something on the LEL Facebook about someone knocked off their bike resulting in them in hospital in a coma. Anyone know about this?

Apparently LEL rider had abandoned, due to injury/pain. Was riding home, involved in RTA. This from YACF: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=74505.0

From the very quick read, sounds like the guy has had a really unlucky run of late.

Huddersfield CTC giving updates on their news page: [URL="http://www.huddersfieldctc.org.uk/news.php"][/URL]

Wishing the guy a speedy recovery.

I've been experiencing a strange (and potentially dangerous) mixture of awe, inspiration and temptation as I've been thread-lurking these last few days, following peoples's progress.

Chapeau, indeed, to Ed, Vesalius, Zander and indeed every single rider who set off from the start point.

Special mention has to go the Eliptigo Riders for whom, clearly, 'just' riding 1400km wasn't sufficiently daunting...

Special mention, too, for Greenbank and the ace automated thingymajig to track the progress of Riders of Interest.

Last but not least, despite my sole involvement having been to follow riders' progress online, and monitoring threads on internet forums, massive props to the organisers amd volunteers who, it seems clear, were absolutely fundamental to allowing the ride to happen.

Ed, Zander and Vesalius (and all other finishers), congratulations on completing: that finisher's medal was hard-won!

how many hours a day were you cycling?
was that by design, or did the controls dictate?

were you aiming to keep at a certain speed, or stay below a certain exertion?

THIS!

I've been experiencing a strange (and potentially dangerous) mixture of awe, inspiration and temptation as I've been thread-lurking these last few days, following peoples's progress.

Chapeau, indeed, to Ed, Vesalius, Zander and indeed every single rider who set off from the start point.

Special mention has to go the Eliptigo Riders for whom, clearly, 'just' riding 1400km wasn't sufficiently daunting...

Special mention, too, for Greenbank and the ace automated thingymajig to track the progress of Riders of Interest.

Last but not least, despite my sole involvement having been to follow riders' progress online, and monitoring threads on internet forums, massive props to the organisers amd volunteers who, it seems clear, were absolutely fundamental to allowing the ride to happen.

Ed, Zander and Vesalius (and all other finishers), congratulations on completing: that finisher's medal was hard-won!

And this!

Apparently LEL rider had abandoned, due to injury/pain. Was riding home, involved in RTA. This from YACF: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=74505.0

From the very quick read, sounds like the guy has had a really unlucky run of late.

Huddersfield CTC giving updates on their news page: [URL="http://www.huddersfieldctc.org.uk/news.php"][/URL]

Wishing the guy a speedy recovery.

I believe he abandoned LEL on Monday as his feet were painful.
He was in collision, riding close to his home, on Wednesday so this crash is not related directly to LEL.

I understand the driver and a passenger from the car were arrested.

I know the man and he addressed previous LEL riders prior to departure.

Everyone wishes him well.

From what I have read on Facebook, I understand this collision may not be accidental.

I also rode with a quite bad pain in my achilles for the last 9-12hrs probably just wear... Went for a massage today because I was off and the guy was really good but said my tendon was in a pretty bad shape and I should take it easy because it may go completely if I stress it. You can actually feel it rubbing tendons if you move it sideways a tad - Teach me to add cleat wedges two days before (i have slighly wonkyness in my hips/legs) , or not train :-)

Rest!

Two years on I still have that creaky sensation of tendon scar tissue over tendon scar tissue. It doesn't cause me any problems but one day I reckon its going to come back to bite me badly!

I had Achilles trouble for several months in 1994 and have had none since. (I cycled >11,000 miles in 1995.) It need not be permanent.

Well that was amazing.
Chapeau to all who finished and all who took part.

Spent too much time at the Controls but was doing OK until Edinburgh to Traquair when my left Achilles started to go. Made it through to Thirsk when the doctor told me to quit.
Iced the legs up for a couple of hours and carried on to Pocklington through a fantastic rainstorm. On from there to the Humber bridge where I had to pack after 1100km as the nurofen had stopped working and my ankles where now the size of my great aunts.
Shit happens...

Lessons learnt:
Do more training.Couple of 200 and 1 x 300 is perhaps not enough.
Maybe not ride 26" wheels.
Spend less time at controls.

It was a extraordinary experience, involving extraordinary people. I'll be back in 2017.

great effort nonetheless!
how many hours a day were you cycling?
was that by design, or did the controls dictate?

were you aiming to keep at a certain speed, or stay below a certain exertion?

Talking the riders at the control I was at, I reckon you need to ride a minimum of 300k each day for 4 days, leaving 200 for the last.

My days became groups of ride sections split by actually lying down to sleep....

14 hours actual riding for 333Km first "day" to Pocklington.
24 hours for 370Km second day to Edinburgh. Made the turn with 4:43 hours in hand so OK but not really enough as the hills were coming...
28 hours for 362Km third to pocklington.

I saw the two elliptigo riders (I assume) driving back up the M1 today.
Also I believe the other rider who had an accident is OK.