LDU 2022 - Who's up for it?

[IforB]

As I still cannot get the awesomeness of the whole event out of my head, I though I'd ping up a thread to see who is in for 2022. 

Obviously, this is completely unofficial, but with attention still just about on the 2021 run and all of us still recovering and coming down from our adrenaline highs, then I thought it might be time to get people thinking about next year now. 

One thing that did surprise me, was that whilst the Pitstops were chock full of forumites, the riding cadre wasn't. It would be great if the forum that spawned it, was actually the main source of riders. 

It also takes longer than you think to get it all organised, so hell, get stuck in now! 

So right now it looks like this:

1. IforB

2. ??? 

3. ??? 

Etc. 

 

[jaycee]

29 minutes ago, IforB said:

As I still cannot get the awesomeness of the whole event out of my head, I though I'd ping up a thread to see who is in for 2022. 

Obviously, this is completely unofficial, but with attention still just about on the 2021 run and all of us still recovering and coming down from our adrenaline highs, then I thought it might be time to get people thinking about next year now. 

One thing that did surprise me, was that whilst the Pitstops were chock full of forumites, the riding cadre wasn't. It would be great if the forum that spawned it, was actually the main source of riders. 

It also takes longer than you think to get it all organised, so hell, get stuck in now! 

So right now it looks like this:

1. IforB

2. ??? 

3. ??? 

Etc. 

 

You're mad you are! James has infected you with his particular brand of lunacy, hasn't he? I'm still considering whether or not to do 2024 tbh. 

[hawkati]

Bwahahahahahaaaa! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Oh dear.....crap, jaysus etc.....😂😂😂

[IforB]

19 minutes ago, jaycee said:

You're mad you are! James has infected you with his particular brand of lunacy, hasn't he? I'm still considering whether or not to do 2024 tbh. 

Serious head on for a moment. The one thing that having cancer does for you, is to reinforce the idea of JFDI. 

Just Fucking Do It. 

Our time on this planet is limited, this sort of thing gives such an astonishing amount back that it seems ridiculous not to do it!

The LDC is just amazing from start to finish. I cannot adequately explain how much I loved it. 

Dooooo iiiiiiittttttt! (Again) 

[Skellern]

Yup, I'm game.

A few small obstacles to get over  between then and now. I reckon it'll be a good crack. 

 

[cuban pete]

Still have mild tinnitis and not quiet got the feeling back in my fingers tips as yet, so I think my body may say non on that one 🤣

 

[blow_away]

I'd love to do it.

In reality, I can manage about 120 miles on a bike before I get to my pain point. I can push past that point a little, but not enough to finish LDU in a reasonable time. 

@EvilSpike and I talk about doing a "Gentleman's LDU", where we ride modern bikes and split the route in 4/5 days, giving a better chance to actually enjoy the ride, take in the scenery and stay in hotels along the way. I've also thought about doing the cheat route in a fast diesel car, so I could visit each pitstop and buy you all a drink at JoG. Circumstances, unemployment etc have conspired against this financially, now I'm working I'm saving up for these.

I frequently look for £300 bikes which I could build and donate to a willing rider, no luck so far. I build a pretty good bike, to see something I laid spanners at the finish would give me a vicarious thrill.

@IforB your performance this year was stunning, after your illness, it brought home to me just how good your recovery was, and how important cancer research is in giving sufferers a life back, inspiring 👍

[Alex_H]

Pitstop manning next year and let some others enjoy the madness, then round 3 in 2023 for me I think. 

44 minutes ago, cuban pete said:

Still have mild tinnitis and not quiet got the feeling back in my fingers tips as yet, so I think my body may say non on that one 🤣

 

My ears rang for days lol 

[jaycee]

57 minutes ago, blow_away said:

I'd love to do it.

In reality, I can manage about 120 miles on a bike before I get to my pain point. I can push past that point a little, but not enough to finish LDU in a reasonable time. 

@EvilSpike and I talk about doing a "Gentleman's LDU", where we ride modern bikes and split the route in 4/5 days, giving a better chance to actually enjoy the ride, take in the scenery and stay in hotels along the way. I've also thought about doing the cheat route in a fast diesel car, so I could visit each pitstop and buy you all a drink at JoG. Circumstances, unemployment etc have conspired against this financially, now I'm working I'm saving up for these.

I frequently look for £300 bikes which I could build and donate to a willing rider, no luck so far. I build a pretty good bike, to see something I laid spanners at the finish would give me a vicarious thrill.

@IforB your performance this year was stunning, after your illness, it brought home to me just how good your recovery was, and how important cancer research is in giving sufferers a life back, inspiring 👍

 The Katana fills this remit surely Al. The price is definitely right, especially if the price-point goes up for next year. I could definitely ride that for 24 hours. Needs some auxiliary lighting and a serious amount of fettling, but it would definitely make a very cool challenge bike. 

[cuban pete]

1 hour ago, Alex_H said:

Pitstop manning next year and let some others enjoy the madness, then round 3 in 2023 for me I think. 

My ears rang for days lol 

Thing is, Kate has said she may like to do it..... So I may have to man up 🤣

[jaycee]

1 hour ago, Alex_H said:

Pitstop manning next year and let some others enjoy the madness

Same for me, two more years of pit stops and, hopefully, on a bike again in 2024 

[Thunderbolt]

Physically, mentally, logistically and financially it’s a yes from me.

The factors against are two….

Provided that I am not banned for speeding from this event.

 The main purpose of the event is to raise money for CRUK and I have had my hand out to friends and family for two years now. I am not sure that I can ask again.

[hawkati]

2 minutes ago, Thunderbolt said:

Physically, mentally, logistically and financially it’s a yes from me.

The factors against are two….

Provided that I am not banned for speeding from this event.

 The main purpose of the event is to raise money for CRUK and I have had my hand out to friends and family for two years now. I am not sure that I can ask again.

I felt awkward asking friends & family as well but each year people have given whatever they've wanted and I've had lots of encouragement. 

I think the fact that it's a proper challenge has caught a lot of people's imagination - it's a hell of a lot more arduous than merely giving up booze for a month or getting a haircut. Many have donated knowing full well it's effectively the cannonball run. I've honestly gobsmacked that after all these years we've not been hoovered up enough masse ten miles from the start by a plethora of police.

[Sideshow Pob]

My instant reaction at 3am in JOG when John asked if I’d do it again was an emphatic ‘NO!’

I was literally frozen solid, to my core. Woefully unprepared for the early morning rain and subsequent problems that gave me. In the weeks leading up to it, I was thinking about a shopping trip to Sportsbikeshop to update my 20 year old riding gear. Damn I wish I’d done that.

I was going to stop many times in the last 200 miles. Just pull over, crawl under a hedge and cry. But certain things in my head forced me to continue. I just had to get to JOG, no matter what.

The ER5 was OK, well apart from the brakes! But I was very jealous of those with an abundance of bhp’s.

So, ‘No, definitely not!’ Although I am checking eBay all the time 😉

[IforB]

38 minutes ago, Sideshow Pob said:

My instant reaction at 3am in JOG when John asked if I’d do it again was an emphatic ‘NO!’

I was literally frozen solid, to my core. Woefully unprepared for the early morning rain and subsequent problems that gave me. In the weeks leading up to it, I was thinking about a shopping trip to Sportsbikeshop to update my 20 year old riding gear. Damn I wish I’d done that.

I was going to stop many times in the last 200 miles. Just pull over, crawl under a hedge and cry. But certain things in my head forced me to continue. I just had to get to JOG, no matter what.

The ER5 was OK, well apart from the brakes! But I was very jealous of those with an abundance of bhp’s.

So, ‘No, definitely not!’ Although I am checking eBay all the time 😉

🤣

That sounds very familiar! My instant reaction at JoG was "never again." 

It was the ride home and the reaction I have from putting the bike away that has convinced me to do it again. I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. Constantly thinking about it, trying to work out how to do it better, what do I need to replace etc. 

I suppose it is like child birth. It's a horrendous experience really, but yet people do it again and again! 

 

[IforB]

2 hours ago, Alex_H said:

Pitstop manning next year and let some others enjoy the madness, then round 3 in 2023 for me I think. 

My ears rang for days lol 

My ears ring constantly anyway after all the chemo, so that's one advantage I have, it can't get any worse! 

[Thunderbolt]

33 minutes ago, Sideshow Pob said:

My instant reaction at 3am in JOG when John asked if I’d do it again was an emphatic ‘NO!’

I was literally frozen solid, to my core. Woefully unprepared for the early morning rain and subsequent problems that gave me. In the weeks leading up to it, I was thinking about a shopping trip to Sportsbikeshop to update my 20 year old riding gear. Damn I wish I’d done that.

I was going to stop many times in the last 200 miles. Just pull over, crawl under a hedge and cry. But certain things in my head forced me to continue. I just had to get to JOG, no matter what.

The ER5 was OK, well apart from the brakes! But I was very jealous of those with an abundance of bhp’s.

So, ‘No, definitely not!’ Although I am checking eBay all the time 😉

I started out with winter gloves and two piece waterproofs over my leathers.

My winter gloves got soaked and I swapped them for my all seasons at Westbury when filling up and put them on the engine at P1.

At P1 at least one shoulder seam had split on my RST over jacket, which I bought when I bought my RST jacket and jeans. By the end of the run both seams had gone and it had split across the back too, various pitstops attempted to tape the jacket up.

I have never been colder than the bit across the glen.

(I was thinking about ways of diverting engine heat)

Post run CinCHome has sanctioned a new jacket. This will be stretched to gloves, (two pairs), and trousers as well.

[IforB]

2 hours ago, blow_away said:

I'd love to do it.

In reality, I can manage about 120 miles on a bike before I get to my pain point. I can push past that point a little, but not enough to finish LDU in a reasonable time. 

@EvilSpike and I talk about doing a "Gentleman's LDU", where we ride modern bikes and split the route in 4/5 days, giving a better chance to actually enjoy the ride, take in the scenery and stay in hotels along the way. I've also thought about doing the cheat route in a fast diesel car, so I could visit each pitstop and buy you all a drink at JoG. Circumstances, unemployment etc have conspired against this financially, now I'm working I'm saving up for these.

I frequently look for £300 bikes which I could build and donate to a willing rider, no luck so far. I build a pretty good bike, to see something I laid spanners at the finish would give me a vicarious thrill.

@IforB your performance this year was stunning, after your illness, it brought home to me just how good your recovery was, and how important cancer research is in giving sufferers a life back, inspiring 👍

I think my pain point is about 50 miles. Or at least that is where the discomfort starts to kick in, after that, it's just about managing it as best you can. Weirdly though, as the ride went on, it became easier physically. I think your body just gets beaten into submission and realises there is no point sending warning signals, as you aren't paying attention to them!

[Thunderbolt]

At the start I had a Bathams neck tube thong on that got we and cold, I swapped that for a dry microfibres one at either P1 or P2.

 

[IforB]

16 minutes ago, Thunderbolt said:

I started out with winter gloves and two piece waterproofs over my leathers.

My winter gloves got soaked and I swapped them for my all seasons at Westbury when filling up and put them on the engine at P1.

At P1 at least one shoulder seam had split on my RST over jacket, which I bought when I bought my RST jacket and jeans. By the end of the run both seams had gone and it had split across the back too, various pitstops attempted to tape the jacket up.

I have never been colder than the bit across the glen.

(I was thinking about ways of diverting engine heat)

Post run CinCHome has sanctioned a new jacket. This will be stretched to gloves, (two pairs), and trousers as well.

I wore summer gloves the whole way. It was a very, very stupid thing to do! 

For me the coldest bit was the run from Inverness to JoG. I don't think I have ever been so cold. I might ask Santa for a heated jacket! 

[Thunderbolt]

3 minutes ago, IforB said:

I think my pain point is about 50 miles. Or at least that is where the discomfort starts to kick in, after that, it's just about managing it as best you can. Weirdly though, as the ride went on, it became easier physically. I think your body just gets beaten into submission and realises there is no point sending warning signals, as you aren't paying attention to them!

Agreed, my left leg is knackered, I missed a few gear changes because of it, coming back I missed several more as I was a bit more relaxed.

On the run it was simply a case of grinding out the miles and pressing on.

[Thunderbolt]

1 minute ago, IforB said:

I wore summer gloves the whole way. It was a very, very stupid thing to do! 

For me the coldest bit was the run from Inverness to JoG. I don't think I have ever been so cold. I might ask Santa for a heated jacket! 

Coldest bit was off the ferry to Inverness.

[IforB]

3 minutes ago, Thunderbolt said:

At the start I had a Bathams neck tube thong on that got we and cold, I swapped that for a dry microfibres one at either P1 or P2.

 

When Johnny handed out those neck tubes, I could have kissed him! I didn't have one with me at all, so it was sorely needed. 

[weeksy]

I'd love to try it, finding a bike is the hardest part currently

[Thunderbolt]

3 minutes ago, weeksy said:

I'd love to try it, finding a bike is the hardest part currently

Ask Premier.

[IforB]

1 minute ago, Thunderbolt said:

Coldest bit was off the ferry to Inverness.

It was daylight when I did that bit, so that probably helped massively. 

[Thunderbolt]

1 minute ago, IforB said:

It was daylight when I did that bit, so that probably helped massively. 

Was semi light for us, still fffffrreeezzzing

[IforB]

4 minutes ago, weeksy said:

I'd love to try it, finding a bike is the hardest part currently

From the discussions, I suspect the financial limitations may change, as its just not realistic to do it for 300 quid anymore. 

[Thunderbolt]

Both @cuban pete and myself couldn’t stand still at the end I had to hold on to @johnnymack63’s kitchen counter, before Mrs Mack sent us to bed.

[IforB]

4 minutes ago, Thunderbolt said:

Both @cuban pete and myself couldn’t stand still at the end I had to hold on to @johnnymack63’s kitchen counter, before Mrs Mack sent us to bed.

What time did you get in?