Tag Archives: London Edinburgh London 2025

Videoing London Edinburgh London 2025

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This is the latest in my series of posts about the London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. Read part 1 here (my road to LEL), part 2 here (lessons from the 400k London Wales London audax), part 3 here (even harder lessons from the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600k audax), part 4 here (volunteers put together the LEL rider starter packs), part 5 here (packing tips for LEL riders) and part 6 (Surviving Storm Floris on LEL 2025) here.

I enjoyed making my video about riding Britain’s greatest long-distance cycling event, London Edinburgh London 2025. As I have blogged, the organisers rightly cut the ride short because of Storm Floris, and volunteers and riders alike showed tremendous spirit in the face of adversity. Here’s the video:

GoPro or Insta360 camera?

I love making videos of my cycling adventures, and knew I had to do the same for LEL. But how? My go-to camera is a GoPro Hero 13 Black. The latest GoPro devices are very reliable, and I can click to record in an instant with the camera mounted on my handlebars. The resulting footage is incredibly smooth – a contrast to my first action camera in 2013. Another advantage is that I can remove the device in an instant thanks to the magnetic mount, and take it with me, either to keep it safe, or to take video off the bike.

I toyed with the idea of taking my Insta360 X5 on the ride, as it gives so much more flexibility. One clip gives you so many different angles, as I found on the Bryan Chapman Memorial audax in June, and as you can see here:

I thought this could capture some great video of London Edinburgh London, such as a stunning landscape vista and an image of a rider racing past me in one shot. That flexibility is so attractive compared with swivelling the GoPro to get a side view. Audio quality is excellent too, and the low light options better than even the latest GoPro. (GoPro really needs to up its game here.)

But this flexibility is also a disadvantage. It takes me far longer to process each Insta360 clip – deciding which segment of the 360 degree shot to use, edit it as needed, and export it to my video editing app along with all the other clips. I’m sure I’d be quicker with practice, but I feared it would take an enormous amount of time to create a YouTube highlights video from hundreds of Insta360 clips. So … I took the GoPro to LEL. I did see one person using an Insta360 camera on LEL, and would be interested to see the resulting video.

Image from drone video by Fergus Coyle

You can get great views from an action or 360 camera, but aerial shots really make a video stand out, and I wanted to take a drone with me on LEL for this reason. I thought a light drone would be perfect, but saw sense after a moment’s reflection. I was carrying too much stuff already, and wouldn’t have time to set up and fly a drone if I were to have any chance of getting to Edinburgh and back within 128 hours.

As it turned out, Storm Floris would have grounded any drone, so I made the right decision. Happily, Fergus Coyle kindly let me use some of his lovely drone shots of the start in my video. But I still yearn to fly a drone on the stunning Scottish sections of LEL, as seen in the official video created by Darrell Whittle. Perhaps I’ll get the chance if there is an unofficial group ride next year over the LEL northern and Scottish loop that most riders missed because of Floris. (There’s been a lot of chatter about this in the LEL Facebook group.)

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy Darrell’s video below.

London Edinburgh London 2025: surviving Storm Floris

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This is the latest in my series of posts about the London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. Read part one here (my road to LEL), part 2 here (lessons from the 400k London Wales London audax), part 3 here (even harder lessons from the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600k audax), part 4 here (volunteers put together the LEL rider starter packs) and part 5 here (packing tips for LEL riders).

LEL is rebranded after the storm struck

Danial Webb cut a lonely figure standing at the summit of Yad Moss. Barely 24 hours into the event, the London Edinburgh London director’s lanyard was dancing crazily in the face of Storm Floris as he shared the bitter news that the storm had forced the curtailment of the event.

The next day, when I met him at Louth, Danial told me that he slept easily that night, confident that the decision guaranteed the safety of over 2,400 LEL riders from around the world. I was one of those cyclists, and I confess that I felt a sense of relief at the decision as I heard the news at the LEL control at Malton, North Yorkshire. Not because I was looking to get out of a challenge I cherished, but because I was genuinely worried about the storm, which forced the closure of Scottish bridges and ferries and left a trail of destruction across Scotland. (Not to mention the first cancellation of a performance at Edinburgh’s military tattoo in 75 years.) The organisers made the only possible decision. I can only guess at the size of the logistical challenge this caused them.

Earlier on that second day of LEL 2025, the organisers had paused the event, holding riders when they reached a control point. (These are places where riders get food and a rest, typically located in a school.) I was held when I got to Malton at 2pm. We heard about the decision to cancel the loop to Edinburgh late that afternoon. Incidentally, the storm was named Floris by the Dutch weather service KNMI, and means ‘flowering’ in English. Ironic given the thousands of flowers and branches uprooted in northern England and Scotland…

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Packing tips for riding London Edinburgh London 2025

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This is the fifth in my series of posts about my preparation for the 1530km London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. Read part one here (my road to LEL), part 2 here (lessons from the 400k London Wales London audax), part 3 here (even harder lessons from the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600k audax), and part 4 here (volunteers put together the LEL rider starter packs).

It’s starting to feel very real. On Sunday morning, 3 August 2025, I will join over 2,000 cyclists in the quest to ride London Edinburgh London, one of the world’s greatest amateur cycling events. My training is complete, and my bike serviced. Now, I’m going through my final preparations and kit choices. There’s been some chatter on the LEL Facebook page about kit lists, so I thought I’d share some of my kit choices and packing tips. The chances are that you are taking much less than I am, but as a first time LEL rider I’m playing it safe.

I’ll start by confessing that I’m torn between carrying things like a down jacket that will help me cope if we get wild weather in Scotland (as in 2009 and 2017) and keeping my on-bike weight down. I may compromise by having it in a drop bag, ready to carry if it looks necessary.

My other aim is to try to organise my kit in a way that saves time at controls while minimising the chance of losing things. On my recent tour of France (which involved a different destination every night) I used packing cubes, which made it very easy to find things in a suitcase. I’ll obviously not be carrying suitcases on LEL, but will use small bags within my saddle bag. This is how it will work:

Sleepover kit

This is taking into a control where I plan to sleep for a couple of hours. It will sit at the bottom of my saddle bag. It includes a sleeping bag liner, inflatable pillow, eye mask, ear plugs (mine plus the ones included in each rider’s registration pack), plus loose shorts to sleep in to give my body a rest from cycling shorts.

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Training for London Edinburgh London 2025: hard lessons from Bryan Chapman

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This is the third in a series of posts about my training and preparation for the 1530km London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. The series was inspired by LEL supremo Danial Webb asking if anyone was planning to post about their training and preparation for the event. Read part one here and part 2 here.

Crossing the Gospel Pass on Bryan Chapman Memorial audax

They say we learn far more from our failures than our successes. If so, my experience on last weekend’s Bryan Chapman Memorial 600km audax ride should really help me on London Edinburgh London in August.

I’ve written a blow-by-blow account of the ride here, so head over there for the gory details. Or you can watch my five minute highlights video:

Here, I’ll share what I learned on the Bryan Chapman. Let’s start on a positive note: what went well.

The right bike

Should you ride your fastest or your most robust bike on a big audax event? I chose my Specialized Diverge gravel bike. It’s seen me through countless adventures including two editions of London Wales London. It’s not my lightest bike, but its 38mm tyres give me such reassurance, especially when hitting a pothole at speed in the middle of the night.

My Restrap custom frame bag was so useful

One of the disadvantages of riding a small frame bike – in my case 54mm – is that only the smallest frame bags fit. On a 600km or longer audax event that is a pain. But I noticed that Restrap offer a custom frame bag for a very reasonable £119.99. I sent off for the design pack, which helps you work out the dimensions, and where the various straps should go.

My wife Karen and I carefully followed the instructions to design my custom bag, and I placed my order. At first I was afraid the bag wouldn’t arrive in time given the stated lead times, but the Restrap team was brilliant, and I received the bag a week before the Bryan Chapman. It fitted perfectly, and was a huge help on the ride.

Cutting the ride short: the right decision

A few weeks ago, endurance cyclist Emily Chappell invited advice on her Substack post about long-distance cycling. I gave a few tips, including not giving up cheaply when you’re at your lowest ebb. Eat, sleep, and reflect.

So it was ironic that I decided to cut short my Bryan Chapman route, going straight from the Dolgellau control at Kings Youth Hostel to the sleep stop at Aberdyfi. I made the decision after going miles off route because my Garmin led me onto the southbound track when I was still heading north. As a result, I had a massive, additional pass to climb, and lost a huge chunk of time.

I had already made the decision before Kings, and it was undoubtedly the right one. I could enjoy a reviving stay at the control, relish the coastal ride to Aberdyfi, and be in far better condition for the remaining 210km in the morning. Best of all, I was at peace with the failure to get to Menai Bridge. I could do my Welsh end to end another time.

My near midnight finish on the second day shows how right I was.

Taking spare SRAM batteries was vital

If you ride electronic gears, you have to be ready to replace or charge batteries on the road. SRAM eTap batteries theoretically last up to 1,000km, at least when new. I had to pop in a spare one after around 375km. Those constant gear changes on the very hilly Bryan Chapman drained the battery far sooner than I expected. But I was prepared.

The volunteers were amazing

As I spent time recovering at Aberdyfi, I was struck once again by the critical role volunteers play in audax events. One female helper seemed to be ever present – there when I went to sleep past midnight, and again when I went for breakfast just after 6am. She was constantly replenishing supplies and helping weary riders. To her and every other volunteer, and organiser Will Pomeroy: thank you!

So… the lessons I need to learn from

Make your own decisions

I was seriously underfuelled at times on the Bryan Chapman. Twice I allowed myself to be led by other people’s examples. After 74km at the first control, I ordered a small breakfast, as others had done, but it wasn’t enough. Later, after seeing Bryan Chapman riders eating at a bakery I did the same, even after finding the choice very limited.

On an audax like Bryan Chapman, you have to find your own food except at a small number of controls. You really have to make smart choices. I didn’t.

London Edinburgh London is very different, with food on offer at controls throughout the route. (Although judging from accounts of previous editions supplies may be limited if you arrive at a very busy time.) If you feel lethargic, don’t miss the chance to eat proper food – bars and gels can get you only so far.

Don’t trust your Garmin

My great mistake on the Bryan Chapman was to trust my Garmin’s directions. When it told me to turn off the main road between Machynlleth and Dolgellau I obeyed, and went miles off route, requiring an extra, very big climb. I didn’t realise it was sending me on the following day’s ride. Organiser Will Pomeroy had provided control-to-control GPS files. Had I used those, rather than the complete route version, I’d have been OK. Something to ponder with London Edinburgh London, whose northbound and southbound routes also cross.

Leaving Aberdyfi

You may be slower than you think

I deliberately didn’t try to estimate when I’d reach the various controls on Bryan Chapman. I knew how hilly the route was. Yet on the second day, I still under estimated how slow I’d be. The lack of sleep, and eating too little, had a big impact. I should have left Aberdyfi 90 minutes earlier at least.

Prepare to sleep

I’d brought a sleeping bag liner as I’d heard that the blankets provided at the Bryan Chapman sleep stop could be scratchy. I could have done with ear plugs to block out the constant noise of people coming and going, accompanied by their phone wake up alarms. One for the kit list for London Edinburgh London.

At a low point on a quiet mountain road, I enjoyed a power nap on a grassy verge beside the road. It revived my spirits. On London Edinburgh London, I’ll take the opportunity for a half hour nap at controls during the day if I need to.

Final thoughts

I booked to enter the Bryan Chapman as a test of my readiness for London Edinburgh. I’m glad I did. While I failed to complete the full 600km, I did ride further than I’d ever done before in two days. But I need to learn from my mistakes, and continue to build my endurance fitness. I’m starting a bike ride through France from the English Channel to the Mediterranean tomorrow, which should help!

UPDATE: read the next post in my series about preparing and training for London Edinburgh London: joining the LEL volunteers to create over 2,400 rider starter packs.

Training for London Edinburgh London 2025: lessons from LWL

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This is the second in a series of posts about my training and preparation for the 1530km London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. The series was inspired by LEL supremo Danial Webb asking if anyone was planning to post about their training and preparation for the event. Read part one here.

(London Edinburgh London is a cycle ride across Great Britain between the English and Scottish capitals. Held every four years, it is the premier British audax – a long-distance, non-competitive cycle ride. You have a maximum of 128 hours to ride to Edinburgh and back to London.)

Heading back into England over the Severn Bridge, LWL 2025

London Wales London 2025

I wrote a lengthy post a year ago about completing the annual London Wales London audax from Chalfont St Peter near London to Chepstow in Wales and back via the original Severn Bridge. If you’re interested in a detailed account of riding LWL, head there as this will be a much shorter account. Instead I’ll focus on how I plan to learn from this year’s LWL experience to help my preparations for London Edinburgh London in August. (Both what worked well and what didn’t.) I’ll look at organisational lessons – yes, including charging devices – and personal ones, such as keeping healthy and maintaining morale through the inevitable lows.

LWL riders close to Islip, the first control at 38km

I never thought we’d have a second year of fine weather for LWL, but conditions were similar to last year, with the exception of a light but noticeable headwind on the outward leg across the Cotswolds. We were lucky to miss the 28C temperatures two days before – as well as the far colder weather that arrived within 12 hours of the finish. Organiser Liam FitzPatrick is obviously on very good terms with the weather gods…

Just 600 metres to the finish line – 406km cycled!
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Training and top tips for London Edinburgh London 2025: part 1

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This is the first in a series of posts about my training and preparation for the 1530km London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. The series was inspired by LEL supremo Danial Webb asking if anyone was planning to post about their training and preparation for the event. For part 2, lessons from London Wales London, click here.

London Edinburgh London is a cycle ride across Great Britain between the English and Scottish capitals. Held every four years, it is the premier British audax – a long-distance, non-competitive cycle ride. You have a maximum of 128 hours to ride to Edinburgh and back to London.

I’ve been dreaming about taking part in LEL since the pandemic, and will be on the start line in August. I’ve followed LEL Facebook and Yet Another Cycling Forum (YACF) posts, and read several books by previous participants such as Andy Allsopp and Malcolm Dancy for inspiration and information. I also bought the film about the 2013 edition of LEL. (All of which, truth be told, sent shivers of fear down my spine about what I’ve signed up for!) I’ve also enjoyed the LEL podcasts, which you can find on all the usual podcast platforms, including Spotify.

In this post, I’ll explain my road to LEL 2025, talk about my training, and also share a few tips for fellow LEL riders – which may be useful for anyone taking part in other multi-day audax rides. These tips are based on my own cycling experiences and advice shared by previous LEL riders. In future editions, I’ll share any new lessons from my training and preparations.

So – what makes me think I can complete LEL?

My original inspiration for long distance cycling, 1994

I’ve been cycling for over 35 years, since buying my first proper bike in 1989, as I blogged last year. Back in 1994, I was inspired by this feature in the old Cycling Today magazine about cycling 100 miles, and successfully completed my first century the following year.

My LWL story – Arrivée, Autumn 2024

Last year, I completed my first audax ride, the 400km London Wales London, and my beginner’s story appeared in Audax UK’s Arrivée magazine. (The article was a shorter version of my LWL blogpost.) I knew that LWL was a good test of my ability to complete the far bigger LEL challenge, and early on my ride to Wales I had a brief crisis of confidence:

‘I was still in the Cotswolds when I decided such a challenge [LEL] was beyond me. The toll on body and spirit would be huge. Yet now, after the satisfaction of completing LWL successfully with something to spare, I’m not so sure. I have a guaranteed place for 2025, and that would have to be the year – it really would be too much by 2029, when I’d be approaching 66.’

I am feeling more confident now about LEL, and am fitter than I was on the eve of LWL 2024.

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