London Edinburgh London 2017 — Alternative Routesheets and GPS files

London Edinburgh London is one of the longest brevets in the world at over 1400km, and is the second largest event by participation numbers behind Paris-Brest-Paris.  The LEL Team run this event every four years.  It's a pretty big deal! For this event I have created my own routesheet and GPS files.

IMPORTANT 25/7 — there is one diversion in place on the route next week, due to a road-closure after Middleton Tyas (near Scotch Corner, stages N6 and S3).  I have updated the routesheets and the relevant GPS files.  You can download all the new stuff below.  Note that direction arrows will be in place in both directions around the diversion.  More on Facebook and yacf.

TL;DR — I'm bored already, just take me to the files

Background — that must've been a lot of work — why bother?!

The official routesheet and GPX tracks are the gold-standard for this event.  The official routesheet is written in a clear, precise style that should be unambiguous to all participants, including the large number we welcome from around the world.  However, it is not optimal for my own purposes, since I use A6 routesheets and the official routesheet is only suitable for A4/A5.  I also have my own routesheet shorthand that I can understand on auto-pilot, when I am extremely fatigued, which I expect I will be.  And I have added in a few points of interest along the way.  Therefore I have written my own A6 routesheet, for me.  I am sharing it here in case anyone else has similar needs to me and wants/needs an alternative, more interesting routesheet to the official one.

I have checked the official routesheet from end to end several times.  I did this by using the official routesheet to plot the route out in RideWithGPS turn-by-turn, checking every junction and signpost in StreetView (while recognising that it is occasionally out of date).  I made notes as I went and sent these back to the organiser.  I have also ridden about 400km of the route this year, and I rode the event in 2013, so I am familiar with most of the route.  I have checked my routesheet line-by-line against the official routesheet and they agree.

My routesheet folds down to A6 and is designed to be held in a simple clip along the top edge, I even wrote a blog post on such a clip, for less than £1.50. There's also an A5-compatible version of my routesheet for riders who prefer my style, but are able to view 2x A6 side-by-side, e.g. the map case on top of Carradice Super C and Ortlieb handlebar bags.

My routesheet is written in my normal style, which is described in detail here, and is also summarised in a key — twice — on the routesheet.  You either like it, or you don't, but believe me when I say that it's straightforward once you understand the symbols, mnemonics and abbreviations.

My routesheet has block/column/page breaks in the right places — you [almost] never have to turn the sheet over during a stage, just swap the folds on the front side, many stages just turning the sheet over once.  And you never have to swap to a new sheet mid-stage.  Unless it's extremely windy, I can turn easily the routesheet over without stopping.

My routesheet contains all the same warnings as the official routesheet.

Both routesheets will get you there!  Plus, now that I have virtually ridden the route from end to end then I am familiar with the route generally and in places quite specifically — not that that helps anyone but me, of course!

As a by-product of writing the routesheet, I have also created my own GPS tracks.  Although since writing that, LEL has released their source GPS routes in RideWithGPS here, which are absolutely just as good (although you may still prefer some of the nuances of my ones here).  I've also produced 500-point GPX files for eTrex devices that need them.

UPDATE — 24 July — I have added "long" GPS tracks to the ZIP files.  These "long" tracks are about 240-270km in length and cover three or so controls each.  I have added my usual beeps at 20-10-5-2-1km before each control in the TCX versions.  I have also renumbered S8 to S8 + S9, as this seems to be a recent change to the official stage numbering that I missed.

Finally, if Humber Bridge is closed to cyclists, I have created an extra routesheet and extra GPS files to take you the long way around.  It is very unlikely you will need these, but it costs nothing to at least load the GPS files onto your Garmin so you have them, just in case.  I don't think there is an "official" diversion route, so I have plotted a route that takes in large sections of other audax routes and so has been formally risk-assessed for most of its length; the majority of the rest is in lanes, so low-risk.

My alternative LEL2017 routesheet

DISCLAIMER — These routesheets and GPS courses have been prepared using the best information available to me from the LEL organisation and Google Maps and StreetView. However, it is possible and indeed likely that the official route may be slightly different in places and so you should DEFINITELY follow the directional arrows present at some junctions in preference to this routesheet or GPS file, where given.  If you are led astray by this routesheet or GPS files then that's your problem.  I will be using this routesheet myself, so I'll see you there!

If you use A6 then the first link below will give you the routesheet with more "naturally flowing" folds and page turns; the second link gives a routesheet that can be folded to either A6 or A5 (side-by-side A6).

Middleton Tyas Diversion

NOTE — these routesheets include the diversion at Middleton Tyas: the diversion is due to a closed-road for resurfacing.

For this diversion, on stage N6 Thirsk to Barnard Castle, the instructions on the left can be changed by hand with a Sharpie, if you've already printed yours out, to the ones on the right:

Old N6New N6
In Middleton Tyas, R $ Croft, Piercebridge 39.1
Soon L @ T $ Barton
R @ T $ Piercebridge (new JCN) 40.7
L @ T $ Motorway, Piercebridge 42.0
In Middleton Tyas, R $ Croft, Piercebridge 39.1
Soon R @ T $ Moulton, Croft
!CARE thru ford / water-crossing! in Barton
L @ T by The Half Moon PH no $ [Silver St] 43.3

And on stage S3 Barnard Castle to Thirsk:

Old S3New S3
R @ T then SO (2E) @ RBT under A1M $ Barton 22.2
In 300m R $ MIDDLETON TYAS
In 1.3km L $ MIDDLETON TYAS
In Middleton Tyas, R after LHB $ MOULTON (1-way) 25.8
R @ T then SO (2E) @ RBT under A1M $ BARTON 22.2
In 2km, R in Barton by The Half Moon PH no $ [Marygate] 24.1
!CARE thru ford / water-crossing!
In Middleton Tyas, L before RHB $ MOULTON (1-way) 28.1

NEW — Alternative Routes

I have also written a routesheet that covers the alternative routes for N8 Brampton to Moffat scenic route, and S8 St Ives to Great Easton avoiding Cambridge city centre. 

Note: If you find an error in the routesheets, or if you would like it in a raw format so you can reformat it to your own preferences, email Nick.

You can download the official routesheet from here.

My alternative LEL2017 GPS files

DISCLAIMER — These routesheets and GPS courses have been prepared using the best information available to me from the LEL organisation and Google Maps and StreetView. However, it is possible and indeed likely that the official route may be slightly different in places and so you should DEFINITELY follow the directional arrows present at some junctions in preference to the routesheet or GPS file, where given.  If you are led astray by this routesheet or GPS files then that's your problem.  I will be using these GPS files myself, so I'll see you there!

To check the routesheet, I created new GPS files in RideWithGPS.  These are identical to the offical GPX files with more points per track, although you won't notice on the road; however, the fewer-points-per-track GPX files may be useful to Garmin eTrex users.  Some notes:

  • One track for each of the 17 "official" stages of LEL, using LEL's own standard N1 to N9 numbering on the way north to Edinburgh, and S1 to S8 numbering on the way back to London.
  • An extra three tracks for the short "sub-stages" of stage S1 from Edinburgh to Brampton, via Innerleithen and Eskdalemuir, named LEL2017_S1A, LEL2017_S1B and LEL2017_S1C.
  • An extra two tracks for the short "sub-stages" of stage S8 from St Ives to Loughton via Great Easton, named LEL2017_S8A and LEL2017_S8B.

Most GPS devices show 15-20 characters of the routename.  All my routes are named in the official LEL numbering sequence of N1 to N9 for the northbound stages, and S1 to S8 for the southbound stages.  You will see LEL2017_N1-LOUG on a Garmin Edge for the first stage, for example, whereas other devices may show LEL2017_N1-LOUGHTON- — only the number N1 is really important.

NOTE — these GPS files include the diversion at Middleton Tyas: the versions of the GPS tracks with the diversion will show _D on the end of the name on the device, and _DIVERSION on the end of the file name.

Choose your format: GPX or TCX as follows …

GPS preamble

Some devices can only handle GPX files; some devices need simplified (500-point) GPX files.  Some devices can't handle more than 200km in a single route, some riders prefer TCX — it's somewhat of a minefield trying to provide GPS files to suit all-comers!  I've sliced and diced the most common formats and you should find something here for your device, whatever your requirements.  If you'd prefer to grab an online copy and modify it yourself, my precise originals are here on RideWithGPS and you can duplicate to your own RWGPS account and play.

If you're still having problems or have a question, email Nick.

Standard GPX files

Most riders will use these normal GPX files.  There are two flavours: standard and legacy (reduced-to-500-points for legacy devices).  There is one file per stage (although note that stages S1 and S8 are multi-stage stages, and there are both single files for the whole stage, and individual files for the sub-stages).

The ZIP file contains all 18 GPX files going by the official stage numbering, plus three GPX files for the substages on S1.  Update 2017-07-24 — now includes "long" tracks of three stages each; has LONG in the name.

Legacy 500-point GPX

These are for users of Garmin eTrex, Montana and Edge 500 and the like.

The ZIP file contains all 18 GPX files going by the official stage numbering, plus three GPX files for the substages on S1. 

If you want 500-point versions of the LONG stages, then use the ones below, but note that eTrex are limited, I believe, to 10,000 points in total on the device, and so you can use ONLY the individual tracks OR these long tracks, but not both!  I am waiting for confirmation from experienced eTrex users on this point.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

However, bear in mind that 500 points to represent 250km gives only two points-per-kilometre, which is extremely inaccurate.  You may be wiser to use the individual-stage 500-point files!

‘Advanced’ TCX files

TCX routes work on devices like Edge 800, 810, 1000 and possibly others.  I got a series of cryptic emails from someone with no name for my PBP2015 TCX files to let me know that the TCX files work much better on a Garmin Edge 200 (and possibly 500) than GPX in that you get turn-by-turn with TCX which you don't get with GPX, so there you go!

The ZIP file contains all 18 GPX files going by the official stage numbering, plus three GPX files for the substages on S1.  Update 2017-07-24 — now includes "long" tracks of three stages each; has LONG in the name.

My Humber Bridge diversion routesheet and GPS files

In addition, I have designed and plotted routes bewteen Louth and Pocklington in both directions should Humber Bridge be closed to cycle or pedestrian traffic.  This is unlikely, but it is possible. 

  • The closest alternative crossing of the River Trent is at Keadby Bridge and of the River Ouse is at Goole, so all diversions must go that way.
  • There are two diversion tracks in each direction: one starts at the control and avoids Humber Bridge entirely; the second assumes you rode to Humber Bridge and then discovered it was closed — unlucky!
  • The GPS files appear as LEL_X_N4_NOBR1, LEL_X_N4_NOBR2, LEL_X_S5_NOBR1, and LEL_X_S5_NOBR2NOBR1 is from control to control; NOBR2 is from Humber Bridge to the next control.

The files are here:

Official alternative routes N8 and S8

There are two official alternative routes.  The first is a scenic daytime route between Brampton and Moffat; the second is from St Ives to Great Easton avoiding Cambridge city centre.  These are entirely optional and are provided for completeness.Note that Danial, the organiser, has this to say about the alternative N8 route:

The hilly route to Moffat is beautiful, and I loved it both times I rode it. But I'm afraid I cannot endorse it. It is very much AYOR [at your own risk].

If you choose this route, I should warn you the phone signal in places is very weak, there will be few fellow riders, and we are not patrolling these roads. If you crash you will be very much on your own.

You have been warned!

If you're still having problems or have a question, email Nick.