i watched a couple of youtube vids last night, which seemed to suggest horrendous queues at the first control. Any tips / insights? (one chap skipped the control and refuelled in Braithwaite village shop).

I quite like the idea of starting later (say 7.30?) for a bit of a lie in, but not sure how that will work with queues for car park, and at the control.
I’m expecting that there will be congestion on the steep climbs, whenever you start, and it’s a game of keeping a keen eye out for trouble just ahead.

I’d like to get round without unclipping on the climbs, and potter round at a sensible speed.

34-50 and 11-28 for me on my gravel bike.
Last time I rode the northern loop (Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter etc) I was on 39×21 bottom. Oh the days of old school road gears.

I don’t think I will be trying to keep up with the faster people. I’ve had a couple of recent bouts of Covid and my endurance has really suffered.

Hopefully the weather is clement and allows us some decent views.

How busy is the start? When to arrive?
I don’t want to start too early, but don’t want to arrive and find there’s an hour’s queue to park and register…

Yeah.
A couple of battered pairs of M520s. 15 years old.
Commute duties all year round. Probably 30,000+ miles each set. Still OK.
A couple of pairs of M540s. Probably 10-12 years old. Slightly fewer miles, but still run fine.
M980 a couple of pairs. Many years old. Run fine.
Road bikes all run on PD7410 Dura Ace 2 bolt from 1993-94. They have done over 20,000 miles per set at least. Scratched but otherwise spin fine.
They are all looking rather scratched and worn, but spin free.

Yeah. Run forever. Silver shows the wear / scratches a little less than black (or white).
I never bother greasing / servicing. I occasionally grease the pedal spindle to stop them seizing on to the crank arms.

I have serviced the first gen Deore SPD pedals, from about 1991/2 or so. Eventually I didn’t bother. Sold them – I think I swapped out for XT version which also ran fine forever.

I am looking at the super weight weenie xpedo ti pedals but am put off by the reports of spindle wear.

I did once have ti spd (non Shimano) pedals with elastomer springs in about 1995 or so – they wore quickly.

Similar theme to many on the threads.
Large young family.
Specialist skillset, much in demand in London/ consultancy / FS.
I’ve been working for a decade in London, home to Yorkshire at weekends.
Sunday afternoons were / are dire, with the dread of heading off at teatime for the train back down south.
The aim was to maximise the family income, so no peak / open trains. Instead super advance, redeye, late nights. Soulless cheap digs / renting room.
Stuff never breaks when you are at home, but always when away.
Covid has been a huge relief, but now I just don’t want to regress to the old patterns of 3/4/5 days a week away. Not the cost, the mental load, the time.
I’ve always taken bike with me to get to station, ride round London / client area. Whether Brompton, single speed (where needing to be locked up) or fancy bike when I could safely store at the office/ flat. I joined in local running clubs for a bit of social and exercise, but had neglected my “home” pals (to be honest, “home” was just doing dad taxi and jobs, to give my wife a break from being on duty for weekdays, so no time for socialising).

I was unimpressed with Spyres and my Sram Red 10 shifters. They never felt much better than rim brakes.
I’m using ZTTO (similar to Juin tech) cable hydraulics on my UPPER and they feel pretty good. Not quite full hydr performance, but I have a spare set of eTap rim shifters and they work really well together until I upgrade to DA 12 (or GRX 12 if it comes out)

Ploughing on, with 2 years until I hit 55 and can consider stopping.
I might not, but having the option would be marvellous.
I’m conscious that I am rather wishing my life away, over focusing on the deadline and not at all enjoying the scenery.
I am hugely fortunate to be well paid, respected but under a lot of pressure (as are many others). I would much rather swap that for an opportunity to ride, run, walk, DIY, read, explore.
Children have been hugely expensive, else I would probably have had more than enough savings to stop already. It’s a choice I / we made many years ago, and I don’t regret for an instant.

I bought a Galaxy rather than a Mondeo estate (a long time ago), because I could fit our 26″ mtb tandem in. Upright, with the middle L and rear L seats removed. (the car salesman was rather bemused when I brought the tandem along to see if it would fit, before I committed to purchase).

I used to be able to fit a road bike upright in our Discovery 3, albeit I had to tilt slightly on entry for saddle to clear the top lip.
I’m not aware of any current estates that can take upright, even with front wheel off.

Still a bit boggy in places, but drier than it has been recently.
Pretty much all rideable.

The problem is also availability, at any cost.
Local suppliers are refusing to quote or even provide guide delivery times.
We paid 50ppl mid Feb.
We get through 3,500 litres a year. It covers 4 bedroom house and an old oil Aga.
Thankfully we are nearing the end of the frosty mornings, but the Aga will still require supply.

I rather think this will be an extended period of high prices, extreme volatility and uncertain supply times. I’m really not looking forward to next winter.

Deferring would be a poor decision for Sept 22, as the rules around student loan rates, costs, duration are likely to be materially worse.

I live here!
There’s decent MTBing in Gilling Woods, straight from the door.
There’s more at Sutton Bank and Dalby, if you are wanting something technical.
Most of the local stuff is perfectly fine on gravel bike – theres’ lots of good tracks and links through country lanes.
Above the A170, the rides get a little wilder – there’s great stuff from Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside etc up into the moors, as well as from Sutton bank centre itself.
DM me and I can give you more information if you wish.