Gonna do it in 7 days with 3 other mates for charidy next May.
Anyone done it and did you "enjoy" it?
Bike Forum
LEJOG - thoughts?
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Posted 7 months ago #
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Loved it. One of the best things I've done on a bike.
Give yourself an extra couple of days and you'll enjoy it all the more... 'A' roads are rubbish.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Well - ride time is 7 but will do it over 10 days I think? We'll see what the other guys want but I'd rather take it a bit slower
Cheers TSY Posted 7 months ago # -
10 days will allow you a more enjoyable route. Part of the trip for me was seeing some of the country...
Fowey in Cornwall... we got a bit lost but it was fantastic. Met a cycling coach who adjusted a couple of the bikes.
The descent to Tintern Abbey.
The ferry across the Mersey, fry ups on the dock and ice creams on Southport beach... knowing now how good that day was... we'd have been robbed without it.
zig-zagging across Scotland, Edinburgh friends, topless riding up to the Cairngorms then across to Fort Bill because Druidh said so.
Posted 7 months ago # -
yeah - sounds good - yeah trying to go through decent parts inc wales
Posted 7 months ago # -
hoping to do this in 2013. do you have a map of your route tsy ? it sounbds interesting.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I don't TrailMonkey... but I'm sure I could plot something... some of it was a bit random and just finding our way as we went.
We booked accomodation a day or two in advance en route, staying in B&B's and hostels... allowed us to play it all by ear and I reckon it added to the adventure. Meticulous planning has the potential to spoil it IMO.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I loved it - but did it in 12 days (unsupported, staying in YHAs) so could take the scenic routes. Are you camping/ B&bing or fully supported? Highlights:
Back lanes through Cornwall, including the King Harry chain ferry
Dartmoor (have an alternative in case of bad weather)
Over the Severn bridge to the Wye Valley
Shap
Descent through Glencoe
Black Isle and north of Helmsdale
WhiskyLowlights:
A49 through Shropshire & Cheshire. Narrow and v. busy with HGVs
Idiots on the A82Posted 7 months ago # -
Probably combination of B&B and/or Camping to keep costs down with a Van - so supported
Posted 7 months ago # -
Well worh cross-posting this to the CTC LEJOG forum if you haven't already - you'll get some very detailed advice from people who have done every imaginable variation.
Posted 7 months ago # -
You're not doing it off-road?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Cheers Mr A
@ooOOoo - no but that would be fun if a little tiring
Posted 7 months ago # -
Did LEJOG a few years ago, camping supported trip; absolutely excellent took 15 days---no days off-- but enjoyed greatly and saw lots of GB country. A route designed to be a challenge (1050 miles), use country quiet lanes and get a knowledge of UK scenery etc. Highlight bits were:
Cornwall coast
dartmoor and Bodmin
Somerset levels
Wye valley / Monmouth areas
Trough of Bowland > Yorkshire Dales edges
Devils Beeftub @ Moffat
Rest & Be Thankful pass
Beauly Firth area
Caithness moors in the rain
Dunnet Head
Duncansby Head ---therealNE tip of mainland UKIf you coudl manage to take longer time you
ll see more as 7 days probably wont let you see much more of a challenge IMOPosted 7 months ago # -
either do 1. it fast and short (<5 days)
or 2. go for long and quiet roads(10days)
I would do 2. (I have done 1. and it hurts and these days playing with traffic isn't much fun)
Posted 7 months ago # -
bikemap.net
loads of routes on there if anyone still wants to what other peolple have done.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I did it earlier this year as part of an organised group (for Marie Curie). The route wasn't what I would have chosen but actually worked out pretty good. Saw lots of bit of England I'd like to return to. Being with a group of 20+ strangers for a week was fun too.
I'd say you should work out why you want to do it. If it's just a question of getting from one end of the country to the other in as short a time as possible, then 7 days is pretty much it. If you want time to explore a bit and choose routes off the main drag, then 10, or even 12, days would give you a bit more time. Of course, if you're used to riding 130-150 miles a day while loaded with gear, this might all sound a bit tame....
Posted 7 months ago # -
Mmmmmm, this could be a good idea for my 60th (if I make it) in a couple of years time....
If I could persuade the Mrs to follow in the motorhome could do it over 3 weeks if neccesary to see loads of good bits of Eng/Wales/Scot.
If I start planning early enough could be mainly off road
could even take in most trail centres too 
my god, I might just do this..
Posted 7 months ago # -
I
might justwill do this..!You won't regret it.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Go for it - fantastic way to see the country you normally miss from the motorway. Did it with a mate 5 or 6 years ago, and a brilliant way of getting very very fit (about 100 miles per day for 10 days).
Stayed in B&Bs and Youth Hostels (and home for 1 night and a rellys for another, and it didn't cost much at all (around £2-300 all in). Really helped that we could fly from Wick to Birmingham for £5 (with air miles) and no extra charge for bikes (we shipped a bike box with fresh clothes to the Wick B&B).
Would do it again in a flash, just need an understanding other half and a spare couple of weeks holiday, neither of which are very forthcoming.
Highlights - Glencoe (beautiful), and the roads leading to it from Inverrary, night out in Fort Bill (heather beer - yumm), the descent from Kirkstone Pass (50mph - reckless on a road bike with panniers!).
Lowlights - Chorley, Wick B&B, the main A road into Scotland (A82?), where the strip between white line and grass verge got narrower and narrower, so we scrambled down the bank to a farm track)
Posted 7 months ago # -
I did it John O'Groats to Lands End un supported and stayed in campsites all the way down to keep the cost down. Also stopped off on the way down and did smaller 2 smaller rides around the country to rasie more money. Was a brilliant trip. I'd say take your time and choose smaller roads, so much more fun you can have a nice chat etc and not fear for your life!
Whatever you do avoid the A9 in Scotland, never again will I go near it on a bike!! We ended up off roading for a fair bit just to avoid it whic wasn't ideal with tents and panniers!
Finally I hope you get better weather than we did, it rained every single day for 14 days in July!!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Me and a good mate did JOGLE in 9 days in august this year (supported by another mate in my fiesta) without a rest day, day 2 was a shock to the system, the highlands with severe weather warnings and flooding in august! Highlight was glencoe pass, simply amazing. Lakes would've been amazing, it was on the drive up but was wet and foggy for the ride through and visibility was poor - could just about see the road signs to confirm that i was actually in the lakes!
Speaking of visibility i think the best bit of kit i took was my hi viz vest which stayed on for all my riding (934 miles to be precise).
I think looking back that a rest day would've been handy given that my knee suffered a fair bit towards the end and by the last few days i was riding on pain killers every couple of hours.
We were supposed to camp the whole trip but used a hostel in Glencoe on day 2 due to bad weather - worth having these as a plan b.
It was definately a great experience doing the ride, we raised over a grand for clic sargent too but i'm not a roadie and didn't enjoy the near misses or the god awful state of the majority of this countries roads, i only bought the bike 3 months before the ride and i got back on a sunday, on monday morning my road bike went on ebay! It is amazing to be able to look at a map of the UK and know that you rode the whole length of it. Will never do again, once in a lifetime experience. On the contrary my fellow mountain biking mate who joined me can't keep off his road bike now - i've created a monster!Posted 7 months ago # -
Good luck foxyrider and thanks for inspiration, I've already ran my thoughts by t'other half, she's playing hard to get but there's loads of time to talk her round
She supported me years back when I ran the Pennine way for charity, and I know she enjoyed it - even though she broke her ankle in the process!Posted 7 months ago # -
Sorry to hi-jack/ressurect this thread but.... I'm now thinking of mixing road and off road, and to spice it up a bit thought I may as well bike down to LE (on road) then LEJOG mainly off road with some swift (B) road bits linking good trails. Then ride back home mainly road with some fun trails thrown in. Making it a round britain type challenge.
Anyone done anything similar?Posted 6 months ago # -
anyone done it on a s/s?
Posted 6 months ago # -
The Southern Yeti - Member
I've just spotted this. I must have missed it first time around.
zig-zagging across Scotland, Edinburgh friends, topless riding up to the Cairngorms then across to Fort Bill because Druidh said so.Was I right?
Posted 6 months ago # -
rp16v are you asking if anyone's done LEJOG ss or the round Britain thing?
My mate did JOGLE on a ss earlier this year, solo and in about 10 days on natural food only - no gels or energy drinks at all - and absolutely loved it.
Posted 6 months ago # -
over dinner yesterday, i think me and my bro in law managed to convince our good ladies that they really want to be the support team for our attempt in either 2013 or 2014
Posted 6 months ago # -
sorry i mean lejog as im looking to do it possibly next year as a charity ride for clapa,got the misses on side easy as its the charity that helped our daughter and im sure mother would love the chance to go on a paid(by me) trip down the uk as back up.
i ride a flat bar ss road bike and have access to kit(panniers,bags,parts ect) and can get them shiped within 24hrs so no issues there
anyone fancy showing what u did the trip on sorry for thread hijack
Posted 6 months ago #
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