LeJog, any advice?

Anyone done it on here and got recommendations or advice.

A long time ago, but:

Cornwall and Devon were the toughest parts of the whole ride, but were lovely.

I followed the old CTC hostels route in parts which mostly worked well.

I didn’t have a Garmin at the time, consequently there was more main road and getting lost than I would’ve liked.

The A82 can be unpleasantly busy. Pick your time carefully or consider the A9 cycle path instead.

Credit card touring ftw. I like a few comforts at the end of a long day’s ride. Plus you don’t have to carry much luggage.

Think about how you will get back from JOG.

I’ve been riding it for the last 2 years on a tandem with my wife. Not constantly I hasten to add! We keep chipping away at it, and really enjoying it not being a ‘race’ to the end, and having time to stop off and do ‘touristy’ things along the way. So my advice would be don’t rush it, enjoy the ride!

We’ve now done LE – Inverness btw!

Anyone done it on here and got recommendations or advice.

How are you planning on doing it? Solo, small group, organised tour? Any support vehicle? Camping (and therefore a fair chunk of luggage) or lightweight / credit card touring?

What route? Your own concoction, following a guidebook or nicking .gpx files from an organised tour? On road or including some off-road stuff? A straightforward “get the job done” route or a longer and more scenic option?

How long? Less than 5 days and you’re kind of committing to either very long days in the saddle or some unpleasant and busy A-roads just to get the job done. More than about 12 days and you start increasing the odds of running into shit weather.

Also have a look at logistics of getting back from JOG, it can be a pain at the best of times. Riding to Wick or Thurso and getting the train back to Inverness is probably the best option but you will need to book your bike on as early as possible.

Its a long way, probably best to do it over a few days rather than all in one go.

Take snacks, you might get hungry

I just completed it as part of the Ride Across Britain a few weeks ago – that’s 9 days, camping but heavily supported – so all your kit is moved for you and your tent is erected and food provided – at around 110 miles/day it was really tough (weather wasn’t great though) even with all that support, so…….if I was doing it again, and planning to do it alone or in a small group:

– I’d do max 65/70 miles/day to make sure you have plenty of time on your hands at the start and end of the day
– I’d pln it as a credit card tour – so B&B’s and hotels – if you’re determined to camp, then mix it up – you’ll need to get warm/dry at least some of the time!
– eat and drink lots – you will burn a lot of energy as you’re not fully recovering after each day – I lost half a stone in the week after the ride even though I was eating like a horse!

RAB was amazing, but was more of an endirance event than a jolly ride across the country taking in the sights – so my tips are based on the latter – if you want to show off to your friends and show how fit/tough you are, then fill your boots with 100+ miles/day and camping!!

Hope that helps!

so…….if I was doing it again, and planning to do it alone or in a small group

Just to add to all of that excellent post, if you are planning on doing it in a small group, make damn sure you’re all of similar ability, you all agree the aim up front and you’re all capable of the pre-planned daily distance. There is nothing worse than having a group of (eg) 4 where one person is consistently smashing it off the front or consistently trudging along off the back while the other 3 wait at every junction.

Likewise if you have 3 people well up for camping, experienced in it, know what to do, what to pack etc and one person who hates camping, it’ll be pretty miserable.

The benefit of a big supported event like RAB is there’s always someone of your ability somewhere, groups form almost organically out on the road and it really helps with motivation.

The A82 can be unpleasantly busy. Pick your time carefully or consider the A9 cycle path instead.

For the love of god not the A82! makes me shudder to think of riding up Lomondside or over Rannoch moor at any time of day or year…

The A9 cyclepath / sideroads through Speyside etc is far more civilised or for a leftfield option, ferry hop over to Kintyre via Arran and pick up the Caledonia Way through to Inverness.

I’m looking into the idea at the moment. I kind of started with the idea of how far I wanted to ride each day (roughly) and then figured out how long that would take me at a steady touring pace. At 60-80 miles a day, looking at 12-16 days.

I’m very much a quiet roads and comfy beds kind of guy, so then I started looking at organised tours. Peak Tours, based in Glossop are likely favourites, a few friends have done big tours with them and I did a short C2C with them earlier this year.

I did it, sort of last minute, as a charity ride for Marie Curie. The organisers took care of all the logistics, route planning, food stops, accommodation and so on. They had a van/mechanic backup and a masseur & masseuse at the end of each day. This all made it very easy for me just to ride and meant I had some company when I wanted it (there was 24 of us). The route wasn’t one I might have chosen myself and so took me to places I’d not have considered. We were a mixed-ability group and completed it in 10 days at around 100 miles per day.

Thanks STWhive, yes large supported credit card option is the preferred one. I do like the idea of organic groups forming. Will research RAB.

The record is under 44h, you know…

More helpfully there is a whole sub forum devoted to this on the Cycling UK forums – might be worth having a look there as there’s loads of advice?

Good luck!

@MoreCashThanDash – I’ve handled a lot of bikes for Peak Tours groups. Feedback from their clients was all very positive and they seemed very well organised. I don’t know if they still offer a Cape Wrath option as the logisitics of that were often “challenging” due to the wee ferry crossing at Durness.

Member of cycle UK, will have a look. Thanks.

I did it in 10 days with 1 day off, so 9 days riding.  Cornwall is hilly so I ditched half my stuff and mailed it home.  I follow the fb page lejog and would like to do it again, I live about half way so would probably do it in 2 legs.

I d prebook a few premier inns so I could pitch up whenever I wanted, could get an early start, a few stops and some more miles that evening.  In June the longer days maybe could get it down to 7 days.

For return from jog we hired a car from wick.

Not done it but through living (and riding) over much of Britain and having supported a couple young lads over the last few days of a lejog (and living up that end) I’d say I’ve a reasonable  idea of it…..

I’m very much a quiet roads and comfy beds kind of guy

Is where I am at too these days. I’ve done the whole time trailing on the A1 on a Saturday afternoon thing in the past and what I would say is that the most direct routes for lejog are a bit too much of that and not enough of the quiet roads thing for my liking. Why would you plan to ride on roads that you’d normally look to avoid on a Sunday morning ride and then do it for 12hr+ a day for 7,8 or 9 days? I guess it depends why lejog appeals – do you feel you need to do something that everyone’s heard of to get motivated? Or you’ve heard of for that matter. For me it’s a bit like swimming the channel – it’s a big achievement and all but a grimmer bit of water to swim across is hard to find.

That’s a long winded way of saying these days I’d either choose to do the Lejog by a mega wiggly route that linked to the two up with nice lanes and fine views (and minimal stress) and find twice the time to do it……or I’d find something else. Many years ago my sister ‘adopted’ an olive tree in Italy for me (you ‘adopt’ a tree but basically you get a few litres of olive oil from some large refinery that got it’s oil for that batch apparently from a particular grove). Riding from the south coast of England to see my tree in Italy was a fun challenge that was totally unique and no one else cared about – which for me made it a little more special. Or getting the ferry to Bilbao and riding home via the La Vélodyssée. In the UK it’d probably be the NC500 (which I reckon is better on a bike than a car – but do it out of campervan season) or something like the Badge Divide.

Will research RAB.

https://www.rideacrossbritain.com/

Used to be annual but what with cost of living, inflation etc, they’ve now moved it to every two years. Most recent one was as mentioned by @velocipede ^^ just 5-6 weeks ago so the next one is September 2026. Usually about 600 – 700 riders on it, it’s kind of like a big Sportive combined with a cycle tour.

Member of cycle UK, will have a look. Thanks.

https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewforum.php?f=22

I’ve had a mate who was a ride leader on RAB, and another drove a support vehicle. Both have said its a hard way to do it.

For the love of god not the A82! makes me shudder to think of riding up Lomondside or over Rannoch moor at any time of day or year…

It wasn’t terrible when I did it, but that was a long time ago, and I’ve no desire to do it again.

ETA. I saw all the RAB people preparing to leave when I was at LE riding the West Kernow Way. It did look like a lot of faff compared with a self organised credit card tour.

Leftfield suggestion. In my view, the Med to La Manche is a much nicer ride than Lejog. Better weather, quieter roads, better food.

I did it in 6 days after cycling down to lands end via Aberystwyth. 10.3 days in total around 1500 miles. Back in the day when I could ride a bike and 2 weeks after completing 3500 miles cycling around France, Pyrenees and the Alps.

It wasn’t the first time I’d ridden to lands end or John o groat’s but never in one ride so I knew what I was getting road wise. I rode the major A roads and had a decent tailwind from Inverness to the top. Caught the train home from Wick. Looking back i should of cycled home from jog but I reckon it would have taken me a week with the change in the weather.

I camped, carried all my gear. Dumped the handle bar bag on the way up when I stopped at my house. The lighter bike made a difference. It was a solid performance from the Trek 1000 that I was riding.

If I did it again I’d aim for the minor roads/railways and canals and take a bit more time.

I would say is that the most direct routes for lejog are a bit too much of that and not enough of the quiet roads thing for my liking.

100% this.
I’ve had two sets of friends who’ve done it.. Both disliked all the main roads and direct routes.

For me I would be taking a gravel bike and plotting a much quieter route, even if that’s twice the distance.

I shudder at how many folk head up A82 / A84 etc and the speed of distracted tourist drivers looking at the view…

Did it in 2015 over 11 days as a self-organised group of 4 (with a family member doing the luggage bit each day), and was a truly memorable trip.  There is quite an extensive CTC thread with lots of tips.  Some key reflections:

Best to have similar states of fitness across the group and be comfortable riding as a team.

Per the CTC thread…the days through Cornwall and Devon are lumpier than you might think – so don’t charge at it for full length days on the first day or two.  Conversely, Scottish roads are generally well graded.

The masterstroke by our organiser (BiL) was to go from Gretna to Ardrossan, ferry to Brodick on Arran and depart Arran via Lochranza, thereby eliminating the entire debate about how to get through the central belt of Scotland.

Two small lunches are better than one bigger one.

I’m sure other thoughts will occur to me

There is a book about doing LEJOG off road but it might take a while…

@blackhat Given CalMac’s well-publicised issues on that route, the Arran ferry is a bit of a punt. I think the Heb Isles broke down last week too… On the other hand there are empire biscuits in the ferry cafe which is a win.

The masterstroke by our organiser (BiL) was to go from Gretna to Ardrossan, ferry to Brodick on Arran and depart Arran via Lochranza, thereby eliminating the entire debate about how to get through the central belt of Scotland.

I’ve always wondered why this isn’t a much more popular way of doing lejog.

Is some of the ‘fastest and most direct route’ a bit of a roadie culture thing? Whereas I would want quality and quantity over speed…

Also think that when the new ferries (eventually) come into service they’ll be sailing from Troon until the Ardrossan harbour is adapted. Think that might cut a bit more of the corner off?

I followed the cycling uk scenic route, it added about 10% on so c 100 miles.  Some fab roads up in the borders.  I wouldn’t do canal towpaths it would take ages and the constant giving way to pedestrians would drive me mad.

I listened to lael wilcox s pod cycling around the world.  She was always stopping for food, in the desert she rented a room for the day and cycled through the night.  I would deviate to pools or spas, so I could have a swim and a stretch in the steam room.

Someone on the fb lejog group had their bike nicked off the train.

Is some of the ‘fastest and most direct route’ a bit of a roadie culture thing? Whereas I would want quality and quantity over speed…

I think many of the people doing LEJOG are doing it to “do it” (if that makes sense!). It’s a box ticking exercise. They’re “doing” LEJOG – sometimes for charity, sometimes because it’s A Thing that cyclists do. If you ride from LE to JOG, even a non-cyclist knows that you’ve done A Big Ride. Like swimming the channel or running the London Marathon. If you went out and ran 26.2 miles around your hometown, no-one would care. If you Do the London Marathon, you can put it out there for sponsorship and kudos.

There are a couple of books (notably the Cicerone guide) of suggested / ideal routes so most people are just following the maps and online guides.

There’s nothing really wrong with that as such but it kind of turns it into a “going through the motions” ride rather than an “I’ll see what’s off down here” ride. Again, nothing at all wrong with that, people can tour or do curated rides like LEJOG / C2C / King Alfreds Way etc any way they want, there’s no real right or wrong. LEJOG has the advantage though that other than the road out of LE and the road into JOG, there’s a million permutations and combinations you can do over anything from 4 to 40 days if you can be bothered to calculate your ideal route.

Is some of the ‘fastest and most direct route’ a bit of a roadie culture thing? Whereas I would want quality and quantity over speed…

For most folk, 2 weeks holiday is all they can manage. Take away a day at each end for travel and that leaves 12 days max.

As regards the Scotland section, we went across Eskdalemuir, the Tweed valley, Kincardine Bridge, Perth, Crieff, Aberfeldy, Trinafour and thence to Aviemore.

Whatever way you do it avoid the A9. I can’t understand why folk intentionally cycle the A9. I recently say a pair on a tandem cycling on the dual carriageway through the Dromochter pass. I have also spotted a cyclist riding up the A9 through the Slochd. They could have easily used the nice back road out of Carrbridge to Tomatin which is closed to cars. Much nicer but I guess the cyclist was unaware. I have often seen cyclists on the dual carriageway at Daviot heading to Inverness. I’m guessing they have either lost their way of are using some crap routing software.

As for the A82 I still remember getting shouted at by a van driver while crossing the bridge at north Ballachullich. Something derogatory about my parents marital status and an old Germanic expression about penetrating.

I’m guessing they have either lost their way of are using some crap routing software.

Komoot tries to send folk up the A9 on a few sections….

Craggie Farm (nr Daviot) to the Inshes roundabout in Inverness is 17.6km following NCN 7. It’s 7.9km going along the A9.

When I was working in Inverness I’d regularly see a guy cycling between Inverness and Daviot.

If I ever do it, I want it to be like these guys. Great fun touring vids.

I know two people that have done it. A bloke who did it when he retired and took a fairly leisurely fortnight over it. Also a woman I met who did it a little more briskly – 51 hours 5 minutes and 27 seconds. Hers was not leisurely but she didn’t have to mess about sorting accommodation out… I’d go for the first option if I was doing it. Hth.

Also a woman I met who did it a little more briskly – 51 hours 5 minutes and 27 seconds. Hers was not leisurely but she didn’t have to mess about sorting accommodation out…

That was a tremendous effort TBF. I am surprised no-one else has had a go at one of the solo records since though, and the only Notice of Attempt on the RRA website is the ladies’ tandem one that went ahead a few weeks ago.

We did it in 11 days on the tandem mainly camping.

Yes Cornwall and Devon are hilly. You’re either climbing or about to climb but it’s done in ~3 days and A30 is not that bad.

It’s not very pleasant around some of the NW of England so think carefully about your route unless you love post industrial decay and frantic traffic.

We went via the Gentleman’s excuse me that is Arran. It’s slightly longer than the direct but infinitely better than the central industrial belt and the A82.

It does get lumpy again over the last 2 days just as your brain tells you you’ve cracked it.

Think carefully how you’ll get back from JoG as it can be a pain.

Be flexible on accommodation (true for all touring). If you’re camping, you’ll want a hotel/B&B etc after the second successive wet day to dry out.

Be flexible on schedule if you can. Having the whole thing locked in in advance with bookings can be a bit limiting if you need to vary the planned mileage/day ends (over or under).

Enjoy it, you may never pass through that way again.

Christina was out cheering the Tandemist’s on. Good to see that she is able to get out and about after her being hit by the hit and run driver and later suffering from a stroke.

Enjoy it, you may never pass through that way again.

This is a very good point. I occasionally think revisiting some of the more southerly areas but, several years later, I’ve not done so.

Think carefully how you’ll get back from JoG as it can be a pain.

http://www.johnogroatsbiketransport.co.uk

@MrSparkle I’d missed that she’d had a stroke. I hope she’s making a speedy recovery.

I can’t understand why folk intentionally cycle the A9. I recently say a pair on a tandem cycling on the dual carriageway through the Dromochter pass

There’s a tarmaced cycle path running pretty much the full length from Blair Athol to Dalwhinnie…

There’s a tarmaced cycle path running pretty much the full length from Blair Athol to Dalwhinnie…

Just don’t tell drivers about that beautiful new tarmac they’ve laid on the cycle route. 🙂

Folk going for fast times (see above) will always use the main road as it’s less involved, has fewer turns etc.