Comments on LEJOG 2020 draft route

[PeteXXX]

Have you thought of getting to Land's End, and from John O'Groats yet?

I was on my own, unsupported, and hired a car 'one way' to LE, and then a boat from JOG to Orkney for a ferry back to Aberdeen (then train to Peterborough)

 

[nickyboy]

Have you thought of getting to Land's End, and from John O'Groats yet?

I was on my own, unsupported, and hired a car 'one way' to LE, and then a boat from JOG to Orkney for a ferry back to Aberdeen (then train to Peterborough)

There are four of us. One way minibus from Manchester to Penzance. After we get to JOG we will ride to Wick and stay overnight. One way minibus back to Manchester

 

[I like Skol]

Date of LEJOG sorted for next year. Leave LE May 20, Arrive JOG May 29

Onto accomodation booking now. Pretty exciting !!

20th, really? I may have had a pint as we discussed this but I am certain that day zero (transit day) was 18th and day 1 (The Grand depart) was 19th. You can start on 20th but will have to catch up

 

[nickyboy]

20th, really? I may have had a pint as we discussed this but I am certain that day zero (transit day) was 18th and day 1 (The Grand depart) was 19th. You can start on 20th but will have to catch up

Too many cocktails by the pool...yes, depart 19th, arrive 29th

 

[nickyboy]

So we're booked....it's happening

May 18 travel to Sennen by van from Glossop, 4 middle aged guys

May 19 Lands End to Camelford
May 20 Camelford to Wellington
May 21 Wellington to Gloucester
May 22 Gloucester to Crewe
May 23 Crewe to Glossop (half day, bit of family time and recovery)
May 24 Glossop to Tebay
May 25 Tebay to Tushielaw Inn (it isn't a place, middle of nowhere)
May 26 Tushielaw Inn to Perth
May 27 Perth to Boat of Garten
May 28 Boat of Garten to Golspie
May 29 Golspie to JoG (staying overnight in Thurso and van home next day)

Relax for now, important stuff done

 

[alibaba]

Hi Nicky boy,
Can I be part of this advanture?i can cycle now after long time recovery ......
Thanks

 

[lazybloke]

The Rock ferry was £4 for me and the bike in late May this year. And cyclists got called to the front of the queue as they put bikes in the 'cabin' at the front.
Heck of a climb up from Rock, though, but there's a nice ice cream stop half way up!

I've taken the Camel trail from Padstow up to Wenfordbridge. Bits of it are very nice and almost as fast as the roads, but some is mud/gravel. I reckon it might be slow and tiring after a long day in the saddle. It goes a bit out of the way too.

If you don't mind the traffic you could hop off the Camel trail at Wadebridge and take the much more direct A39 to Camelford.

Or from Padstow take a ferry to Rock and go through Pityme and St Minver to Pendogget, Trebugett, St Teath, and Valley Truckle. That's also a fairly direct route but on mostly tiny quiet lanes... Although there are a few short sharp undulations.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Appreciate any comments on the outline route:
Day 2 Camelford to Wellington
Day 3 Wellington to Gloucester via Weston Super Mare (keeping West of Bristol)

I know you'll have done some (or lots) of route planning. In case you find it useful, allow me to share this route from Camelford to Olveston (by M48)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31369072?beta=false
Camelford, Holsworthy, Winkleigh, Chawleigh, Tiverton (then canal), Wellington, Taunton (canal), Bridgwater, (Axbridge (west of), Strawberry Line and continue on NCN 26 then 410 all the way across Avon Bridge, wiggle via Hallen to M48x/Olveston (canals optional; gets one off the A38)
The first 75k and the last 100k are more or less the route I took for my last 2 hours Day 1 and all of Day 2 in 2015 and I've ridden the other roads (middle section (Chawleigh to Taunton)) quite recently.
Doesn't go to Weston, but visiting that town requires a fair detour: you have to go way back inland to cross the Congressbury Yeo river.
Good luck with your planning and preparations.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Day 8 Langholm to Dunfermline via Edinburgh

In the same sharing spirit:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16173792?beta=false
This is a ride I did in September 2016 (from Canonbie, south of Langholm to a wedding in Edinburgh). This road has to be the best riding north from the border to Edinburgh - and is exactly the route of LEL (edge of Edinburgh, Innerleithen, Eskdalemuir, Langholm), in reverse (ridden in August 2017).

 

[nickyboy]

I know you'll have done some (or lots) of route planning. In case you find it useful, allow me to share this route from Camelford to Olveston (by M48)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31369072?beta=false
Camelford, Holsworthy, Winkleigh, Chawleigh, Tiverton (then canal), Wellington, Taunton (canal), Bridgwater, (Axbridge (west of), Strawberry Line and continue on NCN 26 then 410 all the way across Avon Bridge, wiggle via Hallen to M48x/Olveston (canals optional; gets one off the A38)
The first 75k and the last 100k are more or less the route I took for my last 2 hours Day 1 and all of Day 2 in 2015 and I've ridden the other roads (middle section (Chawleigh to Taunton)) quite recently.
Doesn't go to Weston, but visiting that town requires a fair detour: you have to go way back inland to cross the Congressbury Yeo river.
Good luck with your planning and preparations.

Thanks very much @Ajax Bay . I will take a close look at this one and the one to Edinburgh. I don't know these roads so our routes are planned with google maps thus far although there are some similarities with what I've come up with thus far
One immediate question; are the canal stretches rideable by road bikes with 25mm tyres?

 

[Ajax Bay]

I included those canal stretches because they avoid A roads but riders' thresholds for non-metalled surfaces vary. I ride them irregularly (ie perhaps 2-3 times a year) on 25s but I consider I have a high tolerance threshold.
Road alternatives are entirely available, some A roads, some rather minor (ie narrow yellow on 1:50,000).
The surfaces are all pretty smooth. The canal from Tiverton towards Wellington (they never finished it and the railways arrived) has bridges to go under with a shout/bell, unclipping and care. The one heading east then north from Taunton is easier, faster (and no low bridges). The alternative is A roads which are quite busy at times.
The Strawberry Line (Axbridge to Yatton (but if you will go via Weston you only do the last bit from the Congresbury road)) is very good unless there's been heavy rain. Again the alternative is busy, and longer. I went Bridgwater A39, Woolavington B3141/B3139, Mark and north to A38 to join the Line at its start (lights for the tunnel!).
Finally there's a choice NE from Clevedon: NCN 410 exceptionally quiet and the route I take every time, or NCN26 on the B3124, which is certainly a few minutes quicker.
The route to Edinburgh is a 'must' (imo). Alternatives will lead you along the rumbly road which parallels the M74 to Moffat and then the A701/A72 (which a minority moaned about after LEL) - that was the route going north - they kept the cracking one I've recommended for the 'way back'.

Day 7 Sedbergh to Langholm (would like to do a few more miles . .

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31375412
Going north from Brampton and round to Langholm on the B6318 is a bit longer but avoids the A6071/A7. A few km short (south) of Langholm I've stayed at the Cross Keys at Canonbie (just in Scotland) a couple of times (once after bailing on Mille Pennines, once on the way to Edinburgh). Good beer; good food; an empty function room to store the bikes, half a dozen rooms. I'm sure Langholm's lovely.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Don’t stop in Liverpool, unless you fancy doing the last bit without a bike.

 

[I like Skol]

but riders' thresholds for non-metalled surfaces vary. I ride them irregularly (ie perhaps 2-3 times a year) on 25s but I consider I have a high tolerance threshold.

Nickyboy is an ace mtb'r, he eats rough surfaces for breakfast....

 

[Ajax Bay]

Day 6 - Glossop to Sedbergh via Burnley, Ingleton, Casterton

Don’t stop in Liverpool

Would be quite a detour on a route from Glossop to Burnley.

 

[nickyboy]

Whilst I don't expect anyone to waste their time looking at these in detail, any significant improvements I can make to the routes would be very welcome

Our accomodation is booked and we have to stop off in Glossop. Other than that our only requirement is to keep off busy roads. We have no problem with hills, living in the Peak District, but I've tried to keep it as flat as possible

Day 1 Lands End to Camelford
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30824481
Day 2 Camelford to Wellington
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30826375
Day 3 Wellington to Gloucester
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825370
Day 4 Gloucester to Crewe
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825482
Day 5 Crewe to Glossop
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825535
Day 6 Glossop to Tebay
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825623
Day 7 Tebay to Tushielaw
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31374779
Day 8 Tushielaw to Perth
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825804
Day 9 Perth to Boat of Garten
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825884
Day 10 Boat of Garten to Golspie
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825961
Day 11 Golspie to John O'Groats
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30826000

I'm hopeful the Cromarty ferry will be running late May. Its start dates seem somewhat variable.

Any rubbish sections I've planned to ride on? Any amazing sections I've missed?