Comments on LEJOG 2020 draft route

[Ajax Bay]

My advice would be to make sure that your fellow riders sign up to your road choice philosophy by going through the first few days with 1:50,000 maps in the pub.

We have no problem with hills, living in the Peak District, but I've tried to keep it as flat as possible

As you know your minor minor road percentage is very high (Cornwall and Devon, at least) - presumably in an effort to stay off main roads (and B roads?). I'm glad you all have no problems with the hills. "I've tried to keep it as flat as possible"
Detail: look again at k30-k31 on D4 and also at k54-k56.
I'd prefer the next (parallel) road west from Penrith to Carlisle (entering past the racecourse).

 

[nickyboy]

My advice would be to make sure that your fellow riders sign up to your road choice philosophy by going through the first few days with 1:50,000 maps in the pub.

As you know your minor minor road percentage is very high (Cornwall and Devon, at least) - presumably in an effort to stay off main roads (and B roads?). I'm glad you all have no problems with the hills. "I've tried to keep it as flat as possible"
Detail: look again at k30-k31 on D4 and also at k54-k56.
I'd prefer the next (parallel) road west from Penrith to Carlisle (entering past the racecourse).

Thanks for the input, I will make some specific changes on the bits you mentioned. Inevitably there is a tradeoff between choosing minor roads and the climbing involved. What I've found is that even if we ride almost exclusively on minor roads (such as in Cornwall) the climbing is OK so I've planned minor roads and then the least hilly of these. We've got plenty of time to fiddle around with the routes too. 940 miles and about 48k ft climbing sounds pretty flat by Peak District standards!

 

[13 rider]

Day 1 by following the Coast from Porthtowan ,Perranporth ,Morgan Porth will be constant climbing steep hills 15% . But will be very scenic you can cut the climbing down a bit by heading inland around Camborne . Have you tried plotting a route with mycycletravel it's sends you via Penzance by St Michael's Mount and then inland will still be up and down but slightly less brutal

 

[nickyboy]

Day 1 by following the Coast from Porthtowan ,Perranporth ,Morgan Porth will be constant climbing steep hills 15% . But will be very scenic you can cut the climbing down a bit by heading inland around Camborne . Have you tried plotting a route with mycycletravel it's sends you via Penzance by St Michael's Mount and then inland will still be up and down but slightly less brutal

I did umm and aaah about that stretch cos it is hard. It's really picturesque. One of our participants has never been to Cornwall and that bit is sort of classic N Cornish seaside. Plus we used to take the children to Mawgan Porth so it has some very happy memories for me. I'll bounce it past the guys and see what they say

 

[13 rider]

I did umm and aaah about that stretch cos it is hard. It's really picturesque. One of our participants has never been to Cornwall and that bit is sort of classic N Cornish seaside. Plus we used to take the children to Mawgan Porth so it has some very happy memories for me. I'll bounce it past the guys and see what they say

Are you carring luggage on a loaded bikes the climbs will be tough but doable if you've got low gears . I Holiday in Cornwall and have cycled most of that route on my road bike and it's tough . But the route from Porthtowan to Perranporth is lovely if you have the weather to see the views. Cycling inland in Cornwall is very Mundane as you get no views over the hedges

 

[nickyboy]

Are you carring luggage on a loaded bikes the climbs will be tough but doable if you've got low gears . I Holiday in Cornwall and have cycled most of that route on my road bike and it's tough . But the route from Porthtowan to Perranporth is lovely if you have the weather to see the views. Cycling inland in Cornwall is very Mundane as you get no views over the hedges

We are unsupported but staying in hotels/B&Bs. And we're stopping off at home on D5. So hopefully this means we will be able to travel light. I also like the idea of going via Mawgan Porth as we fancy Padstow and the Rock ferry

 

[Ajax Bay]

there is a tradeoff between choosing minor roads and the climbing involved.

To help you quantify that trade off for Day1, here's my route (heading for near Hatherleigh):
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31377996
Yours: 129k + 1712m
Mine: 118k + 1444m
It's interesting to me that in my early planning I started off wanting to ride those north Cornish coast roads working up to Padstow/Rock ferry. I did some recces (when in St Agnes for a couple of days) and revised my plan/route. But I'm from the flat terrain which is East Devon - 36 chevrons within a radius of 2 miles of Northleigh (SE of Honiton) - scarcely Peak District stuff.
13 rider said: "Day 1 - following the coast from Porthtowan, Perranporth, Morgan Porth will be constant climbing steep hills 15% . But will be very scenic . . ."
"Scenic" in the 'audax' sense. The hardest section is the last bit: the B3276 north from Newquay to Padstow via Porth, Trevarrian, Mawgan Porth/Trenance, Efflins, Porthcothan, St Merryn: wait till you tackle that after 100k.
Padstow: Looks like the tides (@1500) will be OK (and rising) for a 'normal' boarding off the harbour wall. At spring lows (autumn equinox) I had to go down to the beach (and took spare plastic bags for on top of shoes - both boarding and on the Rock side). Worth avoiding salty damp shoes on Day 1.
https://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/3550.html?y=2020&m=5&d=19

 

[OldShep]

Day 7
I’d stay on the A6 right upto the A66. Cross over the 66 and there’s a cyclepath takes you west to next roundabout. Trn right upto next mini rbt take Haweswater rd , Go Outdoors on right.
left at next rbt , over the Mway then right into Newton Lane.
you’ll have cut out two hills and town traffic. Then you’ll see you can rejoin your route at Durdar.

 

[nickyboy]

Day 7
I’d stay on the A6 right upto the A66. Cross over the 66 and there’s a cyclepath takes you west to next roundabout. Trn right upto next mini rbt take Haweswater rd , Go Outdoors on right.
left at next rbt , over the Mway then right into Newton Lane.
you’ll have cut out two hills and town traffic. Then you’ll see you can rejoin your route at Durdar.

Thanks @OldShep I had assumed the A6 may be a bit busy but we will follow your advice

 

[Ajax Bay]

Since @OldShep raises that part, I'll offer an alternative for the stretch from Tebay to Unthank (and on to Carlisle) which is more or less the route I took (and parts ridden again since).
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31381585
Stay away from the A6 altogether. Take on the climb up Orton Scar (will feel just like back home!), benefit from the eye-watering but efficient loss of potential energy down to Lyvennet Beck / Crosby Ravensworth and Moreland (good cafe there), and enjoy the fantastic scenery across the Eden valley all the way to just short of Penrith (but beyond Cliburn). Pick up NCN 71 (right) which takes one under the A66 (cyclepath) and on the back/top street in Penrith (easy to drop to the Penrith shops if desired) and then along Thacka Lane (private road to motor vehicles but designated for cycles (NCN 7)) under the railway and the M6, back on the minor road to Little Benbow and cut north to Unthank.

 

[OldShep]

@Ajax Bay s route, I’ve done a few times, is indeed a scenic route but bear in mind yours is a 90 mile day and not a 60 mile. You won’t notice any traffic on A6 until Eamont Bridge. This is the first year I haven’t ridden it in the last 7 years.

 

[nickyboy]

@Ajax Bay s route, I’ve done a few times, is indeed a scenic route but bear in mind yours is a 90 mile day and not a 60 mile. You won’t notice any traffic on A6 until Eamont Bridge. This is the first year I haven’t ridden it in the last 7 years.

I'm also conscious that D6 is 90miles/6,000ft

Our only concern with the ride is the cumulative fatigue of several days 80+miles. We've all done a few 100 mile rides and even a couple of back to backs. But never done several consecutive days and no idea how the body will react. As such I was happy with the tough D1/D2 in Cornwall/Devon followed by long but flat days up to Crewe. But D6 is quite hard so I'd like D7 to not be too tricky as we have D8/9/10/11 to look forward to

 

[snorri]

Day 10
Your Route joins the A9 on the north side of Tain, but detours off to the left shortly after. I'd advise staying on the A9 to the roundabout at the south end of the Dornoch Firth Bridge, it's mostly downhill. There is a one metre strip beside the carriageway which is good for cycling on if you feel the carriageway is uncomfortably busy.
That loop on your route (mileage markers 69 & 70) is passable, but not tarred and you would lose time going that way for no advantage that I can see.

 

[OldShep]

IME The cumulative effort will take its toll on day 4 by day 6 or 7 you’ll be in the groove and flying. Also don’t underestimate how tiring it can be navigating through large towns you’re not familiar with.
Your day 1&2 will be tough though. I reached Oakhampton with 6200’ climbing. Looks like you’ll be well over that.
When you get over the Kessock Bridge there is a cycle path beside the A9 and leads you to the "Harry Gow" bakery, I’m sure you’ll be hungry, then carries on upto rbt You were heading for.

 

[nickyboy]

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).

By my calcs, that adds about 1300ft of climbing to my route. We're the same until about Peebles where you take the B709 and I take the A703 for about 8 miles. Do you think it's worth the extra climbing?