Comments on LEJOG 2020 draft route

[Ajax Bay]

I've looked at your route and given you're heading for the 'old' Forth Road Bridge, I think your route is fine. The section north of Innerleithen is wild and scenic and you cycle into the hills wondering where on earth the road can possibly go, but it does take you over the col by Eastside Heights and then over the Moorfoot Hills. Great view of Edinburgh on the descent.

 

[OldShep]

Speaking of A703 I see you turning right at Leadburn ml32. I only ever took that road once It was awful. It seemed to be a rat run at the time I was on it and also not very wide. I always go through Penicuik now when up that way.

 

[Slick]

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.

Mmm, Harry Gow, probably worth the ride alone.

 

[nickyboy]

So a quick question for all those experienced LEJOGers (or other long distance) cyclists out there. It's about my favourite topic...food

I'd be interested to hear people's experiences regarding what they ate, when etc. Our daily routine will be to leave the B&B about 9am and will need about 7 hours cycling to get to the next stop (so anticipating getting to the B&B around 5.30-6.00). Of course B&Bs offer everything from cereal to full English. I'd anticipated going to a pub for a decent two course dinner about 7pm and maybe a couple of pints

Appreciate it's different if you're camping, but for those who stayed in B&Bs etc, how did you manage your food intake? I'm kinda leaning towards a decent breakfast (not full English though), a "proper" lunch, a café snack at say 4pm and then evening meal at 7pm

 

[I like Skol]

I wouldn't have thought the afternoon snack would be needed everyday and if a little boost is needed this could be covered by snacks carried with us, just a cereal bar or pork pie
You are probably right about not going overboard on breakfast, but I possibly will anyway

 

[DCBassman]

The Camel Trail goes from Padstow to Camelford

Nope, Padstow to Bodmin. not an issue if you're using the ferry.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Brains said:
The Camel Trail goes from Padstow to Camelford

Nope, Padstow to Bodmin.

Do you wish to reconsider that dispute @DCBassman , after look at a map, perhaps, to see where the River Camel flows? I wonder why Camelford is so called?
Being relatively (Tavi) local, outside Bodmin, after the run down from Padstow (18km), have you not turned north up the lovely valley (for 11km) and after Wenford Bridge onto minor roads to Camelford?

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'd be interested to hear people's experiences regarding what they ate, when etc. Our daily routine will be to leave the B&B about 9am and will need about 7 hours cycling to get to the next stop (so anticipating getting to the B&B around 5.30-6.00). Of course B&Bs offer everything from cereal to full English. I'd anticipated going to a pub for a decent two course dinner about 7pm and maybe a couple of pints

I booked my B&B overnights to be 'pub (with food)-accessible' (1 Northlew, 2 Bristol, 3 Shrewsbury, 4 Lancaster, 6 Craobh Haven(Kintyre), 8 Crask Inn) - this was a key criteria in my B&B choices. On the other two nights I knew I'd not be in walking distance of food (and I didn't want to get back on my bike in the evening) at Sanquar (on A76 heading for Ardrossan/Arran) I ate early evening at the last town (Thornhill - a 'haggis supper') and carried a snack for '9 o'clockers'; and at the South Laggan hostel (A82) I bought some food in Fort William to cook in the hostel kitchen (twice the normal amount that I would normally serve up/eat). In Shrewsbury I walked to the local 'Spoons and had their buy 2 meals for £X, served sequentially (!).
A decent snack mid-afternoon is worth it.
I went 'overboard' at breakfast whenever possible, but consider two points: only for those with robust constitution/digestion and don't let the breakfast, however good, delay your departure.

 

[lazybloke]

Looking at my rides on the Camel Trail, going from Padstow to Wenford Bridge is about 17 miles and an elevation gain of 70m.
Nice, easy, reasonable surface, lots of estuary and woodland views. And a reasonable surface.

Once on the tarmac again, it's about 5 miles to Valley Truckle (the southern edge of Camelford). In those 5 miles you gain another 130m of elevation. Haven't got elevation plots for this part of the route, but Google suggests it's one gentle climb all the way, rather than the more familiar 'sawtooth' seen elsewhere in Cornwall.

So a total of 22 or 23 gentle miles from Padstow to Camelford. Sounds good.


The ferry to Rock offers a variety of shorter routes (could save 10 miles), but all on roads and with more climbing.


I'd probably have more than one route in mind, and make a final decision once at Padstow.

 

[I like Skol]

I went 'overboard' at breakfast whenever possible, but consider two points: only for those with robust constitution/digestion and don't let the breakfast, however good, delay your departure.

Got that covered . When working nights I usually hurriedly consume a largish family evening meal before rushing out the door to cycle a fast 10 miles to work. I never have any issues producing the required effort or keeping the food down/in .
Conversely, on day shifts I leave early (5.30ish) after just a mug of coffee and do the same ride/effort and continue to work through to around 9.30/10.00 before eating any breakfast, just using my bodies reserves and this doesn't feel physically much different.
When doing longer rides of 100 miles or similar I stop to eat around lunchtime after 40-60 miles because I am feeling 'peckish' rather than feeling weak or exhausted due to hunger. I don't know if I reach a point where fuelling becomes an issue because I don't let that happen and just following the 'normal' meal routines has proven enough to support my cycling adventures.
Obviously this may be completely different for my partners on the LEJoG trip?

 

[nickyboy]

Got that covered . When working nights I usually hurriedly consume a largish family evening meal before rushing out the door to cycle a fast 10 miles to work. I never have any issues producing the required effort or keeping the food down/in .
Conversely, on day shifts I leave early (5.30ish) after just a mug of coffee and do the same ride/effort and continue to work through to around 9.30/10.00 before eating any breakfast, just using my bodies reserves and this doesn't feel physically much different.
When doing longer rides of 100 miles or similar I stop to eat around lunchtime after 40-60 miles because I am feeling 'peckish' rather than feeling weak or exhausted due to hunger. I don't know if I reach a point where fuelling becomes an issue because I don't let that happen and just following the 'normal' meal routines has proven enough to support my cycling adventures.
Obviously this may be completely different for my partners on the LEJoG trip?

That feels right to me. Substantial breakfast and out the door at 9am. I reckon I'm ready for more food around 12.30 which is half the day's cycling done. Only issue is whether to go full monty lunch to keep me going all day or something a bit lighter,necessitating a stop at say 4pm. I'm leaning towards a bit lighter with a 4pm stop

Having said that, there are at least 2-3 days where we are in the middle of nowhere at 4pm so that isn't an option

 

[DCBassman]

Brains said:
The Camel Trail goes from Padstow to Camelford

Do you wish to reconsider that dispute @DCBassman , after look at a map, perhaps, to see where the River Camel flows? I wonder why Camelford is so called?
Being relatively (Tavi) local, outside Bodmin, after the run down from Padstow (18km), have you not turned north up the lovely valley (for 11km) and after Wenford Bridge onto minor roads to Camelford?

Not really; the trail ends at Wenford Bridge (which isn't Bodmin, I'll freely admit!), not Camelford.
I've done the run from Padstow to Wenford and back, a nice 38 mile round trip, probably back in the 90s. Then, as now, I never, ever cycle on roads if at all avoidable, so beyond the trail on lanes is a no-no.
My apologies for the thread disruption!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That feels right to me. Substantial breakfast and out the door at 9am. I reckon I'm ready for more food around 12.30 which is half the day's cycling done. Only issue is whether to go full monty lunch to keep me going all day or something a bit lighter,necessitating a stop at say 4pm. I'm leaning towards a bit lighter with a 4pm stop

Having said that, there are at least 2-3 days where we are in the middle of nowhere at 4pm so that isn't an option

Not a detail that needs planning. You can decide how much to have at lunch based on how you feel. You may be super hungry or you may not. Just decide when you reach your lunchtime stop.

 

[Brains]

Not really; the trail ends at Wenford Bridge (which isn't Bodmin, I'll freely admit!), not Camelford.
I've done the run from Padstow to Wenford and back, a nice 38 mile round trip, probably back in the 90s. Then, as now, I never, ever cycle on roads if at all avoidable, so beyond the trail on lanes is a no-no.
My apologies for the thread disruption!

As an FYI - I was even more local, living just up the hill from Wenford Bridge (and I still have parent and sibling there)
I also have a nephew that works in the excellent and bike friendly Snails Pace cafe at Wenford Bridge.
Worth keeping in mind for your trip, as not many other food options in the area

Whilst that is the official end of the trail there, I too dislike cycling on narrow Cornish lanes, there is a perfectly reasonable route from Wenford to Camelford or, better still across the open moor to Davidstow
The roads may be narrow, but you can see cars (and sheep and wild horses) from a mile away

It's Sustrans route 3 - a 300m climb over 60km
One steep hill/Cornish lane between Wenford and St Breward (cafe at the bottom, pub at the top!)
(And yes, you do have to do that dog leg at Davidstow, otherwise you will be lifting your bike over a 6 foot gate, don't ask how i know this!)

 

[nickyboy]

So we're having another try at this..

Depart LE May 12, Arrive JoG May 21

We decided to forget about September this year as a number of places we booked hadn't reopened and cafes, pubs etc didn't feel like particularly comfortable environments

Same route as the cancelled attempt this year. Most of the accomodation is now booked. All we need is weather May 2021 like May 2020