End to End 8

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Just getting back into regular cycling after a break of two years concentrating on challenge walking and the "Gaffer" has agreed that I can ride the End to End, within the next year (she was a bit concerned that I would want to walk it, hence permission to cycle it).

Rather than a straight forward JOGLE I have decided to try for a figure of 8 based on Haltwhistle in the Tyne Valley. This raises several questions.
1) I am a 67 year old resonably fit man, who cycled the LEJOG route five years ago in 17 days, including breaks. Can I still use the YHA, as they seem to be getting thin on the ground and rather up market.
2) I will be useing a six year old Dawes Khara-Kum, with butterfly handle bars. Because I will be trying to use canal towpaths and cycle trails, should I change to mountain bike tyres or stick to the heavy duty road ones that are fitted.
3) I fancy useing a helmet camera, are there any suggestions for a £100-£120 camera that will take still shots and could be used as a general purpose camera in the Lakes etc. (I am a point and shoot person, rather than a photographer)
4) I have worked out a route to Cape Wrath, J o G and back to Haltwhistle and also a route down the Pennines and Cotswolds to L. E then on to Dover but I am stuck on the route back to Haltwhistle via London or rather the Thames. Their seems three options.
(a) Barge through central London via the Grand union Canal
(B) Use an East route via Dartford or Gravesend then up to Saffron Walding etc
(c) Use the Thames path to Oxford
Is their any one who has view on these three options or is there a forth one bearing in mind the 8
Sorry this has been a long post but there is a lot of planing and training to do over the comingwinter (Hartside will be getting visited several times) and I want to be prepared for it.
Cush
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Have a look at the YHA website to see what's available in terms of hostels and bunkhouses. There's also the independent hostel movement.

Your heavy duty road tyres should do the job. I've used no other tyres on a wide range of surfaces without problems.

Can't advise you on helmet cams or the return route.

Enjoy your planning.

Mine took all of ficve minutes - deciding which pages needed to be pulled out of a motoring atlas to cover the route. :laugh:
 
I have now found the other posts on helmet camera's and have decided that I can make do with my three year old didgital with a handle bar fixing but I am still at odds on how to get up to and past London, NCR 1 seems the answer but are there better ways? I am a simple Northerner, who likes the open fells and easy roads with out too much hasle.
 
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