Have you completed the End to End or JeLog routes?

[FlyingCyclist]

Question in title.

Haven't cycled much in the past, but bought a new bike, a Ribble CX5 (carbon fibre, cyclocross) last year, and my last ride was July last year, cycled around 100 miles on it altogether.

This year I was planning on cycling more and train to cycle one of the above routes. But life got in the way, got flu straight after Christmas, then I was sacked from work because I was off with flu. I then got a back ache and then finally DVT in my leg. I'm getting better though.
Haven't been looking for a job since I got DVT. Decided that I was fed up being out of work and other things that I won't say on here. Basically I'm a little mad that I don't have a career at my age, nearly 34 now, (and don't want to go back into factory work) and financially stable.

I'm wanting to ride the route for my mum who passed away from cancer in 2016. My sister and one of my cousins have already done something, and I thought to myself I need to do something.

Completing the ride will make me feel like I've done something in my life instead of sitting down looking at computer screen gaming all day long, and it might give me a boost in what I want to do for a job.

I've also considered cycling 300 miles to a spot where I go on holiday each year and meeting my family up there, or cycling the Pennine Route.

Anyway, has anyone completed the JeLog route? I wouldn't mind how you went about training for it.
I'm planning on cycling between 10 and 20 miles a day and working up to more miles a day.

 

[Bored Man]

Why ever you do and when ever you do it - Good luck with it...

Ex Keighley lad..

 

[steveindenmark]

On this site we have the Touring and Adventure section. At the top of that page is a section dedicated to Lejog. A book you may be interested in in Lands End to John O´Groats End to End Cyle Route by Royston Wood. It contains directions for a quite ride and includes GPX files.

There are lots of sites and lots of ways to do it. You just need to find one to suit you.

https://www.cyclelejog.com/transport.html

 

[numbnuts]

I thought about it.......then I got old so do it now and don't leave it for another day – good luck

 

[snorri]

It sounds as if you are in need of the morale boost which a completed LEJOG would provide.
Some things to consider......
As you may only do LEJOG once in your life would you approach LEJOG as a challenge which you would want to complete in as short a time as reasonably possible or would you see it as an experience during which you took time to appreciate the sights and places of interest along the way? Your approach would influence choice of route.
Accommodation...... hotels, B&B, hostels, camping .....booking ahead or taking pot luck as you go?
Whilst many would say it's a "good thing" to raise money for charity it could introduce stress, eg finding donors, collecting money, concerns regarding letting others down if you fail to complete within the scheduled time etc..
OTOH, numbnuts talks good sense, don't overthink it, just do it. Unless you have time restraints or intend breaking a record, LEJOG is just a series of one day cycle trips.

 

[dodgy]

Like a lot of us on here, I'm a lifelong cyclist. Non-cyclists often ask me if I've done LEJOG and are taken aback when I say no. I guess it has some kind of status in the UK, the qualifier of a real enthusiast or something.

Honestly, if I had 10 days give or take to ride my bike daily, I wouldn't choose to ride in the UK. I'd ride across France to Nice, Geneva or Spain. It would be pretty enjoyable once you're over the Channel :P

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I quite fancy the Tour de Manche

https://en.tourdemanche.com/

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/guides/cycling/petit-tour-de-manche

 

[lazytyke]

Another ex Keighley lad here - in terms of training, I'd have thought any ride out of Keighley (unless you ride along the valley bottom) is going to be good. I seem to remember their are quite a few killer hills around there. Just start gently and build the mileage up, so your comfortable on the bike for reasonable distances. I've not done either LEJOG or JOGLE, as I now live down south, it's logistically easier to do some of the long European rides.

 

[Tigerbiten]

I've done the Home -> LE -> JoG -> Home tour three times now and the minimum distance covered on one of these tours is +4,000 miles.
If you go on a camping tour, I reckon it'll cost you around £20-£25 per night.
So the 1,000 miles distance covered at around 50 miles per day will set you back around £450, which is not bad for a 3 week holiday so start saving ...........
The hardest part of a tour like this is just getting out of the front door to get the training miles in.

Luck ...........

 

[Brandane]

Unless you are planning to cycle to and from the start and finish, don't forget to factor in the train fares when working out the expenses. Last time I checked it was in the region of £300 in my case, unless of course you can plan it all well in advance and get discounted fares.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I did the Durness to Dover route a few years back, part of which uses the same routes as the LEJOG/JOGLE. I was surprised the amount of cyclist that were doing the LEJOG routes. the main surprise was how poorly some were prepared for mechanical failure. In one group a member had his derailleur fall apart neither he or his friends had the tools to repair it as they were relying on the surport vechile to carry there tools and spares and that had gone off ahead, lucky for them I had some spare jockey wheel screws that fitted. One group cycling towards me as i was riding South down the Hope to Altnaharra road thought they were heading for BettyHill.
All a lack of the 6 P's Prior planning prevents piss poor performance .

 

[FlyingCyclist]

Thanks for the replies.
I won't be thinking about doing it for quite a while. I need to get back into cycling once my DVT and swelling in foot and lower leg have gone. (I am getting out when I can at the moment, but I'm not going far. I rode the bike for 2 miles and I was breathing heavily when I got back inside, goes to show how unfit I am.) Then I'll get out on the bike and train for maybe a year or something. I'm thinking about cycling exactly 302 miles to a spot where I stay in Scotland every year first before attempting a larger and longer ride.