I want to do LEJOG

[Holdsworth]

I have never attempted any sort of long distance touring, aside from one fully-loaded century last year, but I am eager to attempt my first (and hopefully not my last) LEJOG this summer.

I have a bike which I believe is up to the task. It is a Revolution Country Traveller, a basic but well-built touring bike that has covered around 2500 miles in total since new last May without many issues.

TBH though I have little idea of where to start being a touring newbie. Basic things like route, equipment, camping or B & B and overall cost are things I have no clue about. the date I have set in my mind is for the end of July and early August, I should have no trouble in booking a fortnight and a bit off for the trip which should be enough if all goes to plan. The average trip time seems to be around 10-14 days so I'd need a day or two either side to accommodate the train travel from Crewe to Penzance and from Wick/Thurso back to Crewe, easily a days travel by my estimates.

I would appreciate any advice on this, any more detail needed just ask

 

[vernon]

Reading this forum and the LEJOG forum on the CTC web site will repay you handsomely.

The sticking point for anyone relying on trains, is the service to/from Wick/Thurso. Make sure that you have the train journey from Wick/Thurso booked before you book your holiday out. The trains have limited capacity. It would be worth your while looking at alternative ways of getting back.

Your bike is more than up for the task.

There is no definitive route. There are variations on a theme though. The CTC publish an information pack offering three alternative routes. There are guide books promoting routes of their own. I bought a road atlas, drew some straight lines along where I vaguely wanted to be. Selected the nearest roads to the lines and chose them.

Some one has kept a list of LEJOG rides that you'll find in the forums somewhere.

Once you have done some more research you'll have some more tightly focussed questions.

Good luck.

I've done it both ways and loved it.

 

[snorri]

Some points to ponder.
Don't tell any of your friends or relatives that you are planning LEJOG, it takes the pressure to complete of you, and they will get an even greater thrill when you announce that you have done it.
You have done 2500 miles on the bike in the last year so will be fit for the challenge
Everyone has their own approach, some like to plan every inch of the route including accommodation, others take a more casual approach. You could get a Road Atlas of the UK and mark the key points you wish to pass through, say LE, Bristol, Liverpool, Carlisle etc. Draw a straight line between each point and select the nearest road to the line and that is your route, or perhaps not if it's a motorway, but you get the drift..
Will you use B&B, hotels or hostels? Or perhaps a combination of all, this would would be best decided beforehand.
If not camping then the load on your bike can be much reduced, but the drain on finances would be greater.
July /August puts you into peak holiday time, so finding accomodation may not be so easy. Yet booking accommodation in advance for the whole tour puts pressure on you to meet the schedule.
The most direct routes involve mixing it with heavy motor traffic, you may wish to compromise by taking a longer route on quieter roads.
Booking of train connections is necessary, particularly booking bike space. Take a look at the timetables to see what suits. Wick and Thurso are more or less equidistant from JOG when planning return rail trip.
Take a look at the forum on the CTC website, there is a section devoted to LEJOG, and the forum is open to non-members, lots of tips and experiences there.
I hope this gives you food for thought, good luck!

 

[dellzeqq]

put this link in your smartphone http://www.thecyclingexperts.co.uk/ just in case you need a mechanical fixed

 

[robgul]

This is a good place to start ... www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk - loads of info, resources, other riders' journals, a calendar of current rides ..... a Route Pack and ready-to ride route books available too.

Rob

 

[Holdsworth]

The big factor for me now is cost, as is the way with things. If I go for it around the dates I have set I will have at most £800 saved from my wages before even booking the rail fares, accommodation and buying any necessary equipment. I know a new set of tyres are required ASAP as the rear one is pretty much balled after 2500 miles! I can see that it will be tight and it may be necessary to postpone my trip until September sometime when the peak season is over and I (hopefully) have a little more cash saved up.

I have decided that trains are the only option for travelling to and from the start and finish points. I can save a quite a bit by booking in advance and splitting the journey at interchange points. With a bit of research I could find a £35 fare to Penzance and one in the region of £80 from Thurso, although the gap between the connecting trains are very tight on the latter. There is some debate as to where you stand if you miss a connection from a delayed train when splitting advance tickets. With a single advance journey booked in advance in one go if you miss a connection from a late train you are automatically allowed to get on the next available train to your destination, the issue is somewhat blurred if you split the tickets by booking each leg separately with different train companies.

As of yet I do not know whether to camp or book B & B's or hostels along the way. I feel that camping would be the more adventurous and more fulfilling but also add weight to the bike load and there is a bit more initial outlay for the tent, sleep mat and Trangia stove that would go with it.

The choosing of the route will come later. I have a basic idea of the route from Chepstow to the North West and also through the Highlands but Cornwall, the SW and souther Scotland I haven't a clue. I will definitely trawl through the CTC and the posted links to see which route suits me best.

Thanks all that have contributed so far

 

[bof]

I'm planning doing LEJOG in the Autumn. Travelodge may be your friend - at least as far as Stirling. I was able to book 4 nights along the route for a total of £72. They have the advantage too that you can turn up at any hour of the day or night and I have never had an issue with taking the bike into my room. The drawback is that the local eatery is usually a Little Chef/Burger King etc.

I haven't booked my way back yet but Easyjet do cheap flights from Inverness - maybe a good deal cheaper than train.

 

[wintonbina]

Having done LeJoG last year (seems like 20years now!) we booked travelodge all the way up England & in Edinburgh. It was dirt cheap & as said above you can take your bike in the room, you can have a hot shower (and a cold bath which is good for the lattic acid etc) and a proper bed!!!!
Good luck and you wont believe how good the end is!

 

[Fubar]

Though not specifically aimed at LEJOG the Travelling Two website has lots of good touring advice:

http://travellingtwo.com/

You can also download a free copy of their online book by signing up to their newsletter.

Regards, Mark

 

[jay clock]

www.crazyguyonabike.com is a superb touring resource

 

[Holdsworth]

My plans for LeJOG this year aren't going ahead. Finances aren't going to be enough to support myself over the tour so I am leaving it until next year before attempting it. I may instead go on a short tour of North Wales and go to my regular camping site for a week or so.

 

[alans]

Co-incidentally,I started my JoGLE from Crewe.
If you want to meet up for a chat let me know

 

[mcshroom]

Co-incidentally,I started my JoGLE from Crewe.
If you want to meet up for a chat let me know

Can i meet up with you and chat about it

For further north than the travelodges, look for SYHA hostels and independent hostels. They tend to be cheaper than B&B and often have bike storage.

For Southern Scotland there's a short route to Glasgow up NCN 74 which takes the old A74 route, or the longer but picturesque route is through Glentrool. There is a lot written about the horrible bit of A74 between Carlisle and Gretna, but now that they've made that bit a motorway there's a nice road next to the motorway to get you accross that bit. It does get pretty close though: -

 

[alans]

Can i meet up with you and chat about it

It'd be a pleasure:
july 14th o.k.for you?
Tamworth area?

 

[mcshroom]

Sounds good to me