I'm 60 and can do 10mph all day long

[Davidc]

And joining the CTC and your local group might help find companions.

A local CTC group would be nice!

My problem at the moment is knowing if I'll be working next summer and if so where and when! If that sorts out sensibly then I'm definitely going to try and do LEJOG as a 60th celebration.

I have plenty of friends getting to 60 this year, next year and in 2013, but none seem to want to cycle 800+ miles and most seem to think I need the men in white coats!

 

[Freddyflintstone]

That happened to me in Scotland where I did a lot of work. The guys in their local pub(my B&B)
Bet me 1 (THATS ONE) pint I couldn't do it (they thought it was a safe bet)
After I did the 140miles round trip I got my pint. Had to prove it by telling them certain landmarks.
Should of seen their face's when they bought it

 

[gary in derby]

wondering if i would be gatecrashing as only 49 in march.

 

[wintonbina]

Go for it guys. I did it this year (I'm 54) in 9 days. Travelodge do good deals if you book early £19 per room in a lot of places.
And yes I agree that 50-60 miles per day is very,very do-able & don't forget you only have one life( I think!) so make the most of it and start planning now. Good luck

 

[Ian H]

One of my pipe-dreams is a four day lejog (or vv). It would require a bit of planning.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

When were you planning on doing it? I'm 58 next year and there's a small inheritance in the pipeline so I could well be up for it if you don't mind riding with a youngster.

Wintonbina, did booking rooms in advance help with keeping to a schedule or did it leave you feeling pressurised? I think I'd rather spend a little extra on rooms than feel I had to do a certain number of miles in a given period.

 

[The Jogger]

I could be up for this. I'm 54 next year and 10mph sounds a nice pace.

 

[wintonbina]

Hi Deptfordmarmoset, I found it a stimulant but others might not! But if you/they are only doing 60 miles then that is very achievable and to know that a bed & hot bath/shower is waiting for you, well thats a nice feeling.
And you will also know your budget cos knocking on b&b doors to find a bed tends to be expensive!

 

[snorri]

wondering if i would be gatecrashing as only 49 in march.

Obviously at your tender age you would be offering to carry the bulk of their luggage, so no, I don't think you would be considered a gatecrasher.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Hi Deptfordmarmoset, I found it a stimulant but others might not! But if you/they are only doing 60 miles then that is very achievable and to know that a bed & hot bath/shower is waiting for you, well thats a nice feeling.
And you will also know your budget cos knocking on b&b doors to find a bed tends to be expensive!

Thanks, wintonbina. I think that it's not so much knowing that I have to be somewhere 60-odd miles away at the end of the day that might bother me, it's the thought that I might have to be at a chain of precise points by a certain time (eg at a particular place 240 miles away in 4 day's time) that might take away some of the flexibility.

On the other hand, I know that faffing about looking for accommodation in a place you don't know can be very stressful, particularly if it happens at the end of a bad day when all you want to do is lie down, cool down, or dry off...

 

[gary in derby]

just a thought, im sure that one of the group would have a good lady in doors that could help out there? as an idea say at 2pm each day a text home to say will be at such and such at 5pm would get said good lady to look for X amount of rooms at such place. then text back when booked. so that way riders would just put post code in garmin or such device and head off for hot shower and let good ladies know we are safe and sound.

 

[Barbelier]

I think that it's not so much knowing that I have to be somewhere 60-odd miles away at the end of the day that might bother me, it's the thought that I might have to be at a chain of precise points by a certain time (eg at a particular place 240 miles away in 4 day's time) that might take away some of the flexibility.

On the other hand, I know that faffing about looking for accommodation in a place you don't know can be very stressful, particularly if it happens at the end of a bad day when all you want to do is lie down, cool down, or dry off...

I did JOGLE 15 months ago solo, upsupported staying in B&Bs over 16 days at the tender age of 53 and it was a fantastic experience. Just go for it - too many people talk about doing it and never make it.

I booked all my B&Bs in advance and with a group I would suggest that's the best approach.
I was averaging 10 mph including stops and did 50-70 each day, with a couple of half day rest days. So long as you set of early enough in the morning you'll have plenty of time to get to the next stopover and some spare time for sightseeing, bad weather or mechnicals.

One note of caution though about a group. There will probably be some tough days, especially if you hit bad weather and some may find it tough going. Also you're likely to have different levels of fitness. The big advantage of going solo is can go at your own pace and you don't have to worry about being nice to others in the group, if you're struggling or at a low ebb. Might be a good idea to try and get to know each other and do some training together if possible.

However, start planning (and training) now. I was staggered how much time it took to plan the route, training, get the bike just right, decide on/buy equipment & spares, book the B&B. Although with a group you'll be able to share the workload somewhat. Might even be tempted to join you - I'd love to do it again!

 

[snorri]

just a thought, im sure that one of the group would have a good lady in doors that could help out there? as an idea say at 2pm each day a text home to say will be at such and such at 5pm would get said good lady to look for X amount of rooms at such place. then text back when booked. so that way riders would just put post code in garmin or such device and head off for hot shower and let good ladies know we are safe and sound.

Are there really still such women about???
I would have thought the women would be taking the opportunity to take a break in a health spa, or laze on a foreign beach or whatever women like to do.

 

[terryh]

I did JOGLE 15 months ago solo, upsupported staying in B&Bs over 16 days at the tender age of 53 and it was a fantastic experience. Just go for it - too many people talk about doing it and never make it.

I booked all my B&Bs in advance and with a group I would suggest that's the best approach.
I was averaging 10 mph including stops and did 50-70 each day, with a couple of half day rest days. So long as you set of early enough in the morning you'll have plenty of time to get to the next stopover and some spare time for sightseeing, bad weather or mechnicals.

One note of caution though about a group. There will probably be some tough days, especially if you hit bad weather and some may find it tough going. Also you're likely to have different levels of fitness. The big advantage of going solo is can go at your own pace and you don't have to worry about being nice to others in the group, if you're struggling or at a low ebb. Might be a good idea to try and get to know each other and do some training together if possible.

However, start planning (and training) now. I was staggered how much time it took to plan the route, training, get the bike just right, decide on/buy equipment & spares, book the B&B. Although with a group you'll be able to share the workload somewhat. Might even be tempted to join you - I'd love to do it again!

 

[Glow worm]

I did JOGLE 15 months ago solo, upsupported staying in B&Bs over 16 days at the tender age of 53 and it was a fantastic experience. Just go for it - too many people talk about doing it and never make it.

I booked all my B&Bs in advance and with a group I would suggest that's the best approach.
I was averaging 10 mph including stops and did 50-70 each day, with a couple of half day rest days. So long as you set of early enough in the morning you'll have plenty of time to get to the next stopover and some spare time for sightseeing, bad weather or mechnicals.

One note of caution though about a group. There will probably be some tough days, especially if you hit bad weather and some may find it tough going. Also you're likely to have different levels of fitness. The big advantage of going solo is can go at your own pace and you don't have to worry about being nice to others in the group, if you're struggling or at a low ebb. Might be a good idea to try and get to know each other and do some training together if possible.

However, start planning (and training) now. I was staggered how much time it took to plan the route, training, get the bike just right, decide on/buy equipment & spares, book the B&B. Although with a group you'll be able to share the workload somewhat. Might even be tempted to join you - I'd love to do it again!

Great post and good advice. I'm planning the same next May (solo ride) though would be interested in how much training is required- I currently do 60-100 miles a week commuting and genaral ambling about. I'm hoping to complete in 18 days which should be enough to include a rest day or two and cost in any mechanical failures. I'm not organised enough to book each B&B in advance so will carry a tent just in case (and my wife would quite rightly slap me if I expected her to book a B&B for me each day!).