JOGLE route advice

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We are looking at a west coast and islands route from John O'Groats south to home (on the A49 south of Warrington), then I will continue south by myself.

I have put together a rough idea of our route for the first stage (that famous route, John O'Groats to Cuddington) and was wondering if anyone has any obvious advice. We are not worried about tha A49 through Stockton Heath and south to Cuddington - we both cycle it regularly and have no issues with it. I know that there are a couple of off-road sections that we have selected, our bikes are expedition bikes and capable of off-roading...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/pic/?pic_id=1670073

The solo bit will follow soon when I have it planned. I was planning on cycling the Welsh side of the River Severn.

thanks
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
I rode down (and up on my LEJOG) the A49 and liked Shrewsbury, Leominster, Church Stretton and Hereford. The Wye Valley from Monmouth to Chepstow is stunning and Tintern Abbey is gorgeous. The cafe at the old Tintern station serves good sized cake portions which are particularly tasty.
 
OP
OP
SatNavSaysStraightOn

SatNavSaysStraightOn

Changed hemispheres!
I rode down (and up on my LEJOG) the A49 and liked Shrewsbury, Leominster, Church Stretton and Hereford. The Wye Valley from Monmouth to Chepstow is stunning and Tintern Abbey is gorgeous. The cafe at the old Tintern station serves good sized cake portions which are particularly tasty.

Sounds like some of the route I have planned for the solo part. not using the A49 south of here though because I don't like it. road surface was awful when I drove it back in March and touch narrow and busy for my comfort in places. I know enough of the local roads around here to bypass it for quite some distance. Currently Hereford, Monmouth & Chepstow have all found their way into my solo route. Just working on the Bristol section at the moment.

Distances are not correct for each day, need to re-work them but that will have to wait until next week now. mini-tour this weekend as a shake down - check I have reassembled the tourers OK after stripping them down and servicing them (:biggrin: ) and getting my OH to sleep the night in the new tent to get him to decide which tent he is carrying for the time he is accompanying me (he's the fussy one when it comes to tents!)
 

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spen666

Legendary Member
I rode down (and up on my LEJOG) the A49 and liked Shrewsbury, Leominster, Church Stretton and Hereford. The Wye Valley from Monmouth to Chepstow is stunning and Tintern Abbey is gorgeous. The cafe at the old Tintern station serves good sized cake portions which are particularly tasty.


I whole heartedly agree with this.

I was suffering badly from the bonk riding from Chepstow to Tintern, Desperately looking for somewhere to get refreshments. The lovely staff at the cafe were closing up for the day, but delayed their closing to feed me lots of tea and cakes.

Great venue and great staff
 

Dave Dusgate

Regular
We are looking at a west coast and islands route from John O'Groats south to home (on the A49 south of Warrington), then I will continue south by myself.

I have put together a rough idea of our route for the first stage (that famous route, John O'Groats to Cuddington) and was wondering if anyone has any obvious advice. We are not worried about tha A49 through Stockton Heath and south to Cuddington - we both cycle it regularly and have no issues with it. I know that there are a couple of off-road sections that we have selected, our bikes are expedition bikes and capable of off-roading...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/pic/?pic_id=1670073

The solo bit will follow soon when I have it planned. I was planning on cycling the Welsh side of the River Severn.

thanks
 

Dave Dusgate

Regular
I regularly travel down to South Wales using this route and would not recommend the A49 below Shrewsbury.
If you get to Craven Arms and turn right you can follow a parallel road through Leintwardine and Wigmore which is much more pleasant and leads on to Hereford
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
OK - I have the route from 'home' to Land's End planned.
Anyone any thoughts please? (If there is an odd 'off course' the likelihood is that it is going to a campsite...
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/pic/?pic_id=1670077 (double click to zoom in, etc)
many thanks

(PS - I have acc in Penzance hence the reason for going through there)

Nothing contentious there. Shame you are not going along the north coast - theres fantastic scenary shaped by tin mining and theres a rare beam engine in working order at Levant just about at the cliff edge.. You've explained your choice of Penzance so fair enough.
 
OP
OP
SatNavSaysStraightOn

SatNavSaysStraightOn

Changed hemispheres!
Nothing contentious there. Shame you are not going along the north coast - theres fantastic scenary shaped by tin mining and theres a rare beam engine in working order at Levant just about at the cliff edge.. You've explained your choice of Penzance so fair enough.

I can come back that way :smile:
my route is going (currently) to leave me stranded on a Tuesday or Wednesday around Land's End and my OH can only pick me up at weekends, so I will cycle back to somewhere and meet him... anyones guess where currently, but cycling back along the north coast sounds interesting although I know some of it having walked some of the SWCP...
thank you.
 

db7db7

Senior Member
very similar to my recent ride - i think you are pretty much using, and i wholeheartedly recommend "Rob's passage" (map 2b below) to avoid the infamous "Cadbury Hills" and "Jeremy's passage" (map 1 below) through Cornwall - both have short sections where you may need to carry your bike up/down a short path, but do cut down the hills and are very safe. Map 4 also shows how we avoided the A49 south of Shrewsbury on advice from another forum member (possibly Rickshaw Phil?)
1 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804497
2a http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804473
2b http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804463
3a http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804442
3b http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804425
4 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804417
Best of luck and enjoy it, even when it's tough - brilliant experience.
 
OP
OP
SatNavSaysStraightOn

SatNavSaysStraightOn

Changed hemispheres!
If you get the chance go to the island of Arran...lochranza was ahighlight for me...nice and peaceful...and i had th etheme tune to local hero in my head lol!

We have been there - or at least I have - many times before. Also on our 'aborted world tour' I took my OH there, he is not convinced it exists because he spent the entire time in low cloud and torrential rain, but I have proof... this was the morning we left... the cloud lifted a touch, the rain did not... those are our bikes laden for a world tour.

IMG_1191_1024.JPG


It will depend largely on what day of the week we arrive on the Mull of Kintyre.
There is a new ferry crossing this year from Campbleton and I fancy riding down all the way. But it only operates Fri/Sat/Sun... so we may well end up back on Arran!
 
OP
OP
SatNavSaysStraightOn

SatNavSaysStraightOn

Changed hemispheres!
Beware the very tall barman in the pub at lochranza...he ma.aged to convince me six pints of sheepshagger beer was a good plan, and I don't even drink!!

I had similar issues on a Bushmills whiskey tour in Northern Ireland and the barman's idea of a shot of whiskey was 2 fingers deep, only the middle 2 fingers were folded back so index finger and little finger... and we had 3 of those as tasters of their whiskey. Boy was I glad I had not cycled from the campsite to the distillery. My usual alcolhol intake is around 1/2 unit a month!
 

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
very similar to my recent ride - ...... Map 4 also shows how we avoided the A49 south of Shrewsbury on advice from another forum member (possibly Rickshaw Phil?)
1 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804497
2a http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804473
2b http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804463
3a http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804442
3b http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804425
4 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/354804417
Best of luck and enjoy it, even when it's tough - brilliant experience.
:hello: Aye, it was me.

@SatNavSaysStraightOn, if it helps, the route I suggested to @db7db7 crosses the A5 on a bridge rather than having to negotiate an island and also avoids unnecessary climbs to Oaks (341' in just over a mile) and Wentnor (167' in approx half a mile, single gradient arrow).
 
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