LEJOG 2024 - solo vs tour?

[whateljp]

I'm considering tackling Land's End to John O'Groats in the summer, but debating between taking it on with Bike the UK for MS vs riding solo? Interested to hear people's thoughts if you've ever done it with others or solo. Here are a couple of things to consider:

It seems BTUKFMS have an interesting model of only requiring fundraising (£1,530 in this case - or a £1.50 per mile), no additional cost and they do the vehicle support, overnight accommodation (basic with camping, hosted by community centres and churches) etc. So I'd have to pay for transport to and from the trip and food during, but then the rest of the logistics are organised. Seems like a good gig to me as the planning phase wouldn't be my strong suit. How much work is it planning wise when taking it on solo and do you think it would be worth it for the cost of travel and food (provided I can do the fundraising of course)?

I guess the daily route and mileages are set for where I'd be riding to, but the riding itself seems up to me to enjoy the pace I want which is what I felt was important. Has anyone here done the route with a group and found it tricky to still enjoy the riding aspect? They cover 1020 miles in 14 days (plus one rest day) which seems like a good pace for me as a relatively new rider and making sure I get to enjoy the riding each day rather than rushing.

Anyway, interested to get people's opinions here.

 

[robgul]

I run the (now stopped, but still live) www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk website where you'll find loads of resources and journals.

The two E2Es I rode (one each way) were with one other person so I'm not qualified to comment on a group scenario - however, a few feedback comments I've received - in particular order:

1. Groups will have a wide range of cycling abilities - and desires regarding daily distances, "sightseeing" and enjoying the ride
2. Rest day - I've yet to speak to anyone that took rest day(s) that hasn't regretted doing so - having a day off and then getting back on the bike is tougher than continuing to ride every day.
3. Camping (and accommodation as described in the charity details) - are you going to get a good night's sleep to recharge your body for the next day?
4. 14 days is about right for most people to be comfortable and enjoy the ride.

Unless you particularly want to ride with the charity deal mentioned I would suggest you would be able to do the ride with B&B/rooms at pubs accommodation for less money (food costs in either instance on top). You'd be carrying your own luggage - so travel light! - Lycra kit can be washed and dried very quickly.

Planning isn't that onerous with lots of resource for routes etc - and available mapping/gps resources as well as accommodation booking services.

Getting to/from the end obviously depends where you live but does have its challenges - I live in Warwickshire so nearer LE than JOG but some way from either. My first E2E (2005) was JOGLE as it was easier to get home from LE at the end of the ride (lunch in Penzance - home by 2100) - LEJOG in 2010 needed day and a half to get home, with an overnight stop in Edinburgh.

If you're confident to ride solo then I'd do that - or do you have a pal that might want to ride with you (or even a couple of people that might ride part)?

The one thing I would say is that when you get to either JOG or LE the sense of self-achievement is great!

 

[Ajax Bay]

Seems like a good gig to me as the planning phase wouldn't be my strong suit. How much work is it planning wise when taking it on solo and do you think it would be worth it for the cost of travel and food

This really is so personal and I suspect we (you and I) are at different ends of the planning spectrum, but here goes.
Some people like to benefit from a group organisation. My dentist said "I'm going to ride Land's End JoG" and I thought 'wow, I could do that (he's well built and I'm an athlete but not much cycling). He succeeded as part of an organised package. I'm sure packages are lovely, but Rob ^^ has pointed up some of the challenges (maybe you're young and like camping and putting on wet kit in the morning)? {Note: I have raced many (2-day) mountain marathons (and other stuff) and spent many nights under canvas. But the End-to-End aim to is to enjoy x days riding to JoG, not to practise camping.} No doubt you can make great friendships and so forth, but.
Not certain what your actual question is "do you think it [what] would be worth it for the cost of travel and food?"

Solo unsupported/B&Bs. I like planning and set about it. I spent a lot of time on route planning (I'm a long term orienteer): I looked at others' routes but mine's mine. Wanted to go via the Arran and Mull, and so West Coast. I planned for 9 days (plus a spare to make sure I'd catch the flight south). 1000 miles divided by 9 is 111 miles a day (average 180km). Route considerations.
Had some in-laws and good friends who'd put me up in Bristol and Lancaster (so that's nights 2 and 4) but those nights could have been commercial/YHA.
I mined @robgul 's site and other accounts for 'knowledge'. And this sub-forum has plenty of links to follow.

As it got closer I spent more time cycling and less time running, and even rode over 100km one summer evening, after work! Sorted out dates with work in June: mid September ie outside school hols (for family duties and more accommodation availability).
My old bike ('81) had low gear of 40" and 70s Weinmann brake calipers. I bought a 531 framed 1999 bike with a triple/Tiagra groupset off the bay, fettled it and had a few rides on that. Put my 40+ year old Brooks on it: very comfy.
Sorted out how I was going to carry, what I was going to carry , having determined the B&B and hostel option.
Minimise what you carry (about 5kg for me), of course in an organised gig they'll take your bag and essentially you are just on successive day rides (where's the adventure?).
In theory I was going to book nights 0 and 1 and see how it went, and book each afternoon for that evening, but in the event (with 10 days to go) I booked every night: including Crask Inn on the last night, but not Orkney (qv).
Planned where (ie town or whatever) I was going to eat a huge evening meal, ideally with beer. When you get to your overnight you will want to put your bike somewhere secure and not see it till morning. So this means food at the B&B or close by (what footwear will you wear to get there?), or fish and chips with an hour to go. I cooked once at a hostel (night 7, having bought makings in Ft William).

Getting to LE and back from JoG is worth sorting out (and I discovered the 'via Orkney' idea in an account I read). I was working outside London and live in Devon. So left my car at work, train to home; bike on train to Penzance and ride out to hostel (in pouring rain btw). Recovery was ferry JoG-Burwick and to Mainland Orkney, and overnight ferry to Aberdeen; box up bike (bike shop kindly supplied on pre-request) and fly to Heathrow (gratis bike, btw, £56) and bus to work. I finished mid afternoon at JoG and was back 'at work' 'literally' 24 hours later.

On budgets, see this post: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lejog-jogle-budgets.233776/#post-5246887 and there's another link in that post which gives more detail.
I had a few minor hiccups but PPPPPP; and it did.
Best of luck (and planning), oh and

 

[mikeIow]

It is very much a personal thing!
I know many enjoy it, but I hate riding in a group. 2-3 pals maximum 🤷‍♂️
I chose to enjoy a leisurely what turned into 19-day LEJoG when I stepped away from work (see link in sig below!).

I had a blast!

Several pals joined me for bits of a day here & there, with one good friend coming for 3 days.
My last third from Edinburgh was with 3 friends who had done the other bits years before, & tbh was a slow finish HNY then I was a cycling god, in my own head!), but very relaxing. Indeed, Scotland is the easiest of it all, tbh….

Thoroughly enjoyed planning it out…did some camping on the middle third, which were perhaps my personal highlights….

BUT: if you like riding in a group and having things planned, go ahead: we all like a different experience!
We saw one group pile past when we were staying at The Crask Inn (itself something of a highlight - something I read from another member when I was first looking, & I persuaded my pals to adjust their plans to include a stay there 😎👍).

 

[Jameshow]

I did it complete opposite to you guys above 8days solo unsupported.
I used B+B along the route early pre booking only the first two nights in st Ives and in oakhampton. (After that I tended to book by by lunch time)
I had a couple of family stops at Chepstow and Chester
My budget was about £50 a day B+B and £25 food. (pre COVID)
Just get used to the bike and enjoy it. The planning of the ride wasn't hard the train journeys were the most important bit to eat right tbh.
Once I was on the bike I enjoyed it, to me it's my happy place!😀

 

[Dogtrousers]

A friend of mine works for one of the tour companies and he often works LeJog. I also know someone who did London-Paris with the company as a client. Both relate how enjoyable these rides can be in a group. That's definitely a good option. My friend who did L2P was at the slower end of the pace spectrum and she rode with similar paced riders who encouraged each other and made some good friends.

A couple of years back, the friend who works as crew with the tour company did Lejog solo (ish) via hotels/B&Bs/friends houses, picking up and dropping other riders along the way (I rode about half the distance with him). That was fun too.

How much work is the planning? Well, if you enjoy/are good at that kind of thing it's fun. There are tons of resources and suggested routes out there. I had a hand in some of the planning of the ride I participated in. But if you don't like that kind of thing it's a chore.

So ... as lots of people above say - it's personal.

 

[fossyant]

How much of the £1,500 you'll have to raise 'in the name of charity' will actually go to charity. Ask them that.

Do it solo or with some friends, and raise charity money yourself.

 

[T4tomo]

How much of the £1,500 you'll have to raise 'in the name of charity' will actually go to charity. Ask them that.

Do it solo or with some friends, and raise charity money yourself.

Absolutely this, very little and if the people you ask to sponsor you are savvy, they will realise that and ask why they should pay for your holiday. the alternate is to find out what the organiser takes as costs out of your £1500 and pay that yourself to them, and make that transparent to your friends.

 

[Ajax Bay]

How much of the £1,500 you'll have to raise 'in the name of charity' will actually go to charity. Ask them that.

Do it solo or with some friends, and raise charity money yourself.

Absolutely this, very little and if the people you ask to sponsor you are savvy, they will realise that and ask why they should pay for your holiday. the alternate is to find out what the organiser takes as costs out of your £1500 and pay that yourself to them, and make that transparent to your friends.

I don't doubt that Bike the UK for MS is a worthy charity and the two remunerated staff and volunteers are digging out (for MS). To save you asking @fossyant 's Q:
Register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-organisationNumber=5100915
[edited]"Financial Position
Income Oct21-Sep22 was £112.1k.
Fundraising by our volunteer cyclists totalling £81k, plus Gift Aid of £9.6k a 'sub'(donation) of £18k from US 'parent'.
Grants paid out to the MS Society, to local MS groups and "fund research projects", totalled £18k."
So about 20% of (the OP's) £1500 goes to MSS.
"This is a supported bike tour where roughing it is embraced. In order to donate more of your hard earned fundraising, we stay at campsites, churches, community centres, town halls and the occasional university accommodation." You will need to provide your own tent, pitch it and strike it (but we'll transport it to the next campsite).
The quality of volunteer fellow rider maybe better than the commercial RAB rabbit, though.
That's £2000 camping (tents set up ready aiui, often on a playing field or the like) or £2500 7 nights in hotels, and it's only 8 nights; not 14.

 

[Jameshow]

I don't doubt that Bike the UK for MS is a worthy charity and the remunerated staff and volunteers are digging out (for MS). To save you asking @fossyant 's Q:
Register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-organisationNumber=5100915
[edited]"Financial Position
Income Oct21-Sep22 was £112.1k.
Fundraising by our volunteer cyclists totalling £81k, plus Gift Aid of £9.6k a 'sub'(donation) of £18k from US 'parent'.
Grants paid out to the MS Society, to local MS groups and "fund research projects", totalled £18k."
So about 20% of (the OP's) £1500 goes to MSS.
"This is a supported bike tour where roughing it is embraced. In order to donate more of your hard earned fundraising, we stay at campsites, churches, community centres, town halls and the occasional university accommodation." You will need to provide your own tent, pitch it and strike it (but we'll transport it to the next campsite).
The quality of volunteer fellow rider maybe better than the commercial RAB rabbit, though.
That's £2000 camping (tents set up ready aiui, often on a playing field or the like) or £2500 7 nights in hotels, and it's only 8 nights; not 14.

Going solo you could B+B it for £1500 I reckon.

Tenting it would be more like £500.

Take your pick are you a social chap needing company or willing to be alone?


However I did find lots of people to talk to, particularly single people in cafes, restaurants and hostels.

 

[JonBuoy]

How about £166 ?

https://www.audax.uk/event-details/9892-lejog_1400

Includes bed, breakfast and evening meals. None of this camping malarkey.

You still have to sort out the logistics of getting to LE and back from JoG but the Orkney option is definitely worth investigating.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@JonBuoy you have to be brave to trust yourself to Andy's @Burnley CC renowned charm; oh and be ready to crack 300km a day.
Last year's (roughly): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44996814
NB not this year's route which is (draft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43518622
Recovery option: Three different ferry routes To Orkney, but the Kirkwall to Aberdeen ferry only runs every other day. More cycle places on the Aberdeen-Edinburgh line and less demand (cf Inverness).

 

[Jameshow]

@JonBuoy you have to be brave to trust yourself to Andy's @Burnley CC renowned charm; oh and be ready to crack 300km a day.
Last year's (roughly): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44996814
NB not this year's route which is (draft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43518622
Recovery option: Three different ferry routes To Orkney, but the Kirkwall to Aberdeen ferry only runs every other day. More cycle places on the Aberdeen-Edinburgh line and less demand (cf Inverness).

300k in Cornwall that's going to hurt!!

 

[Jameshow]

@JonBuoy you have to be brave to trust yourself to Andy's @Burnley CC renowned charm; oh and be ready to crack 300km a day.
Last year's (roughly): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44996814
NB not this year's route which is (draft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43518622
Recovery option: Three different ferry routes To Orkney, but the Kirkwall to Aberdeen ferry only runs every other day. More cycle places on the Aberdeen-Edinburgh line and less demand (cf Inverness).

Routes don't open?🤔

 

[Ajax Bay]

Routes don't open?🤔

Neither are private. One is mine: one is Andy's. Try noting the number, opening one of yours in RwGPS and amending the number accordingly.
Or go via here: https://burnleyccevents.com/