LEJOG roads not to be missed

[Ming the Merciless]

I have started planning a LEJOG (or JOGLE not decided on direction yet) and am seeking out the quieter roads. Why plan a fast route when you can be on roads like the one I have found below (if you allow enough time)?

What favourite roads would you have in your LEJOG? I am particuarly a fan of mountain roads that see few if any motor vehicles.

 

[HLaB]

With the route I done some of the lanes in Cornwall were idyllic but the scenery of the highlands outweighs them. We done LEJOG mainly because my mate had already done JOGLE. He did say though that he preferred LEJOG as Cornwall was the hilliest part and it was a hard finish the last time.

 

[Ice2911]

@Ajax Bay helped with my route and I had a fantastic time. I particularly enjoyed going through Aran Mull and Skye and the route through to Craske and Tongue. Very much minor roads and cycle paths. Can’t think of part I didn’t enjoy.
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/15390505

 

[Douggie954]

Go through the forest of Bowland it is quiet but fantastic!

 

[Ajax Bay]

LEL route south from Edinburgh to England.
Arran, Mull and Sunart/Ardamurchan/Moidart.
Strathnaver
Exmoor (NB includes scenery)
Lune and Eden valleys (rather than A6)
Would second Forest of Bowland.
If climbing not an issue, Mille Pennines route from Ingleton to Hexham.

 

[bygone era]

the a39 the roads from perth to grantown on spey

 

[Sea of vapours]

Another vote for the Forest of Bowland and for a selection of excellent roads through the Yorkshire Dales and Northern Pennines which are shown below and in the attached gpx file. There's no serious doubling back in this - it pretty much heads in the 'right' direction all the time and is very scenic, very quiet and relatively lumpy throughout.

What you do beyond, or to get to, either end of this I have no idea as those end points mark the boundaries of my experience on two wheels.

 

[BobS]

If you want the quiet roads, I suggest using the Sustrans LEJOG Route.

 

[Ajax Bay]

If you want the quiet roads, I suggest using the Sustrans LEJOG Route.

Tell us about your experience of riding that 1200 mile route, Bob.
This is a thread from a couple of years ago:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/sustrans-end-to-end.216448/

There's not a lot new under the sun - in 2006 a chap called Simon Berry attempted to ride LEJOG using (almost) only Sustrans routes . . . he found that the poor surfaces, endless gates and illogical tortuous diversions slowed him to the point that he was so far behind schedule by about a third of the way he had to abandon the idea and continue with a non-Sustrans route. a link here http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/index. ... &Itemid=61

I've got the book here...

(LE) 3, 32, 3, 304, 3, (Bristol) 4, 410, 41, (Gloucester) 45, (Worcester) 46, (Droitwich) 45, 55, 552, 551, 5, (Northwich) cut across to RR 70, cut across to 62, (Manchester) 6, (Accrington) cut across to RR91, RR90, 6, (Kendal) 70, 68, 71, 7, (Gretna), 74, 75, (Glasgow), 7, (Inverness) 1, (JOG).

You have ridden Sustrans routes in the past. Certainly my experience of the variable surfaces, signage and vague routing suggests that you are making the ride at least twice as difficult as a road route.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Right now added Forest of Bowland into my JOGLE planning. Comes out at day 7 of a 14 day trip. I love quiet moorland roads.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Putting quite a collection of scenic roads together. I think this is the advantage of not trying to try and do this as fast as possible. Yes, you'll be a bit slower through the hills, but you've got the time each day to cover the ground, and the daily distances are not too bad. Determined to stay out of that western corridor through Warrington etc.

 

[Lappi]

I did an "Off The Beaten Track" LEJOG last Sept, generally based on the CICERONE End to End Cycle Route, with a few alterations. Take time planning your route I really enjoyed that part. I bought all the associated OS Maps and then plotted the route onto them, that way you could immediately see alternatives, I then used Ride with GPS and the street view to check out if the OS alternatives were in fact any good for a road bike. It was a 13 day ride over 1050 miles, the extra bit of planning I had was to meet 33 Newfoundland Dogs on route, my Newfoundland had sadly passed away the previous Xmas so the ride was in his memory and also raising funds for Newfoundland Welfare and Rescue. I had a friend riding with me along with another driving a support vehicle, all accommodation was booked in March using Booking.com and all was good to very good.
Pretty much followed Cicerone, with a few detours to meet the dogs, the roads that really stand out, a lot of the Cornwall/Devon high banked lanes, the Wye valley from Chepstow to Monmouth via Tintern. That climb and decent into Clun, another vote for the Forest of Bowland, and pretty much everything else from Alexandria (Loch Lomond) to John O'Groats, in particular General Wade Military Road, Lairg to Bettyhill via The Crask and Syre. Don't forget to add in Dunnet Head, you've gone all that way it's only a little further.

Not the best of weather for Dartmoor

Forest of Bowland

B5299 to Darlston

Half Way Up The Generals Road

On the way to The Crask

Loch Naver, Altnaharra

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Thanks for those, I'll take a look at where they are on the map. I'm planning a JOGLE to get the harder logistics out the way first. Sleeper Inverness, train Wick. Then ride JOG , Dunnet Head, Thurso on day we arrive. Then ride down to the Crask Inn the next day.

Planning on coming over the Pennines and into the Peak District after the Forest of Bowland. Then across to Iron bridge then into Wales for the Gospel Pass in the Black Mountains.

Will need our climbing legs on, but the distances each day make it all reasonable. I've added an extra day in having seen the climbing figures on what was one of the days. I'd rather have a scenic route than choose less optimal roads of a flatter more urban route due to an artificial constraint on number of days. So currently now 15-16 days of riding. That may change as I pour over the OS maps a little more. Don't mind chevrons but one chevron rather than two!

I agree as well, part of the joy for me is planning my own routes taking in the places and type of roads and scenery I like. It has to flow as a whole for me, I'm not one for urban corridors.

 

[jay clock]

The stretch from Foyers to Dores coming towards Inverness was really pretty

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The stretch from Foyers to Dores coming towards Inverness was really pretty

I'm looking at the Cairngorms for that leg but if I opt for a route via Fort William I'll bear that in mind.