Which way, north or south?

[tclay4]

Hi
A few of us are planning to do JOGLE next September. All of us are new to cycling and in our forties (yes I know, mid-life crisis!!). We have started training already and are currently doing 40 miles a day. The consensus is to do it North to South as we live in the North of England, pyschologically going South will feel like going downhill and also to get the tough terrain in Scotland out of the way. All valid points but I have become extremely concerned by the wind. I know that the prevailing wind is from the SW and since I started training even the slightest headwind is hard work. I would be extremely interested in other people's experiences. BTW, we are planning to do it in 10 days without a rest day (work commitments) but I am campaigning for one rest day in the middle. Any thoughts?

 

[snorri]

For many people, I'm sure the feelgood factor of going towards home could outweigh the effort of cycling against the prevailing wind, if the wind happens to be blowing from the SW, which is by no means guaranteed.
You mention the tough terrain in Scotland, do not underestimate Cornwall and Devon.
Regarding the timing, as newbies to cycling you could find 100mpd for 10 days quite challenging.
Good Luck

 

[dellzeqq]

I reckon that the loveliest part of the ride is from Inverness up, and it would seem to me to be a bit of a shame to do that first and Devon and Cornwall last.

 

[jarushby]

Hi
A few of us are planning to do JOGLE next September. All of us are new to cycling and in our forties (yes I know, mid-life crisis!!). We have started training already and are currently doing 40 miles a day. The consensus is to do it North to South as we live in the North of England, pyschologically going South will feel like going downhill and also to get the tough terrain in Scotland out of the way. All valid points but I have become extremely concerned by the wind. I know that the prevailing wind is from the SW and since I started training even the slightest headwind is hard work. I would be extremely interested in other people's experiences. BTW, we are planning to do it in 10 days without a rest day (work commitments) but I am campaigning for one rest day in the middle. Any thoughts?

I decided on North to South simply because you can plan when you start, it is more difficult to predict when you arrive. Getting back from JOG is more difficult than getting back from LE (in my humble opinion).

However, the best riding is clearly in Scotland. Having that to look forward to will certainly provide motivation to keep going.

 

[rualexander]

To me there would be no question that it should be done south to north because of the prevailing wind direction from the southwest. We did lejog in september over three weeks and had about two days of headwinds in Scotland with the rest being mostly tailwinds plus a couple of crosswinds.
The hardest days are not in Scotland they are in Cornwall and Devon, repeated short steep climbs being harder than the longer more gradual climbs in Scotland.

 

[jarushby]

Certainly correct that the hardest hills are Devon and Cornwall. There are two schools of thought.

1. Get them out of the way
2. Do them after you have attained a higher level of fitness at the end

I think the wind direction argument is valid. There is a higher probability of sw winds. However, this is certainly not guaranteed. During the duration of the ride the wind will blow from many direction. In my Jogle,(sept this year) I had both headwinds, tailwinds and crosswinds.

 

[cnb]

I have cycled le-jog twice both south to north.. the prevailing wind should be on your back as well as the sun..And i thought that Scotland was the better part of the journey..Quieter roads and better scenary.. I too live in the north of england and found no problem getting home

 

[vernon]

Hi
A few of us are planning to do JOGLE next September. All of us are new to cycling and in our forties (yes I know, mid-life crisis!!). We have started training already and are currently doing 40 miles a day. The consensus is to do it North to South as we live in the North of England, pyschologically going South will feel like going downhill and also to get the tough terrain in Scotland out of the way. All valid points but I have become extremely concerned by the wind. I know that the prevailing wind is from the SW and since I started training even the slightest headwind is hard work. I would be extremely interested in other people's experiences. BTW, we are planning to do it in 10 days without a rest day (work commitments) but I am campaigning for one rest day in the middle. Any thoughts?

I've done JOGLE and LEJOG and if you think that the Scottish terrain is tough, you'll be in for a shock with Devon and Cornwall. The Scots were canny with their road construction and build many of them round the hills rather than over them. Devon and Cornwall is a grind whether they are at the start or at the finish.

The prevailing wind is nothing more than a distraction. Prevailing means nothing more than, if the wind is blowing, the odds are in favour of it coming from a certain direction but it does not take into account wind speed. Headwinds have a smaller effect on your speed than you might think - I've seen 2-3mph penalty mentioned for fastish riding. Not a big deal of you've set a reasonable pace with some slack in it a disaster if minute-perfect itineraries are used. The effect is more in the head. At best you'll have a near wind free ride no matter which direction you ride at worst you'll have headwinds all the way no matter which way you ride. The reality sits somewhere between the two extremes. Wind direction and strength has no respect for the dates of your ride.

You haven't mention whether or not you are riding with support. If you are planning to use trains to get to and from the extremities then your logistical nightmare starts or finished at Wick/Thurso. The train service north of Inverness has a strictly enforced four bike per train limit. You must book your bikes onto the trains and have physical evidence of the booking if you are to stand a chance of getting onto the trains on the Wick/Thurso - Inverness service.

Rest day? A great idea. I had a rest day on both of my rides and it lets you regroup and gird your loins for the second half of the ride. A ten day ride pans out at 100 miles per day or thereabouts and a day's rest and recreation gives your bodies a chance to recover.

 

[tclay4]

Thanks for all replies.
We are doing it supported with a van following us down or up so getting to and from LE or JOG is not an issue.
I have to say I hadn't realised that Devon and Cornwall would be harder so more research required I suspect.
But then that is the whole point of joining this site I suppose.
Most of the replies confirm what I thought that we should do it South to North, especially as we are first timers.
I do fancy the sun on my back not in my eyes and if the North of Scotland is that nice then maybe we should be saving it until last.
There must be a reason why the overwhelming majority fo S to N after all?
I will have to do some serious nagging now to get them to change their minds!
Thanks again to all

 

[dellzeqq]

...I do fancy the sun on my back not in my eyes and if the North of Scotland is that nice then maybe we should be saving it until last.
......

that's a very good point. You'll probably be keeping long hours and having the evening sun in your eyes would be pretty wearing