Community > Cycle Tours
UK Tour planning
Rouleur834:
Take a look at Komoot. It's a route planning app that can be used as GPS. There are hundreds of tried and tested routes on there. You might find something useful in one of the many collections. I have attached a screenshot of one. Round the World in 80 Days, Mark Beaumont, is on there if you feel adventurous :)
Best
Ray
JohnR:
--- Quote from: ourclarioncall on June 30, 2021, 01:16:29 am ---How’s things,
Are you still doing the LEJOG in July ?
--- End quote ---
Yes: My Mercury is on the way to the start and I follow it on Friday by train ready to start cycling on Saturday.
ourclarioncall:
--- Quote from: JohnR on June 30, 2021, 01:47:57 pm ---
--- Quote from: ourclarioncall on June 30, 2021, 01:16:29 am ---How’s things,
Are you still doing the LEJOG in July ?
--- End quote ---
Yes: My Mercury is on the way to the start and I follow it on Friday by train ready to start cycling on Saturday.
--- End quote ---
Excellent 🙂
Look forward to hearing how you get on
JohnR:
--- Quote from: ourclarioncall on June 30, 2021, 04:12:38 pm ---Look forward to hearing how you get on
--- End quote ---
My update is long overdue as I got home eight days ago. The LEJOG was this https://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/product/lands-end-to-john-ogroats-21-days-2021/ with 20 days cycling and a support van to carry the baggage. Overall, we were lucky with the weather with only one substantially wet day and no extreme temperatures. However, there were several days when there was a moderate breeze in the wrong direction which made progress more tiring.
While the average daily miles is just over 50, the distance ranged between 41 and 64 miles to suit the accommodation. Days 2 and 3 were probably the most tiring with too many steep, but usually short, hills to go up followed by similarly steep descents which gave the brakes plenty of exercise but the presence of bends / villages / oncoming vehicles eliminated the potential to use momentum to get halfway up the next hill. However, the route over Dartmoor itself was OK with a long but fairly gradual climbing and opportunity to cruise downhill. The organisers reckon that if people can get to Bristol then, barring mishap, they can complete the ride. The route is designed to avoid busy roads as much as possible but the side effect is the steeper hills.
The 16 participants used a range of bikes. Some were lightweight carbon fibre machines, a few were simple hybrids and there was one fairly old Ridgeback tourer (which had been fitted with new gears at more cost than the orginal bike) plus my Mercury which was the only bike with hub gears (and i was the only person wearing sandals).
Once my body had got adjusted (I thought I was quite fit but it's difficult to prepare for the incessant steep little hills) then the ride became quite pleasurable with more time spent in brief stops to enjoy the view. The Mercury behaved itself although the front wheel has acquired a slight warp which I suspect may have happened when I failed to avoid an abnormally large pothole. I wait to see if I can fix the warp by adjusting the spoke tensions but the tyre (50mm Marathon Almotion) and rim are undamaged.
Overall, the Mercury is overbuilt for such light touring (one rack bag - some folk carried everything the wanted in their pockets - but I'm a belt + braces person with two tubes and a selection of tools). Two of the three water bottles were full at the start of each day although I rarely drank more than one. The third bottle was empty but available on the bike in case of hot weather. In theory, weight hardly matters https://www.cyclingabout.com/why-we-should-stop-our-obsession-with-bike-and-gear-weight/ .
The ride was well organised. We were given gpx files and route sheets with turn-by-turn instructions but those who tried to rely on the latter often had navigational problems. Almost all the participants were retired. The younger (and probably fitter) folk with less time on their hands tend to do the 9 or 14 day LEJOGs. I did consider the 14 day ride but decided that a longer day with unfavourable weather would be very challenging. Hindsight confirms I made the right decision.
PH:
Congratulations John, both on completing the iconic E2E and for getting away for a reasonable time this year, something that looks increasingly unlikely I'll manage.
--- Quote ---The organisers reckon that if people can get to Bristol then, barring mishap, they can complete the ride.
--- End quote ---
It's for that reason I started at the other end! I figured if it hurts there'd be a big difference between having another 100 or 900 miles to go, in the mind as much as anything.
--- Quote ---In theory, weight hardly matters
--- End quote ---
I wish I could find someone to tour with who subscribed to that theory, I'd gladly let them take my luggage! I haven't clicked the link, I don't need to, the only way to reach such a conclusion is to disregard acceleration. Yes, bobbing along on the flat and an extra 5kg won't be noticed, but every time you slow or stop, any extra weight requires a proportional increase in energy to get it back up to speed, whether you notice it or not...
Sorry I digress, congrats again.
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