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UK Tour planning

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JohnR:

--- Quote from: ourclarioncall on April 12, 2021, 11:44:32 pm ---So your looking at about 50 miles per day in the longest trip and about 100 on the quick one (9 days)

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I reckon the worst days will be getting through Cornwall and Devon due to the amount of ups and downs. I would like some tailwind assistance both when crossing Dartmoor and for the last two days in northern Scotland where I've been by car and know that there's very little sheleter from the wind.


--- Quote from: PH on April 13, 2021, 09:13:37 am ---Not wishing to be controversial, but this sort of cycling doesn't require an exceptional expedition bike.  First time I did the LLC it was on a £300 hybrid and a decade later when I did it with a larger group, we had a variety of bikes from racers to MTB's, they were all fine.

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I was booked to do the LEJOG last year when it was cancelled due to circumstances and would have ridden a hybrid, albeit one with a Rohloff hub. I then spent the money on my Mercury which would let me do the ride in greater comfort - aging bodies become more sensitive to the rough surfaces.

ourclarioncall:
I know John o groats well as a lot of my family are from there. My uncle works on ferry from groats to Orkney. Relations of mine owned the first shop/garage on your left as you hit groats. Got an aunti in Orkney. Uncle in wick , well he is moved now. I haven’t been up for many many years so it would be fun to cycle it. Used to go up every summer. One time my mate was doing an electric job and we jumped in the van with him from near Aberdeen. My granny had a house in groats near the beach and we were supposed to be able to get in , but when we got there it was locked. Luckily there was a small (cold !) caravan that was open so we slept in there. After the job we left groats and headed home , but car broke down ! A guy had to come from Aberdeen area to tow us home. But I got some divine guidance while sitting waiting for hours when I read a book about a hells angel type that got converted. I actually think that breakdown was for my benefit . God works in mysterious ways sometimes. Good memories 🙂

ourclarioncall:
PH

I think I’d like to do lejog at least once but I suspect i would enjoy something like Lon Las Cymru you mentioned better.

I’d like to cycle but also stop and explore , in and out of towns and villages , pop into art galleries and museums , go see Stonehenge , sleep in a cave , just  a mix of stuff rather than a race or strict let’s get from A to B asap.

I like the sound of the Camino in north Spain , stuff like that. Would love to head into Europe. U.K. kind of all looks the same after a while 😁 In summer it’s beautiful tho. Just would like to see a blue sky and hear foreign accents for a change

JohnR:
I found it useful to check the experience of others eg https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bell-Bike-LEJOG-Dave/dp/1496179463 , https://helenlangridge.com/lejog/category/LEJOG and https://www.rohan.co.uk/explore/78-hours-in-the-saddle after which I settled for an easy option. If I find it too easy then I can raise the bar. ::) This https://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/product/ultimate-lands-end-to-john-ogroats-2021/? uses a different route apart from the last two days.

Your first challenge is to find some local circuits that are fairly pleasant cycling. I found a chunk of my 43 mile circuit on one of the Sustrans maps and a planned extension of that will include another Sustrans route.

I'd like to do some cycling in New Zealand where they have some excellent cycle tracks but doubt if I could justify the trip to the domestic management. However, I've just bought a Birdy which will fit into a large suitcase so perhaps that's the first step. People do less challenging tours with those bikes.

ourclarioncall:

--- Quote from: JohnR on April 12, 2021, 10:11:13 pm ---There's a good selection of maps and guide books at https://shop.sustrans.org.uk/ and there's a national cycle network layer on the OS Maps website https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk .

If you want to do a LEJOG then there are people who have got it all planned for you. I'm booked on the leisurely LEJOG in July https://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/bike-tours/road-cycling-lands-end-to-john-o-groats/ but there are various other options to suit individual aspirations.

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How’s things,

Are you still doing the LEJOG in July ?

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