Lands End to John O Groats
Discussion
Has anyone here done it?
I am thinking of doing it next summer, undecided as to charity I will be doing it for, that is for another debate, but want to do it more as a personal target and to help people that need helping.
I've no doubt I need to go into training now, and that it won't be easy but I guess you contact hotels or campsites along the way and ask them to 'sponsor' me by way of a room/bed for the night?
How many miles to you think you would get through in a day?
I wonder if my bike is good enough, it's a £400 GT mountain bike, would I need a road bike? Something a bit more reliable? Guess I would need to learn some basic bike maintenance stuff as well?
Any thoughts, advice or stories welcome.
Thanks :-)
I am thinking of doing it next summer, undecided as to charity I will be doing it for, that is for another debate, but want to do it more as a personal target and to help people that need helping.
I've no doubt I need to go into training now, and that it won't be easy but I guess you contact hotels or campsites along the way and ask them to 'sponsor' me by way of a room/bed for the night?
How many miles to you think you would get through in a day?
I wonder if my bike is good enough, it's a £400 GT mountain bike, would I need a road bike? Something a bit more reliable? Guess I would need to learn some basic bike maintenance stuff as well?
Any thoughts, advice or stories welcome.
Thanks :-)
My OH did the JOGTLE this year, she took 15 days and did on average 80 miles a day. They had a support car to carry all the tents etc
In total she did 1016 miles.
The bike she bought was a trek 7.2fx hybrid. Amazingly no punctures but did get though 2 sets of brake pads though. She avoided as many A roads as possible and just stuck to B roads.
Anymore info then drop me a line..
Oh she raised 2K for the heart foundation so was well pleased
In total she did 1016 miles.
The bike she bought was a trek 7.2fx hybrid. Amazingly no punctures but did get though 2 sets of brake pads though. She avoided as many A roads as possible and just stuck to B roads.
Anymore info then drop me a line..
Oh she raised 2K for the heart foundation so was well pleased
I'm going to start cycling to my badminton matches and pretty much everywhere I can, and then make a decision around Feb/March as to where I will be cycling. I will definitely be doing something pretty major and will definitely take you up on that offer, don't think I'll be able to get myself a support car though!
I did it a few years ago, with me riding and the missus driving a campervan as support/sleeping arrangement which worked very well. Daily mileages varied from 60 to over 100, it just depended where our preferred campsites were or what there was to see en route.
I met one other guy riding what looked like a hardtail MTB on slicks, but 99% of the riders I met used road bikes. If you're doing it solo & carrying your clothes, etc, in panniers then you'll need a triple set-up and the bike will be heavy enough without adding suspension, etc.
It's not as hard as people imagine although you do need a basic level of fitness. The main thing I considered was having to ride every day and spending anywhere between 3 to 6hrs in the saddle. That takes some getting used to if you currently ride 4/5 times a week for less than a couple of hours each session because apart from your backside, there's the question of muscle recovery to consider. Although I didn't do 100mile training rides in preparation I did make sure I went out every day for at least a couple of hours.
That said, I took heart from something I read while preparing for the trip; "90% of riders can average of 10mph and that means it's practical to do 70 miles a day with time for recovery and sightseeing, most leisure riders on LeJog average 70miles a day"
Also consider the time of year you make the ride. June/July have longer daylight hours for riding (June has less traffic as the schools are in exam mode) and are generally warmer, so when you get wet, it's warm rain....
I met one other guy riding what looked like a hardtail MTB on slicks, but 99% of the riders I met used road bikes. If you're doing it solo & carrying your clothes, etc, in panniers then you'll need a triple set-up and the bike will be heavy enough without adding suspension, etc.
It's not as hard as people imagine although you do need a basic level of fitness. The main thing I considered was having to ride every day and spending anywhere between 3 to 6hrs in the saddle. That takes some getting used to if you currently ride 4/5 times a week for less than a couple of hours each session because apart from your backside, there's the question of muscle recovery to consider. Although I didn't do 100mile training rides in preparation I did make sure I went out every day for at least a couple of hours.
That said, I took heart from something I read while preparing for the trip; "90% of riders can average of 10mph and that means it's practical to do 70 miles a day with time for recovery and sightseeing, most leisure riders on LeJog average 70miles a day"
Also consider the time of year you make the ride. June/July have longer daylight hours for riding (June has less traffic as the schools are in exam mode) and are generally warmer, so when you get wet, it's warm rain....
the first fundamental question is whether you are going self sufficient or relying on a support crew. if you are going self sufficient you will need to take a fair amount of kit and suitable bike/panniers etc to carry it. if you are going with a support crew, they will be able to prepare your food in the morning and meet you at a campsite, the last thing you want to do is be riding around looking for somewhere to stay in the evening when you are cold and tired so prebook as much accomodation as you can....
I did it when I was 14 with my dad, 1033 miles in 12.5 days. Carried all my kit on a Dawes road bike in two rear panniers with a rack on the back (the rear stays had eyelets, not many road bikes do these days though). Great fun and definitely want to do it again but would want to have a support car or travel extra light to do it in as quick a time as possible. I didn't do much by way of training but was playing lots of sport at the time so was quite fit. Longest training ride I did was 60 miles, blitzed that with 109 miles on the first day 
Oh, and we just stayed in youth hostels where we could and B&B when we couldn't. Getting sponsorship for places to stay might be a bit more difficult unless you do it beforehand, the last thing you want to do after 90 miles on a bike is try and find somewhere that will put you up for free....!! Any more questions, feel free to PM.
Oh, and we just stayed in youth hostels where we could and B&B when we couldn't. Getting sponsorship for places to stay might be a bit more difficult unless you do it beforehand, the last thing you want to do after 90 miles on a bike is try and find somewhere that will put you up for free....!! Any more questions, feel free to PM.I too am looking at doing the big one next year - just back into cycling after many years off - and weight peaking over 20st. Back down to 17st with a better diet and the 16 miles of daily commute - plus a bit extra on weekends.
The bike choice may be determined by route - whether you plan more on or off road. The GT as it is will probably be a bit slow. Slicks would help, but a hybrid bike will probably feel quicker / easier to ride - not forgetting the weight of luggage you will be carrying.
The biggest weight saving will be looking at what you carry - I'm not planning to carry any cooking items, eating at every shop / pub that I come to. So its down to minimal clothing, sleeping bag and tent (3kgs the pair) and essential luxuries like phone / camera / netbook, charging in the pub etc over an evening meal. Plus tools and a few spares.
There are lots of different ways of doing it - start Googling Jogle - look at the Bireradar forums. If you do B&B you could manage with very little - minimal clothing, phone, and wallet.
If you do it, please do it for charity - they need money and folks will reward your effort. You can easily pass through your home town to get press coverage on route - I need to divert across to the Yorkshire Coast, putting me en route for Speyside when I get up north !!
The bike choice may be determined by route - whether you plan more on or off road. The GT as it is will probably be a bit slow. Slicks would help, but a hybrid bike will probably feel quicker / easier to ride - not forgetting the weight of luggage you will be carrying.
The biggest weight saving will be looking at what you carry - I'm not planning to carry any cooking items, eating at every shop / pub that I come to. So its down to minimal clothing, sleeping bag and tent (3kgs the pair) and essential luxuries like phone / camera / netbook, charging in the pub etc over an evening meal. Plus tools and a few spares.
There are lots of different ways of doing it - start Googling Jogle - look at the Bireradar forums. If you do B&B you could manage with very little - minimal clothing, phone, and wallet.
If you do it, please do it for charity - they need money and folks will reward your effort. You can easily pass through your home town to get press coverage on route - I need to divert across to the Yorkshire Coast, putting me en route for Speyside when I get up north !!
One of my guys (mad keen cyclist) here at work did LEtJOG in the summer as part of a group from Lloyds of London.
Attached linky is another one of the groups cycle diary, which makes good (if not a little it worrying) reading.
http://web.me.com/nickburkinshaw/LCC/Welcome.html
Attached linky is another one of the groups cycle diary, which makes good (if not a little it worrying) reading.
http://web.me.com/nickburkinshaw/LCC/Welcome.html
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