Cycling UK Forum

bikepacker wrote:With the daily mileage you are considering I can see the need to use A roads but am confused as to why you would want to go from Brecon to Gloucester. You would be better heading down to Chepstow, crossing on the Severn Bridge, follow the estuary down to Avonmouth then use the cycle track alongside the M5 bridge to get into Somerset. From Gordano use the Avon Cycleway and Strawberry Line cycle track to near Axbridge. This has to save you around 30 miles on your route.

Thanks, that's great information. I'd actually not realised that there was a cycle path on the Severn Bridge. And Chepstow looks like it has some good accommodation options.

After some playing with routes, Days 6, 7, 8 would then look something like
Day 6 - Pembroke to Chepstow - approx 130 miles
Day 7 - Chepstow to Bideford - approx 122 miles
Day 8 - Bideford to LE - approx 126 miles

BruceF wrote:Your daily mileage objectives are monumental. Those mileages would be comfortable on a motorcycle, but I think they’d be hard to attain for most cyclists.

I wouldn't go as far as 'monumental', although it's intended to be a challenge rather than a holiday

I know I can already happily sustain 15 mph for 8-10 hours without feeling any after effects (admittedly haven't tried it back-to-back yet), or I can do 20 mph for up to a couple of hours - so far. I'm aiming to build my average speed up to close on 18 mph over a day, but even at 15 mph the longest day would still only be 10 hours in the saddle. I'm aiming to start early each day, fitting in a couple of hours before breakfast, and not expecting to stop and enjoy the scenery all that much. On the first day, I'd aim to leave Duncansby Head after doing sunrise photos, sunrise being just a shade after 4 a.m. early in June.

A search shows quite a few people that have done six or seven day LEJOGs or JOGLEs on a route not much shorter than mine.

I'm planning an 8-day charity JOGLE, and considering routing via Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. I've not heard of anyone else doing this route. I like to be different, want to visit Ireland - and think an unusual route is more likely to attract publicity and charity donations (I'd be fundraising for Arthritis Research UK; my eldest daughter has arthritis, and was diagnosed aged 8 ). I want a quick but enjoyable and of course overall safe route - avoiding dual carriageways completely.

I'd love to get any thoughts on this route, or hear of anyone that's cycled this way before.

Day 1 - John O'Groats to Inverness - approx 146 miles
* via Tongue / Loch Loyal / Loch Shin (A836)
Day 2 - Inverness to Balloch (Loch Lomond) - approx 150 miles
* via B852 (south shore of Loch Ness), A82, B8004 (Caledonian Canal), A82
Day 3 - Balloch to Cairnryan - approx 120 miles
* via A82, B789 past Loch Thom, A78, B746, A79, A77
FERRY CAIRNRYAN TO LARNE
Day 4 - Larne to Dublin - approx 139 miles
* via A57, Lough Neagh, Craigavon, Newry Canal, B113, R132, R166, Drogheda, R132
Day 5 - Dublin to Rosslare - approx 101 miles
* via coast (including R118, R119, R761, R750, R772, R740)
FERRY ROSSLARE TO PEMBROKE
Day 6 - Pembroke to Gloucester - approx 144 miles
* via unnumbered roads to St. Clears and Carmarthen, B4300, A4069, unnumbered road to Trecastle, A40, Brecon, B4558, Crickhowell, B4347, A49, A40.
Day 7 - Gloucester to Barnstaple - approx 140 miles
* via national route 41/cycletrack, A38, A39, Lynmouth, B3234, A39.
Day 8 - Barnstaple to Land's End - approx 131 miles
* via B3233, A386 to Landcross, A388, unnumbered roads, A392, A3075, unnumbered road, B3302, coast road, B3315

I'd aim to do this, at the earliest, in June 2015.

What are the best navigation aids for a route like this?