Lap of Britain(ish) finished
Posted: 31 Aug 2019, 10:13pm
Last week I finished my Lap of Britain, I didn't do it in one go, or even in one year, instead it has taken me a few tours: Lands End to John O'Groats (3 times), a Lap of Wales, a Lap of Scotland, the East Coast from Edinburgh to the Thames, and the South Coast from the Thames back to home. If you count all three LEJoGs it's about 6,000 miles, otherwise it's 4,000. I mostly followed the coast, but came inland a few times to see some sights and avoid busy town and cities - I did the Brecons instead of Cardiff, The Pennines instead of Newcastle, The Yorkshire Moors instead of Hull and The North Downs instead of Dover.
I don't regret coming inland, in fact the opposite, I found the coastal roads too busy particularly on the east coast after Lincolnshire, dangerously so, and rerouted away from the coast road in my final few days after getting knocked off by a car wing mirror and several near misses. By contrast, coming inland a few miles and away from the tourist roads I found the moors and hills are beautiful and quiet.
I also found it easier mentally to go up and down the hills than take the flatter routes. The hills punctuate the day, whereas i found the long flat days psychologically tougher. I think my lowest ebb was cycling across the pan flat Lincolnshire Fens into a 30mph headwind when i was expecting an easy recovery day.
I haven't calculated my average daily mileage, but longest days were on a 5 day LeJoG at around 200 mpd. My shortest was a week in The Hebrides. The lap of Scotland was 150mpd, and the rest were about 100mpd, some a bit more, others a bit less.
My favourite parts were the North West Coast of Scotland, Mid Wales (the ride back from the lap), The Pennines and North Yorkshire Moors.
If I did it again I would take more photos of the people that I met along the way, especially the hosts at the B&Bs. In fact I wish i had a photo of them all outside their homes.
My biggest lesson was eat too much, drink too much, laugh too much and the only photos you regret are the ones that you didn't take.
I'm sad that it's done. i'm someone that looks forward rather than back and this is now in my past. The only cure i have found for this feeling is to look for another horizon.
Onwards....
I don't regret coming inland, in fact the opposite, I found the coastal roads too busy particularly on the east coast after Lincolnshire, dangerously so, and rerouted away from the coast road in my final few days after getting knocked off by a car wing mirror and several near misses. By contrast, coming inland a few miles and away from the tourist roads I found the moors and hills are beautiful and quiet.
I also found it easier mentally to go up and down the hills than take the flatter routes. The hills punctuate the day, whereas i found the long flat days psychologically tougher. I think my lowest ebb was cycling across the pan flat Lincolnshire Fens into a 30mph headwind when i was expecting an easy recovery day.
I haven't calculated my average daily mileage, but longest days were on a 5 day LeJoG at around 200 mpd. My shortest was a week in The Hebrides. The lap of Scotland was 150mpd, and the rest were about 100mpd, some a bit more, others a bit less.
My favourite parts were the North West Coast of Scotland, Mid Wales (the ride back from the lap), The Pennines and North Yorkshire Moors.
If I did it again I would take more photos of the people that I met along the way, especially the hosts at the B&Bs. In fact I wish i had a photo of them all outside their homes.
My biggest lesson was eat too much, drink too much, laugh too much and the only photos you regret are the ones that you didn't take.
I'm sad that it's done. i'm someone that looks forward rather than back and this is now in my past. The only cure i have found for this feeling is to look for another horizon.
Onwards....
