Cycling UK Forum

I am going to do Lejog in June 2016 and was going to do it solo, but a colleague at my part time job suggested this site :- http://www.great-bear-tours.co.uk/#
I have looked at it and would appear to be good value at £1100 for a 12 day Lejog as it includes transport for bike and person down to the start ( from pick up points of course ) and back. Plus all accommodation enroute. Looks to be good value and he takes baggage so that you just ride the bike minus panniers.
Naturally I have signed up and looking forward to it.
Dennis

I did the 12 day LEJOG with Great Bear in July this year. The price is excellent especially in comparison to other LEJOG tour providers. You will be able to rest as to travel down to Lands End, without worry of making travel connections. There were 14 of us in total who were on the ride. The accommodation provided was excellent. Quite a few of the overnight stays were in Premier Inns. One night was spent in a country Spa, and another in a large country house, with just a couple of nights in B+B.
Carl who runs Great Bear is excellent, and is on hand to assist where necessary on a day to day basis. Its also encouraging to know that your bikes are safely 'tucked up' each night in the specially kitted out trailer that is attached to the mini-bus.
I know that everyone who did the ride really enjoyed the experience. I am sure that you will love it. Carl even had your luggage in your room waiting for you each day once you had completed your ride.

Overall, the organisation of getting down to Lands End and back from John O'Groats is already sorted. All you need to do is get yourself to the pickup point the day before the ride starts, and you will be dropped off there on your way back home on completion. It really does make the arrangements much easier for you.

I know that 5 of those who did the LEJOG in July (including myself) have already booked other rides with Carl. This is good testament to the overall quality of Great bear. Good luck with your LEJOG ride. I have no doubt at all that you will thoroughly enjoy it.

Dennis, your LEJOG sounds great. It certainly does away with the potential stress to do with getting to and from the ends. You just do the ride, which is the bit that matters. And you are guaranteed some company to share your experience with. I may consider this myself one day.

Thanks for the info David. Its good to hear from someone who has been with Carl.
Bought a "Whyte" bike for this event to take the additional weight of panniers, but not needed now. I have had several bikes, all secondhand, but none were perfect. This time I went to local bike shop and was measured for one. Absolutely amazed how much difference the right size bike makes. Also its the first saddle I have had which does not give me a sore backside, as that was my main worry. All day in the saddle equals sore bum. Admittedly I only do 23 miles at a time at the moment, but will pick it up gradually to the 75/85 per day needed. At my age I average 15 mph, which I think is ok. Plus I supplement it with other sports. But I am probably more than double Chris Froome,s age.
Looking forward to it very much.
Cheers
Dennis

Dennis, 15mph is good. In fact if you were to average that on LEJOG it would be very good indeed. I did my LEJOG starting in early July this year, but did not start training until the 1st March. I began with 15-20 mile rides for the first week or two and gradually stepped up to some 80 mile rides. I also entered a couple of sportive rides in the 2 months preceding the LEJOG ride, so that I could assess my general fitness over similar distances to those that we would ride each day.
I would not worry about your age too much. Riders of all ages have successfully ridden LEJOG. I was 60 when I did it and felt fine throughout. Once I got back home I rode two more sportives about 2 months after the ride. I felt really strong in both of them. I really feel that both the training for LEJOG and the ride itself gave me a much more rounded fitness than I have had before. Keep us all posted on how your training is getting on. Good luck.

I have been looking at LEJOG as a challenge for 2017, following Ironman this year and C2C off road in 2016.
Having done some research, Great Bear seem to offer the best price so it is good to get positive feedback.
Good luck for next year Dennis.

£1100??? That's a fantastic deal. I've done LEJOG solo a few times and reckon that's what it cost me.... with all the hassle being taken by me. Sounds a wonderful deal.

puffin wrote:£1100??? That's a fantastic deal. I've done LEJOG solo a few times and reckon that's what it cost me.... with all the hassle being taken by me. Sounds a wonderful deal.

In 2013 an unsupported B&B JOGLE (including Dunnet Head and Lizard Point) and train travel to and from cost me nearly £1,000, though that included 2 nights in Penzance. The one thing I'd note that is evidently better was no shared rooms - I would not have been happy with a stranger's snoring or bad feet! Oh - and that includes my evening meals too - so overall quite a lot cheaper.

Just looked at his site, looks very good value, especially as he has a April 2016 offer of LEJOG for £700,
would be interested, but he has a notice that from 2014 Helmets are mandatory, (might e-mail him to ask why..... as insurance is NOT included in the price).

Good Luck Dennis

Martin

Hi Martin,
Yes it would appear that helmets are a requirement, so I am sure there must be a legal requirement from his own insurance to cover his backside should one of the group have an accident and be injured. I suppose the finger of authority could say he has a duty of care towards his group which could leave him culpable to a claim against him from one of the group.
I might be wrong but just my thoughts.
Also, why would you not wear a helmet anyway ???????. Have come off of a bike before and my helmet definitely saved my head from injury, although I had cuts and scratches to my cheeks. So it works.
Dennis

Hi Dennis, you obviously haven't visited the helmet getto!

Lot's of reasons not to wear a helmet, from my point of view it's a comfort and safety thing, in Summer when I did wear one I had few close calls due to sweat affecting my vision, doesn't happen without a helmet. I read around, and critically evaluated the evidence on the outcome of injury with and without a helmet, and came to the conclusion that on a risk benefit anaysis, they were more of a risk than a benefit for my style of riding. Being all individuals with different circumstances, the risk benefit may be different for different people.

Not sure if the finger of authority's would be able to claim a failure of duty of care, as they are not as I understand it, sold legally as safety equipment. Secondly, they are not a legal requirement.

Dennis, thanks for your thoughts, and I hope you enjoy your LEJOG

Martin.

martinn wrote:... he has a notice that from 2014 Helmets are mandatory, (might e-mail him to ask why..... as insurance is NOT included in the price).

I may be missing something but, looking at the site just now, I've not spotted a requirement for wearing a helmet anywhere (unless it has been removed).

I also note that the terms & conditions use the wrong form of bare/bear, i.e. they say "bare" rather than "bear" in the context of bearing responsibility, at least twice. I'll point that out, it could be important if it ever gets to arguing legal niceties in court over something.

Rick.

denniswpearce wrote:Also, why would you not wear a helmet anyway ???????.

That was my point of view too until spring of this year.

Since now being almost totally bald, helmets are very uncomfortable so mine is on its hook in the hall unused since July. I gave up with it then, and now wear a cap or hat.

That'll be last year now Mick
Always takes a few weeks to remember what year we are in, I find.

Oops!
I meant spring of LAST year of course.