Cycling UK Forum

Hi
Can anyone advise me on the quietest 13/14 day LEJOG route and where I can find GPX files.
Thanks in advance
Mike

We did the classic CTC B&B route with a few amendments ( mainly west coast of Scotland rather than east coast) It uses mainly B roads and quiet country lanes.

We actually took 18 days including a rest day, as we were targeting 60 miles a day. You would only need to increase this distance a little, say to 70 miles, to bring it down to 13 or 14 days. You can see more details of the route on my blog.

Basic route: Wick - JOG - Bettyhill - Lairg - Drumnadrochit - Fort William - Loch Lomond - Motherwell - Lockerbie - Shap - Whalley(Lancs) - Crewe - Ludlow - Symonds Yat - Chew Stoke - Taunton - Okehampton - St Austell - Penzance - Lands End.

Obviously you would need to reverse this for a Lejog.

I don't have GPX files as we used paper maps.

Many thanks ... I will take a look at that.

You can purchase the CTC/CUK route pack for £12.50 which includes access to the GPX files. It's free to CTC/CUK members.

There are 3 routes - the B&B route, a Camping route, and a main road route, for those in a hurry. The pack includes lists of B&Bs and Campsites.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycli ... hn-ogroats

There's also plenty of advice available in this forum, as plenty of people have done it.

Look at www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk for loads of resources and routea

Rob

I completed it 3 years back with a lad who was 81 and we followed a nice 14/15 day on nice quite back roads.

The ride report is well documented here http://lejog.us
skipper

The CTC YHA route is about 14 days
See my list of daily start and end destinations in the link https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=115877

dgibby wrote:The CTC YHA route is about 14 days
See my list of daily start and end destinations in the link https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=115877

Sorry. That link didn't work for me.
I'd be interested to see your route

The route worked out by my friend Richard was Lands End to Penzance, Camelford, Cullompton, Aust (English end of Severn Bridge), Stourbridge (home), Middlewich, Lancaster, Carlisle, Larkhill, Crianlarich, Fort William, Newton Cross (Black Isle - between Inverness and Dingwall), Helmesdale and JoG. 14 days (1 of which was v short); 935 miles.
We made use of cycle paths around Avonmouth, Glasgow and Loch Lomond. The latter had stretches that comprised very bumpy and uncomfortable tarmac footpaths as well as lovely bits and a stretch of off-road.
We had 1 puncture between 4 of us. We only had light rain on a few days and headwinds from Crianlarich to JoG, otherwise all was plain sailing.

Here's mine

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21022080

Its 955 miles, 56,000 feet climbs, follows mostly the CTC B&B

Camelford, Bampton, (two tough days) Cheddar, Goodrich, Much Wenlock,Bucklow Hill, Slaidburn, Great Salkeld, Yarrow, kinross, Spittal of Glenshee, Grantown on Spey, Invershin, Bettyhill, JOG

puffin wrote:Here's mine

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21022080

Its 955 miles, 56,000 feet climbs, follows mostly the CTC B&B

Camelford, Bampton, (two tough days) Cheddar, Goodrich, Much Wenlock,Bucklow Hill, Slaidburn, Great Salkeld, Yarrow, kinross, Spittal of Glenshee, Grantown on Spey, Invershin, Bettyhill, JOG

That's a great looking route. I'm going to be doing the end to end in June. I'm still undecided about LEJoG or JoGLE. When did you complete your route and if you were going to do it again, would you change anything?

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my MotoG3 using hovercraft full of eels.

puffin wrote:
Here's mine

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21022080

Its 955 miles, 56,000 feet climbs, follows mostly the CTC B&B

Camelford, Bampton, (two tough days) Cheddar, Goodrich, Much Wenlock,Bucklow Hill, Slaidburn, Great Salkeld, Yarrow, kinross, Spittal of Glenshee, Grantown on Spey, Invershin, Bettyhill, JOG

That's a great looking route. I'm going to be doing the end to end in June. I'm still undecided about LEJoG or JoGLE. When did you complete your route and if you were going to do it again, would you change anything?

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my MotoG3 using hovercraft full of eels.

I envy you doing it in June, never done it then. In the great LEJOG vs JOGLE debate, I have no hard and fast evidence, but many times I've watched people coming the other way into headwinds thinking "Why??" I go LEJOG.

Would I change anything? Done it six times, showing I think great fortitude or my wife thinks a staggering lack of imagination; you decide. I have a few tweaks;

My second day to Bampton is a mare, but I had family accommodation there; luckily, its been sold so next time I'll either take a more southerly route, or do the same route but stop short in South Moulton. After Bampton Day 3 is a very short day to Cheddar.

The climb towards Tebay on Day 8 is hard work, then a wonderful descent into Tebay (one time I went west of Tebay and hated it) followed by another climb....then a glorious massive overall descent of many miles. Day 12 through the Spittal of Glenshee to Grantown on Spey has three monster climbs, but they are sort of inspiring. Day 13 I go North then west toward Inverness via Dava and that is beautiful birch woods. I avoid the A roads through Inverness, first time I didn't and almost got squished. Towards the end when you're in the highlands past Bonar Bridge its beautiful plain sailing; you're fit as a butcher's dog by then and the road is flat. I've never hit the North coast at Tongue, instead turning right at Altnaharra and going direct to Bettyhill. This year I might throw caution to the wind and go via Tongue instead. OK, hand on heart, JOG itself is a bit of a disappointment, but you are proud to get there. There is a book you can sign in the shop.

There are a couple of surprises. First off, you will meet lots of people doing LEJOG, there are lots of us. Second, you really are on your own, which is a challenge and a luxury we don't get often these days. Finally, its very hard for your friends and family to understand what its been like, so be sensitive when describing it and don't expect them to fully get it; its really for you, not for others.

I have stopped using YHA's ...apart from Cheddar... too many snorers but I have never, never met anyone who is anything less than charming at YHA's, its just me being fussy.

If you want me to send you my list of accommodation let me know.

puffin wrote:

puffin wrote:
Here's mine

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21022080

Its 955 miles, 56,000 feet climbs, follows mostly the CTC B&B

Camelford, Bampton, (two tough days) Cheddar, Goodrich, Much Wenlock,Bucklow Hill, Slaidburn, Great Salkeld, Yarrow, kinross, Spittal of Glenshee, Grantown on Spey, Invershin, Bettyhill, JOG

That's a great looking route. I'm going to be doing the end to end in June. I'm still undecided about LEJoG or JoGLE. When did you complete your route and if you were going to do it again, would you change anything?

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my MotoG3 using hovercraft full of eels.

I envy you doing it in June, never done it then. In the great LEJOG vs JOGLE debate, I have no hard and fast evidence, but many times I've watched people coming the other way into headwinds thinking "Why??" I go LEJOG.

Would I change anything? Done it six times, showing I think great fortitude or my wife thinks a staggering lack of imagination; you decide. I have a few tweaks;

My second day to Bampton is a mare, but I had family accommodation there; luckily, its been sold so next time I'll either take a more southerly route, or do the same route but stop short in South Moulton. After Bampton Day 3 is a very short day to Cheddar.

The climb towards Tebay on Day 8 is hard work, then a wonderful descent into Tebay (one time I went west of Tebay and hated it) followed by another climb....then a glorious massive overall descent of many miles. Day 12 through the Spittal of Glenshee to Grantown on Spey has three monster climbs, but they are sort of inspiring. Day 13 I go North then west toward Inverness via Dava and that is beautiful birch woods. I avoid the A roads through Inverness, first time I didn't and almost got squished. Towards the end when you're in the highlands past Bonar Bridge its beautiful plain sailing; you're fit as a butcher's dog by then and the road is flat. I've never hit the North coast at Tongue, instead turning right at Altnaharra and going direct to Bettyhill. This year I might throw caution to the wind and go via Tongue instead. OK, hand on heart, JOG itself is a bit of a disappointment, but you are proud to get there. There is a book you can sign in the shop.

There are a couple of surprises. First off, you will meet lots of people doing LEJOG, there are lots of us. Second, you really are on your own, which is a challenge and a luxury we don't get often these days. Finally, its very hard for your friends and family to understand what its been like, so be sensitive when describing it and don't expect them to fully get it; its really for you, not for others.

I have stopped using YHA's ...apart from Cheddar... too many snorers but I have never, never met anyone who is anything less than charming at YHA's, its just me being fussy.

If you want me to send you my list of accommodation let me know.

Thank you for that, great advice. When it comes to accommodation, I'll be camping. So although I do fairly lightweight camping, it'll still be more loaded than most people who B&B or YHA. I've done a fair bit of cycle camping with British Cycle Quest but always on my own. This time I'll be with a friend who is the one suggesting we do it. He's fit as a fiddle but not done any touring and thinks 40 miles on his racing bike is a long way. That worries me!!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my MotoG3 using hovercraft full of eels.