Cycling UK (CTC Tours) LEJoGs 2018

[sbcoombs]

If you struggle with 34/36, why not convert to a triple. This will get you down to 30 on the front, or 22 if you use a MTB crankset. You could climb anything on that gearing mixed with a 36 rear.

Anything? No. Even with a 20/36 I cannot climb anything .. particularly when loaded with 4 packed panniers.

You surprise me. I guess it comes down to power and weight.
On 20/36, I can ride so slowly I almost fall over. The only hill I couldn’t ride was because the front wheel kept lifting. That was a damn steep hill.

[hughwill69]

No matter how you dress it up there are rivers and watersheds to cross when travelling on roads from one end of the country to the other. Even if you kept to the coast there are hills and certainly couldn’t be done in 21 days. There is no escape from hills and the big question is how much of a detour in miles is worth it to save a couple of hundred feet of climbing?

Hi Paul- yes I know that- I've done endless variants on the route and I know I'll have to do lots of steep little climbs in Cornwall, long climbs in Devon, some undulations through the midlands, go over Shap, climb the southern Scottish hills, navigate the bumps in Fife, climb to Aviemore, negotiate more Bumps on the Black Isle and look forward to the Berridale Braes. Before I get to JOG I know I'll have to go up that annoying little hill to the south.... My point is that for me- with any gear ratio, it doesn't seem like fun to add more to this list (adding in Cheddar Gorge (what's wrong with the Strwberry Line?) going through the Peak District, taking a detour to go through the Forest of Bowland, going through Braemar via the Carnwell and then on to the Lecht...etc etc. Beautiful, I've no doubt, but maybe for another time - at the moment it seems to me that 39486 ft of climbing and 920 miles is probably enough in one go (see gps below).

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26663225

I'm not sure why it's felt that going lower and lower with the gearing answers my problem- the point is that it's not fun.....

[LollyKat]

I enjoy hills, for the scenery, the challenge and the reward of the descent. But I've lived among hills nearly all my life and am used to them, though I need lower gears these days. If necessary I'll walk, or at least stop briefly every so often to recover which is how I got over Glenshee a few years ago.

I'd love to do this tour run by Chris Ellison but it looks a bit relentless - no rest day till near the end - and I'm not sure if I can build the necessary fitness by September even though I cycle regularly. The weather just now is miserable and I find it difficult to make myself go out in the rain and wind unless have to.

Having baggage transported feels like cheating but I don't think I'd manage Chris's route and distances if I had to take all my own kit. I've wanted to do LeJoG for many years but was tied down for years first by my children and then by my elderly parents. If I put it off much longer I'll be classed as elderly myself - already got the bus pass!

[Erwan E]

I did this with the September 2014 group, many of whom I still keep in contact with!

I think if anyone is looking for an (almost)-all-inclusive LEJOG trip it would be hard to beat. Routes planned, GPS units supplied, evening meals and accommodation sorted, beautiful scenery.. what's more to ask for? We were very lucky in that we barely encountered any rain at all however for those slightly wetter days it was always good to settle down in a comfortable room after a warm shower.

Chris himself has obviously done this route for years now and always seemed happy to share little snippets of interesting facts about the places we were travelling through. From my understanding he also makes minor changes every year that are meant to improve the journey so now is probably a better time than ever!

[Halchemy]

It's very interesting to read hughwill69's and Lollycat's comments. CTC Tour's LEJoG does not go up Cheddar Gorge (They enjoy a relatively flat day from Exeter to Weston-Super-Mare). Nor do they plough through the Forest of Bowland or go through Braemar. Whether the rest day is 'near the end' is debatable, it's actually a week, 300 miles or so and all of the Highlands and Flow Country before the end of the tour (Sassenachs often don't realise just how big Scotland is)...

[LollyKat]

According to your brochure there are 12 full days of cycling before the rest day, not counting the half day from Penzance, and 5 full days after the rest day.

[Halchemy]

Yes, you are right, it is five days of cycling, but even so it's a fair way (More than 300 miles, they go up the centre to the North Coast after Inverness rather than the East coast road) with the Highlands and the Flow Country, before the end of the tour.

[LollyKat]

My concern is rather that I might need a rest after the Cornish and Devon hills. I remember being pretty knackered after a day's ride along the coast from Barnstaple to Weston-super-Mare. Admittedly it was on an all-steel 5-speed but 40 years ago I was a lot younger.

[Halchemy]

My concern is rather that I might need a rest after the Cornish and Devon hills. I remember being pretty knackered after a day's ride along the coast from Barnstaple to Weston-super-Mare. Admittedly it was on an all-steel 5-speed but 40 years ago I was a lot younger.

CTC Tours have considered adding another rest day at Hereford but not much progress has been made with this idea, mainly because the people who have done the tour say they're happy with the current itinerary.

[LollyKat]

Fair enough.

[hughwill69]

It's very interesting to read hughwill69's and Lollycat's comments. CTC Tour's LEJoG does not go up Cheddar Gorge (They enjoy a relatively flat day from Exeter to Weston-Super-Mare). Nor do they plough through the Forest of Bowland or go through Braemar. Whether the rest day is 'near the end' is debatable, it's actually a week, 300 miles or so and all of the Highlands and Flow Country before the end of the tour (Sassenachs often don't realise just how big Scotland is)...

All true. But to suggest that CTC's route is as flat as possible (without braving vile A roads) would be hard to argue. The other examples given come from another assisted 21 day 'easier' offering from another company which I've mentioned before.

CTC Tours have considered adding another rest day at Hereford but not much progress has been made with this idea, mainly because the people who have done the tour say they're happy with the current itinerary.

The people who have done the tour presumably looked at the route before and were happy with it. They may not be a fair sample of all who would like to do the trip.

[Cyril Haearn]

So one could have a rest day, hop on the train at Hereford, while the others brave the A49, join the others again later
Or does that defeat the object?

[aggs]

This particular trip takes your luggage in the van.
You only need to carry some snacks and drinks bottles, and maybe a warm layer/ waterproof and other essentials/ puncture kit etc.
The van is passed several times during the day should need anything else.
Most people carried a rack bag type thing.
Some did not even have that.

[Halchemy]

Update:

At the 26 February 2018 there are about three places available on the May LEJoG tour and seven spaces available on the September LEJoG tour.