7th and Final LEJOG

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
notlobgp14
Posts: 127
Joined: 25 Jun 2009, 9:33am
Location: Leyland Lancashire

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by notlobgp14 »

How many feet per mile?

3,600ft of ascent in 61 miles.
That is flat at 59ft per mile.

Try riding round here.
100ft per mile is normal.

OK Cornwall has Hills. Lancashire has Hills. For me, doing LeJog was trying to ride a scenic route but iron out the Lumps where possible. As RickH said, keeping further West than this path through Lancashire is just as pleasing a ride without breaking the 50 ft per mile climbing.

Whilst your on with stats, what's the ft / mile from leaving the canal at Top Lock to Slaidburn.

A Pet Hate of mine; people spelling Samlesbury incorrectly. SAM les Bury. Not SALM es bury :wink:
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RickH
Posts: 5839
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by RickH »

A few more thoughts...

Are you set on going down Grimeford Lane at the halfway point? If you carry on less than a mile further on the A6 you can join the canal there. The towpath is tarmac, somewhat undulating but continuous &, arguably, a better surface than some of the bit you are already intending to ride past Chorley. I road that way earlier today as I couldn't remember what the surface was like (& should have some video footage, once I've sorted it, if you are interested).

I fact playing around with some routing you can lose a couple of miles distance and about 800ft of ascent by heading up towards Preston & turning right. You can still avoid much of the A6 & stick to less busy roads/ traffic free routes. The only unknown from my perspective is what the state of the SW corner of the Guild Wheel path is currently like after the wet autumn & winter weather.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

RickH,
Thanks for the effort you have gone to, its very much appreciated. I'll definitely stay on A6 till I find a way onto the canal further down.

my halfway point is now a lamp post about a mile south on the A6, so I'm not married to the land as I once was. A while back I was trying to get my old Dawes Galaxy's frozen seat pposr freed up, and I heard there was a person near Grimeford Lane who was famous for freeing them, is this a fasle memory?
Bertieboy
Posts: 22
Joined: 1 Apr 2008, 8:31am

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by Bertieboy »

Been reading this with much interest, as well as some of your previous posts on LEJOG. Am considering doing this in early September this year using your route as the basis with some of the variations suggested by others. Hope you do to mind! Have some questions and would be grateful if you could give me some advice.
I believe from reading your previous posts that you ride a Dawes Galaxy and assume this is fitted with mudguards? Do you use panniers to transport your kit and how much stuff do you normally pack. The only other tours I have done have been supported thus although I would intend to stay in B&Bs I am not sure how much to take and do not want to carry any more than is necessary. I was wondering if I could get away with one of the new large seat packs plus a handlebar bag.

Finally would it be possible for you to send me details of the accommodation you use. Hope you don't think I am being too cheeky but if you have used them a number of times as seems likely then they must be good!
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

Bertieboy wrote:Been reading this with much interest, as well as some of your previous posts on LEJOG. Am considering doing this in early September this year using your route as the basis with some of the variations suggested by others. Hope you do to mind! Have some questions and would be grateful if you could give me some advice.
I believe from reading your previous posts that you ride a Dawes Galaxy and assume this is fitted with mudguards? Do you use panniers to transport your kit and how much stuff do you normally pack. The only other tours I have done have been supported thus although I would intend to stay in B&Bs I am not sure how much to take and do not want to carry any more than is necessary. I was wondering if I could get away with one of the new large seat packs plus a handlebar bag.

Finally would it be possible for you to send me details of the accommodation you use. Hope you don't think I am being too cheeky but if you have used them a number of times as seems likely then they must be good!


Hi Bertieboy
Hope you are well. I did my first LEJOG in early September (2010) it makes booking accommodation much easier. I use two panniers at the back, both two thirds full. One year I did it with just one pannier, and that worked too. Its called "credit card touring" because you take less since you can buy what you need on the way. I have a lightweight pair of trousers for the evenings and a rugby shirt. My Dawes doesn't have mudguards..but it should. I broke the fittings. My current bike does have them. I will PM you my accommodation list. The route I have used is not guaranteed to be the best and it doesn't entirely preclude A roads so use your own judgement. The sections north of Teebay and North of Ettrick are brilliant downhill runs. Cornwall and Devon are quite tough (up down up down) but set you up for the rest of the trip. My route through the Grampians (Spittal of Glenshee) is a tough but inspiring day ended with a long downhill into Grantown on Spey. Once you are in the Highlands its easy..you are fit and its surprisingly level. JOG is a huge letdown as a place but you won't care. In the gift shop there is a LEJOG book to sign.

You are going to have a great time, its a wonderful adventure.
hilloverthehill
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Joined: 9 May 2016, 11:14am
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Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by hilloverthehill »

i did my route from JOG and took the back roads down to loch Mor, then forest roads past Altabreac, camped by Loch Leir and through to Forsinard. Bit rough in places but OK on a road tourer. Continued on to Crask via Kinbrace,B871 & B873 to Altnaharra. Might give you a quieter finish than the A roads.
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

All ready!

The last piece of the jigsaw clicked into place this morning as Scotrail finally released the tickets for Wick to Inverness in mid June. I'm going down to my local station in a moment to collect them, then all I need to do is concentrate on my training (45 days to go).

With a railcard the tickets for a 4 hour train ride are only £6.20, that's amazingly good value.
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matt2matt2002
Posts: 1127
Joined: 25 Oct 2009, 7:45pm
Location: Aberdeen Scotland UK

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by matt2matt2002 »

Good point about ScotRail
I wonder how many folk realise that they release s few extra cheap seats 3 months ahead.
I paid £5 each way from Aberdeen to Edinburgh to kick off my Ethiopian tour last month. Flew out from Edinburgh.
No rail card. Just cheap seats. Just need to keep checking the site. Not many per train. And not every departure time. But I was flexible and struck lucky.
2017 Ethiopia.5 weeks.
2018 Marrakech 2 weeks.
2023 Thailand 8 weeks.
Always on a Thorn Raven/Rohloff hub.
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Mick F
Spambuster
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Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by Mick F »

Talking of trains ..........
I've booked the Taunton to Plymouth to Gunnislake trains now. Booked a bike too.
19:51 from Taunton Monday 25th June. Arrives Gunny before the pubs close! :D

Collecting the tickets from the machine at Plymouth in the next week or so.
Mick F. Cornwall
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

Got all my tickets now! With bike reservations!
30th May, Lands End ,31/5 Camelford, 1/6 Tiverton, 2/6 Compton Martin, 3/6 Goodrich, 4/6 Much Wenlock, 5/6 Bucklow Hill, 6/6 Slaidburn, 7/6 Great Salkeld, 8/6 Yarrow, 9/6 Kinross, 10/6 Glenshee, 11/6 Grantown on Spey, 12/6 Bonar Bridge, 13/6 Bettyhill, 14/6 JOG, 15/6 Wick to Inverness, to London via Caledonian Sleeper, 16/6 Train to Aylesbury, cycle the last bit home. :)
Sorted.
Alan58
Posts: 72
Joined: 17 Jan 2018, 12:36pm
Location: Bedford

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by Alan58 »

Hi Puffin: when you pass me. I set off on the 6th May. Say hi :D
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

Good luck Alan, 'fraid I'll still be in Shropshire when you're coming into JOG! Don't forget to sign the book in the visitors shop!
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

Off on Wednesday, have done lots of gym training but not enough on the bike. Doing 60 miles tomorrow as a last session, including a visit to the airfield to get the forms filled in to renew my licences.

Had an amazing few days where so many family / personal issues have cropped up (all good ones) but it has distracted me. Today I did my general skills test to get my flying licence back, we had to fly above the clouds to get enough space to do the different skills. in the days before that I've been requalifying on motor gliders which mostly involved flying along the A41 watching cars, bikes, milk floats overtaking you. Its been a long time since I was a pilot, but when people say "its like riding a bike" I can assure it is sure to be a lot more dangerous if you fall off.

Its way past my bedtime but all the paperwork for the cycle trip and the licences is sitting next to me sneering at me. I'll do ten minutes then go to bed.
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

Got into JOG today at 1.00, two hours earlier than planned thanks to Storm Hector giving me a fifty mile an hour tail wind. It was something of a roller coaster ride.
Quiet night then grab the train from Wick to get the sleeper from Inverness tomorrow.
puffin
Posts: 566
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: 7th and Final LEJOG

Post by puffin »

A brilliant update; my wife likes me doing LEJOG but is fed up with the long drive to Scotland...so she came up with a perfect solution.... I can go an 8th Time but this time I go JOGLE, so we end up with a holiday in Cornwall!!!!Its a shorter drive for her and the dogs (who never offer to share the driving anyway) and Caledonian Sleeper tickets can be bought ages in advance.

I'll simply reverse the route initially, just checking if there are any gains / losses which might involve changing my stops. I'll definitely keep in last year's new addition of Rob's passage. I will miss the great descents at Ettridge, Ribble (?) and of course north of Tebay. Actually, maybe I should consider changing those bits., especially Tebay, anyway, I digress.

The plan is to meet in Cornwall, have a family holiday then fulfill one of her ambitions which is to go to Norway on a ship and see the Fjords. She's always wanted to do this, she's pining for the Fjords, so it is a definite.
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