Iain's 2019 LeJog

[Jamesh]

YHA - Youth hostel association

Cheers James

[BrightonRock]

I have booked about 70% of my lodgings via Airbnb. I've only had good experiences with them, and I've been able to get individual apartments or houses for me and my partner for roughly the same price as a night for two in the YHA or independent hostel. All the comfort of home for around £40 a night.

[LollyKat]

Single rooms are usually nearly as expensive as double ones, though - a YHA is probably the best value for a lone traveller if you can stand them ( I can't!).

[irc]

Ian, what kind of lodgings are you finding each day?

I booked everything as far as Glasgow. Youth hostels, a Premier Inn, and a couple of Travelodges.

[irc]

DAY 3 Okehampton to Bridgewater Premier Inn 68 miles. Perfect weather. High scattered clouds, occasional sun. 18-20c. Slight tailwind first half, sidewind second half.

Went old A30 to Exeter then B3181 and A38 to Bridgewater. First day I've seen many cyclists. A road club and a few possible Jogle rides going the other way. Very few using two panniers. Bikepacking style with bags strapped to the bars and saddle looks most popular.

Some things are meant to be. Stopped in Wellington at a shop that looked like it would sell phone chargers. Turned round after locking bike to find I was right across the road from the Iron Duke pub.

I made a hat trick of Wetherspoons today with Exeter, Wellington and Bridgewater. 6 for the tour so far.


No offence Devon and Cornwall but I'm looking forward to the Somerset Levels!

Afternoon Wetherspoons

[Mick F]

DAY 2 Perranporth to Okehampton YHA, 74 miles
Tough day as expected since I've not done anything more than 40 miles a day this year.

Weird weather for late May. Dull and overcast with low clouds first thing. Past Camelford the cloud base was at ground level with visibility down to 100M. A hint of drizzle for half an hour but otherwise dry all day with a 10-15mph tailwind much of the time.

Full marks for Mick F's fast route from Lands End to Okehampton. Some heavy traffic early on today past Newquay area but few places where it caused me any issues. Great route on minor roads and old A30 later in the day. A very crafty route through Launceston.

Glad you're happy!

Mrs Mick F was in Camelford on Friday, and she would agree it was a bit cloudy! Down here in SE Cornwall, we had sunshine and I did all the washing and it dried a treat on the line.

Later on Friday, I drove up to Camelford to pick her up. There at 6pm and the sun was beaming and it became a lovely evening. Big change from earlier in the day.

[Paulatic]

Single rooms are usually nearly as expensive as double ones, though - a YHA is probably the best value for a lone traveller if you can stand them ( I can't!).

Coming back from the Hebs I got a single room with all the trappings ( towels, soaps, tea coffee) in Glasgow for £25. A guest house in a suburb lovely and quiet. I’d paid £25 for a 5 bed dorm on Skye! Booking.com was my friend.

[BrightonRock]

Single rooms are usually nearly as expensive as double ones, though - a YHA is probably the best value for a lone traveller if you can stand them ( I can't!).

Coming back from the Hebs I got a single room with all the trappings ( towels, soaps, tea coffee) in Glasgow for £25. A guest house in a suburb lovely and quiet. I’d paid £25 for a 5 bed dorm on Skye! Booking.com was my friend.

Absolutely, if you're prepared to travel mybe 3-4 miles outside of city centre locations you can usually get a very good room or an entire apartment from between 20-35 quid. Hostels take note, change your ways /pricing or your days are numbered.

[irc]

DAY 4 Bridgewater to St Briavels YHA 64 miles

Weather cloudy first thing. Light drizzle for an hour or two then dry later with evening sunshine. Wind neutral except a decent tailwind from the M5 Avon bridge to the old Severn bridge.

A great route today. Back roads over the levels, and couple of miles on the busy A38 Then picked up the Strawberry Line which I followed to Hatton Station. Then the B3133 and B3124 to Portishead. So far all low traffic and easy nav. Got a bit lost and cost a couple of miles finding the entrance to the M5 cycle bridge. Not well signposted. Frequent Sustrans route markers but not identifying which direction to was to the bridge.

For anyone doing it? Get to the roundabout with the services at the south end of the bridge. The first exit leaving the roundabout after the services is signed for the cycleway and takes you a very roundabout route but gets you on

In contrast I got onto the Severn Bridge first time. Approaching on the A403 from the south an off road cycle lane ends about 1 mile before the bridge. There is a Sustrans sign suggesting the route takes an unmarked road between the A403 and the shore. Follow this and it gets you into the cycle path on the west side of the bridge.

Wetherspoons of the day was The Bell Hanger in Chepstow.

St Briavels Castle YHA

[Mick F]

Excellent.

Enjoy Day 5 ride!

[LollyKat]

Great stuff - I'm enjoying your daily updates.

[BrightonRock]

Great updates, you should be posting YouTube. You would probably get thousands of hits. Maybe even go viral with Wetherspoons users

[irc]

DAY 5 St Briavels to All Stretton YHA 68 miles.

Weather, dry all day, scattered clouds, annoying headwind. Mitigated much of the time by high roadside hedges.

Easy ride north from the hostel followed by steep descent to the River Wye. After crossing it I suffered the heavy traffic on the A4137 and A49 to Hereford. Not pleasant cycling but the alternatives looked significantly hillier and longer.

Lunch at The Kings Fee, Hereford . The £5.99 8 oz sirloin special, coffee and a couple of the free refills.

Lunchtime Wetherspoons

Avoided the A49 the rest of the day. To Leonminster via Bodenham and Stoke Prior. Afternoon coffee and biscuits in The Dukes Head.

Afternoon Wetherspoons

Quiet B and A roads west of A49 to Ludlow. Quick pint in non W pub then off east of the A49. Firstly a quiet road through Culmington then singletrack roads over the hills to Church Stretton. Best roads so far. Around 3 cars in an hour. Saw as many pheasants. The loudest noise was the wood pigeons

Or I could have been on the A49

Google maps reckoned my route had 300 ft more climbing between Ludlow and All Stretton than the A49. Worth every inch.

[irc]

DAY 6 All Stretton to Wirral East Travelodge. 70 miles. Weather, dry all day bar one heavy shower. Scattered clouds, sun, cool, slight headwind most of the day.

Another day avoiding major roads. Got to Shrewsbury via Acton Burnel. The only rain of the day arrived just as I got into Shrewsbury so I missed it while having breakfast. Visited the local Weatherspoons but sadly not yet serving.

After Shrewsbury the A528 and B5476 via Wem got me to Whitchurch. Then the B5395 and B5130 got me into Chester city centre without any heavy traffic.

All day brunch and a pint at Wetherspoons before some canal towpath and Sustrans 56 got me to the Wirral.

Riding along a lane today the thought occurred to me that on major roads your attention is 90% on traffic and road conditions to ride safely. So on major roads you are riding a road whereas on the quiet lanes you are seeing a country.

All Stretton hostel. Recommended

When you are crossing fords not bridges you are off the beaten track

Wetherspoons, Chester

[LollyKat]

Looks lovely!