Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
nickyboy
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Joined: 17 Feb 2020, 5:54pm

Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by nickyboy »

We are doing LEJOG May 19 to May 29 this year. All the accommodation is booked. Basically going via Gloucester but then calling in at home in Glossop in the Peak District. Then we go via Edinburgh and Inverness

Our nightly stops are fixed. We have no problem with hills given where we normally ride so we are taking a lot of minor scenic (but lumpy) roads. I'd appreciate any comments on the route. We have tried to make it as short as possible whilst keeping off busy roads. I'd particularly like any comments on getting through/around the major towns and cities as they will hold us up if we aren't careful.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30824481 LE to Camelford
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30826375 Camelford to Wellington
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825370 Wellington to Gloucester
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825482 Gloucester to Crewe
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825535 Crewe to Glossop (half day)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31683794 Glossop to Tebay
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31374779 Tebay to Tushielaw
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825804 Tushielaw to Perth
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825884 Perth to Boat of Garten
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30825961 Boat of Garten to Golspie (may go on the Nigg ferry though)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30826000 Golspie to JoG
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Paulatic
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by Paulatic »

Tebay > Tushielaw
If I’d gone as far off the A6 to Orton I wouldn’t bother going back over to it. I’d prefer Crosby Ravensworth and then up through the Meaburns to Cliburn and across to Eamont Bridge. All very scenic
At Penrith I wouldn’t bother going over Fair Hill it’s enough of a climb out on the A6 without adding extra. I’ve done Fair Hill once it was enough :)
In Carlisle through the centre after the little A7 section and left turn down Georgian Way and onto Hardwicke circus you are mixing it with some fast busy traffic and depending on time of day no lights down at the roundabout. There is a route, cycle, using an underpass under the circus I’ll see if I can show it.
A few mile out of Carlisle going through Rockcliffe a bit within the village I’m not certain if you can go that way. I’m saying that as I’ve never done it. It’s just before mile 44 and I always swing right ( default of road ) and go past the primary school.
When in Carlisle and if you’re feeling tired and don’t fancy holding the lane around Hardwicke Circus this is your other option.
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Last edited by Paulatic on 17 Feb 2020, 8:42pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mick F
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by Mick F »

Day One and Day Two.

Day One.
Before you think about crossing the ferry out of Padstow, check on the tides.
When the tide is low, it's a long trudge up the sand to the Rock side of the River Camel. Difficult with a loaded bike, I can assure you.
Other than that, you obviously like hills! :lol:
Stay inland is my opinion.

Day Two.
OK from Camelford over Davidtstow Moor Airfield and all the way along the Old A30 to Sourton to join the A386, but when you cross the A395 at Pipers Pool before Launceston, it's a busy busy road and not good viz left and right, so be careful.

If it were me ........ and I highly recommend this route ......... stay on the A39 north out of Camelford and turn east (right) onto the A395 for Hallworthy. Busy road, but for the most of it it's fine. Turn off after Hallworthy for Egloskerry via Tresmeer. This will bring you out at St Stephens by the church just north of Launceston.
Turn right then left and then down the hill to a mini roundabout by the Spar Shop. Turn left, up a little way then right. Follow this to a T junction and right. Down past the riding stables to the Old A30 and turn left opposite Launceston rugby ground and cross over into England from Cornwall over the River Tamar.

As for when you turn left at Sourton at the end of the Old A30 to join the A388, go under the A30 like you show, but only do half a mile to a small cross-roads and turn right down the hill. This will take you back onto the Old A30 down Tavistock Rd so you can get into Okehampton easier, rather than staying on the A388 via Fowley Cross.

Hope that helps ........... from someone who knows! :D
Mick F. Cornwall
Lilyf
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Joined: 26 Feb 2016, 4:12pm

Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by Lilyf »

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Day 5. Crewe to Glossop.
You can get onto The Middlewood Way just after your mile 22 in Macclesfield. The section from Macclesfield to Bollington has an excellent surface although the whole trail is rideable on a road bike.
Directions from mile 22:
Go right just before the bottom of the hill into Summerlea Close.
Follow to the end of the close and head for the left hand corner but watch out for low kerbs on your approach to MW.
Ahead of you there is a concrete tunnel. Don’t go under the tunnel but take a sharp left, cross over a little humped bridge and go up the gentle climb.
Follow this path all the way to Marple.
Last edited by Lilyf on 17 Feb 2020, 8:53pm, edited 1 time in total.
Lilyf
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by Lilyf »

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Day 5. Crewe to Glossop.
Just realised something else you need to be aware of:
Mile 11 Sandy Lane is closed as they are building the Congleton bypass.
So, after turning right off Pitcher Lane onto the A534 you will need to continue past Sandy Lane and take a left into Box Lane. Go past the High School and at the end go left onto the A54.
Take the first right into Blackfirs Lane and follow to the end.
At the end of Blackfirs Lane there are more road works which you will have to negotiate (it’s not a busy road) and join Chelford Road - the one you should have been on!
nickyboy
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Joined: 17 Feb 2020, 5:54pm

Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by nickyboy »

These are really helpful, thanks

The high tide at Padstow on May 19 is fine for the short crossing. One of our group has never been to Cornwall so I agreed to do the Newquay to Padstow hilly stretch as it's classic N Cornwall. We do daft hilly rides around here so another one should be ok

On the Middlewood way I did this the other way around a few months ago and it was blocked between Bollington and Macc. I'll check it out as I'm often cycling around that area
Lilyf
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by Lilyf »

You should be fine on the Middlewood Way. We did it from Macc to Marple on Friday and it was open right through.
The only problem at the moment is that it is a little muddy in parts but nothing horrendous. We use one particular stretch of the MW regularly and with all the rain we’ve had it’s coped well. No risk of mud from Macclesfield to Bollington though.
Last year, or even the year before, they were working on overhead pylons so part of MW was closed.
More recently the bridge over the Silk Road (between Macc & Bollington) was closed while they redid the surface. That’s possibly when you tried it. If you’ve not been over there before, it zig zags up and down to/from the bridge but it is fully rideable.
There is another section near Bollington which also zig zags - you’ll probably need to get off for this bit as the turns are very tight.
No harm in checking MW out when you’re over that way - at least you’ll then know where you are going!
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honesty
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by honesty »

Day 2 route looks good. I've cycled the route between Okehampton and Tiverton a few times. It's a little hillier than the southern route MickF recommends but is beautiful and theirs a good cafe in the village shop at Morchard Bishop. If you want to and can spare 5 minutes is I'd divert onto the Granite way at Sourton just before Okehampton to cycle over the Meldon Viaduct. It's amazing. Coming down into Tiverton I'd stick to the B3137 though, it's a wide fast down hill and the lane you're going down is not the nicest. The route from Tiverton to Wellington is actually my go to route (from Uffculme at least) to get down to Exeter from Taunton and is a lovely ride. You could, if you wanted, follow the canal marked bike path out to Halberton, then pick up your route, which would cut out a little bit of town riding past Blundells school.

Day 3. The A38 after Wellington is not a nice road to cycle. I'd go through Hele, Allerford, Norton Fitzwarren, pick up the bike path on Great Western Way, cross over onto Bindon Road, then take the bike path on Trenchard way to Abbey Close. Drop down onto the canal from there and follow that out to Creech St. Michael. Here you can pick up your route, or follow the canal all the way to Bridgwater. From there I'd go over the new bridge at Squibbers Way, then back onto the bike path to river lane. here you can follow the Sustrans route to Bawdrip. Theres also a nice tunnel under the A39 there rather than cycling on the road to take you over to the other side at Cossington.
nickyboy
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Joined: 17 Feb 2020, 5:54pm

Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by nickyboy »

I've modded the D2 route to take in the Meldon Viaduct which, I agree, looks fantastic and then continue to Okehampton

One question on your navigation around Taunton....we will be on standard road bikes with 25mm slick tyres. Can the non-road routes you suggest be ridden easily with a normal road bike? D3 is 100 miles so we need to get a wriggle on
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honesty
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by honesty »

nickyboy wrote:I've modded the D2 route to take in the Meldon Viaduct which, I agree, looks fantastic and then continue to Okehampton

One question on your navigation around Taunton....we will be on standard road bikes with 25mm slick tyres. Can the non-road routes you suggest be ridden easily with a normal road bike? D3 is 100 miles so we need to get a wriggle on


I do it on my audax bike with 28mm tyres. If you are worried though the canal route is tarmac'd to the Bathpool area of Taunton at which point you can jump back onto the road at Dyers Lane then work over to Creech St. Michael using Langaller Lane and pick up your current route.

If you want to stick to your route, which is one of the better ways out of the east of Taunton (and it's really just the bit of the A38 at the start I'd miss if it were me) then just be aware there is a cycle lane running counter to the traffic on the motorway roundabout that feeds across to the lane for Ruishton

I'd definitely not do the canal from Tiverton to Halberton on 25mm tyres though!

One thing I've just noticed, there is a lane from Clevedon through to Portbury that is a nicer ride than the main road. It's sign posted as part of the Avon Cycleway.
nickyboy
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by nickyboy »

Sadly pulled the plug on this last week and in the process of getting our various accommodation and transport payments back

The good news is we have a robust plan with routing and accommodation identified. The plan is to see how the land lies in July with a view to a September LEJOG if restrictions allow (I suspect the reopening of pubs and cafes will come last as this was first to lock down)

If September still looks unlikely it'll be May 2021
eileithyia
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by eileithyia »

Good luck for your future plans when they can be realised.
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rareposter
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by rareposter »

I've been riding Middlewood Way regularly as a means of getting out and about, it's fully open Macclesfield to Marple and it's all do-able on any road bike (although it can get muddy after rain). I assume that'll still be the case for your rescheduled September trip but if you need to know, post on here and I'll go and ride it for you. ;-)

Hope your revised trip gets to go ahead.
Raggleswoodlucy
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by Raggleswoodlucy »

We too have had to shelve our #tandemlejog2020 and are doing in in June next year. Too many friends joining us, who need family time in Sept if we are able to go on holiday .
Be more time to practice!
mattsccm
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Re: Comments on our May 2020 LEJOG route

Post by mattsccm »

I assume you are looking at speed not pleasure. The A38 either side of Gloucester is horrible. Just a main road with very busy traffic. Fast as well. Why not roughly parallel it?
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