First LEJOG

[Dallas1972]

Looking for any help and assistance possible, myself and 2 friends are planning to do the Lejog in May 2021 if Covid allows, we are in the early stages of planning and are very fortunate to have another friend that is going to support us along the whole route. I am a newbie to road riding but increasing my mileage every week and as we are in West Wales, we have plenty of hills to train on, due to my work commitments we are looking to complete in 10 days. Looking at some people’s previous route’s it looks like the first couple of days could be the toughest with the climbing, we are looking for any advice they the community can give especially on routes, accommodation and must visit places, I really would like to ride through Glencoe, any thoughts on this route.
We are looking to try and ride around 100 miles a day and to keep off A roads wherever possible but 10 days is our max, what are thoughts on taking 1 day at some point as a rest day, is it needed?
So many questions I know, any thoughts and advice on any points would be very much appreciated.
Thanks Dallas

[cycleruk]

If you want to ride through Glencoe then it's "A" roads for sure.
Basically the route via Glencoe will take you from Glasgow to Fort William and then probably to Inverness.
Do you intend camping or B&B ?

[rareposter]

We are looking to try and ride around 100 miles a day and to keep off A roads wherever possible but 10 days is our max, what are thoughts on taking 1 day at some point as a rest day, is it needed?

Does the 10 days include the day required to get to LE and the day to get back from JOG?
Here's a 9-day route that does Glencoe. If you can hit that on a weekday, it's vastly quieter than trying it on a weekend!

https://www.mapmytracks.com/events/delo ... itain-2016

[Dallas1972]

Thanks for that, we are allowing 10 days cycling so that route looks really interesting, it was more or less what I wanted to do, looks like the first couple of days are the toughest but that seems to be the same no matter which route you take. Can I ask if you have info on accommodation along the route, we are being supported and look to b&b,hostel or hotel.
Thanks again Dallas

[rareposter]

Can I ask if you have info on accommodation along the route, we are being supported and look to b&b, hostel or hotel.

That route was a mass-participation LEJOG so the start/stop points each day are based on the availability of a space large enough to pitch the tents / marquees etc that the event uses.

My preference on solo / small group touring is usually to plan an area rather than an exact stop. It depends a bit on when you do the ride; that option is less likely to be available in high tourist season when everything is booked up! You know you need to do roughly 100 miles so you pick a sort of area with a likely town/village etc and then work from there. If the weather is great, you're all feeling good and there's a nice tailwind, you might choose to go a bit further. Terrible day, mechanicals etc and you might want to just call it a day earlier and make up the mileage later. Having fixed bookings is good in some respects but you do sometimes end up having to push on for an hour in the rain just to get to a pre-booked place or conversely sitting there from 2pm having arrived early and feeling that you've wasted a couple of hours of riding time.

Support car is obviously a great help. Whatever you do, DON'T have the car sitting behind you all day. That's a waste of a vehicle as well as being massively annoying for every other road user. Car sets off 40 mins after you, passes you en route, parks up somewhere to refuel/replenish you. The leapfrog thing carries on throughout the day so the car is never more than about an hour away but the driver can restock, sort out food, plan accommodation and so on. Smartphones and many modern GPS cycle computers all have live-tracking options so you can see where everyone is. At lunchtime, you decide how much further you're willing / able to ride, look for some accommodation in the area that you'll be in and it can be booked online in seconds. I've done it loads of times, it's really helped with flexibility.

That said, it's worth booking your first day and final day in advance and then just making sure you can get to them. If you're going via Glencoe / Fort William, the place is stuffed with B&Bs. There are several threads on here that have accommodation recommendations but it'll depend on how many in the group, budget and so on.

[Dallas1972]

Thank you so much for the great advice.
Regards Dallas

[Jamesh]

Hi this my brief report after each day.


viewtopic.php?f=22&t=130938

8 days so about same time if a little faster.

Might be a few stops you could use Betty cockers for instance.

Cheers James

[Sid Aluminium]

I really would like to ride through Glencoe ... and to keep off A roads wherever possible

Ride to Ardrossan, ferry to Campbeltown, Caledonia Way to Inverness with a side trip to Glencoe?

Hmph. Probably a daft idea (in the context of the OP's time/distance goals, as explained by NickWi below).

[keithg]

Honestly, the Glencoe , A82, is a horrible road to cycle on busy, fast and narrow. Very scenic but I once rode it with a Dutch girl who burst into tears when we got to Tyndrum and she was a very experienced cycle tourer, a slight over-reaction I thought but it had been a memorable unpleasant day of bonkers traffic.
I love Glencoe but for walking and climbing. I would ride it at 6am and enjoy it but no longer during 9-5.
If you like the scenic west coast then It can be bypassed by using ferries and adding Arran, Mull and Skye but it’s a slow way albeit, the best of Scotland.
Have fun!

[NickWi]

Taking a scenic route, even if it only has an afternoon off route detour AND a 10 day route, (possibly just nine if you take the rest day you mentioned) do not really go well together in the same sentence when you’re talking LEJOG. If you’re not careful you’re going to end up head down staring at that patch of road ahead of you and miss what’s going on around you, particularly as the best Scottish scenery is going to be when you’re feeling tired, travel weary and feel like you just simply have to keep peddling to make it to tonight’s B&B in a reasonable time. Been there, seen it, rode into a ditch & fell off because I was over tired.

Please don’t take this like I'm trying to put you off, far from it and whatever route you take you will enjoy it, but if you are going to ride Glencoe, stay in a local B&B, set you’re alarm, get up early and do it a 5.00am before the trucks, tourist and worse of the lot, hired motorhomes are on the road; then yes, you will truly enjoy it.

[Dallas1972]

Thanks for the advice, been hearing the same thing from a few riders, we have only 10 days due to work commitments so will probably head up the east side rather then the west.
Regards Dallas

[nickyboy]

We are doing a 10.5 day LEJOG May 2021. Here's the thread link which contains the daily routefiles. The only thing you need to be aware of is we detour to Glossop on D5 (the half day) as we live there. Bear in mind our route has some stops in places with very limited accommodation (like Tushielaw, Brora, Tebay and, bizarrely, Camelford). We've booked ours already

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=135551

[Mick F]

Do JOGLE.
Forget LEJOG.

Most people live in England, and Wales is near England.
Scotland is a big place, and the top bit is fairly unpopulated and vast.

If you did LEJOG, what happens then?
You get there, the place is deserted, and you have the long car/train journey back home. Not much in the way of alternatives, and for the vast majority of the riders, it's a long way home.

Do JOGLE instead.
Do the long journey first and set off cycling south.
By the time you get to the hard bits, you're fitter and stronger.
When you get to LE, you're more likely to get a welcome reception, and your journey home is easier and simpler and more than likely shorter.

No contest.

[philvantwo]

Why do all the record breakers start from Lands End?
Because of the south westerly winds!!

[Paulatic]

Why do all the record breakers start from Lands End?
Because of the south westerly winds!!

Have the record breakers ever attempted it in April/ May?