Conundrum

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
Blondie
Posts: 239
Joined: 23 May 2021, 5:11pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Blondie »

puffin wrote: 15 Nov 2021, 10:11am
Blondie wrote: 14 Nov 2021, 6:06pm Really down to your preferences and temperament.

As to accommodation costs. Assuming it’s just accommodation then £90-100 a night average is somewhat on the high side. Outside of school holidays and weekends and busy tourist areas you can nearly always find something for around £50 a day or two ahead. Book your first 3 days to get yourself started then book the rest 1 or 2 days ahead once you know how you are going.
That would be cool, but I've found accommodation close to your route is difficult to come by in peak season, I'm already limited in my choice for some parts of the journey in June.
What do you mean by your route? I haven’t supplied one!
puffin
Posts: 559
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: Conundrum

Post by puffin »

Blondie wrote: 21 Nov 2021, 9:24pm
puffin wrote: 15 Nov 2021, 10:11am
Blondie wrote: 14 Nov 2021, 6:06pm Really down to your preferences and temperament.

As to accommodation costs. Assuming it’s just accommodation then £90-100 a night average is somewhat on the high side. Outside of school holidays and weekends and busy tourist areas you can nearly always find something for around £50 a day or two ahead. Book your first 3 days to get yourself started then book the rest 1 or 2 days ahead once you know how you are going.
That would be cool, but I've found accommodation close to your route is difficult to come by in peak season, I'm already limited in my choice for some parts of the journey in June.
What do you mean by your route? I haven’t supplied one!
OK, close to "one's" route.
Jules59
Posts: 420
Joined: 16 Jan 2019, 2:34pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Jules59 »

Due to Covid -related postponement of another planned cycling trip in Europe I joined an organised LEJOG run by Peak Tours this year.
For me the cost was well worth it, especially as I had only 6 weeks to prepare.
Being able to ride solo most the time, at my own speed was really nice but being able to chat to others as we passed each other en-route and met up at grub stops added variety and fun to each day. Not having to worry about food, accommodation, route planning etc meant I could relax and enjoy the cycling to the full.
Regarding incidents, my front mech snapped off north of Edinburgh. I changed rings with a wooden stick until the next snack stop where I was loaned a spare bike and the support team arranged to have my bike fixed for the next day with a complete new front mech.
I also raised £1500 for MENCAP which was nice too.
Tiggertoo
Posts: 475
Joined: 2 Jun 2021, 4:52pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Tiggertoo »

"I also raised £1500 for MENCAP which was nice too."
I'm something of a neophyte when it comes to asking people to give money for a worthy cause, if I am doing something I want to do anyway, so just how does one go about organizing a fund raising programme?
rareposter
Posts: 1987
Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 2:40pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by rareposter »

Tiggertoo wrote: 21 Nov 2021, 11:46pm "I also raised £1500 for MENCAP which was nice too."
I'm something of a neophyte when it comes to asking people to give money for a worthy cause, if I am doing something I want to do anyway, so just how does one go about organizing a fund raising programme?
First and foremost is to talk to the charity you're interested in raising money for. They need it on their books and can help with awareness stuff as well via their own social media, especially if there's a backstory to it (eg if they've helped a relative of yours in some way and you're "repaying" them). Trying to raise money without their official backing could be problematic if someone decides to check up on your activities and the charity say "no, no idea about that..."

Once you've got their OK, you can set up a JustGiving or Virgin Money link and post about the backstory, why you're doing it, how much you hope to raise and then various bits of info about the trip. You'll need some sort of proof you've done it - photos, Strava etc. Use one of the donation sites, they're secure, easy to use and people know that the money is going where it says it is, it's not some scam (therefore they're more inclined to donate!)

Leave the donations page open for a couple of weeks after you've done it and keep posting stuff about it. You do need Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / a blog post to make a reasonable stab at this, it's no good just leaving it there and hoping for the best, it needs proactive pushing on a regular basis, ideally with friends retweeting and sharing. If there's a reasonable hashtag for it, it helps with finding it. Maybe #ridefor[name] which personalises it a bit. Also, if someone just stumbles across it or asks you what you're doing, saying "oh just search for the following hashtag on Twitter" is a lot easier than trying to explain the whole story every time. Local press can be a big help too, they're often on the lookout for feelgood stories with a local twist: "local cyclist does [epic ride] for [worthy cause]" type stuff and a link in there will often donations from outside your immediate circle of friends / colleagues.
Tiggertoo
Posts: 475
Joined: 2 Jun 2021, 4:52pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Tiggertoo »

Thanks, that is a good summary of what it takes to raise money for a charity. Not for me though, it almost sounds like a full time job. :roll:
axel_knutt
Posts: 2879
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 12:20pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by axel_knutt »

I always cycled alone because I couldn't keep up with other cyclists, and never booked in advance so that I could choose my mileage according to how I felt on the day. With this opt out I found I put in far higher daily mileages than I dare risk if I committed myself in advance. I'd be very disappointed if I couldn't do it for less than £900, using the YHA I did a 9nt/10 day tour for an all-up total of £198 in 2010, and a 26nt/27 day tour in 2011 for £631. At that time, self catering was about £5-6 a day compared to the £20 a day the YHA were charging for a lot fewer calories.
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
rareposter
Posts: 1987
Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 2:40pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by rareposter »

axel_knutt wrote: 22 Nov 2021, 5:38pm I'd be very disappointed if I couldn't do it for less than £900, using the YHA I did a 9nt/10 day tour for an all-up total of £198 in 2010, and a 26nt/27 day tour in 2011 for £631. At that time, self catering was about £5-6 a day compared to the £20 a day the YHA were charging for a lot fewer calories.
Prices now are WAY higher than then!
Part of that is Covid / "staycation" related, demand is simply through the roof as all the people who would normally go off on a cheap package deal to Costa del Wherever suddenly go on holiday in the UK.
Slowtwitch
Posts: 744
Joined: 25 Oct 2021, 11:35pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Slowtwitch »

There's always cycle camping, coupled with every other night Airbnb. I managed lejog on 335 quid, over 12 days in the height of summer. I travel light (full pack: tent, sleeping bag, mat, stove, fuel etc) 9.5kg included essential tool kit and spares/change of clothes.
Jules59
Posts: 420
Joined: 16 Jan 2019, 2:34pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Jules59 »

Tiggertoo wrote: 21 Nov 2021, 11:46pm "I also raised £1500 for MENCAP which was nice too."
I'm something of a neophyte when it comes to asking people to give money for a worthy cause, if I am doing something I want to do anyway, so just how does one go about organizing a fund raising programme?
It was a very personal thing for me. My brother has Downs and my mum, who died a few years ago, used to be chair of her local Mencap branch. My dad and sister asked if I would do the ride in memory of mum and raise something for Mencap. All the donations came from people who knew my mum apart from a few that came from my friends and some ex-work colleagues.
I just set up a Just Giving page explaining what and why I was doing the LEJOG and pasted daily updates during the ride. Sister and dad spread a link to people they thought would be interested in donating.
Tiggertoo
Posts: 475
Joined: 2 Jun 2021, 4:52pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Tiggertoo »

I do think it is important if one is to raise money in this way, to have a personal connection, as you have. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on how one sees things - I have nothing to draw on.
The latest Call the midwife episodes have done a wonderful job in dispelling the age old myths and prejudices of Downs, and shown there is a great deal to be thankful in being able to have the great pleasure of living alongside those with Downs.
puffin
Posts: 559
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: Conundrum

Post by puffin »

Slowtwitch wrote: 22 Nov 2021, 8:36pm There's always cycle camping, coupled with every other night Airbnb. I managed lejog on 335 quid, over 12 days in the height of summer. I travel light (full pack: tent, sleeping bag, mat, stove, fuel etc) 9.5kg included essential tool kit and spares/change of clothes.
That is awesome!!!
Jules59
Posts: 420
Joined: 16 Jan 2019, 2:34pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Jules59 »

Tiggertoo wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 12:02am I do think it is important if one is to raise money in this way, to have a personal connection, as you have. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on how one sees things - I have nothing to draw on.
The latest Call the midwife episodes have done a wonderful job in dispelling the age old myths and prejudices of Downs, and shown there is a great deal to be thankful in being able to have the great pleasure of living alongside those with Downs.
indeed :)
Tiggertoo
Posts: 475
Joined: 2 Jun 2021, 4:52pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Tiggertoo »

"Prices now are WAY higher than then!"

Very true, again!
I thought I might start my ride from Penzance, since that is the terminus for the train from Paddington. I could arrive there late in the afternoon, book in, ride down to Lands End then start the ride north the next day. There is a Premier hotel very close to the station making it convenient with the bike. The web site says prices starting at 50 pounds, but clicking on the rates for 31 May, it popped up at 136 pounds!
Maybe it is just Cornwall, but it looks as if it might be a struggle to do the trip on a 100 pound/day budget.
Jdsk
Posts: 24627
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Conundrum

Post by Jdsk »

Tiggertoo wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 3:37pmI thought I might start my ride from Penzance, since that is the terminus for the train from Paddington. I could arrive there late in the afternoon, book in, ride down to Lands End then start the ride north the next day. There is a Premier hotel very close to the station making it convenient with the bike.
Just checking... you do know about the sleeper?
https://www.seat61.com/sleeper-to-cornwall.htm

It's a lovely way to arrive.

Jonathan
Post Reply