November LEJOG

[AirTime]

Hi guys,
Anyone have any experience of doing a lejog in winter? A friend and I have 5 days left of holiday to use up so we're doing it next week.
We're currently experiencing unseasonal weather so hopefully we'll be lucky! We're travelling fast and light so praying for no rain as I can't fit any spare spare clothes in my handlebar bag anyway!
One question I have though. The cycle path bit that runs alongside the A9 past Pitlochry - I remember seeing a sign saying something like it is closed during the winter months. Does anyone know about this or can comment on the conditions of this partly off-road track? We'll be riding racing bikes.
Oh and we're doing it in aid of a locally run hospice that relies purely on the donations of the local community so if you think our suffering is worthy of a donation then please donate!

http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Martin9


Cheers, Al

[Ron]

Hi guys,
One question I have though. The cycle path bit that runs alongside the A9 past Pitlochry - I remember seeing a sign saying something like it is closed during the winter months. Does anyone know about this or can comment on the conditions of this partly off-road track? We'll be riding racing bikes.

It doesn't close in winter, unless nature closes it with snow. The path is not salted or cleared of snow and some short sections may be unsuitable for "road" bikes. There have recently been resurfacing works on a few Km of path around Drumochter.

[The Mechanic]

The weather can change dramatically in short order, especially in Scotland. I got stuck in snow many years ago on the way back from a Sunday run to the North Yorkshire Moors from Driffied. We (5 of us) had to be rescued by one of the Dad's in a landrover after about 2 feet of snow fell in just over an hour. It was not good. We managed to wade through snow drifts to a farm where the kind farmers wife made soup for us until the landie arrived. We were close to hypothermia when we eventually got to the farmhouse. If you do not have room for plenty of clothing for emergencies, don't do it.

If the same thing happened now I would have given serious consideration to calling 999. In those days there were only phone boxes.

[AirTime]

thanks for your replies.

to be honest, the only extra clothing I will be taking other than what i am cycling in (lycra) is a pair of jogging bottoms, and a t-shirt. oh and i'll have shoe covers. as long as i'm cycling i'll be warm.
if on the other hand i get a puncture... well then i could be really shafted

[Ron]

to be honest, the only extra clothing I will be taking other than what i am cycling in (lycra) is a pair of jogging bottoms, and a t-shirt. oh and i'll have shoe covers. as long as i'm cycling i'll be warm.
if on the other hand i get a puncture... well then i could be really shafted

On reading this post, I am now concerned that my earlier contribution to this thread could be construed as assisting suicide.
When traversing high ground in the UK in winter it is foolish to just hope that you will "be lucky", or hope that you will not be "shafted".

[stewartpratt]

Just one set of cycling clothes for 900 miles in winter? I trust you're staying in hotels where you can be absolutely certain of being able to wash and fully dry everything overnight? Otherwise look forward to a nice bit of fungus growing round your private parts.

Setting off for Scotchland in November with a single set of kit that makes you pray for no rain and won't keep you warm enough to change a puncture seems, er, well, it's an interesting decision, isn't it?

[AirTime]

The thing is i'm doing this for charity in winter so need a hook to ensure people will sit up and donate by thinking 'yes that is quite a difficult challenge and will involve a lot of suffering'. If I decide to do it in summer it's simply not enough of a challenge to get people to put their hands in their pockets and donate. Anyway if i attach panniers to my racing bike it will ruin the aesthetic beauty of it's back end. Not justifiable in my opinion.

[PW]

I've done some daft things in my time, but going long distances over high ground in winter with no survival kit ain't one of 'em.
If you can't bear to load your roadbike then do a Mick F and tow a trailer. The extra gear might just keep you breathing!

[Mick F]

The distance won't be the problem, but the weather could be.

Stay on the lowest elevations you can find, keep away from high exposed places:
Bodmin Moor
Dartmoor
Shap Fell
Southern Uplands
Grampians
to name but a few.

Go up the Old A74 to Glasgow and up Loch Lomond, but keep away from Rannoch Moor - how? I don't know!
Follow Loch Ness and then via Dingwall and Invergordon and take the A9/A99 to JOG, but it could be very exposed off the N Sea.

I don't wish to put a downer on the ride, but if the weather is iffy, you could have a tough time of it.

[wirral_cyclist]

The thing is i'm doing this for charity in winter so need a hook to ensure people will sit up and donate by thinking 'yes that is quite a difficult challenge and will involve a lot of suffering'. If I decide to do it in summer it's simply not enough of a challenge to get people to put their hands in their pockets and donate. Anyway if i attach panniers to my racing bike it will ruin the aesthetic beauty of it's back end. Not justifiable in my opinion.

The suffering that may ensue could be the mess the emergency services have to clear up, or your relatives, but why not go in January or February and completely naked to make it a proper challenge? 'Racing bike' probably dates you a bit, they are called road bikes now I'm led to believe

[Big T]

One further problem with doing it at this time of year is lack of daylight. It gets dark around 4.30pm, and maybe earlier further north. In a summertime LEJOG you can ride on into the evening,but you'd need lights to do that at this time of year.

[stewartpratt]

The thing is i'm doing this for charity in winter so need a hook to ensure people will sit up and donate by thinking 'yes that is quite a difficult challenge and will involve a lot of suffering'. If I decide to do it in summer it's simply not enough of a challenge to get people to put their hands in their pockets and donate. Anyway if i attach panniers to my racing bike it will ruin the aesthetic beauty of it's back end. Not justifiable in my opinion.

Personally I think even most cyclists will think Lejog in a week is quite a difficult challenge at any time of year. It will be off the scale for non-cyclists. I understand the need (desire?) to suffer in order to feel you're justifying people's generosity, but frankly, there's challenging and there's reckless. Stubbornness can get you through a long and difficult day in the saddle but it won't get you through hypothermia if you get drenched and then hit with subzero windchill. If you're asking people for money to complete an arguably recklessly challenging ride and you fail to complete it, surely that would feel worse than asking people for money to complete a challenging ride which you do complete?

A small saddlebag would let you carry some spare shorts, bum cream, skullcap and a packable showerproof without adding noticeable weight or ruining the aesthetics. (And if you're doing 900 miles in a week you're going to be riding, sleeping and eating - how much time are you going to spend staring at your rear wheel?)

[barneybear69]

keep away from Rannoch Moor - how? I don't know!

This adds mileage but avoids the hills:
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=329219

I have to agree that Rannoch Moor in November will be 'testing'

The following webcam link would show you how bad the conditions will be http://ski.visitscotland.com/conditions/

I did it in August and loved it - dont' think I would love it if the weather was wet and very cold.

[barneybear69]

On the plus side - accommodation shouldn't be a problem

[Mick F]

Thanks Barney, that route looks ok. Not cycled up from Dunoon area/Holy Loch/Loch Awe, but I know/knew it well when we lived up there, though I have cycled the coast road further north to Corran.