My JOGLE

[Mawsley]

Hello.

I feel a fraud. Here's all of you, all fit with lungs and muscles and appropriate equipment - and here's me with a Defy 2, little training and a mass of fat. I don't even possess one of those tight cycling tops...but I do have a couple of good sized water bottles. One has a skull&crossbones which I think is quite cool.

I started to train for this last year, dropped my weight down to 13something only to be in an accident and the weight climbed back up as I did no riding.

One week ago I started it all over again.

Here I am, seven days more experienced and 10lbs lighter. I'm training on a Kettler Ergorace and enjoying an adequate but strictly controlled diet.

My plan is to wild camp through Scotland, my wife & kids are going to be driving and pitching tents, before joining up with other family and friends through England and finding camp sites as I go. So costs are going to be pretty minimal - around £250 on diesel and some quids thrown at campsites. I've got a couple of spare inner tubes and some tools in the garage. Plus, by the time I get to Carlisle, I can have my Lemond Alpe D'Huez back off my Dad which means I'll have a whole spare bike on the back of a car.

My focus is on getting it done and quickly so I want to build up my ability to do big days in the saddle. As much as part of me thinks this is a joke I remember Eddie Izzard and his continuous marathons. I can do this. I've got the compulsoryblog sorted too.

In the process I'm getting sponsorship for Children In Need as I'm a primary teacher and it seemed a good fit.

I'm not convinced I need a GPS, I do think I need to charge my iPhone as I go and do I need one of those tight cycling jerseys? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers,
Dave

[cmlstratton]

Good Luck Dave!

I'd strongly recommend a Garmin as mobile signal is not always available or use NavFree app which I don't believe needs signal. Although if you had a couple of battery packs you could charge in the car overnight you could probably get away with an iPhone.

14 days is a good target schedule and I hope you have better weather than I had = finished wishing I had done a LEJOG and not a into the headwind JOGLE!!

Cheers

Charlie
PS I reckon your food budget will be close to your diesel one.

[LollyKat]

... do I need one of those tight cycling jerseys?

No! Years ago my OH and I did long distance touring in tailored shorts or knee breeches, and polycotton shirts - these were quite comfortable, dried quickly when wet and were easily washed. We had bar bags so didn't really miss back pockets. When it rained we wore capes. I still commute in ordinary clothes.

Last year however I did try lycra for the first time, and found it very comfortable and practical. I like having rear pockets now that I don't use a bar bag, and the slight honeycomb weave wicks the sweat better. The big eye-opener though was how comfortable I felt in rain, with only a Montane super lightweight showerproof jacket on top. Although some rain gets through, the lycra seems to wick or evaporate it away before it gets to my skin, so that I stay dry, without having to battle with a cape in the wind.

If you can do without pockets, why not compromise and get a casual sports shirt from somewhere like Mountain Warehouse? They do slightly looser shirts for mountain bikers and runners that use high-tech fabrics but look a bit more 'normal'. The extra wind-resistance will be insignificant. You can also get baggy shorts with removable padded inners.

Have you seen this film of a CTC day ride in 1955? Many of them are wearing shirts and ties.

[2Tubs]

Hi Dave,

I wouldn’t worry about any of it.

All you need is a bike (any bike) and the will to do it. Anything else is a bonus.

You don’t need GPS. You just need the ability to follow road signs. That’s all we did. We had a map, we’d pick out the next few towns and the number of the (quieter) roads we wanted to follow. It took 800 miles before we took a wrong turn. GPS might be nice, but you won’t lack anything in the experience if you don’t take one. When I do it again, I may or may not buy one. Ain’t decided.

Charging your iPhone might be a challenge. Though I do have a battery powered charger for my iPod. I’ve never tried it with my iPhone. Whatever, it’s an expensive way of charging!

As for cycling tops? Tight if you want. I prefer footie shirts and tend to cycle in BCFC replica shirts. Because I have them going back years and it saves buying other tops.

I would also say your water bottles sound unsuitable. Spend a lot of money on some new ones.

Gazza

[Mawsley]

... do I need one of those tight cycling jerseys?

No! Years ago my OH and I did long distance touring in tailored shorts or knee breeches, and polycotton shirts - these were quite comfortable, dried quickly when wet and were easily washed. We had bar bags so didn't really miss back pockets. When it rained we wore capes. I still commute in ordinary clothes.

Sorry - it's hard to convey feeling on a board. I'm not a cycling top kind of person. I'll be wearing my collection of old punk T-shirts.

[Mawsley]

Hi Dave,

I wouldn’t worry about any of it.

All you need is a bike (any bike) and the will to do it. Anything else is a bonus.

You don’t need GPS. You just need the ability to follow road signs. That’s all we did. We had a map, we’d pick out the next few towns and the number of the (quieter) roads we wanted to follow. It took 800 miles before we took a wrong turn. GPS might be nice, but you won’t lack anything in the experience if you don’t take one. When I do it again, I may or may not buy one. Ain’t decided.

Charging your iPhone might be a challenge. Though I do have a battery powered charger for my iPod. I’ve never tried it with my iPhone. Whatever, it’s an expensive way of charging!

As for cycling tops? Tight if you want. I prefer footie shirts and tend to cycle in BCFC replica shirts. Because I have them going back years and it saves buying other tops.

I would also say your water bottles sound unsuitable. Spend a lot of money on some new ones.

Gazza

Nice, thanks Gary.

Have to say I'm very disappointed about the water bottles. So disappointed I may have to rethink a cycling journey where they'd be acceptable because for me they're a bit of a deal-breaker. Damn.

[jonniloo]

As regards bottles get a Zigg flask very lightweight you can use for dehydration drinks to save any discoloration of plastic bottles,also get a yellow helmet cover for wet weather or leave on on cool days and a bright jersey better safe than sorry.