UPDATE - Official CTC LEJoG Tours in July and Sept

[robgul]

How much would you spend if you went DIY?

I didn't spend £750 even including the train fare.

I only snacked through the days with stuff I'd taken with me as the B+B breakfasts were enough, and I ate pub meals in the evening. Wetherspoons (in Wick) had huge meals for £3odd for instance.

... ah, did you take any bones from Wetherspoons to gnaw the next day

Rob

[meic]

When I am touring, buying cheaply in supermarkets (not their cafes), I probably approach £10 a day.
It all adds up, a chocolate bar here, some fruit and nuts there.

On the road you would consider yourself lucky to get out of a cafe lunch stop having spent less than a fiver.

[trecelyn]

How much would you spend if you went DIY?

To be honest I haven't done the calculation. As I work full time, away from home, and therefore don't really have the time to research and plan, the CTC tour looks like a good idea for me. If you can do it for 750 quid, that's great! But don't berate us less fortunate mortals who, for whatever reason, choose an organised tour. Paying someone else to help us do the LEJoG does not make it less of an achievment IMHO. You pay your money (or not) and take your choice.

Best

T

[barneybear69]

+1 for Wetherspoons in Wick.
I think I stopped in same B&B (Carey's) as you did when I was finishing mine and the owners recommended it.

[Mick F]

If you can do it for 750 quid, that's great! But don't berate us less fortunate mortals who, for whatever reason, choose an organised tour.

I'm not berating anyone, just expressing my surprise at the cost of an organised tour. No doubt it could be reasonable - see! I'm agreeing with folk now! But don't expect me to take them up on their tour at that price.

DIY
I say again: a good breakfast at the B+B (included in the price) , lunch of stuff I brought with me - fruit+nuts, cheese, choccy, ... and an evening meal at a boozer. Supper later back at the B+B of soup and hot chocolate - again, what I'd brought with me. Biggest expense for me with pub grub is the two or three pints!

Yes Barney, great pub and a great B+B. Highly recommended.

[LollyKat]

I'm sure I could do a DIY for less that the organised one but probably not a huge amount less. E.g I find camping and hostels too uncomfortable and would go B&B - but the single person's surcharge adds to the cost. Then I can never eat a large breakfast so don't get my money's worth in terms of food.

I agree with Meic that daily food costs are around £10 minimum. You are not counting the stuff you take with you ..."fruit+nuts, cheese, choccy..." which can add up if you have to buy separately day by day. Personally I would find taking 19 days' rations far too heavy and bulky - I don't want a trailer as well as panniers, thank you! On tour I am usually a single female and reluctant to go in to pubs on my own, so my evening meal is more likely to be around £7. Self-catering hostels would help here but I gave up on the YHA years ago.

[wirral_cyclist]

Hang on!

The £5 a day was proposed as cost of food only by someone here, not the allowance from CTC for the tours daily meals! I've worked in ski chalets and the budget there is £8 a day and that is everyone on the same 'fancy looking' grub (Brekky and dinner) and not a choice of starters/main/desserts that the tour would have - and of course any cost price applies only to the food supplier not the customer (be it CTC or the rider!) so perhaps double that to the eater. B&B £30 a night, erm I doubt it - certainly nowhere I'd want to stay!
The huge error of the van only ever travelling one way has been addressed so it easy to see that the price is getting nearer to double that suggested and so costs perhaps nearer to £1200 of £1600, more than I can afford to pay certainly, but not an unreasonable profit margin for a very specific taget audience holiday - blimey half the 'sponsored' rides need you to pay the same amount AND also guarantee £2K in sponsors...

That DeeLout tour costs more, is mostly tented and probably very unpleasant when you got DeliBelly doing it...

[Mick F]

When I've ridden End2End - a few times now - I take my "fruit+nuts, cheese, choccy" with me, plus cupasoups and sachets of drinking chocolate. ie not buying it enroute so the cost isn't factored in.

My B+B charges from my 2010 Raleigh Chopper JOGLE were:
Wick - Carey's Guest House £20
Golspie - Ben Braggie Hotel £30
Inverness, Pitlochry and Edinburgh SYHA including an extra day at Edinburgh - all B+B total £88.75 divided by four = £22
Beatock - Lochhouse Farm - £30
Penrith - VERY hard to find anywhere - Brandlehow - £35
Leyland and Wrexham I stayed with relations.
Ludlow - Cecil Guest House - £26
Gloucester - Georgian Guest House - £18.50 - but it was awful!
Bridgewater - Admiral Blake - £30

Rest of the journey, I stayed at home.

Average cost per night B+B of places I paid for = £26.44

[colin146]

How about;

Eating 20,000 calories before leaving home.
Collecting as much road kill as possible along the way.
Giving the road kill to the warden of the "night shelter".
Waiting until just before closing time at the supermarkets to take advantage of price cutting.
Offering to the local constabularies on route to assess their "overnight visitor accommodation".
Securing the grid reference of council gritting bins in case the above are otherwise engaged at weekends.
Securing the assistance of local clergy en route (good for a bowl of soup and divine providence I'm lead to believe).
Pretend to be collecting for the charity currently in vogue, help for heroes etc.

Then with all the money saved do it a second time using a travel company

[meic]

I think that is the Audax version of LeJog, though you are allowed to use Audax Hotels*.



*I think non-participants mistake them for bus-stops.

[Whippet]

A lot of money I know, but I've signed up to the May LEJOG. I like the idea of support, the fellowship of a group, and good accommodation and food. Better get training

[The Mechanic]

Is your middle name Eberneezer by any chance Mick?

[Mick F]

No, it's Michael.

What's yours?

[delilah]

Not cynical Mick but unrealistic. You also need to consider the cost of the van over the useful life of it, insurance, probable double the mileage as the van needs to get to and from its base. Wages for the support crew and time spent planning and booking. I also think £30 per person per night is a bit out of date for a B&B, unless you are looking at Heartbreak Hotel type B&Bs in dodgy locales. On my LEJOG, all food apart from evening meals were provided, including en route fodder. Transport was also provided from Penzance to LE (van) and from JOG to Inverness (Coach for 25 riders). Full technical support including spare bikes in case of disaster were also provided.

All in all, considering I am not retired and don't have time to cut the grass never mind plan a 14 day tour, I consider it VFM.

Can anyone tell me whether the CTC tours are non-profit making or not? Commercial tour companies seem to charge just as much and they make a profit.
I don't think the leader and assistant get paid but correct me if I'm wrong.
The last time I was asked to assist on a CTC tour I was expected to have all the responsibility of driving the van. Picking up and depositing the luggage at the end of the day. Meeting up at various stages throughout the day to provide drinks and any extra clothing etc. Carry out any roadside repairs and be available in the evening to repair any clients bikes. Have a current first aid certificate. No chance to ride myself (this was the perogitive of the leader!)
In return I was offered board and accommodation and travel.
Count me out but I'd rather work for a commercial tour company and get paid properly to do it.!

[Si]

I don't think the leader and assistant get paid but correct me if I'm wrong.

Yep, that is my understanding - they don't get paid but they do get their expenses paid, so the guide would have his hotel rooms paid for but he wouldn't get any real cash in his hand.