Another route suggestion post (sorry)

[ejpayne91]

Sorry for possibly the hundredth post asking for help with a route but I guess this is why the forum is so helpful!

Planning on my first LEJOG in sept looking to do it in 8 days.

Obviously this will have to be a fairly quick route and I don’t mind riding on bigger roads but would like to see a bit of the country if possible and not 100% fastest route.

Only place I need to stop at is near Merton in Devon (home) and the rest of the stop offs can be whichever town suits.

I believe Mick F is the man with the plan! Do you possibly have GPS online routes available?

Thanks

[Jamesh]

Roughly

Lands end - home
Home - Bristol
Bristol - Warrington
Warrington - Penrith
Penrith - Edinburgh
Edinburgh - pitlochy
Pitlochy - Inverness
Inverness - Jog

Couple of suggestions use robs passage to Taunton

Go via Weston super mare - clevedon - portishead to miss out Mendips.

If you don't want traffic through Preston take the Mersey ferry.

Finally follow my posts in two weeks time and avoid my mistakes!

Cheers James

[Mick F]

Merton eh?
Cycled through a few times over the years!

Consider NOT going via Merton, but Okehampton. Get someone to pick you up to take you home, then deposit you back to Okehampton the next day. Nothing beats having home comfort and sleeping in your own bed!

Living here in the Tamar Valley, I've done Jogle and Lejogandback via here, but my next Jogle Mrs Mick F met me at Sourton (near Okehampton) and took me home. Much easier than doing the local hills ............... and it's not flat getting to Merton and out again either.

Take the Old A30 out of Hayle through Camborne and Redruth, and aim for St Newlyn East and St Columb Major, then A39 to Camelford and turn east onto the A395, turning off for Egloskerry and St Stephens. You can get to the Old A30 again and follow it to Sourton. Go under the A30 and keep going a mile and turn right down the hill to re-join the Old A30 into Okehampton. 100miles or thereabouts LE to Okehampton.

Jamesh has it about right. Don't forget about Rob's Passage to cut out the hills from Crediton to Tiverton.

[ejpayne91]

Thank you gents for your replies.

I will look at stopping in Okehampton as you suggest and follow your route out of Cornwall and Devon.

I’m going to try and plot the route online and will post on here, if you wouldn’t mind casting a knowledgeable eye over them.

Thanks!

[Mick F]

No probs!
Fire away!

There are two hard things about doing an End2End I reckon.
One: the planning of the route.
Two: the planning and the booking of the accommodation.
These things make going on an organised and supported ride attractive to many people.
The issue of actually cycling is a pleasure and a delight however you do it.

Routes and accommodation are personal things, and we all have to make our own minds up about it. For my own part, somewhere between 75 and 110 miles a day is ok and I like a mixture of quiet lanes and big main roads. They both work together: one gentle and relaxing, and the other fast and mile-eating. I also like being self reliant and making my own way. By planning your own route, you get to know and really understand the whole complete picture.

Whether I do another End2End, I don't know. I fancy St David's Head to Lowestoft instead.

[charliepolecat]

Just a question. Most of the postings are for solo attempts, working your own route, finding accommodation, etc. And that is what my plan is/was. But what do the experienced folk think of just doing a tour such as Peak Tours puts on? Pricey? yes! but very convenient and no accommodation to look for, a route already provided, transport back to Inverness at the end, not having to carry your clothing, etc. What's not to like about this?

If you were doing it for the first time, would you go this route?

[rareposter]

Just a question. Most of the postings are for solo attempts, working your own route, finding accommodation, etc. And that is what my plan is/was. But what do the experienced folk think of just doing a tour such as Peak Tours puts on? Pricey? yes! but very convenient and no accommodation to look for, a route already provided, transport back to Inverness at the end, not having to carry your clothing, etc. What's not to like about this?

If you were doing it for the first time, would you go this route?

That's the main existential question of LEJOG!
Advantages: all you need to do is ride your bike and look at the scenery. There's back up and support in case of mechanicals, illness, injury etc. There are other like-minded people to talk to. No luggage to carry.
Disadvantages: it's someone else's route plan and timings. Less say in what you do, potentially removing any aspect of spontaneity or leeway in case of inclement weather.

I think there is one common theme running through every single LEJOG or JOGLE though; whatever route you take, there'll always be someone to tell you that you should have done it differently!

[charliepolecat]

Disadvantages: it's someone else's route plan and timings. Less say in what you do, potentially removing any aspect of spontaneity or leeway in case of inclement weather.

One benefit could be that having the night's stop all arranged, a confident/experienced rider is free to meander off route at will as long as they arrive back at the scheduled stop for the night. Although I readily admit one could do that riding independently.

[althebike]

I checked my route out on instant street view before the ride.It surprised me how much of it I remembered as I rode. It felt really good being my ride, my route, my plan and the whole thing added to a sense of achievement .One thing I did not enjoy was the finding accommodation bit.
Perhaps there is a gap here that could be filled by a booking agency.You give them your route with dates and budget, and places get booked for you. I do not mean the trip adviser type, I mean a dedicated site for lejog or cycle touring.If you could get the accommodation, adjust route and timings accordingly, to what is available, and just go, it would take a headache out of the trip.

[Mick F]

If you were doing it for the first time, would you go this route?

I very nearly did.

I'd paid my deposit and I was all set to do it, then my ship had a programme change, and I couldn't. I lost my deposit.

During the time away at sea, I put my brain in gear and thought long and hard. Luckily, part of the programme change was for us to go to Scotland. I was due some leave and we have friends living nearby, so I rode there, stayed overnight, then they got me and my bike to Glasgow station and off I went up to Wick ready for a Jogle.

The rest is history.

[charliepolecat]

I mean a dedicated site for lejog or cycle touring.If you could get the accommodation, adjust route and timings accordingly, to what is available, and just go, it would take a headache out of the trip.

That is part of my reasoning. The other is that going independent I would have to unpack my bike from it's box and reassemble it at Heathrow, take the bike box over to left luggage - wheeling the bike and the box - and then get down to Penzance. With Peak though I can wheel the bike box onto the train(s) and Peak will take take it up to Inverness where I can then pack it away for the return train trip to Heathrow.

The rest is history.

Quite a distinctive Jogle/lejog history too, Mick F.

[Mick F]

Thank you!

1994 Jogle
2006 Lejog+back
2008 Grand Tour Edinburgh/Inverness/W Scotland/Skye/SW Scotland/NE England/NW England/NW Wales/Mid Wales/SW England
2010 Jogle on a Raleigh Chopper

[philvantwo]

The rest is history!

[shadwellrhino]

Thank you gents for your replies.

I will look at stopping in Okehampton as you suggest and follow your route out of Cornwall and Devon.

I’m going to try and plot the route online and will post on here, if you wouldn’t mind casting a knowledgeable eye over them.

Thanks!

I don’t have it saved on my computer but my version of this route can found here. It includes the Weston Super Mare diversion.
https://forum.cyclinguk.orig/viewtopic. ... 2&t=121231

[charliepolecat]

Unable to connect.