Another route suggestion post (sorry)

[shadwellrhino]

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=121231

Try this. If no luck scroll down index to page 2 and see “My 16 Day LeJog....”

[charliepolecat]

Yup, all there, thanks. I'll do a read.

Still undecided about the Peak tour, but I'll need to decide ASAP or there will be no places left.

Ken.

[softlips]

Yup, all there, thanks. I'll do a read.

Still undecided about the Peak tour, but I'll need to decide ASAP or there will be no places left.

Ken.

Have you looked at these guys:

http://www.great-bear-tours.co.uk/10-day/4581525862

Don’t know if anyone on here have used them but seem much cheaper and you get hotels.

[Jamesh]

I suppose it's a trade off

Affordable Vs preorganised.

Isolated Vs freindship

Self navigation Vs prescribed route

Unsupported Vs supported

I can see benefits of both....

Cheers James

[rareposter]

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.

Guided tour groups usually don't allow that - the reasoning being that they are responsible for you. If you're on their official route, they have a good idea of where to go looking for you if you fail to turn up. If you've gone off route then it could take many extra hours for them to find you, especially if something serious has happened. Opens up a real can of worms if you've wandered a couple of miles off course because you've always wanted to see that castle or climb that hill or call in on your aunt on the way.

There are pros and cons to every way of riding it (indeed, any cycle touring), it's just up to each individual to decide on the most appropriate method for them at any given time with respect to costs, the route, the time taken, the ability required to complete it etc.

[Chat Noir]

There's a description of an 8 day Lejog in this account of a ride I did the other year http://www.yetey.wordpress.com

Hope helpful for your plans - enjoy the ride.

[charliepolecat]

Guided tour groups usually don't allow that -

Both Peak and the Great Bear Tours acknowledge you will probably go off route and Great Bears in particular say they don't' care as long as you end up each night at the proper place. Peak Tours only have a SAG wagon following (Great Bears don't) and neither go looking for you unless you do not turn up at the over night stop. It seems going the 'organised' tour route has all the benefits except costs.

[Jamesh]

There's a description of an 8 day Lejog in this account of a ride I did the other year http://www.yetey.wordpress.com

Hope helpful for your plans - enjoy the ride.

Great blog I really enjoyed it.

Cheers James

[charliepolecat]

Decision made! I've paid the deposit for the ten day Peak Tour starting 21 August. I was intending to go for the 24 July start, but missed the single room option on that date.

The reasoning that tipped this was several:

For less than the cost of shipping my bike box across the pond and back plus the train fare for the bike box from Heathrow to Paddington and Penzance and the return from Inverness with the attendant unknowns even if a space was available for the bike - I can rent the same model bike from Peak Tours. So no hassle with carting the bike in or out of the box onto trains and wheeling it to my hotel and the freedom to hang around after the ride in London or some equally nasty place hands free as it were.

The other reasons are the opportunity to meet other riders rather than mooching across the country on my tod as well as knowing there will be a room waiting for me each night.

This is not the adventure I was initially planning - finding my own way and living off the land - but there are pluses and minuses and the pluses IMO outnumber the minuses. And of course there are always other adventures to do another time.

Ken.

[Jamesh]

Decision made! I've paid the deposit for the ten day Peak Tour starting 21 August. I was intending to go for the 24 July start, but missed the single room option on that date.

The reasoning that tipped this was several:

For less than the cost of shipping my bike box across the pond and back plus the train fare for the bike box from Heathrow to Paddington and Penzance and the return from Inverness with the attendant unknowns even if a space was available for the bike - I can rent the same model bike from Peak Tours. So no hassle with carting the bike in or out of the box onto trains and wheeling it to my hotel and the freedom to hang around after the ride in London or some equally nasty place hands free as it were.


The other reasons are the opportunity to meet other riders rather than mooching across the country on my tod as well as knowing there will be a room waiting for me each night.

This is not the adventure I was initially planning - finding my own way and living off the land - but there are pluses and minuses and the pluses IMO outnumber the minuses. And of course there are always other adventures to do another time.

Ken.

Good decision!

I'm starting to worry about going solo!

But I have good reasons to go solo and as such it will be a character building exercise!

Cheers James

[charliepolecat]

I'm investigating ways to get from Thurso at the end of my LeJog to Inverness on Sunday 1 September in time for the 9:30 AM train to London. The bus doesn't get in until noon and the quote I got from the taxi company was 260 pounds. Has anyone else made the connection with the 9:30 using any other means of transport?

Ken.

[Paulatic]

4:30 pm train on the Saturday?

[charliepolecat]

I think the ride doesn't get to Lejog and then down to Thurso in time for that on the Saturday. If I was riding solo it would be different but this is with Peake, so it really has to be Sunday early somehow.

[Jamesh]

There is a specialist company that does cannot remember with my chip and seal brain dead head!!

I'm taking the bus to Inverness for 12 noon then the train to leeds.

Cannot believe I'm half way through my lejog! My legs tell me otherwise!!!

Cheers James

[charliepolecat]

Ugh! Chip seal! That's the reason I now ride with 30mm tyres.

One your brain recovers, and you remember the specialist company, please let me know.

And, if you are really enjoying the ride that much, you can always cycle back to Leeds.