Lejog 7 days first timer

[Tezzerthebikerider]

Hi all , been reading this forum alot lately , some great tips and advice .
I've been racing a bike since 1982 ,almost 800 races .
Getting older now and looking for a different challenge to my usual Cyclocross racing .
I'm planning on a 7 day trip solo but with wife backup so only carrying day supplies ( bought my first Handlebar bag ) .
Be using a Garmin 530 .
Currently route planning ,will update once it's done .
Late June ride
Plan is up at 6am ,leave 6-30 ,breakfast at 9 ish with 30 done then I've 9-30 until 6pm to do around 100 miles .
Gives me 4 hrs for shower ,food etc .
I'm excited and nervous .My longest ever day was in the Alpes back in 1992, including the Galibier and Alpe dhuez ,138miles so it's going to be a challenge.
Cheers

[Jamesh]

That's a hard task!

I found 8 days solo unaided was tough.

Ultra lightweight / used hotels and hostels.

Expect some long days in the saddle.

Make sure you contact points saddle handle bars feet are up to it, esp the saddle. I resorted to 2 layers of padded shorts by the last two days in Scotland!

You will need to take a quite sure t route won't be as senic as a slower route.

Here is my route (or Mick F route!!)

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=126267

And my report

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=130938

Cheers james

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
What ever you do don't clog up the route.

Because I am planning to do it in June too

I will be (If I am fit enough ) starting before 06.00 or earlier as it will be light after 04.00
Finishing probably after dark too................it does not get dark in Scotland on the hills and in the open much that time of year, I have seen the sun setting at 23.15 on the Scottish border in june.
But camping as and when I please.

Tying yourself down to be at this place that day at that time will slow your progress unless you can stick religiously to the pace every day.
Plan for a bad weather day.
Also I will be going both ways

Good luck.

[Jamesh]

That sounds great! What time scale a month?

Enough time to see the country and going both ways you get to see it from different perspectives and two different routes.

And best of all you avoid the hassle of getting to and from le/jog.

Cheers James

[Tezzerthebikerider]

James ,I have read your report , excellent read thanks .
Yes a challenge but is cycling ever easy .
Happy to give you a wave NA !!.Post on here when you've a date set .
I'll confirm mine nearer the time .
James I will check your route again mine (Mick F seems to be a legend on Lejog ) definitely read alot of his ideas and indeed used his Day 1 suggestions.
I'm up to Preston after 3 days ,stops are so far ,Taunton ,Tenbury Wells and Chorley .
Once I've worked entire route then I can adjust but wanted to finish in a town for best chance of a room and food.
Tonight I'm looking at Scotland , East or West I wonder ,looking at ( from memory) Fintry hills after Glasgow then A9 perhaps .
Cheers and thanks for replies

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
A month...No.
I plan to take more pictures than I did on my devon & cornwall coast & borders ride, at times I just had my head down ignoring the views
But I won't be stopping much whilst there's daylight, I will rest during the day and take power naps, bad weather I will just camp up or take shelter.
A bit of tuning to do on the bike and gear.
Still need to sort a lightweight shelter, will probably be a lash up of a combination of parts, what I want is a bivvy bag 1.5 times normal width, long too, with a additional add on dome shaped shelter to sit up in
At about 1 kg, ok so ultra solo tents are that but....pricy and nothing I have seen seems to fit my needs, tents that you can sit up in are heavy 1.5 kg plus.
Got plenty of material from old (new) tents, ben using a sewing machine for over 45 years, so dab hand there then.
Lots to plan and do.
Will do some dry runs with gear closer the time and watch the weather forecast closely and be on a 1.5 - two days notice.
Despite losing my ability to do 250 miles in a day for the last two or so years due to meds (I am pretty sure), I managed long continuous days on my coast ride, mileage was crap but I can soldier on with reliable pace.
Because of poor circulation in my lower leg (old war wound ) my days are probably numbered, so its soon or never, we will see

[Tezzerthebikerider]

Goodluck,sounds harder than my sleeping in a bed trip

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Goodluck,sounds harder than my sleeping in a bed trip

But that's what I've done most of my life, if you do it, it just becomes easy, it's not that hard really.
Camping in the snow on the moors in my early teens left to our own devices by our trainer, he thought we knew enough we didn't die from cold.
To me it just means that I don't have to spend time hanging around for someone to do something for me before I can move on.

With modern cheap quality equipment it's a lot easier than it would've been years ago with things like cotton tents.
Sleeping bags would've been either more than a weeks wages Or a cheap WoolWorth special.
Good sleeping bags start from just £30 or less.
A usable tent less than £100.

i'm not trying to convert anybody, we are all going to do it our way, I haven't even thought of what route I will use, I will need to consult the Oracle Mick F

[Jamesh]

I went Glasgow glencoe Inverness jog.

Fairly flat tbh apart from berriedale and helmsdale.

Places to stop at Glencoe and Inverness

Cheers James

[djrikki]

Hi Tezzer, looking to do LEJOG for the first timer, first Bank Holiday in May for me. Not entirely sure about time span probably 6-8 days is realistic for me. Have a basic route up to somewhere South of Manchester for now I am still undecided about what I'd like to see along the way - definitely want to ride the Camel Trail in Cornwall and a bit of the Cornish Way (?) and up Cheddar Gorge and perhaps dabble in the Cotswolds aside from that open to ideas.

[Jamesh]

Hi Tezzer, looking to do LEJOG for the first timer, first Bank Holiday in May for me. Not entirely sure about time span probably 6-8 days is realistic for me. Have a basic route up to somewhere South of Manchester for now I am still undecided about what I'd like to see along the way - definitely want to ride the Camel Trail in Cornwall and a bit of the Cornish Way (?) and up Cheddar Gorge and perhaps dabble in the Cotswolds aside from that open to ideas.

6-8 days you need to push on!

I needed to keep pressing on to do it in 8 days.

I avoided Manchester / Warrington by going Birkenhead / Mersey ferry / Liverpool.
A6 north. Glasgow, a82 Glencoe Inverness a9.

Cheers James

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi Tezzer, looking to do LEJOG for the first timer, first Bank Holiday in May for me. Not entirely sure about time span probably 6-8 days is realistic for me. Have a basic route up to somewhere South of Manchester for now I am still undecided about what I'd like to see along the way - definitely want to ride the Camel Trail in Cornwall and a bit of the Cornish Way (?) and up Cheddar Gorge and perhaps dabble in the Cotswolds aside from that open to ideas.

6-8 days you need to push on!

I needed to keep pressing on to do it in 8 days.

I avoided Manchester / Warrington by going Birkenhead / Mersey ferry / Liverpool.
A6 north. Glasgow, a82 Glencoe Inverness a9.

Cheers James

I was thinking the same, no time for sightseeing for sure or detours for scenic nicey trails
Head down!
My bold.

[Tezzerthebikerider]

Hi DJrikki , tbh I just want to do the ride .
I've been racing since 1982 , rode the 3Peaks CX last Sept ,did Nationals at Vet 50 last year so this is just a different challenge .
I've a route done of 910 miles .
Using Mick F logic on first day to Taunton then heading to Tenbury Wells via Gloucester .
Day 3 Preston via Nantwich.
Day 4 Langholm just north of Gretna via Shap.
Day 5 Perth via Hawick .
Day 6 Inverness via Pitlochry.
Day 7 Finish .
I've used a map and PC to try to find rds fairly adjacent to the main ones but some main rds are inevitable.
Basic plan is up at 6 ,ride 630 until 9 ish covering 30 miles approx ,breakfast then 2x50 mile blocks each day .
Apart from day 1 the rides are similar length .Hope to be off bike by 6pm each eve
Day 1 I plan to start as early as possible.
I have wife as backup crew so carrying daily supplies in my new Handlebar bag .
I think I'm capable ,I've logged 181700 miles since I started riding but this is my longest challenge.

Cheers and thanks for reading )

[Tezzerthebikerider]

Ps Camel Trail is great from Padstow to Wadebridge then not so after ,done it twice with kids years ago so it may be better now .
I won't be sightseeing much but we plan on a Roadtrip home including climbing Ben Nevis .

[Tezzerthebikerider]

Hi , well I'm deep in getting sorted for this .I'm looking at booking Lands End hotel ( expensive) after that I was going to get the wife to book accommodation each day for that night but I'm thinking now that it could be stressful and tricky .
Best to pre-book or not I'm wondering, flexible with weather conditions is one advantage but possible could not find anywhere en route which is a major disadvantage.
Any thoughts those of you that gave done either ,Cheers