JOGLE Summer

[whoof]

As we are not going abroad this summer I was thinking of riding JOGLE. We would be camping and carrying cooking gear until Bristol and then swopping to 'road' bikes with very little luggage. It's 15 days and comes out at something like 1850 km.
We would start in Thurso go the JoG and back to Thurso and want to stop at Lindesfarne, Derby and Bristol other stops are chosen as they seem to have somewhere suitable to stay usually a campsite. I've got a rough list of stops attached as a picture.
I've created this route but don't know much about the North of England or Scotland. I'm not bother about the bit West of Bristol as I've done this many times and the CycleTravel map for this bit is work in progress.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/144387

I was wondering about the state of some of the off-road NCN sections does anyone have any knowledge of their surface and suitability for a loaded bike?
500 km Kinross
560 km Musselburgh
570 km Haddington
700 km Branton
800 km NCN 68 Lambley to Slaggyford
970 km Risebrigg Hill
1020 km Next to M62
1050 Hadfield
1080 km NW of Buxton
1090 km S of Buxton
1100 Parley Hey
1160 South of Derby.

[Paulatic]

Lambly to Slaggyford if loaded with camping gear I’d stick to the road it’s a quiet one. The old railway line is OK but you loose a lot of altitude plunging down to the start of it which you then slowly get back. If it’s wet it can feel a bit heavy in places.

[hilloverthehill]

You could avoid going back to Thurso by cutting through to Forsinard on the forestry roads. I did it on a road bike a few years ago and it was fine.Alan

[whoof]

Lambly to Slaggyford if loaded with camping gear I’d stick to the road it’s a quiet one. The old railway line is OK but you loose a lot of altitude plunging down to the start of it which you then slowly get back. If it’s wet it can feel a bit heavy in places.

Thanks, I'll adjust my route to use the road on this section.

[whoof]

You could avoid going back to Thurso by cutting through to Forsinard on the forestry roads. I did it on a road bike a few years ago and it was fine.Alan

Great, I'll take a look at this as I much prefer a loop to an out and back.

[Lilyf]

Whaley Bridge to Buxton:
There is a section of route 68 (the green section on your map) which is unrideable. It has been ruined by off road vehicles.
Instead, as you come out of the Tesco car park road in Whaley you would be better sticking to the A5004 and following it all the way to Buxton.
It may be slightly longer than the off road route but it will be quicker and easier as it is a nice steady climb (and you’ll have some lovely views in all directions).

[Lilyf]

Route from The Longdendale Trail near Hadfield to Gamesley:
Rather than leaving the Longdendale Trail where route 62 starts you would be better staying on the trail - which finishes at Padfield.
From Padfield you can more or less take a straight line as far as Brookfield.
When you reach the A57, at the lights at Brookfield, go left and then take the right at the next set of lights up the A626 towards Marple. You will rejoin your original route on the A626, which you can then follow to your next turn off between Charlesworth and Chisworth.

[Norman H]

A route that I've recommended on here before is the B9176 Struie road. It's an alternative to your route between Bonar Bridge and Alness using the A836.

Follow the A836 south from Bonar Bridge and turn right onto the B9176 about 3 miles after Ardgay. Rejoin your route (B817) just beyond Alness. There's a brief climb at the beginning but it saves a few miles and there are rewarding views over the Dornoch Firth and surrounding coast.

[Lilyf]

We did the Struie Road when we did our LEJOG. It was a good road and, like you say, has lovely views

[whoof]

5D038082-48A6-4B22-B9F8-6E31CF6DBC90.jpeg
Route from The Longdendale Trail near Hadfield to Gamesley:
Rather than leaving the Longdendale Trail where route 62 starts you would be better staying on the trail - which finishes at Padfield.
From Padfield you can more or less take a straight line as far as Brookfield.
When you reach the A57, at the lights at Brookfield, go left and then take the right at the next set of lights up the A626 towards Marple. You will rejoin your original route on the A626, which you can then follow to your next turn off between Charlesworth and Chisworth.

Thanks I'll update to take these routes.

[PH]

1090 km S of Buxton - This is relatively new, we rode it not long after it opened, 2 or 3 years ago, it was loose stone and a serious gradient, not unridable but not very pleasant either. It's possible it's been improved since, but I have my doubts. Easy to avoid, just follow the road to Brierlow Bar and turn right. If you want some easy miles at this point, the A515 is OK.
1100 Parsley Hey - The High Peak Trail? Yes that's fine, some parts rolled limestone others crushed stone, there's an Audax uses the first part, so suitable for any bike. There's nothing wrong with the route you've plotted from there to Derby, but it's gratuitously hilly for little benefit. This is the way I'd go, after Hulland Ward there's a bit of a climb and then ten miles downhill, it's my favorite route back from a day in the Peaks, mainly because it's easy and I can pretend I'm not knackered.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/144612
1160 South of Derby - You go past my front door, you're welcome to pop in for a coffee. The first green bit is canal path, if it's been reasonably dry it's fine, if it's been wet it's still OK just really dirty. To stay clean, instead of turning along the canal (There's an awkward barrier) continue to the road, L, over the canal and R, and join the track on the right just before going under a railway bridge, it's a bit narrow where you join then from there it's fine.
There's a break in the trail where you join the road for a couple of hundred meters and then back on the trail, the green there is alongside the quarry, depending on what they've been doing it can be either fine or really churned up. we tend to continue on the road and take a R at the top, it's a bit of a climb (Stocking Lane) though you do miss a couple of nice sculptures.
Derby > Meriden is a route I've done many times, lots of variations, but none very different to yours. The B road into Meriden (4102) is fine if you want a break from the lanes.

That's it route wise, if you're looking for points of interest along the way, there's plenty! Arbour Low (The Stonehenge of the Peaks) is about a mile from Parsley Hey, OK it's not quite as grand as Stonehenge, but I like that you put a quid in the honesty box and can climb on the stones and there's no gift shop!
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/vis ... ll-barrow/

If you want any coffee/lunch recommendations in this area just shout, I ride with the local CTC group and we know them all!

[whoof]

A route that I've recommended on here before is the B9176 Struie road. It's an alternative to your route between Bonar Bridge and Alness using the A836.

Follow the A836 south from Bonar Bridge and turn right onto the B9176 about 3 miles after Ardgay. Rejoin your route (B817) just beyond Alness. There's a brief climb at the beginning but it saves a few miles and there are rewarding views over the Dornoch Firth and surrounding coast.

Looks good great views of the Firth sounds like something well worth the ride.

[whoof]

1090 km S of Buxton - This is relatively new, we rode it not long after it opened, 2 or 3 years ago, it was loose stone and a serious gradient, not unridable but not very pleasant either. It's possible it's been improved since, but I have my doubts. Easy to avoid, just follow the road to Brierlow Bar and turn right. If you want some easy miles at this point, the A515 is OK.
1100 Parsley Hey - The High Peak Trail? Yes that's fine, some parts rolled limestone others crushed stone, there's an Audax uses the first part, so suitable for any bike. There's nothing wrong with the route you've plotted from there to Derby, but it's gratuitously hilly for little benefit. This is the way I'd go, after Hulland Ward there's a bit of a climb and then ten miles downhill, it's my favorite route back from a day in the Peaks, mainly because it's easy and I can pretend I'm not knackered.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/144612
1160 South of Derby - You go past my front door, you're welcome to pop in for a coffee. The first green bit is canal path, if it's been reasonably dry it's fine, if it's been wet it's still OK just really dirty. To stay clean, instead of turning along the canal (There's an awkward barrier) continue to the road, L, over the canal and R, and join the track on the right just before going under a railway bridge, it's a bit narrow where you join then from there it's fine.
There's a break in the trail where you join the road for a couple of hundred meters and then back on the trail, the green there is alongside the quarry, depending on what they've been doing it can be either fine or really churned up. we tend to continue on the road and take a R at the top, it's a bit of a climb (Stocking Lane) though you do miss a couple of nice sculptures.
Derby > Meriden is a route I've done many times, lots of variations, but none very different to yours. The B road into Meriden (4102) is fine if you want a break from the lanes.

That's it route wise, if you're looking for points of interest along the way, there's plenty! Arbour Low (The Stonehenge of the Peaks) is about a mile from Parsley Hey, OK it's not quite as grand as Stonehenge, but I like that you put a quid in the honesty box and can climb on the stones and there's no gift shop!
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/vis ... ll-barrow/

If you want any coffee/lunch recommendations in this area just shout, I ride with the local CTC group and we know them all!

Thanks for all the information and offer of coffee I 'll look to update the route. We don't mind hills, I'm originally from Cornwall where it's hard to ride and find some flat but when touring there needs to be a reason for riding up them; something to visit, great view etc rather than riding hills to say how much climbing I've done. The reason for passing through Derby is to stay with my Brother-in-law. The Arbour Low sounds really good we were hoping see stuff on the way rather than just do a ride. The plan to do JOGLE was to replace a European tour due to the events that are currently unfolding. Unfortunately the way things are going this may also need to be delayed. But if I've got all the information we can always do it next year.
I'm looking to get the week after next off and do a short tour of South Wales. Even this might be doubtful!

[Jamesh]

Perfect time to go straight up the A30 - not that you would want too!!!

I would think that lejog would overall reduce Corona virus risk especially if you take a rural route. More risk from overworked Amazon drivers tbh!

Cheers James