Lowestoft - Ardnamurchan: anyone done the full east-west?

[mjr]

[...] I wasn't committed to a daily mileage or to route via places with accommodation. [...]
Rough route here, it isn't road by road accurate, but it isn't far out

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/351477

Much as I love King's Lynn, if you don't need its accommodation, I believe it would be significantly quicker to bypass it and Swaffham by routing slightly further south after Wymondham through Little Ellingham to Watton to Hilborough to Barton Bendish to St John's Highway to Sutton Bridge and then resuming your route. It comes out as 2 or 3 miles longer, but you'd be on the sort of wide back roads where you might get a move on (if the wind is not obnoxious) and not so much urban routefinding would be needed.

[Neil Wheadon]

A group of us did West to East
Quite a ride https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... -across-uk
Neil

[Tiggertoo]

1000k! Would take me at least 2 weeks! Thanks, couldn't see a map though

Think of it as 625 miles, a lot shorter!

[PH]

1000k! Would take me at least 2 weeks! Thanks, couldn't see a map though

Think of it as 625 miles, a lot shorter!

My route was even shorter, under 600 miles

[PH]

Rough route here, it isn't road by road accurate, but it isn't far out

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/351477

Much as I love King's Lynn, if you don't need its accommodation, I believe it would be significantly quicker to bypass it and Swaffham...

I'm sure your local knowledge is right, though I think Swaffham was a BCQ point and having been through Kings Lynn on an Audax the year before there didn't seem any pressing need to avoid it. I'd expected to stop before then but it was such a lovely evening I rode on, so instead of going through early Sunday morning, I went through late Sat night, it was quite lively, I got lots of encouragement, or at least I think that's what was being shouted.

[albal1]

Yes, as part of my Dover - Cape wrath ride in may/ June.

Although flatter then jogle,it seemed longer and tougher. Loved it.

Journal is on crazy guy site.

[Brianjeff50]

Welll I contemplated it long enough, then saw a window in our domestic schedules and set off. Nine days later I finished it yesterday. And it nearly finished me.
My romantic aim was sunrise in Lowestoft- sunset at Ardnamurchan. The first bit worked; the last ended changing soaking kit in the lighthouse cafe toilets after howling wind and icy rain - on the final afternoon of an otherwise great week weather wise.
I roughly followed ‘Bikepacker’s’ route though not camping - i wouldn’t have got up some hills with camping kit on top of regular stuff.
My overnights were - Kings Lynn- Market Rasen -outside York - near Durham - Jedburgh - Livingston - Strathyre - Glencoe - Kilchoan (at the end).

I did an end-to-end in 2020 and found this a lot tougher. Maybe I’ve declined as I’m even older now but Northumbria was brutal as were some of the final Scottish ones. My 50/34 and 11/32 set up was nowhere near low enough for 13 - 18 % grades. Getting through the industrial belt from Darlington wasn’t nice either.
I had four punctures in one day (fortunately I could get to a great bike shop in Stirling) but otherwise the old Kinesis was good.
I can’t see E to W becoming a “route” with so many coast-coast alternatives for ‘route’ followers still it’s an itch I’ve scratched. Only a shame that the weather made the last day such a washout.
As Davy at the lighthouse said: “shame you didn’t get here yesterday, it was lovely”

[PH]

Welll I contemplated it long enough, then saw a window in our domestic schedules and set off. Nine days later I finished it yesterday. And it nearly finished me.

Well done, I did warn you it was tough! Your route was quite different to mine, till you got to Scotland where the choices are limited. I've been to Ardnamurchan four times (twice by bike) and none of them have been nice weather! How are you getting back? Or are you staying there there waiting for the sunshine?

[Brianjeff50]

Welll I contemplated it long enough, then saw a window in our domestic schedules and set off. Nine days later I finished it yesterday. And it nearly finished me.

Well done, I did warn you it was tough! Your route was quite different to mine, till you got to Scotland where the choices are limited. I've been to Ardnamurchan four times (twice by bike) and none of them have been nice weather! How are you getting back? Or are you staying there there waiting for the sunshine?

I would be tempted; it’s frustrating to have had bad weather. I was planning on getting home a complicated seeming but actually simple(ish) way involving ferries on to Mull and off to Oban (that worked) then train connections via Glasgow, Edinburgh, Peterborough and my nearest town Stowmarket.
That fell at the first fence with serious rail delays on the line from Oban. So now I’m in a small guest house in Oban planning to repeat the exercise tomorrow.
Mrs B said “if you want to cycle back.” But I’m not sure the old legs will take any more for a while.

[PH]

That fell at the first fence with serious rail delays on the line from Oban. So now I’m in a small guest house in Oban planning to repeat the exercise tomorrow.

Good luck for tomorrow, Oban's not the worst place to be stranded for a day or two, though I'd rather be on Mull. I came back that way, no train issues, but it didn't stop raining!

[Brianjeff50]

If anyone is interested in my stats: nine days, 649.63 miles, 30,052ft climbing. Hardest day by far Northumbria/Borders: 5988ft with a 1241ft climb.

[thirdcrank]

If anyone is interested in my stats: nine days, 649.63 miles, 30,052ft climbing. Hardest day by far Northumbria/Borders: 5988ft with a 1241ft climb.

I'm standing to type this to show my respect and admiration

As somebody else hinted now it's completed you can use kms rather than miles and off the top of my head you did something like 1040

Hat! as Duffers might not have said

[Brianjeff50]

If anyone is interested in my stats: nine days, 649.63 miles, 30,052ft climbing. Hardest day by far Northumbria/Borders: 5988ft with a 1241ft climb.

I'm standing to type this to show my respect and admiration

As somebody else hinted now it's completed you can use kms rather than miles and off the top of my head you did something like 1040

Hat! as Duffers might not have said