Route for LEJOG - any major issues?

[Petethefeet]

Hi All,

Forum newbie here! I’ve finally taken the step to fulfill an ambition I’ve had for 15 years - to ride Lands end to John o’groats. I’ve planned a route avoiding the A30 and stopping at my home in the midlands. Accommodation is provisionally booked - this was a major headache in Scotland as costs ballooned - and I just need to ramp up my fitness now (currently riding one long ride of 50 miles a week).

Any thoughts on the route - have I picked any nightmare roads which I should avoid? Any advice would be appreciated.

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/680273

Thanks

Pete

[scottm]

Well, you've used cycle.travel, so that's a good start (assuming you selected the most appropriate options, e.g. tarmac, gravel, etc.)

I've taken a quick look at the Scotland section and it's mostly following the national cycle network, so again you shouldn't go too far wrong.

What type bike/tyres will you be using? NCN definitely isn't all lovely smooth tarmac, so you need to be able to handle rougher sections. For example the cycle path along the A9 is a lot of old crumbling road (though I've ridden it on road bike tyres so by no means impassable)

As it's a popular jaunt there already exists recognised routes, have you referenced yours against them? Appreciate you may be willing to trade, e.g. a longer distance for quieter roads, or less climbing.

BTW, you go a bit off course at Aviemore, is this just to get to a particular overnight stop?

Scott.

[Paulatic]

Seeing as you’ve gone as far east as Nottingham were you not tempted to take the ‘easy east coaster’ from there. https://cycle.travel/route/lejog_east_coast

[Redvee]

You've chosen a very up n down approach into Bristol. From Axbridge area you're climbin Cheddar Gorge which I can understand but you're climbing up n over Dundry and riding along the escarpment at the top of South Bristol and then dropping down into Whitchurch/Hengrove along a narrow country lane and through a council estate where it would be advisable to keep riding.
An alternative would be from Axbridge to pick up the Strawberry Line to Yatton then quiet lanes to Nailsea and the Festival Way into Bristol and then pick up the Bristol to Bath Path to Mangotsfield Station.
A fair few LEJOG'ers follow the River Severn from Portishead and then cross into Wales on the original Severn Bridge, you could do the same but stay in England and carry onto Thornbury then onto Wooton Under Edge, Sustrans have a network of quiet cycle friendly lanes in the south west.

HTH.

[Norman H]

That's an interesting route and clearly influenced by your decision to route via your home in the midlands. My sister lives in Leicester and when I was planning LEJOG she offered me overnight accommodation. I plotted a route between Bath and Leicester that very loosely followed the Fosse Way. The Romans certainly knew the shortest distance between two points and much of the FW still exists on fairly quiet roads which for the most part are reasonably free from excessive gradients. In the end we didn't go that way but had we done so we would have continued on a route that took us east of the Pennines, much as Paulatic suggests.

[geocycle]

The section between Caton and north of Sedbergh is quite lumpy, especially from Oxenholme through to the Howgills. An alternative is to stick in the Lune Valley and go Gressingham, Kirby Lonsdale and Sedbergh. The A683 is a fairly reasonable A road to ride on between KL and Sedbergh.

[PH]

They're all good routes, it's a question of whether it suits you. It's considerably hillier than it needs to be in sections, such as crossing the Peak District. I'm guessing you know that living in the area and are happy with it. Accommodation booked, it's a bit late now anyway! Good luck with the preparation and have a good ride.

[Ron]

BTW, you go a bit off course at Aviemore, is this just to get to a particular overnight stop?.

I wondered about that! Grantown on Spey doesn't feature on many Lejog routes .

[rareposter]

BTW, you go a bit off course at Aviemore, is this just to get to a particular overnight stop?.

I wondered about that! Grantown on Spey doesn't feature on many Lejog routes .

If you like whisky, I'd class it as pretty much as essential point in route!

[Petethefeet]

Well, you've used cycle.travel, so that's a good start (assuming you selected the most appropriate options, e.g. tarmac, gravel, etc.)

I've taken a quick look at the Scotland section and it's mostly following the national cycle network, so again you shouldn't go too far wrong.

What type bike/tyres will you be using? NCN definitely isn't all lovely smooth tarmac, so you need to be able to handle rougher sections. For example the cycle path along the A9 is a lot of old crumbling road (though I've ridden it on road bike tyres so by no means impassable)

As it's a popular jaunt there already exists recognised routes, have you referenced yours against them? Appreciate you may be willing to trade, e.g. a longer distance for quieter roads, or less climbing.

BTW, you go a bit off course at Aviemore, is this just to get to a particular overnight stop?

Scott.

Hi Scott,

thanks for replying. I'm currently riding a 2012 Boardman road bike. I'll be supported on the route by wife and daughter who will be meeting me at overnights and at various stops. I've tried to reference against other routes, there are so many to be honest it is a bit of a nightmare knowing where to start. I'd prefer to avoid busy roads where possible - I tend to spin up hills and consider myself a terrible climber however I always get up them, even if its in bottom gear...I am planning on hill training between now and then however! The detour at Aviemore is to get to accommodation at Grantown - I want the overnights to be price-friendly but also not in the middle of nowhere so there is something for family to do...on this night the aim is to be not too far from Inverness so we can go the observatory at Culloden battlefield and watch the meteor shower (we watch it every year and went there last year). Accommodation in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness was crazy priced to be honest for party of 3.

Thanks

Pete

[Petethefeet]

You've chosen a very up n down approach into Bristol. From Axbridge area you're climbin Cheddar Gorge which I can understand but you're climbing up n over Dundry and riding along the escarpment at the top of South Bristol and then dropping down into Whitchurch/Hengrove along a narrow country lane and through a council estate where it would be advisable to keep riding.
An alternative would be from Axbridge to pick up the Strawberry Line to Yatton then quiet lanes to Nailsea and the Festival Way into Bristol and then pick up the Bristol to Bath Path to Mangotsfield Station.
A fair few LEJOG'ers follow the River Severn from Portishead and then cross into Wales on the original Severn Bridge, you could do the same but stay in England and carry onto Thornbury then onto Wooton Under Edge, Sustrans have a network of quiet cycle friendly lanes in the south west.

HTH.

Thanks Redvee, thats really helpful. I'll take a look at that section.

[Petethefeet]

Seeing as you’ve gone as far east as Nottingham were you not tempted to take the ‘easy east coaster’ from there. https://cycle.travel/route/lejog_east_coast

Hmmm - to be honest, I wasnt aware of it! I will have a look at this, I have various places I would like to visit following our trip to scotland last year, however in England I'm not married to the route I have chosen...and the accommodation is provisionally booked, so the odd change could be made...I will check it out. Thanks, Pete

[Petethefeet]

They're all good routes, it's a question of whether it suits you. It's considerably hillier than it needs to be in sections, such as crossing the Peak District. I'm guessing you know that living in the area and are happy with it. Accommodation booked, it's a bit late now anyway! Good luck with the preparation and have a good ride.

Yeah, I'm familiar with the peaks and have cursed their hills many times! The route from home towards Bolton avoids most major peak hills (I'm thinking Cromford Hill, Sir William Hill at Grindleford etc) and its a nice ride past Carsington water, although still hilly of course. Thanks for the input, appreciated!

[Petethefeet]

The section between Caton and north of Sedbergh is quite lumpy, especially from Oxenholme through to the Howgills. An alternative is to stick in the Lune Valley and go Gressingham, Kirby Lonsdale and Sedbergh. The A683 is a fairly reasonable A road to ride on between KL and Sedbergh.

Great, I'll cehck it out, thanks.

[Blondie]

The section parallel to the A74(M) is dull and the road rough (unless resurfaced of late). A route via Eskdalemuir (Buddhist retreat there) and up to Innerleithen then Edinburgh offers a more interesting route. You can get on the cycleways / disused railways to get across Edinburgh to the bridge.