End to end(starting at Lands End)

[bo]

My son-in-law and I are planning to do the end-to-end next summer so I would be grateful for help with routes and B&B info that would suit an elderly (67 year -old) rather than my 32 yr. old companion. Any tips,suggestions or "what to avoid"welcome.

[Si Davies]

Get the CTC end2end pack - free to members (about £12 to non members last time I looked). Has three good routes and a lot of useful info.

My advise - take twice as long as you think you need because there is just so much to see, and avoid Belper.

[Ned]

The Cornish coast is very beautiful but VERY hard work, especially at the beginning of the ride. Unless you really like 1 in 3 hills it's best to head further inland.

[phooey]

Hmmm...thinking of doing something like this - just to be able to say " I've done it " What sort of mileage you intend putting in per day ? Not interested in touring it myself - think about 150 a day would kill it in a week.

[AJPITFC]

Did the ride last year but we camped with a support vehilce.

See the web site for routes etc
http://www.ipswichtownfan.co.uk/Lejog.htm


If you would like anything else, please mail me through the web site.

AJPITFC

[blazin d]

im also doing end to end next summer, i am a relatively fit 20 year old but im wondering how much training to i need to do for this trip and what kind of bike to use???help!!??

[lejog45]

I did this last year and stayed in land as the earlier writer suggested.

We stayed on the main roads for most of trip and actually found these to be safer! Only dangerous bit was the A82 out of Glasgow and across Rannoch Moor.

We camped and for flexibility there's nothing like it.

You'll enjoy it.

I've the report if you'd like a copy. m.crook@open.ac.uk.

[mike6]

A82 Rannoch Moor may be more scenic, but I would suggest the A9 to Inverness is less stressful. There is the option there of using cycle routes and loops of the "old A9" which carry little traffic.

[phooey]

I would use a racing bike, make sure there were at least 3 others of similar ability, browbeat the missus into driving a camper van as backup, set a fast schedule and get some sponsorship. Do it as a charity fundraiser.

Cycling is inherently dangerous - I don't like using dual carriageways, but they are more direct and better surfaced. The thought there is a nice big RV looking after my ass would make it far less stressful.

RAM riders do incredible mileage, riding for 'ludicrous' distances without a break.

In the right frame of mind, a lightweight like me could probably do it in ....... 5 days ?

[CJ]

Phooey: "Cycling is inherently dangerous ..."

Oh no it isn't!

Well - not the way I do it at least.

[phooey]

CJ I mean if you get hit by something it's gonna hurt - drivers have little regard for your welfre on the roads as they are in thier cosy armour plated boxes.

Imagine how keen to avoid hitting a cyclist they would be if we exploded with the force of an H Bomb on contact.

[CJ]

I don't even take such a jauniced view of drivers. They are the same species as us and I reckon most of them do try not to hit fellow human beings. Only when the closing speed is something in excess of 55mph, they don't have much time for avoiding action!

Accordingly I try to minimise the amount of mileage I do on roads that permit driving at much over 40mph (half the closing speed = 8 times better chance of stopping before impact). So I'm afraid that End-to-End in 5 days on A-roads is not for me. That kind of cycling probably IS rather hazardous - also noisy, smelly and not a lot of fun. Two or three weeks by country lanes is more my style.

[phooey]

Well, I have had the pleasure of scraping more than one squashed cyclist off the road and on the last 2 occaisions the one thing that glared at you from the subsequent investigations was the utter lack of care or consideration by the drivers.

The last one was on a dual carriageway at 6.30am in the height of summer - bright, dry and sod all on the road save the brightly clothed 29yr old on his racer and the 21 yr old bar steward driving the company transit that buried him in the gutter. - drove straight over the poor bloke who wasn't doing a thing wrong.

I'd take the rose coloured specs off mate !

or come for a ride through london.

[CJ]

Exactly. Closing speed in excess of 55mph. At that rate is takes but a few seconds inattention ... But it's not just the driver's fault. I hold society (that's all of us) at least 50% culpable for letting him drive at motorway speed on a general purpose road.

The trunk roads of this country are a national scandal. They are the ONLY road between many places and yet they are wholly devoted to high-speed traffic. They are motorways by stealth: built on the cheap to sub-motorway standards and to avoid public opposition ("improving" the road goes down a lot better than a new motorway) and yet permitting exactly the same speeds.

Paradoxically one would be safer cycling on the M3 than the A3, since the former does at least have a hard shoulder - on which the occasional chasing vehicle is at least slowing down already!

In a sane society, no road would be permitted a higher speed limit than 30mph until an alternative road - or slow traffic lanes - had been provided for vehicles unable to go any faster than that.

But we seem to have come a long way off topic from the End to End!

[phooey]

Oh, so you're local then ( references A3, M3....) ?
I would have expected you to know better !!
I was again almost sideswiped by a total clown in a volvo in Priory Lane ( Roehampton ), who thought that 2" from my right handlebar was a reasonable safety margin - for HIM maybe !!
When I remonstrated with the fat ( insert the 4 letter word beginning with C this site wont allow me to post ) said fat .... retorts " you should be on the cycle lane ( on the footpath ) I have paid for that in my taxes !!

Were I not in the job I'm in I would have happily dragged him out of his 1 ton metal safety box and filled him in.

If only...

and as for straying from the subject, all I want is a good argument.