[andystow]

I’ve just pulled the trigger on my airfare to do LEJoG. I’m in for three weeks, arriving LHR on 27 August, departing 17 September. My plan was to use the 2 week route from Britain’s Best Bike Ride, maybe with a rest day or two, giving me a good buffer if things go awry. I’m in good enough shape that I could do the ten day route if I really wanted (I don’t.)

Unless someone is adamant that I’ll have better luck with weather doing a JoGLE that time of year, I plan to ride south to north. Something like this…

27 Aug: Arrive Heathrow, train to Penzance
28 Aug: Penzance – Land’s End – Wadebridge (77 mi)
29 Aug: Wadebridge – Chulmleigh (66 mi)
30 Aug: Chulmleigh – Glastonbury (75 mi)
31 Aug: Glastonbury – Ross-on-Wye (81 mi)
01 Sep: Rest day? Sunday.
02 Sep: Ross-on-Wye – Market Drayton (89 mi)
03 Sep: Market Drayton – Mellor (82 mi)
04 Sep: Mellor – Sedbergh (53 mi)
05 Sep: Sedbergh – Langholm (77 mi)
06 Sep: Langholm – Peebles (50 mi)
07 Sep: Rest day? Saturday.
08 Sep: Peebles – Perth (78 mi)
09 Sep: Perth – Braemar (50 mi)
10 Sep: Braemar – Inverness (82 mi)
11 Sep: Inverness – Altnaharra (76 mi)
12 Sep: Altnaharra – John o’Groats (74 mi)
13 Sep: Rest day?
14-16 Sep: Train close to London, visit some family
17 Sep: Depart Heathrow

I plan to carry minimal camping gear just in case, but generally I’ll be paying for lodging. If a farmer sprays me down, it will be in the news.

If anyone wants to join me for all or part of it, I’ll put my email in the comments. Or just join me for a beer or two, I’m hoping to find a pub every night and most lunch times.

Topic

[chrisonabike]

Not ridden it but have heard

Not ridden it but have heard that especially Cornwall but also bits of Devon are some of the lumpiest bits of the UK (up and down again per distance travelled).  Seems about right having walked in those parts.  So you should have a bit of a respite now.

I’m enjoying touring vicariously (been too long now)!

[andystow]

Feeling a bit better this
Feeling a bit better this morning. Just stopped in Glastonbury for a coffee and breakfast sandwich. I’m going to Ross-on-Wye today, which will be about 85 miles, then I’m going to do a rest day there.

[David9694]

Have a good night, Andy.  Two

Have a good night, Andy.  Two nights at Street? Plans for Sunday?

[andystow]

Ugh. The hills at the
Ugh. The hills at the beginning of today’s ride from Chulmleigh to just south of Glastonbury had me questioning my fitness and my sanity. I walked up a couple, and a few more I stopped and rested a few minutes to get my heart rate down. My lowest gear is 30/34, which is pretty low, but with a 30+ kg loaded bike… I think I averaged 8.5 MPH in the first two hours.

Eventually, though, the hills got a lot less steep and I was able to spin up at 5-10 MPH. I ended up at 10.4 MPH over 73 miles, and another 6000+ foot elevation gain day. Still, today took a lot out of me. I’m looking forward to a rest day after tomorrow.

I’m staying at the YHA Street. I walked into Street for a pub meal, over a 3 mile round trip, and am now back in my room after just one beer… which tells me I’m not feeling quite right.

[andystow]

Fairly uneventful ride today
Fairly uneventful ride today from Wadebridge to Chulmleigh. At around 1 PM I happened upon a very convenient pub, the Rising Sun Inn. The menu was a bit upscale and expensive, but was really, really excellent.

Another 65 miles with over 6000 feet of climbing. I had to use my emergency low gear (walking) on the last climb into Chulmleigh. Does it get worse? Currently having a pint and waiting for my steak and Stilton pie where I’m staying the night, The Old Court House.

https://strava.app.link/aWj1uukquMb

[andystow]

Tass Whitby wrote:

Tass Whitby wrote:

Have you booked your stay at Altnaharra? Think the posh hotel is the only option… there’s a ‘campsite’ further on but it has no facilities, catering for campervans and motorhomes only… (I think). We were hoping to do Edinburgh to JoG this year (so hubby could finish his LEJOG) and looked into the options – then dog broke leg, two days before we were meant to set off… 

No, I’m just booking a couple of days ahead so that if I have to take an extra day I don’t have to change 12 bookings. I guess I’ll spend the money if I have to.

Today’s is the best deal so far: The Old Court House in Chulmleigh, £50 including breakfast!

[Tass Whitby]

Have you booked your stay at

Have you booked your stay at Altnaharra? Think the posh hotel is the only option… there’s a ‘campsite’ further on but it has no facilities, catering for campervans and motorhomes only… (I think). We were hoping to do Edinburgh to JoG this year (so hubby could finish his LEJOG) and looked into the options – then dog broke leg, two days before we were meant to set off… 

[andystow]

I had a later start than
I had a later start than planned today, made it from Penzance to Land’s End to Wadebridge today by around 6 pm. I stopped at a little bike shop/café called Empty Valley and bought a luggage strap, which has allowed me to lash my pannier nicely to my rack. I also enjoyed a flapjack there.

A local cyclist caught up with me and rode with me for a few minutes. He described the area as “quite lumpy.” Understatement of the day. Land’s End to Wadebridge has nearly 6000 feet / 1800 m of climbing in 68 miles.

Probably 95% of drivers were courteous. I even had a BMW pull into a passing point to let me pass! I pulled over to the left a few times when going 5 MPH uphill to let cars past, and had nice words shouted out of the window for a change.

Had a nice fish & chips in Wadebridge, currently on my second beer back at the hotel. Cheers!

More photos on my Strava.
https://www.strava.com/activities/12270884131
https://www.strava.com/activities/12274512202

[andystow]

Not an auspicious start, but
Not an auspicious start, but worked out in the end. Ripped my Ortlieb pannier off and broke both clips riding from my cousin’s house to catch my train in Didcot.

Missed my connection in Reading when my train changed platforms and I couldn’t get from 7 to 8 fast enough going up and down the lifts.

I got on the next Great Western train to Penzance that I didn’t have a ticket for, and did not have any bike spots available to reserve. I didn’t get kicked off. I enjoyed a train beer (St. Austell Tribute.)

Couldn’t get my wheel with 48 mm tyres on the hook, so it had to sit like this. I was lucky when another cyclist got on that the man who’d reserved a bike spot for his baby buggy offered to move it so we could have two bikes in there.

Currently having a beer after a nice curry in Penzance!

[chrisonabike]

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for the update!

Sounds like a not uncommon UK public transport … adventure.

Better luck when the cycling starts!

[dubwise]

Hope it all goes well Andy
Hope it all goes well Andy and the weather, in Scotland at least, improves. The wettest summer in years and not particularly warm.

[perce]

Hope everything goes well and

Hope everything goes well and you enjoy it. Good luck.

[Rendel Harris]

Ah, welcome to the UK and

Ah, welcome to the UK and hope you have a fabulous ride! South-North definitely the best way given the prevailing winds. Keep us updated on progress.

[andystow]

Updated itinerary. Bike boxed

Updated itinerary. Bike boxed, hopefully remembered everything, I fly out in a couple of hours!

29 Aug: Penzance – Land’s End – Wadebridge (77 mi)
30 Aug: Wadebridge – Chulmleigh (66 mi)
31 Aug: Chulmleigh – Glastonbury (75 mi)
01 Sep: Glastonbury – Ross-on-Wye (81 mi)
02 Sep: Rest day? – ( mi)
03 Sep: Ross-on-Wye – Market Drayton (89 mi)
04 Sep: Market Drayton – Mellor (82 mi)
05 Sep: Mellor – Sedbergh (53 mi)
06 Sep: Sedbergh – Langholm (77 mi)
07 Sep: Langholm – Peebles (50 mi)
08 Sep: Rest day? – ( mi)
09 Sep: Peebles – Perth (78 mi)
10 Sep: Perth – Braemar (50 mi)
11 Sep: Braemar – Inverness (82 mi)
12 Sep: Inverness – Altnaharra (76 mi)
13 Sep: Altnaharra – John o’Groats (74 mi)

[andystow]

Contact. Maybe this will stop

Contact. Maybe this will stop the scrapers/harvesters for a couple of years. I spent over a minute making this.

[Author]

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