- Route selection
- Kit
- Bike Maintenance
- Fitness
- Transport to/from LEJOG.
1. Route Selection
Read diaries and journals by LEJOGers and see how folk fared based on their average daily distance, amount of climbing, whether supported or solo and weather conditions that were encountered. There are many accounts available to read on the internet together with videos on Youtube – these provided plenty of tips and hints and a reality check to show what could go wrong and the contingencies to have in mind. These helped gauge average daily distances to start plotting the based on your own personal fitness, weight carried etc. As I was carrying my own kit I settled on 14 days which would mean an average of around 70 miles/ day.
- The Cicerone guide to cycling Lands End to John O’Groats is based on 14 days and this was the starting point for developing my own route. The actual route I cycled has little in common with the Cicerone guide which resulted from splitting the journey as follows:
- Cornwall/ Devon/Somerset – practically all the guidance suggested that Cornwall/ Devon was the most arduous in terms of terrain so this attracted the most attention. Initially, I booked accommodation in Fowey and Moretonhampstead as per Cicerone guide before day three to Glastonbury. This would have meant cycling over Dartmoor which could have been great but also create an unnecessary risk should there be inclement weather. My goal was to cycle LEJOG and ticking off the peaks of Dartmoor wasn’t a need so after comparing contrasting umpteen routes along the northern and southern coastlines I eventually settled on a more central route along Sustrans NCN Route 3 and moved the overnight stays to Wadebridge and Okehampton. These first two days were relatively short at 62 and 50 miles before there was a longer catch-up across the Somerset levels with 82 miles for day three. The late shift from Fowey to Wadebridge meant there was limited accommodation available and hence, had to pay more than planned.
- Severn Estuary to Cheshire – This is very similar to the Cicerone guidebook and it was just a case of trying various plan/ section combinations to limit the climbing and try and keep off the main roads as much as possible. The route through the industrial estates of Avonmouth was very busy.
- Cheshire to Gretna – The north Cheshire/ Lancashire area was the most congested and it was very much a continual urban landscape as the route followed the A6 corridor to Carnforth. I preferred not to follow the A6 to Kendal and Shap and instead selected the Walney to Wear Sustrans route through Tebay valley. This was very scenic but also entailed many short climbs and descents.
- Gretna to John O’Groats – I felt there were three main route options across Scotland. My first choice was from Gretna to Ardrossan, ferry to Isle of Arran and then to Fort William and onward. However, the overnight stays wouldn’t have been ideal for me. Instead I went for route using the A9 corridor and its Sustrans NCN route 7 rather than the third option which followed the A82 corridor past Loch Lomond and Glencoe.
- This allowed overnight stays to be booked and still allowed time and flexibility to change three locations when each stage was considered further.
- Spring was a time for fine tuning each day’s route – I used various route plotting websites:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps - use the route planner for cyclists
- The elevations varied greatly between the website even for the same routes so hence, these were treated with caution. It’s a case of doing your own homework and eventually accept when enough time is spent if there turns out to be some dodgy sections within the 950ishmiles, so be it and move on. The guidance within Royston Wood’s web site and book is very helpful for converting the google maps routes into elevation profiles (if the mapping websites haven’t developed themselves further in the meantime) - see http://www.landsend-to-johnogroats.co.uk/
2. Kit
The bike used was a Giant Revolt.
I carried a duplicate set of cycle clothing and one set of evening clothes with light canvas shoes. Other equipment included first aid, energy bars/ hydration tablets, bike maintenance consumables, lightweight waterproof jacket, phone/ camera and chargers, arm/ leg warmers. Everything was carried in a pair of Altura Arran 16 panniers.
The total weight of the bike and kit was 58 pounds.
I wore both pairs of cycling mitts each day from day 3 - had started to get sore spots on hands but wearing both mitts sorted this.
Invested in Endura FS260 bib shorts which worked well with Assos chamois cream and the feared sore backside didn't materialise.
3. Bike Maintenance
There was always the “what, if” scenarios should mechanical breakdowns happen. I was prepared for punctures, chain breaks and a broken spoke but there’s the possibility of a show stopping mechanical and then what? I’d had one snapped rear derailleur hanger in March which happened north of Scotch Gap, Northumberland – this led to walking until there was phone reception and a £50 taxi back home which brought such matters into focus for the main trip.
The bike needed a full service and several parts replaced – this was done around 6 weeks before the start which gave the cables enough time to stretch and make any readjustments by Prudhoe Cycle Shop.
British Cycling offered relatively inexpensive bike breakdown insurance (https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclerescue) purely to provide an escape to a repair shop/ train station should the unfortunate happen.
4. Fitness
Pre-christmas fitness plan was a couple of spin cycling sessions per week and a weekend ride typically 45 miles. Each month, the weekend ride was I extended to a 60 mile trip with approximately 4,000 feet of climbing. December and January were good months to get used to some wet and breezy weather but February onwards the weather was relatively calm. Additional weight was gradually added to the bike from January onwards, this was noticeable in reducing the average speed of each trip but meant that there were no nasty shocks when it came to cycling a fully laden bike.
From January, the spin cycling sessions had to be dropped and were replaced by three or four light cardio gym sessions per week.
From March onwards, the weekend ride was gradually increased in distance and also elevation. Home provided easy access to ideal hilly countryside of Northumberland (Scots Gap, Tosson, Wingates, Elsdon, Ryal) and Tyne Valley (Kiln Pit Hill, Derwent Reservoir, Slaley) so by end of April, the weekend ride consisted of 65 milers with 5,000 feet of climbing. I didn’t ride on consecutive days but fitted in 1 to 1.5 hours (maximum) turbo session the day after the long weekly ride.
The final piece of the fitness plan was provided by a few sessions with http://www.physiohaus.co.uk/ . In the short term, this was primarily to address some back ache I’d been feeling after the longer rides but extended to general improvements on flexibility/ strength and also recovery after each days’ riding.
5. Transport to/from LEJOG
Travel to Lands End was by direct train from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Penzance with the Virgin Cross Country service having spaces for (three?) bikes – the ticket and bike space were reserved as soon as the tickets became available three months before the travel date. Taxi from Penzance to Lands End was £25.
A courier service (http://www.johnogroatsbiketransport.co.uk/ ) was used for getting the bike back home from John O’Groats – this proved to be straightforward and a totally hassle free end to the journey. The bike was left with the Seaview Hotel on the Friday and a few days later, it was delivered all secure and very well protected by their sub-contracted courier. Family gave me a lift to Inverness (allow 2 ½ hours for the journey) and a couple of train journeys over the following six hours and I was home.
I’ve mentioned the great deal of information that is readily available from the other folks’ accounts. Some of the main web site for general reference are:
The books by Phil Cox and Royston Wood were my favourites.
