UKC

Hi. I'm going to do the Land's End to John O Groats ride sometime next year - probably May or September. I have a touring bike. I'm hoping to use camping barns all the way - just to keep the weight down. Anyone got any helpful suggestions? Is it best done on your own or with someone else? I'm not rushing it so how long will it take? What about expense? Which guide is the best one? Any advice would be very welcome.

In reply to demdyke:

Hi, We did it on a mountain bikes, from JOG to LE. We did it unsupported and carried everything in panniers, staying at youth hostels each night. Took 14 days. I think we got the basic route from the CTC website iirc.

I'd say do it with at least one other for company, not too many though cos it increases the chance of punctures, mechanicals etc

Any questions just ask.

In reply to Steve-J-E:

Cheers Steve.

In reply to demdyke:

If the route passes near Galgate (outskirts Lancaster)/Forest of Bowland and you want somewhere to stay for the night give me a shout. Good luck

In reply to demdyke:

I did JOGLE in 2013 with a bunch of mates (15 of us!) using road bikes with vehicle support.
Going solo gives you complete freedom, but also means that there is no one to share the wind on the hard days (both physically and mentally).
We also based our route on the CTC YHA route, with a few modifications.
See my comments in this thread:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=597487
If you want more info, PM me.

N

In reply to demdyke:

Have an amazing time - it's a fantastic adventure. I did it with 4 others in September this year. We took 14 days and largely followed the route in the Cicerone End to End guide (http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/670/title/the-end-to-end-...

We went at a fairly relaxed pace and had a couple of cafe stops each day and time to relax in the evenings. We didn't have as much time as we'd expected for things like looking round the Eden project, or castles en route, so if you want to properly sight-see then maybe take a bit longer or accept that you'll have longer days. We stayed in youth hostels and B&Bs, spending around £15-£20/person/night. You do end up spending quite a lot on food due to the amount you need to consume, but you can cut it down by stocking up on cereal bars etc. in supermarkets and cooking your own breakfast and dinner when kitchens are available. Wetherspoons pubs were really useful for cheap breakfasts, and we found plenty of nice pubs doing a hearty dinner for not too much.

We used saddle bags/panniers and kept the weigh down by replenishing water in cafe stops and taking one spare set of cycling clothes and one set of evening/sleeping clothes. The heaviest thing was probably bike locks. Most places with bike storage (recommended in the Cicerone guide) also have laundry facilities. We also had some friends meet us in the middle weekend, which was a good opportunity to offload unnecessary things and to get fresh clothes and some luxuries.

Being in a group was helpful for cutting accommodation costs (eg. private room for 4 or 6 in a youth hostel), laundry, and taking turns cooking breakfast/dinner. It was also good to be able to split into smaller groups if people wanted to go at different speeds or some wanted to chat and others didn't. Beware though that the train down to Penzance only holds 6 bikes and they need to be pre-booked. Booking opens 3 months in advance and it's well worth doing it that early for peace of mind. We saw people being turned away on the day.

Cornwall was by far the hardest bit, so don't be disheartened! If you start there and can get through the first two days, you can definitely do the rest.

Have a great time!

In reply to demdyke:

2 of us did it this year and the trains were expensive and bike places were a pain. To get to Cornwall we hired a car from enterprise for 1 day, picked up in Edinburgh dropped off in Penzance. It was a lot faster and cheaper than the train including fuel costs. To get back from Thurso there were no spaces for bikes on the train so bought bin bags and tape then turned each bike into 2 large black plastic bits of "luggage" it felt like murdering them but no train staff were bothered at all.

In reply to demdyke:

Hello. I did a lightweight tour this year (solo) and just wanted to recommend Apidura kit. If you're travelling light it's brilliant stuff, with no need for a rack etc.
see if this link works for a picture;
http://wildgeeseandeskimos.com/2015/11/01/my-tour-de-france/#jp-carousel-97

In terms of travelling with/ without someone. It really depends on what your goals are for each day and whether someone else can handle that! If your not in a rush then having a buddy would be good for post ride beers. That said if you can't find anyone to do it with, don't let that put you off as you'll have an amazing time regardless.
There will be times where you wonder what on earth you're doing, but then most of the time you'll feel like the luckiest person alive.

In reply to demdyke:

The advantage of course of going alone is you can cycle at your own pace and stop when you like. There's plenty of tips on the CTC forum:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=22&sid=5a06a3f735395392a99b8c85...
Train spaces are limited to and from Thurso so book well in advance. Avoid the A9 if poss, and it looks like the Forth suspension bridge will be closed for a while. Do plenty of hills in your training, but basically just get used to being on the bike for several days in a row. Good luck, it's great fun!