View Full Version : John O'Groats to Lands End Charity cycle
I'm interested in doing an end to end cycle ride for charity (my charities being Alzeimer Scotland and North Highland Cancer Support Service) sometime next year. I am interested to know if there was anyone also interested doing it with me? It should take about 3 weeks easy riding all told, no more than 6 in the group would be nice and manageable as I've never done owt like this before.
Don't want to do it but will offer you toilet/coffee stop on the road :)
Aaldtimer
28-Apr-09, 02:51
Do it the other way round Rheg...prevailing winds and all that!
I always fancied doing that but never got round to it.
Fat chance now.:(
Wife and I did the Lejog back in 1980, set off from Lands End June 29th and arrived at JOG 12 and half days later.. 870 miles. No support. As has been mentioned, don't go from North to South, you'll get the sun in your eyes all the time, plus prevailing wind in your face. We did ours on a couple of £59 five-speed bikes purchased from Woolworths, we did no training, simply cycled along the level, walked up hills and free-wheeled down, it's a slog but not hard.
We set off from LE fully laden with camping gear in our panniers and front basket; camping gaz, sleeping bags, even tins of food. First day did 66 miles and ended up at Bolventor on Bodmin Moor - it was late June and it was quite nippy - on one side of the road was a campsite, where we have to pay a £3 (?) fee + extra for a shower, whilst on the other side was a B&B @ £7 (?).. so decided discretion was the better part of valour and stayed at the B&B; lovely soft bed, warmth, good fry-up for breakfast.
And so for each night we stopped at a B&B (Still carrying our full camping gear; in case). Our longest day was 102 miles, that was to get to my sisters in Twigworth Gloucestershire for an overnight stay.. next day was a painful time to get back into the swing of it all. One thing we did do before we left LE was to sling the saddles away (narrow things) and replace with 'touring seats' - nice and wide. Wore no special gear; just jeans and trainers with a tracksuit top.
We took a log-book with us as we were doing the trip under the auspicious of 'Audax UK' 'Les Randonneurs Mondiaux' Lands End John 'O Groats - this book was stamped at Police stations in various places, they would check our milometer, and put this on the page with their signature and Station stamp. We've got our badge upon the wall.
Few memories; Stopping at a B&B in Wellington in pouring rain, soaked to the skin, where the landlady would not let us dry things. Being directed to a B&B in Galashiels by the Police, finding an open overflowing dustbin in the kitchen, with absolute filth all round, dogs mess in the corners - did a runner after a few minutes, back to the Cop Shop to be told we'd gone to the wrong place. My pedal falling off as we zoomed down the A9 into Inverness. Being charged 50p for a shower at a Helmsdale B&B. Longest drag was over the A9 Perth to Inverness; the old road was still there, but on the new parts, you would have to turn off into villages for a break (not changed much there then!).. Had to cycle round via Dingwall as road bridges over the Black Isle were not completed.. ah memories.
Yes do it Rheggie, the route is busier now, our son did it solo in December 1980 in 12 days (he worked in the TSB Thurso and raised £2,000 for Children in Need - had a big map set up, which was updated daily with his progress - maybe someone remembers seeing this?).. it's more a slog, mind over matter type of thing, but you'll never forget it - go for it!
dragonfly
28-Apr-09, 18:38
my husband and a friend did it for Leukemia in 2001 and as auldtimer says do it Lands End to JOG, much easier and there's also that feeling of getting nearer home.
Sure he would love to do it again but not sure his body is up to it - or my nerves!!
he did it in 12 days too and that was with 1 day off in Blackpool!
ciderally
28-Apr-09, 18:45
good luck and remember to sort out a sponser form on here for us to give you some pennies...xx
Alice in Blunderland
28-Apr-09, 18:48
Im off to buy a bike on Saturday and have to say Im tempted to say Id love to do it. :)
Aaldtimer
28-Apr-09, 19:55
Lots of info to be found here Rheg:-
http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/redir?src=websearch&requestId=855f2169a7f49cbe&clickedItemRank=1&userQuery=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctc.org.uk%2Fdesktopdef ault.aspx%3Ftabid%3D0&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctc.org.uk%2Fdeskt opdefault.aspx%3Ftabid%3D0&title=%3Cb%3ECTC%3C%2Fb%3E+Homepage+-+%3Cb%3ECTC%3C%2Fb%3E+the+%3Cb%3EUK%26%2339%3Bs%3C %2Fb%3E+national+cyclists%26%2339%3B+organisation&moduleId=matchingsites.jsp.M&clickedItemPageRanking=1&clickedItemPage=1&clickedItemDescription=WebResults :)
count me in, mid life crisis kicking in, I fancy doing it as well
Good for you Rheghead. Im not joining you but here in inverness can offer cups of tea and home cooked meals and if not a bed at least space to put your tent up - free
all the facilities of an 8 bed bnb in wick with large carpark and garage are at your disposal if they are not in use and offered free to you
dx
NickInTheNorth
29-Apr-09, 00:37
I'd be up for that
You are better to go JOG to LE as it is downhill that way.
I am a member of the John O Groats/Land End association and very interested in the various end to ends. Met some very interesting people doing it. One had a book published about her experiences, she cycled the double trip and ended up living here. You are very welcome to read the book she gave me, it is very interesting, like a diary. There is someone cycling up just now who is doing it for altzeimers.
With traffic being the way it is you would need a back up support van behind you with a notice warning traffic of a cycle ahead. You would also need a good publicity person. Good luck.
Aaldtimer
29-Apr-09, 03:34
..."You are better to go JOG to LE as it is downhill that way.
"...Aye right! If you believe that Fran the moon's also made of green cheese!:)
Support vehicle; as I mentioned above in an earlier post, there was only my wife and I so we did not need it.. please don't go down the route of Ian Botham.. A few years ago we were driving over the 'hump' from Inverness to Perth, when we came upon a traffic jam tailback, it took us almost an hour of crawling along at walking pace, before we got to the culprit; Ian Botham striding along with a large van blocking the lane with flashing lights.
Fair enough he was raising money, but not at the expense of practically closing the A9.. there were many a driver who overtook him, not with a friendly toot, but a continuous horn blast and not a few V signs.
We've seen many 'end to enders' doing the route, but they don't interfere with the traffic.. ourselves never cycled side by side, apart from a very few places where it would cause no obstruction..
Continuing on from the earlier post, I remember my wife and I stopped for a break on the bridge at Bonar Bridge and noticed a cyclist coming towards us from the North. Well Rheggy, you'll find that there is a LOT of camaraderie amongst the riders of the LEJOG, so he pulled in and we asked him where he was heading; "Lands End" he replies, well at this stage we were only two days away from the end, so knew it all and started to regale him with what to watch out for further south.. "oh no" he says "I've just cycled from Lands End 2,000 miles around the coast to John O Groats, and now finishing off with a direct run down to Lands End".. Hmm felt a bit silly at that one, but it is certainly a thing you will not forget..
Just arrived back from Tesco's in Wick, came back via the A836, and passed three cyclists, on their backs a logo; "Lands End or Bust".
But my point is each of them was carrying a large rucksack on their backs, and each had a couple of very small panniers. This is not the way to do it, never carry anything on your back, makes you top-heavy and uses energy - use the bike to take it, get bigger panniers either side of the rear wheels, have a pannier behind the seat and a 'basket' on the front - so much easier!
I'm interested in doing an end to end cycle ride for charity (my charities being Alzeimer Scotland and North Highland Cancer Support Service) sometime next year. I am interested to know if there was anyone also interested doing it with me? It should take about 3 weeks easy riding all told, no more than 6 in the group would be nice and manageable as I've never done owt like this before.
Rheghead - I've got a student who is thinking of the same thing. He did the length pf the Isle of Mull last year. I'll point him at this thread.
I nearly set of this spring but got sidetracked and would be up for it next year. But fancy hanging a left at the Severn Bridge and heading to the coast and then Ireland as an alternative to the Midlands.
Usually take an end to end through the western isles in the summer, but in a fairly leisurely and self contained camping way. Good charities but that does stack up the committment not to drop out!
Good Luck to you and I hope you do this. I know I could never have done this even when I was fit, it makes shudder even thought of cycling that far. Good Luck to you !! :D
goldilocks
02-May-09, 16:39
Good luck Rheg, I wish you all the best and hope you get plenty of money for your spoken charities.... Hope you also get some takers to do it along with you.......
I would be interested provided no Mods (who would no doubt check everyones tyre pressures every hour and would not let you deviate from route) go
I'm interested in doing an end to end cycle ride for charity (my charities being Alzeimer Scotland and North Highland Cancer Support Service) sometime next year. I am interested to know if there was anyone also interested doing it with me? It should take about 3 weeks easy riding all told, no more than 6 in the group would be nice and manageable as I've never done owt like this before.
Good luck and enjoy. Me and my boy (aged 11) start of from LE on the 7th July, only 10 weeks left to go. :eek:
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