During last year's LE-JOG I took plenty of photographs and movie clips.
After several weeks of cutting, editing and stitching them together, I've finished the first draft of LEJOG 2010: Nine days of discomfort
So sit back, click play, turn the speakers up, and, hopefully, enjoy.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
A new blog...
If you enjoyed reading about 2010's LEJOG adventure, you might enjoy reading Le Velo blog - http://le-velo-blog.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
This is the end
"This is the end, beautiful friend(s), the end" sang Jim Morrison.
And it's true for this blog at least. Ride done. Money raised. Stories told. Fun times had.
I hope it's inspired you if you were following it each day. And if you've stumbled across it for help in planning your own trip, I hope you've found it useful.
A big thanks once again for all who followed and all who donated (don't forget, the sponsorship pages are still open.)
I imagine I'll set up another blog in the future - I'm sure my next long distance adventure won't be too far away.
For now though, you can read more about my day to day cycling adventures at www.betterbybike.info/blogs
Until next time... happy cycling
And it's true for this blog at least. Ride done. Money raised. Stories told. Fun times had.
I hope it's inspired you if you were following it each day. And if you've stumbled across it for help in planning your own trip, I hope you've found it useful.
A big thanks once again for all who followed and all who donated (don't forget, the sponsorship pages are still open.)
I imagine I'll set up another blog in the future - I'm sure my next long distance adventure won't be too far away.
For now though, you can read more about my day to day cycling adventures at www.betterbybike.info/blogs
Until next time... happy cycling
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Books and guides
I consulted a few guide books before I left but found that there wasn't one that covered the ride as I wanted to do it.
Lands End to John O'Groats Official Cyclist's Challenge Guide by Brian Smailes covers the shortest cycling route by road (910 miles). This was used as a base for my route planning and helped with one or two places to stay. It was a bit outdated for my liking.
Lands End to John O'Groats Cycle Guide – a Cicerone Guide by Simon Brown provides some useful tourist information about the destinations en route – but it isn't great.
The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling by Edmund R Burke and Ed Pavelka was the most useful for training. Its chapters on stretching, recovery and how to deal with aches and pains were particularly useful.
The best book I read was Mark Beaumont's The Man Who Cycled Around The World. I read this during my final weeks of training and during the rides itself. It helped put my nine days of 100 miles into perspective.
Lands End to John O'Groats Official Cyclist's Challenge Guide by Brian Smailes covers the shortest cycling route by road (910 miles). This was used as a base for my route planning and helped with one or two places to stay. It was a bit outdated for my liking.
Lands End to John O'Groats Cycle Guide – a Cicerone Guide by Simon Brown provides some useful tourist information about the destinations en route – but it isn't great.
The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling by Edmund R Burke and Ed Pavelka was the most useful for training. Its chapters on stretching, recovery and how to deal with aches and pains were particularly useful.
The best book I read was Mark Beaumont's The Man Who Cycled Around The World. I read this during my final weeks of training and during the rides itself. It helped put my nine days of 100 miles into perspective.
Health and fitness
I trained for four months for this ride, also training for a half marathon run at the same time.
I rode 350 miles a month in January and February and ran 65 miles. In March and April I stepped my cycling training up and rode 650 miles a month, focussing on hill training and riding big miles on consecutive days.
As a rule of thumb, you should be able to ride two-thirds of your daily distance for three days in a row before the trip.
Planning to ride 100 miles a day on the trip, I wanted to ride 70 miles on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the two weeks before I left.
Due to mechanical problems and social plans I didn’t quite manage that. In the two weeks beforehand I rode 30 miles after work on the Friday, 100 on Saturday and 50 miles on the Sunday. Still 180 miles but not quite so intensively.
If you’re planning 900 miles in 9 days you should be able to do this without excessive discomfort.
I rode 350 miles a month in January and February and ran 65 miles. In March and April I stepped my cycling training up and rode 650 miles a month, focussing on hill training and riding big miles on consecutive days.
As a rule of thumb, you should be able to ride two-thirds of your daily distance for three days in a row before the trip.
Planning to ride 100 miles a day on the trip, I wanted to ride 70 miles on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the two weeks before I left.
Due to mechanical problems and social plans I didn’t quite manage that. In the two weeks beforehand I rode 30 miles after work on the Friday, 100 on Saturday and 50 miles on the Sunday. Still 180 miles but not quite so intensively.
If you’re planning 900 miles in 9 days you should be able to do this without excessive discomfort.
Roads and routes
I based my route on Brian Smailes' book 'Lands End to John O'Groats – The Official Cyclist's Challenge Guide', which in turn is based on the most direct and bicycle-friendly roads to take.
I adapted Brian’s route so I could visit a family member in Wiveliscombe (Devon) and my home in Bristol.
Several people offered me advise about the roads I chose – saying that the A30 in Cornwall (day 1), the A49 to Shrewsbury (day 3) and the A9 to Inverness (day 7 and 8) were busy and dangerous.
The A30 (a dual carriageway) was busy and dangerous, and I revised my route the day beforehand. The A49 (single carriageway) seemed fine and I’m glad I chose this route. The A9 was horrible once I left the Cairngorms. I felt particularly vulnerable on the route through Inverness. I wouldn’t recommend riding on the road here. There was a cycle path alongside the road but it stopped frequently at road junctions and the condition of the path wasn’t as good as the road.
I adapted Brian’s route so I could visit a family member in Wiveliscombe (Devon) and my home in Bristol.
Several people offered me advise about the roads I chose – saying that the A30 in Cornwall (day 1), the A49 to Shrewsbury (day 3) and the A9 to Inverness (day 7 and 8) were busy and dangerous.
The A30 (a dual carriageway) was busy and dangerous, and I revised my route the day beforehand. The A49 (single carriageway) seemed fine and I’m glad I chose this route. The A9 was horrible once I left the Cairngorms. I felt particularly vulnerable on the route through Inverness. I wouldn’t recommend riding on the road here. There was a cycle path alongside the road but it stopped frequently at road junctions and the condition of the path wasn’t as good as the road.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Vital stats
Okay the official count is in.
My total ride time was 55 hrs 33 mins for a distance of 909 miles. That’s an average trip speed of 16.2mph.
My fastest day was Shrewsbury to Preston ridden at an average speed of 17.7 mph. Had it not been for the endless traffic lights and roundabouts through Warrington and Wigan this day would have been much faster.
My slowest day was Dornoch to John O'Groats, into a vicious headwind and with a buckled back wheel and only one working brake, at an average of 14.2 mph.
My fastest speed was 49.5mph, along the A3075 south of Newquay – a hill I’d recommend for anyone looking for a cheap thrill!
According to mapmyride.com I burnt 45000 calories (which may explain why I spent so much on food!).
Altogether the 'holiday' came to over £700 including £350 on petrol. My poor credit card!
My total ride time was 55 hrs 33 mins for a distance of 909 miles. That’s an average trip speed of 16.2mph.
My fastest day was Shrewsbury to Preston ridden at an average speed of 17.7 mph. Had it not been for the endless traffic lights and roundabouts through Warrington and Wigan this day would have been much faster.
My slowest day was Dornoch to John O'Groats, into a vicious headwind and with a buckled back wheel and only one working brake, at an average of 14.2 mph.
My fastest speed was 49.5mph, along the A3075 south of Newquay – a hill I’d recommend for anyone looking for a cheap thrill!
According to mapmyride.com I burnt 45000 calories (which may explain why I spent so much on food!).
Altogether the 'holiday' came to over £700 including £350 on petrol. My poor credit card!
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