I wanted to add this post as more of a Q&A, or reference, for anyone considering a 2 week supported cycle tour from Lands End to John O Groats.
When I first thought about undertaking this challenge, I found myself scouring the internet for answers and sometimes for questions, to settle my mind and better prepare.
So I thought it would be helpful to put down all of the biggest questions that I could think of about a 2 week ride across Britain ... and give my view on the answers.
Here goes.
1. Can I do this?
Whilst many people will say "anyone can do it", this is probably more of an encouragement than a fact. Those that say this most likely enjoyed the challenge so much that they want as many people as possible to share the experience and therefore will want everyone to have a go.My answer is probably a little more pragmatic.
Whilst I agree, anyone who can ride a bike CAN complete the challenge. There is a lot more to it, than just "completing". So, whilst completion is the ultimate goal, If you want to enjoy the ride, in particular the early days, then a level of training is recommended.
If you aim to complete the tour within a fortnight, I would suggest you train on your average speed. There is no need to be at the front of the pack all day, speeding up hills at 20 mph, no one expects that but you will be expected to ride 100 miles a day.
Pure maths dictates that if you ride at 5 mph then you cannot realistically ride 100 miles in a single day. Therefore, you will be struggling from the get go, will feel deflated and awash with self doubt and worry.
My advice is simple. Go out and ride 20 miles, over flat as well as hilly terrain. If you can ride 20 miles at an AVERAGE pace of anything between 10 and 20 mph, then you are more than capable of completing this challenge.
Be aware, I said AVERAGE.
Time the ride and divide the TOTAL distance accurately to calculate your average mph...or use a cycle computer to keep an average pace as you ride.
Now, let me break what 10-20 MPH will mean on the trip.
If you ride at 10 mph, you will finish ... but will likely finish last each day and that may deflate you over the entire 12 days. Its also possible that at this pace you will spend a good deal of the day riding on your own, which is tougher mentally and physically as you have no one to draft, no one to keep pace for you and no one to just have a giggle and a chat with.
If you ride at 13-16 mph, you will ride with the pack all day long, enjoy the company, the laughs and the motivation that riding in a group will offer. You wont struggle (any more than the rest of the group) and you will enjoy the entire experience a lot more.
If you ride at 16-20 mph or more than, you will finish each day at about 4.00 (perhaps before, depending on the time spent at stops), will have plenty of time to relax but may miss out on the fun of riding in the main pack. That said if you can ride at the higher speed, you can choose to pace yourself and ride wherever you wish within the entire group at any time.
I found I was capable of completing a 100 mile day at 18 mph but often rode at 15, sometimes at 13. I enjoyed each of these speeds for different reasons...but enjoyed the choice, even more.
To ride at any speed within the group, start training at least 6 months prior to leaving. Get a couple of back to back rides (i.e two rides in two days) of 60 miles plus under your belt, get up to an average mileage of at least 100 miles a week and then start to work that up to an average of 200 miles a week for the three or four weeks prior to leaving. Don't worry too much about hill training, work on mileage.
Also, what ever speed you wish to train for, ride at least TWO 100 mile rides at some point before you go. Do this, not for distance training but to see what the bike does to you over that distance...in particular what it does to your arse. Find shorts, longs, tights and a position that is comfortable...this will pay massive dividends on the trip as you will be comfortable (ish) for the entire tour.
The best tip I can offer to help achieve a good weekly mileage is to try, by whatever means possible, to cycle to work. Riding each day to work massively effects your fitness, average mileage, recovery and general bike comfort and capability. Many people fear riding to work, others find it impractical or too far. If you can find a way past these issues, then I cant recommend it enough.
2.Which are the Hardest Days
This, of course depends upon your organiser and route. However, if you choose DA and take the same route as I did then I guess I can answer this.
Many factors contributed towards what I feel were the hardest days and I don't want to "spoil" your ride but if you read these pages then you will see that I initially considered Day 2 to be the most challenging. It was full of long hard climbs with 15% drops and punishing ups to follow. Oddly though, with hindsight, day 2 wasn't too bad, it was packed with breathtaking views and by then I had relaxed and already formed close alliances with other riders. As such we kind of helped each other along on day 2 and it turned out to be an immensely enjoyable day.
Many factors contributed towards what I feel were the hardest days and I don't want to "spoil" your ride but if you read these pages then you will see that I initially considered Day 2 to be the most challenging. It was full of long hard climbs with 15% drops and punishing ups to follow. Oddly though, with hindsight, day 2 wasn't too bad, it was packed with breathtaking views and by then I had relaxed and already formed close alliances with other riders. As such we kind of helped each other along on day 2 and it turned out to be an immensely enjoyable day.
So for me, (despite the Drum in the Highlands) Day 1 was actually the best... and the worse day.
Work that one out!
Day 1 was full of excitement, everything was new and we were all showing off to stake a position in the pack. This made it good fun but at the end of the day, on the climb out of St Austell I met a long steep hill that pooped me out good and proper. I lost the lead pack and had to work hard to recapture them, only to then get held up by 5 consecutive red lights (FIVE...I think I didn't see another red light for about 700 miles!!) within a mile and was left well behind. My mood instantly dropped as I began to worry that it was a sign of things to come.
As it turned out I regrouped at the tea stop, to find that everyone had struggled and despite the lights, I was only a couple of minutes behind the lead. So that hill and the fact that we all got much better at hills as the tour went on, means that Day 1, for me was the hardest (in the end)
As it turned out I regrouped at the tea stop, to find that everyone had struggled and despite the lights, I was only a couple of minutes behind the lead. So that hill and the fact that we all got much better at hills as the tour went on, means that Day 1, for me was the hardest (in the end)
3.Are there tons of nasty hills?
No.
Sure there are hills and there are a few that you would normally avoid...and wont on the tour...but in relation to the total distance, there are surprisingly few and even more surprisingly, the worst collection of hills are in the South, not the North. The ride actually flattens out considerably around day 3-6 and by day 9 you are properly bike fit, so can take any hill in your stride.
Sure there are hills and there are a few that you would normally avoid...and wont on the tour...but in relation to the total distance, there are surprisingly few and even more surprisingly, the worst collection of hills are in the South, not the North. The ride actually flattens out considerably around day 3-6 and by day 9 you are properly bike fit, so can take any hill in your stride.
4.What happens if I get Ill or injured?
Prepare yourself with anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen), Imodium and diralite, there are tales of wet rides kicking up bugs off of the road and giving riders unsettled tummys. We avoided this in the main but its worth preparing.
As for injury, for small injury's there is support and first aid within the DA team and one rider in the pack is likely to know a bit too. For more long term issues, you have an option to ride out a day in the vans and suffer the knowledge that you didn't complete the challenge. Some hotels had a sports masseuse available and each stop tends to be near a town, or via one, so essentials can be picked up in a chemist if needed. I had my knee strapped up with Rock tape on day 4, as it was complaining considerably despite shifting my seat height, this saw me right through to Day 12 successfully. Others were spotted stopping at local chemists for sudocream and Imodium en route.
As for injury, for small injury's there is support and first aid within the DA team and one rider in the pack is likely to know a bit too. For more long term issues, you have an option to ride out a day in the vans and suffer the knowledge that you didn't complete the challenge. Some hotels had a sports masseuse available and each stop tends to be near a town, or via one, so essentials can be picked up in a chemist if needed. I had my knee strapped up with Rock tape on day 4, as it was complaining considerably despite shifting my seat height, this saw me right through to Day 12 successfully. Others were spotted stopping at local chemists for sudocream and Imodium en route.
5.Who do I do the trip with?
I Chose to use "Discover Adventure":
6.What does it cost?
Discover Adventure (DA) operate a lot of tours in many parts of the world and seemed to have this LEJOG thing pretty well worked out. You can choose to go with them under sponsorship or without. Under sponsorship means that you pay £300 and your sponsor commits to paying the rest (£1200) so long as you raise at least £3,000 in sponsorship. They do so, typically, out of the tax relief that the government provides on every donation, so your charity gets all the sponsorship that you raise, and you get a trip for £300. If you choose to go without sponsorship, the trip costs around £2k, I believe.As far as the DA crew that ran our trip was concerned, I cant fault them. They were hugely supportive, resourceful, dependable and really hard working. Running a trip like this is not a holiday and these guys really put the effort in to allow you to worry about nothing else ...but riding.
7.What does the cost Include?
Initially, I felt that £1500 (total cost) was a lot for a trip but having done the tour, I am now totally convinced that I would never get close to that cost on my own, without staying in a tent each night. For the cost we received;- A three man (women) support team.
- All accommodation
- All food, including a full buffet Breakfast and three course evening meal
- All soft drinks (whilst riding)
- Two tea/water stops a day, as much as you can eat/drink
- One buffet lunch a day, as much as you can eat
- The logistics of moving our kit each day, taken care of for us.
- Written route notes each day
- Written route maps each day
- Waterproof bags, in abundance, each day
- Route briefing each day
- GPX route data for each day (Garmins and the like)
- DA tee shirt
- Tons of advice and motivational support.
- Technical backup in the form of spare parts, an entire backup bike (that was used on our trip) and general consumables (tubes, tyres, oil etc)
Our accommodation ranged from a few nights in Premier Inns, (which never disappoint) , one night in a Hostel, which was occupied by only us and felt like a fraternity house (this was a good nights stay) and a few very posh hotels (5 star) with spas, pools and masseuse thrown in. Each night we had a three course meal (of our choice, the night before) and were able to make shopping orders for spares to DA, who somehow found the time between setting up tea stops, lunch stops, and carting luggage, to go and find bike shops too!
We had a couple of mix ups along the way, such as the GPX (Garmin) maps not matching the route notes, which meant that on one day those on Garmins missed a tea stop. In addition, some of the group were expecting a tail end Charlie truck (sweeper truck) to follow the last rider each day. This wasn't provided or promised, nor needed but some were initially worried about being left alone.
This all works out at an average of £125 a day. The hotels alone must have cost that for some nights (the Hotel we stayed at in Inveraray cost £199 a room!), let alone the three course meals, lunches, teas and support.
But the overriding value, is the lack of having to think, or worry about anything. Its all taken care of, you just take care of the riding part.
You can even use the lunch/tea trucks to mule spare clothes and bits and bobs to various parts of the route each day, a real life saver when the weather is changeable.
8.How hard is it?
Its a tough challenge. You will cycle 100 miles (on average) each day, over anything between 7-10 hours a day. Some of the hills that do exist are MONSTERS and some days contain a good number.
BUT...here's the odd thing.
Its not as hard as it sounds, truly.
If you have trained at least a little, you will find that breaking the days riding into 4 parts is relatively straight forward (20-30 miles a piece) and will ride to "tea" pretty easily, rest for 20-30 mins (less if its cold or wet), ride another 20-30 miles, stop for lunch (always indoors in the dry...except for one day) rest for an hour, then its off to tea again some 20-30 miles later.
So you ride for a couple or few hours and rest, ride, rest, ride...etc ... all the while eating and drinking the right foods to carry you along. Each day you become stronger and stronger and after a few days you settle in to the routine and ...in theory, start enjoying it more.
Proper training just allows you to start enjoying it sooner.
Proper training just allows you to start enjoying it sooner.
On the hills front, you will find that, after a few days, you will just get on with them too and not really find them such an issue. Even the really hard ones only take 15 minutes to get over, less most times (unless its Shap fell which takes a bit longer but isn't steep...honest) and once they are done, you forget about them. Some riders will choose to walk the really nasty hills, others would never dream of it.
One thing is for sure, you will gain a good level of bike-fitness during the trip, whether you want to or not.
9.How do I get to and from each end of the country?
These initial logistics are down to you and are not as simple as you may think. We took a train down to Penzance and accepted the option of DA putting us up in a hotel (for £45) and then transferring us to Lands end the next day. On the way back from Scotland, we hired a van from Inverness as we were travelling as a three man group, so this was the cheapest way to get home (with three heavy bags, three bikes and three blokes). Trains and planes are of course an option on the way back and you can opt to send your bike by DA courier at an additional cost. Either way, you will be transferred to Inverness after the last days ride, by DA to make things simple.Warning, Driving back to London takes at least 12 hours, you will be tired and getting more tired the more time you spend away from the exercise of riding, so split the driving or take a plane.
10.What do I take to wear?
DA will advise you to take very little and suggest you wear riding clothes of an evening. This is mostly because they have to lift your bags across the country each day (Sorry Ian, Jen and Lachen!)... so ignore this and take some evening clothes. Perhaps a few shirts, a pair of jeans, a change of shoes...anything to make you feel more human each evening.
And take a swimming costume!!, trust me, some of the hotels have lovely pools that you WILL want to relax in.
Other than that, take a good number of cycle jerseys (perhaps no less than 6) ditto on the shorts and however many arm warmers/jackets/socks that you wish. I set out my kit list in one of my early posts for you to refer to if it helps.
I used everything on that list except the leg warmers and the fleece, as we were blessed with unseasonably warm weather throughout. (if you call 10 degrees warm!)
11. Do I need any special skills?
Special, no but it is worth ensuring that you are comfortable riding with one hand (its helpful to point out pot holes to the pack) and can look clearly over your shoulder, without wobbling too much (sorry if that sounds obvious).
Other than that I would suggest you get used to riding in a pack/Peleton. Drafting is a particular skill that will help on the trip (google it) and one worth picking up.
Be sure you now how to brake in the wet, and take bends at speed in the wet and the dry...or don't ride at speed, whichever works.
Lastly, its not a skill as such but I would be sure you now how to ride in heavy traffic. A couple of days will require you to negotiate city fringes and main roads full of fast moving heavy lorries and in some cases, nose to tail traffic. If you want to keep abreast of city cycling skills then check out this link..
It should help with the basics regards pinch points and primary positioning.
12.Do I need to take supplements?
Unless you have an overriding medical condition or need, then no. Despite burning between 6-8000 calories a day, all the energy you require will be provided by the meals, tea stops, drinks and snacks that the organisers lay on. I didn't use a single gel or drink additive throughout the entire tour and I worked pretty hard each day.
12a. Will I enjoy it?
Without any doubt...100% Yes.
How do I know?... because if you have taken the time to read this long ... and frankly dull post, then you are clearly very interested, which means you are the perfect candidate to not just complete this challenge ...but enjoy every second.
Good luck
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| "I ride I did last week was this big, Honest"..... |
