LEJOG June 2018

I have a bit of a history with LEJOG. When I got my first road bike in 2010, LEJOG was always my ambition. But I had a lot of knee problems initially which resulted in two failed LEJOG attempts in 2011. The solution to my knee woes was finding the perfect saddle height - which was a bit lower than the recommended. I then did a successful LEJOG the following year in 14 days with Peak Tours on my Dawes touring bike. But I always wanted to do it in 10 days on my Giant Alu road bike - the one I had planned to use in 2011. I wanted to travel light so no camping on this tour. I had acquired two shiny new Altura Dryline panniers paid for by my crash last year, but was unable to use them on my touring bike. But they were perfect on my road bike, and they were ideal for this trip. Just the right size (2x16l) and a waterproof liner which worked well - but fortunately only had two days where I needed them! I also had my trusty Topeak Compact Handlebar bag. So now as well my fully loaded touring set up, I also had a light touring version too.

I prebooked all the accommodation for this trip, a mixture of hostels, BnBs and one hotel. And all very good they were too, bar one or two exceptions, as will be revealed! As with any LEJOG, the logistics of getting to and from the start/finish points can be tricky. It was a sunny and warm Friday morning in mid June when I set off. First leg was the Thameslink train to London. Thameslink had been having major problems since introduction of a new timetable, so I set off an hour earlier than I needed to, and a good job I did! What a nightmare. Cancelled and delayed trains meant the train I was on was much busier than it should have been and it stopped everywhere. It wasn't much fun with my bike. There was a nice old couple who were bound for Yorkshire for a walking holiday. I helped them with their luggage. I got off at West Hampstead to cycle to Paddington. It was such a relief to get off! The cycle was uneventful, but I only had 30-40 minutes to spare, so would definitely have missed my train here if I hadn't got the earlier one. It was Paddington Bear's 60th birthday and lots of tourists were having their photos taken by the bronze statue. I boarded the train which was pretty packed and put my bike on the guard van. There were a couple of other bikes. The train was running late as a lot of people got on at Reading and by the time I got to Penzance was over 30 minutes late. Also, because it was so packed I couldn't get to the buffet car til late in the afternoon. When I arrived there was a 10 mile cycle to the BnB at Sennen in to the wind. It was great to be back at the Sunnybank BnB. I stayed here twice on my two previous failed attempts. It's only about a mile and a half from Land's End and Eleni who runs it is friendly and helpful and does a fantastic breakfast. The small single room which was very comfortable was still only £35, the same price! The local restaurant sounded very snotty on the phone so I decided to give them a miss and went to the chip shop down the road on my bike which was great. As it was a nice evening I also went to Land's End so I wouldn't have to do it in the morning.

Day 1 Land's End to Okehampton 100 miles

I was using my new Wahoo bike GPS to navigate, using the Komoot app. I had used it for the first time on Lon Las Cymru and it was faultless. It didn't let me down on this trip either. The first section was simply retracing my steps to Penzance. Unfortnately, the morning started with quite a thick drizzle, the sort that gets you wet pretty quickly, but it cleared up as the day went on. From Penzance it was on to Hayle and the A30 for a section which wasn't very nice but Wahoo got me off at as soon as it could at then on to Bodmin and Indian Queens. From there it directed me south of Bodmin Moor and north of Liskeard via Minions. Then I crossed the Tamar and into Devon. I had a close call on a narrow lane with high hedges typical of Devon. I met a 4x4 and we were both going a bit fast. My back wheel locked and I fought to control it but luckily managed to avoid a collision. That wouldn't have been a good start. The last few miles in to Okehampton were lovely - on the Granite Way. Then it was the Meadowlea Bnb which I also stayed in in 2011 which was OK, nowhere as good as the Sunnybank and more expensive. But it was handy for town and I went to the Raj Poot Indian (again!) for dinner.

Day 2 Okehampton to Cheddar 83 miles

A repeat of the second time I attempted LEJOG. Quite a hilly start as I headed out towards Crediton. I found a Costa Coffee here where I had some refreshments and got talking to an older gentleman who was a cyclist but here with his family today. They were impressed by my journey. This interaction with locals was to become quite a feature of this trip. Buoyed up I headed on towards the Cadbury Hills. Unfortunately, the grey clouds produced quite a heavy shower and I had to don all the wet weather gear. It did clear up though. Navigation was a bit tricky over the M5 and I ended up making a bit of a detour further south than I needed to really. Then it was A38 via Wellington, Taunton and Bridgwater and fairly easy miles plus the sun was out. A cyclist approached me in Bridgwater who had a flashy aero bike and a flat tyre. He only had a Co2 cartridge that didn't work and didn't get anywhere with my pump so he called his wife to pick him up! The traffic was a bit rubbish on this route as there had been an accident on the M5. Fortunately Wahoo navigated a great route to the east on quiet roads that took me to Cheddar. The Cheddar YHA was great! Really helpful and friendly staff and excellent, filling and cheap evening meal. The chef was excellent and a keen cyclist so was able to give me some tips. I had been thinking of using the Strawberry Line cycle route as goes through the Mendips, but the surfaces not great so he advised against it. I had an excellent chili with garlic bread. Unfortunately it wasn't vegetarian, my fault I didn't say. I didn't want it to go to waste so ate it. The only down side was the YHA was fairly busy and the 4-bed dorm was fairly cramped and full. This is where my eye mask and earplugs came in handy.

Day 3 Cheddar to Leominster 82 miles

A good cooked veggie breakfast at the YHA fuelled me up for the mighty Mendips. It was quite a long climb to get up on top and then on to Langford, home of the Bristol Vet School where I nearly ended up at, and also the airport. Then it was another tough hill just before Bristol. I was definitely fitter than 2011 where I remember I really struggled with this hill. From here, my trusty Wahoo naviagted me on quieter roads through the Bristol suburbs and over the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Then eventually out of Bristol towards the Severn and over the old Severn Bridge - which has a cycle path alongside the motorway. There was quite a wind coming in from the Bristol Channel so this was a bit scary! It was a relief to make it over and in to Wales. I entered Chepstow and up the hill again towards the racecourse. I had finished Lon Las Cymru here only a month earlier. Then I took the road to Monmouth following the spectacular Wye gorge. I passed Tintern Abbey and stopped at the cycle café where I stopped in my ill-fated 2011 attempt. My knee started to nag me a bit at this point as a reminder! Fortunately it settled down though. I passed in and out of England but then back in to Wales to go through Monmouth. I remembered the walkway above the road connecting the school. Then it was on the minor road which joins the A49 back in to England and towards Hereford. In the village of St Weonard's there was a LEJOG sign! 234 miles down, 629 to go! Hereford was a bit of a drag in the traffic and then the 10 miles to Leominster was a very unpleasant road to cycle on, with very fast traffic and nowhere really to go. And those stupid cycle lanes that run for about 100m then stop in a really bad spot like on a hill, or by a traffic island. Eventually there was a B road to Leominster which was a big relief. It was a pretty, quiet little town and the YHA was quiet. No catering at this one and only 2 other residents. The trouble with YHAs though is they always put you together even though there were plenty of rooms available. I went to Wetherspoons for dinner which was OK. The veggie burger and chips was fine, but the onion rings were too much so I gave them to some girls on the next table.

Day 4 Leominster to Chester 77 miles

This was a really good days' cycling. Since crossing the Bristol Channel I was now heading due north so starting to make rapid progress. The tailwind I'd enjoyed in the southwest had now become a crosswind, but that was soon to change! It was delightful back roads away in to Shropshire and away from the dreaded A49. After Ludlow, still back roads and then the Shropshire Hills and in to Church Stretton where I had visited a number of times and gone up the Long Mynd, not today though! I shared my table with another cyclist and had a nice chat. Then onwards and eventually had to rejoin the A49 to Shrewsbury, but mercifully it wasn't too bad here. Once through Shrewsbury, it was back to quieter lanes of north Shropshire and past the curious village of Myddle. There is a very distinctive cottage that it is set in to a wall of rock. I remember it from LEJOG 2012. The route was very similar to that time too, and it goes through a piece of Wales for a few miles that sticks out west. You see the 'araf' in the road and the bilingual road signs. In no time though I was back in England and then on to Chester. I had booked in to the Bunk Rooms - an unofficial hostel as no YHA here. The guy was really helpful and friendly and not only let me take my bike in the room but gave me a whole 4 bed dorm to myself with en suite! All for £20 - result. The hostel was very near the station and the Live Rooms where I had been to the Mansun convention in 2014. There was a plethora of eating places. In the end I chose the Chai Indian street food restaurant which was vegan and an excellent choice. It had only been open a few months. It was BYOB so I went to the cash and carry next door and got a Ukranian beer! Love multicultural Britain.

Day 5 Chester to Arnside 85 miles

This proved to be a tough day through the urban northwest as there was a headwind all day and also what was to be the worst night's accommodation of the trip. The sky was quite grey and threatening rain - which the BBC Weather app also confirmed so I delayed my departure. However, this was to prove futile as I caught quite a shower at lunchtime. The first leg of the journey was OK - out of Chester on back roads and then up to Frodsham where I passed on the LEJOG 2012. The bridge I was worried about was fine. However, the Mersey crossing was not quite to be so straightforward. I called in at a bike shop and he looked it up for me. He said I would either have to take a diversion to Warrington but as far as he could see the Runcorn bridge was open. But this was not the case - it was only open during rush hour. If I had left early enough I probably would have made it. The only alternative was a bus to cross the Mersey purely for foot passengers and cyclists. This proved to be quite tricky to find. There was a local cyclist at the bus stop who was very friendly and had also done a bit of touring himself. We boarded the courtesy bus - there was a rack for bikes and in 5 minutes were on the other side. A bit frustrating as it meant this short section of LEJOG I hadn't cycled. Sigh. Then on up through the conurbation of Widnes and St Helen's. There was quite a heavy shower and I put my rain gear on and took shelter but as always as soon as I'd geared up it stopped. I got chatting to an elderly cyclist who was just on his way home, slightly eccentric! Then on through the headwind through a bit more rural areas and through Leyland to Preston. Preston was quite slow going, my route took me through a park but I was in the city in the late afternoon so quite slow, as was Lancaster. Then the final push in to Cumbria and the small town of Arnside where I had booked a YHA. I arrived at 7.30 - right in the middle of their opening hours but no-one was on reception. I rang and rang to no avail so eventually called the mobile number, again no answer so left a rude message as by now I had been waiting over 20 minutes. What I didn't realise was this was no longer a YHA but an unofficial hostel still booked through the YHA website, but not only was the standard much much poorer, but was more expensive! The guy - who lived on site- eventually turned up so I wasn't impressed. I asked about dinner which I had been led to believe was OK and he grimaced a bit but I put my foot down and said I'd cycled a long way, there was nowhere to eat nearby so he did me some pasta and garlic bread which was actually very nice. The accommodation was awful. Smelly, overcrowded, broken showers and you have to make your own bed. I complained strongly to YHA as this was my worst hostel experience I'd had and was annoyed that I had booked it on the YHA website in good faith. The contrast to the two official YHAs I stayed at in Cheddar and Leominster could not have been greater.

Day 6 Arnside to Tushielaw 106 miles

The longest day of the trip and another headwind! Plus the mighty Shap summit and the hills of the Scottish Borders! At least the rain had stopped now, and from now on the weather was set fair and the heatwave returned, hurrah! I couldn't wait to get out of the crappy hostel so I left early and got up at 6am. There was a really annoying cunt in the bunk above who gave me a rude stare as I woke him up, well tough shit! You want peace and quiet then book in to a B and B you tight cunt! Away, thank god and it was a lovely morning. Fortunately there was a Londis in town by the shore front which also did coffee so I had breakfast there. It was a nice spot but quite chilly first thing. Then it was a hilly Sustrans route on quiet roads to Kendal. I experience the best and worst people in Kendal. I was a subject to road rage - a 4x4 cut me up, so I had a go at him and then it unnerved me so I lost my footing in my pedal and he laughed at me. But then I was desperate for coffee so called in at a hotel - the lovely County Hotel near the station. I asked if they served coffee to non residents whereupon they gave me a free one AND said help myself to cereal! My faith in humanity was restored! Then I fuelled up with sweets at a petrol station for the long climb to Shap. It was pretty hard going, and then when I got to the top I was slap bang in to the wind again! Then on to the village of Shap and then Penrith. Then a minor road parallel to the A6 to Carlisle. Headwind all the way but at least the sun was out and it was getting warm. I wouldn't need my waterproofs for the rest of the trip! Through Carlisle and then new territory. Because this time Komoot had mapped me up to the Scottish Borders and eventually to Edinburgh. The first section wasn't too pleasant - on the A7 through Longtown and then in to Scotland. Once in Scotland the road surface began to improve and the traffic became lighter and the sun got hotter! After Langholm my route then went on a gorgeous little quiet road via Eskdalemuir. It was lovely scenery, no traffic and no phone signal. I realised I wasn't going to get to the accommodation by 7 but there was no way of contacting them. The road surfaces were fantastic. Eventually after another tough climb the road headed east and the wind was now from behind, so the last 10 miles to the Tushielaw Inn were fast and easy. I arrived at 7.30pm and from the worst night's accommodation to the best! The hosts Gail and Rab appeared on C4's Four In a Bed - and came last! The BnB was only £32 - and it was a fantastic room with a bath! Whisky nightcap! Then a pint of beer and a lovely meal with Singapore noodles. Plus they did my washing without even being asked. After a wonderful sleep I had a massive breakfast with vegetarian haggis and they did me a packed lunch! The total cost of all this - FIFTY QUID!! I later watched the TV programme and the reason they came last was that Rab can be quite abrasive and there was a row about Eggs Benedict. Good job I didn't ask for it!

Day 7 Tushielaw to Perth 87 miles

I really was blown away by the Scottish Borders. Considering I had been to uni in Glasgow and know the west coast and islands like the back of my hand, I didn't know the Borders at all! Lovely unspoilt countryside, quiet but smooth roads, hilly and not much in the way of a phone signal! All in all much more remote than many parts of the Highlands. I continued north still quite a lot of climbing to do until eventually I could see Edinburgh in the distance and then I began a long descent. Eventually I left the quiet roads and entered the Central Belt. The road surfaces deteriorated too, probably the worst in the country. It was quite slow progress through Edinburgh but my trusty Wahoo didn't let me down. I headed near the centre and then out west to cross the new Forth road bridge which was very impressive and then was in the kingdom of Fife! The roads improved again. It was getting hotter all the while. My bike suddenly seemed to slow down going up a hill and I thought I had a flat, but it was OK. I passed through Kinross and eventually Perth. I was staying at the SYHA west of the city centre. I was intrigued as it was cheap but a single en suite room. That was because it was at the halls of residence, so the hostel was only available in the summer holidays. It was fantastic - halls have certainly come a long way since I was at Glasgow! A very comfortable room with en suite and super fast Wi Fi included, plus a secure bike store. Only problem was being way out of town there were no food places nearby, but no problem as Dominos delivered! Superb.

Day 8 Perth to Loch Insh 79 miles

Today's route would follow the A9, which is quite a busy road. However, the cycle route utilises a lot of minor roads adjacent to it, and cycle paths - much of which is the old A9. I would also hit the highest point of the trip at Drumochter - 1500ft. However, it was a long gradual climb so wasn't too bad, nowhere near as bad as the hills I'd had so far. The wind was worse and had been against me ever since Chester. Once out of Perth I was on the A9 for a bit before getting on the minor roads through Pitlochry and Blairatholl. Then the road began to climb and for a long way I was on a cycle path. This was quite rough in places but with a climb and a headwind I couldn't go that fast anyway. There was the A9, the cycle path and the railway that I would be returning on at the end. I bet it could be bleak here in bad weather, but it was hot! At Dalwhinnie I left the A9 behind and was surprised to see a coach being manoevred but an extremely hot young female! Past the highest point I now used the A9 for some of the way for a faster descent. Also the road was heading back in a more easterly direction so I had a tailwind at last. Then Newtonmore, Kingussie and on to a back road to Loch Insh. This was an outdoor activity centre and was a real little gem and also very cheap, only £28 BnB. The room was compact and bijou but comfortable and I had the best night's sleep of the trip. There were red squirrels in the forest but alas I didn't see any. The service at the nearby restaurant was a bit slow but the food was good and washed down with a nice beer. I wasn't happy with the bike storage as not secure so I sneaked my bike in the room when no-one was looking. Not a lot of room for it, but always happy with the bike in the room!

Day 9 Loch Insh to Golspie 89 miles

This was to prove quite a tough day, not least because I thought having reached the highest pass there wouldn't be much climbing. Wrong! There was still Slochd summit to do before the descent to Inverness. First I had to go through Aviemore and then the climb up to Slochd. Eventually I rejoined the main A9 going the wrong way at first before the road swung round. There were good views of Inverness and the Moray Firth. I needed some lunch though and as my route wouldn't take me through Inverness itself I found a handy Co-op just off the route. Co-op were really my main food place for this trip as small enough to shop in but with a good range and good quality. I particularly liked their cookies and pastries! Then down to almost sea level and crossed the North Kessock Bridge which took me on to the Black Isle.There was another tough climb on the Black Isle before crossing the next bridge near Dingwall. Then up to Alness and Tain before my final bridge crossing and then the last stretch to Golspie. I was expecting a tailwind but it didn't materialise! The Granite Villa at Golpsie was a bit of a disappointment and rather overpriced. I noticed also that it was for sale. There wasn't any pub serving food tonight but there was a decent fish and chips.

Day 10 Golspie to JOG and then Thurso 89 miles

The last day! Navigation now was pretty simple - A9 then A99 to JOG, and then turn left to Thurso. Another fine day and pleasant cycling up the A9 and I found a nice café at Helmsdale. Then on to Berrisdale and the infamous Berrisdale Braes. This was a big descent and then climb out of Berrisdale, quite hard going. Then it was on to Wick where it became a bit more cloudy, lunch was another Co-op lol. Then on to the smaller A99 and on to the roads over the peat bogs to JOG. A final climb and feeling quite remote then down to JOG where I found the sign and had my photo taken. It wasn't over yet though, as I still had another 20 miles to do to Thurso - and back in to the wind. The railway station is at Thurso and my train was at 0650 the next morning. The last section was hard in the wind but I was on a nice smaller road. I thought I was hallucinating as I saw large white birds in a field  - they were rheas! At last I arrived in Thurso and at the Royal Hotel. I liked this hotel as the staff were friendly and helpful and there was a room for bike storage with one other bike present. The room was a bit dingy and hadn't been hovered properly, but there was a much needed bath!! I had a nice curry at the hotel pub. Wow! I'd done it in 10 days solo unsupported, something I always wanted to do.

The journey home

Because I was too early for breakfast the hotel kindly did me a packed lunch. I was at the station promptly and the train was on time. The track is predominantly single track all the way to Inverness. I enjoyed the journey but was a bit anxious as the connection at Inverness was tight. Also we got a bit of a delay waiting for a tourist steam train to pass. The guard said it would be OK though as they buid in a bit of slack in the timetable. It was tight but I just made it to the next train to Edinburgh. This was a bit busier and it took me along the A9 where I had cycled up only a couple of days earlier. Then it was time to leave Scotrail and board the Virgin train to Milton Keynes. I liked Scotrail and they come round regularly with the tea trolley. Virgin wasn't so good though. Due to the hot weather there were signalling problems in England and also a trackside fire in Cumbria. This meant a wait of over an hour just outside Carlisle. They had to cut the power to the train so no a/c. Eventually we got going again. They were diverting the train from Crewe direct to London via MK. It was supposed to go to Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Coventry. Not good news for those passengers as they had to change at Stafford but good news for me as it caught up some time and arrived in MK about an hour late. This meant I missed my last train home to Lidlington though so I had to don my smelly cycling gear again and cycle home from MK. It was still really hot and dry. You could see how parched the grass was.

Reflections

It was a great trip and finally on my 3rd attempt I achieved my dream of a solo 10 day LEJOG. I was pretty lucky with the weather. I only had 2 days where I needed my rain gear and that was only showers really, not prolonged rain. Not so lucky with the wind though, it was pretty much headwind all the way from Chester. The accommodation on the whole was superb - hostels and BnBs, cheap and good quality and friendly and helpful staff. The only exceptions were the awful hostel at Arnside and the BnB in Golspie. What struck was how decent the people of Great Britain are from one end to the other. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful along the way and if you make the effort and talk to people, most people are OK. So we are not this divided nation that the politics would make you believe at the moment.