Lands End to John O'Groats Charity Bike ride August 2010

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nige

nige

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GTP_nige/scooby_nige
Hi everyone.
Now is the time to tell GTP'ers that my wife and I will be doing in August a cycle ride the length of the UK in aid of charity. This is a journey of about 900 miles.
It should take us 18 days averaging between 50 and 60 miles per day. Route has been finalised and B and B's booked.
The route will look something like this:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i105/greenscoob/LEJIOG20ROUTE1.jpg
The Charity we want to raise money for is Medical Action Research which aims to give young babies and children a better start to life. We have had reason to thank the great work that goes on with our own children so are now giving something back.
The charity can be found here for your info:
http://www.action.org.uk/
http://www.action.org.uk/ttl_appeal
Please take some time to have a look and if would like to sponsor my wife and myself please go here:
http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/nleat
We are trying to raise as much as we can so every little helps.
I will regularly update this thread as the "off" approaches.
Cheers and thanks for your time
nige
 
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Wow!!

That is a humongous bike ride. Good luck with that mate, definitely great for you to be doing that for a good cause 👍.
 
As an aspiring marathon cyclist myself I wish you all the best 👍
 
Legendary and Misterweary- cheers guys :)

To fill you in on the route we have broken it down to 18 days ( stages ) as I have already mentioned , between 50 and 60 miles approx per day. Some days are more some are less :
Day 1 Lands End to Bodmin - about 58 miles
Day 2 Bodmin to Exeter - about 63 miles
Day 3 Exeter to Bridgwater - about 50 miles
Day 4 Bridgwater to Bristol ( where I live ) -about 35 miles
Day 5 Bristol to Cheltenham ( In Laws ! ) - about 46 miles
Day 6 Cheltenham to Bridgnorth - about 54 miles
Day 7 Bridgnorth to near Chester - about 59 miles
Day 8 Chester to Garstang ( near Blackpool ) - about 54 miles
Day 9 Garstang to Shap ( near Lake District ) - about 50 miles
Day 10 Shap to Dumfries ( first night in Scotland ) - about 65 miles
Day 11 Dumfries to Ardrossan - about 74 miles
Day 12 Ardrossan ( ferry to Arran ) to Tarbert - about 44 miles
Day 13 Tarbert to Taynuilt ( West Coast of Scotland ) - about 63 miles
Day 14 Taynuilt to Fort William - about 46 miles
Day 15 Fort William to Beauly ( near Inverness ) - about 64 miles
Day 16 Beauly to Golspie ( on North East coast of Scotland ) - about 52 miles
Day 17 Golspie to Wick - about 52 miles
Day 18 Wick to John O'Groats - about 17 miles

Well that's the route.
Training going really well. We are doing regular 50 to 60 mile rides around our home area where it's really hilly so good for the legs and the lungs!
See ya,
nige
 
Nice ride, nige! :drool:

Taking pictures along the way?
 
That's mammoth Nige, (good name btw) once I get paid you shall have another sponsor, the 74-mile day looks like a killer. I've done 50 miles in a day, that was relatively flat but a killer (but with dirt tyres that are about 50mm in width).

Good cause too 👍
 
TB - Digi Camera is coming for the ride. Inorder to prove we have done the ride we have to take pics enroute ( road signs etc ) and get signed proof from the places where we stay.
It's my intention to upload the pics when it's all finished.
Sureboss - Yep the Dumfries to Ardrossan day looks tough but having researched the route extensively the last 20 miles from Ayr are on a nice off road cycle path. BTW Your kind offer is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.👍👍
Most of the route is on road with a mix of main A roads and quieter B roads . The B roads should provide a relief from the Summer madness of cars, lorries etc!!! :crazy:
nige
 
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Have done lots of miles this week. Cycling back from work everyday this week( 20 X 5 = 100 miles ) and today a 50 mile local training ride in the heat! All up and down with more up's! Felt great though.
Am beginning to get the kit together, for all weathers, although I am limited to 9kg weight in my panniers.
The bike I am using is a Giant OCR 3 Compact road bike with a Beam bar fitted ( this is why I can only take 9kg !)
The wife has a Ridgeback Horizon Touring Bike which will take a lot more in weight!!
Plan to do the same this week all being well.
See ya
Nige
 
Incredible nige! 👍
Good luck with this.
Just made a contribution to your sponsorship fund.

Hope you'll come back with some great pictures and saddlesore tales for us. :)
 
Best of luck with this!

There were some plans for me and a few mates to do this, but my bike gets too much abuse gets kept outdoors :ouch: So I dropped out and they eventually all dropped out.

Going to be an amazing trip!
 
That is one great undertaking :D Good luck.

I just did 40 miles today myself... I couldn't imagine 900 :eek:

If I wasn't so skint I would sponsor. Theres plenty of time until August though, i'll be sure to sponsor you sometime between now and then when I get a bit of cash 👍
 
Guys - Thanks for the good wishes - Really appreciate it 👍
Smallhorses - Many many thanks for your very kind generosity . It is really greatly appreciated. :) 👍
Every penny I raise goes straight to the very worthwhile charity. All expenses like B and B comes out of my own pocket.
I'm sure I will have some great pics to share and great tales to tell!!
Will keep everyone up to date with how preparations are going.
Yours,
nige
 
Rode 30 miles back from work yesterday as part of my training -the route I chose was full of ascents and descents. Great fun but tiring on the old legs. Did it in just over two and a half hours which I was quite pleased with.
Beginning to think about what load I can take on the long ride. I have a Giant Road bike so no fitted panniers for me. I have a Beam Bar fitted to the seat stem which has a max weight of 9kg :ouch: This needs to include bike gear, bike tools and spares,casual clothes etc
I'll make a possible list later.
nige
 
When we were planning it, we contemplated buying cheap (primark etc) t-shirts, vacuum packing them, wearing them, disposing of them.
 
ExigeEvan
When we were planning it, we contemplated buying cheap (primark etc) t-shirts, vacuum packing them, wearing them, disposing of them.
Click to expand...

Good thinking 👍
I have three very light weight cycling jerseys that will come and when rolled/squashed up take very little room. The problem is what to and what not to take. Although it's going to be Summer here, the weather, especially in Scotland, can get very inclement. So wet weather gear is a must - leggings, waterproof jacket etc. Plus the midge cream :crazy:
You should what my wife has planned to take. :mad: I might share with everyone at a later date! It's Ok she doesn't read this forum!
nige
 
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nige
You should what my wife has planned to take. :mad: I might share with everone at a later date! It;s Ok she doesn't read this forum!
nige
Click to expand...

Let me guess...
3 pairs of high-heels, 2 pairs of flats, a cocktail dress and an entire Boots make-up counter, because you "just never know where we'll end up"?

:lol: :p
Oops. I forgot, my wife does read these forums. :ouch:
 
I do a 120 mile charity bikeride from Birmingham to London every year and if theres one thing i have learnt from the 5 years ive done it is....

BUY A BLOODY FAT GEL SEAT!!

Biggest challenge was not the riding itself, it was sitting back on the bike seat the morning after :lol:
 
Slick Rick
I do a 120 mile charity bikeride from Birmingham to London every year and if theres one thing i have learnt from the 5 years ive done it is....

BUY A BLOODY FAT GEL SEAT!!

Biggest challenge was not the riding itself, it was sitting back on the bike seat the morning after :lol:
Click to expand...
Agree entirely:tup:
My saddle is a gel ,just that it's not fat!
It is actually a Selle Italia one which cost me £80 from Evan Cycles. Should do me OK.
Smallhorses - My wife's list goes something along the lines of yours except perhaps for the high heels!
nige
 
I did 2 weeks camping round Europe on my motorbike and although there's more luggage than on a bike it was still a worry working out what to take. As it turned out I still took clothes home I hadn't worn and only used the cooking equipment once! After a day on the road camping food will never win over pub grub.

A good idea is to take only two sets of clothes and underwear and wash one wear one. You can put the dirty clothes in a tupperware container with travel wash and strap it to the bike so it gets sloshed about during the ride. It'll be whiter than white by the end or the day ready to by rinsed and dried for the next day.

Also I believe chamois cream is a good idea although I've never tried it :sick:
 
EvilNeal
I did 2 weeks camping round Europe on my motorbike and although there's more luggage than on a bike it was still a worry working out what to take. As it turned out I still took clothes home I hadn't worn and only used the cooking equipment once! After a day on the road camping food will never win over pub grub.

A good idea is to take only two sets of clothes and underwear and wash one wear one. You can put the dirty clothes in a tupperware container with travel wash and strap it to the bike so it gets sloshed about during the ride. It'll be whiter than white by the end or the day ready to by rinsed and dried for the next day.

Also I believe chamois cream is a good idea although I've never tried it :sick:
Click to expand...
Yep my idea was to take the three jerseys as mentioned plus 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of socks 2 pairs of underwear etc and then at the end of the day wash the dirty stuff out in the B and B. Then if not dry the next day strap them on the bike and hope for a good wind. Oops, I can feel a joke coming on here :lol:
I like the container idea although it's just a bit more weight!
Never tried chamois cream :ouch:
nige
 
Must admit I've never bothered with the container trick as it takes up space and I guess you don't really want to pedal water around you can't drink. TBH travel wash works pretty quick and I guess it's not going to eat into you down time of an evening too much.

Apparently chamois cream does work but so does sudocrem which is a lot cheaper and less embarrassing to buy...you do know you don't put it on the shorts don't you, maybe you and the missus could apply it for each other :lol:
 
Had an eventful training ride today. Went from Bristol over the Severn Bridge to Chepstow, a round trip of 55 miles. They say things go in three's. Well they sure did today. The wife had two punctures and also fell off in the centre of Bristol.
She insisted we carry on but her left knee has a big gash and a nice lump beneath it to boot.
It was nice going over the Bridge although the wind was swirling around making progress quite slow.
Enjoyed fish and chips in Chepstow although the Wetherspoons Chips were not the best!
Having a day off tomorrow to give Kate time to heal and do repairs to her bike. Brake lever got bent in the fall and she needs different tyres - Schwalbe Marathon Pluses I think.

Cheers,
nige
 
Congrats on the progress and sorry about Kate's bike. What tires she have on her bike before? In the end, it might be for the better that this happened.* Getting a good set of tires for a ride that long is critical.

I've never heard of those tires before but in looking at them, they are pretty enticing as replacements on my ride!

* Not the injury, of course!
 
Hope it hasn't knocked her confidence and she mends quick but it sounds like she's made of tough stuff.

Are you replacing the brake lever? Aluminium brake levers fatigue once they're bent and normally break trying to bend them back in my experience so probably best swapping it out.

I use off road tyres even though I do a lot of road miles but those tyres sound indestructible! I don't get many punctures (touch wood) but usually take 2 spare tubes out as I hate fixing punctures on the side of the road.

EDIT: Guess who just got a puncture? I shouldn't have tempted fate but at least it happened at the end of the ride a minute from my house!
 
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Hi Guys - Just to answer your questions . The tyres were cheap Halfords ones that she should have replaced ages ago but now is a good chance to replace them with the Marathon pluses. I've had these on my road bike for a couple of months now and they are great and supposed to be indestructable! Marc Beaumont used them on his Round the World trip. Good enough for him, good enough for us.
Have to get the bar tape off and have a good look at the Brake lever. I may be able to bend it back.
Kate's injury is a little better this morning. She's pottering around doing the usual chores! Yep she is tough all right!
Speak to you soon,
nige
 
Hi Nige, You've now been sponsored. I wish you all the best and good cycling weather on this trip. I know how the UK weather can be and I certainly don't envy you on a bike if it turns for the worse. Make plenty of pics and post them up here.

Rob aka AMG.
 
Hey Rob, your a real kind person. Many thanks for giving so generously 👍👍
nige
 
As part of our training, over the weekend of the 26 -27 June we are doing a Marathon night ride from Bristol to Exmouth called the Exmouth Exodus. The length of the trip is just over 100 miles and should be really good fun. Then we have to catch the train back to Bristol!
Have never done a night ride before so it should be an experience. Hope to take about eight hours. We have done several 100+ rides before, the longest of which was from Bristol to London at 115 miles which we did in about 8 hours.
Have bought some decent lights as I'm going to need them!
More info here : http://www.exmouthexodus.co.uk/

nige
 
Update on Wife's knee injury. She has had some swelling over the last day or so and has found going upstairs painful.
Went on a 15 mile local ride to test it today and she got through it well with only minor discomfort going uphill.
She should be fine in a few days.

nige
 

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