John 'o Groats - Gibraltar 22/06/09-27/07/09

rusty6270

John 'O Groats to Gibraltar 22/06/09-27/07/09
in aid of: Help for Heroes+guidedogs.org.uk

Well as you can see this is definately a big challenge. Im new to road riding having just bought a Giant Defy 1 and have decided to set myself this monumental task for the undertaking.

Im a firm believer that it is very possible,and want to pushmy boundaries ,im very fit at the moment with the planned trip after my Royal Marine selection weekend im hoping the trainging for that will pay off.
I want to push myself/see europe from another perspective/do something ive never heard of anyone doing before. I wont be using paniers but backpack with compact tent and all i need in a 50litre rucksack.

I know it sounds very ambitious but,i wouldnt be happy knowing that it would be anything less than 9/10 on the difficulty scale.

The reason behind this is that my cousin has recieved alot of help from Help for Heroes after an incident serving in afghanistan in which he lost his leg. The charity does fantastic work and can always do with more donations.

The second being a a charity which i think from my research does alot of good work for people who without their intervention would be lost.

So why have i put this on,well im looking for any7 advice/feedback/maybe even potential recruits to join me!

So what do you guys think?

arranandy

Best of luck mate. What a challenge.

My main bit of advice would be lose the rucksack and use panniers. Carrying a rucksack over that distance is going to kill your neck and shoulders as well as compromising your balance on the bike

doug5_10

Lose the rucksack, your spine will be mush!! Over that distance you might be best investing in a dedicated touring bike, perhaps with the ability to fit front panniers as well. Epic ambition, best of luck!

doug5_10

Lose the rucksack, your spine will be mush!! Over that distance you might be best investing in a dedicated touring bike, perhaps with the ability to fit front panniers as well. Epic ambition, best of luck!

alfablue

The rucksack may also prove hazardous as it could compromise over the shoulder checking of traffic, it may obscure your view, prevent full movement, or send you off balance and into a wobble - or all three. It will also interfere with your helmet (should you plan to wear one).

You will get a very hot, sweaty and aching back as well.

Whilst your obvious fitness and attitude towards challenges will clearly get you through, there is no point adding pain unnecessarily.

A dedicated tourer with rack and pannier bags is what you need, however some road bikes can take racks and can cope with light touring - not a clue if yours can though.

Okay touring bikes start around the £400 mark (Edinburgh Cycles or Dawes Horizon), the wheels should be checked and re-tensioned by a LBS before embarking. Or spend more on something like a Dawes Galaxy or a Condor Heritage. Spa Cycles are very good for price on Dawes, and they can build some excellent wheels for you as an upgrade. For panniers, most will do, though Ortlieb Back Roller Classics are probably the best - durable, waterproof, simple, 5 year warranty - also cheapest at Spa Cycles.

alfablue

It will also interfere with your helmet

Whoops, I am not sure that is the best form of words :oops:

Casbar

Loose the rucksack.

With a proper set up ( Bike/Luggage ) it will be a great ride. You can obviously make it harder for yourself by covering more distance per day. Google the net to see what equipment most people use...but I'm certain it will either be a touring bike with a rack and paniers or maybe a road bike, if you have a support car. Eitherway a 50 litr rucksack wont add to the difficulty , it will just make it unnecessary dangerous

rusty6270

cheers guys, the feedback is much appreciated,ill take on board what people have said about panniers. Ive invested all my hard earned cash a while back in the giant so unfortunately its the giant all the way because i cant afford a tourer aswell,but it has got points to attach panniers aswell.

I have checked most peoples equipment list for John o groats to lands end and am in the process of acquiring all the stuff at the moment.

Im also planning the route as we speak, and am finding this the most difficult bit of all so far!

alfablue

You may find Via Michelin helpful, when you search for a route, under Driving Directions, you can select By Bike, and it selects less busy roads pretty effectively.

A good rack for a road bike is the Tortec Ultralight £20/440g, and panniers, the Ortlieb Back Roller Classics £79. Your tent and sleeping bag can fit on the top of the rack with straps.

Edit: This combo with a road bike will be good for loads maybe up to 15 kg or 20kg, maybe a bit more. Test the handling fully loaded before the day.

iain_j

Sounds like an epic challenge ... can't offer anything other than "lose the rucksack"!

Good luck!

Greenbank

You might find this useful:-

http://www.aukweb.net/mag/I15NGgAg__Ste ... 6_2003.pdf

Trafalgar - Trafalgar is a 3100km Audax from Trafalgar Sq to Cape Trafalgar near Gibraltar (or the other way round). Audax requirements mean this has to be done at 200km a day, so under 16 days.

Have a look at Audax UK: www.audax.uk.net for a few long distance rides in preparation for the real thing...

Good luck!

HillClimber101

great luck, I'ed love to do that one day