Advice needed for August LEJOG

robklancs

Hi all,

I am completing my first ever tour in august, lejog from south to north.
The first problem i have encountered (apart from lack of miles in the legs) is that my bike wont take panniers, it is a specialized allez sport 2007.

I have purchased a vaude seat bag which i think is around 5 litres, i am looking to buy a bar bag which is 10 litres.

What i am looking for is any advice on how i can carry any extra load, i hate the idea of taking a rucksack for 14 days. I will be staying in hostels so i only need to take the essentials.

Onething i did think of was to buy some mtb shoes so i can walk in them at night, rather than my stiff road shoes.

Any other useful tips would be greatly appreciated

TiBoy

Good luck, the LEJOG is something I have been thinking about doing for a few years. I'm not sure how much you are looking to carry but I really rate the Bob Yak single wheeled trailer. I towed it from the south of France to the north full of 20+ kg of camping stuff behind an alloy Ridgeback. It took a while to get used to the weight but it was faultless.
Last weekend I towed it behind the Sunday with 15 kg of camping stuff and it did not feel as stable at speed, this may have been due to it not being packed correctly (a bit side heavy) or that its was on a titanium bike.

Hope this helps

amaferanga

Carradice make BIG saddle bags. I'm doing a LEJOG myself in July and I'm considering buying a Cadet saddle bag. I'm doing it fairly rapidly and have a 'bag drop' at a mates house in southern Scotland so I think I'll get by with just the saddle bag. Bar bags drive me mental. Are you sure a 10l bar bag will fit between your STIs?

Garrigou

Not sure this is 'advice' but when three mates and I did LEJOG unsupported in 1998, we each survived on a small back-pack and a seatpost bag for a 7-day ride. One set of bike kit (washed in the sink each night); one t-shirt/pair of shorts/flip-flops for the evenings (you'll only eat and sleep and you won't much care what you look like); 1 multi-tool and pump between us + half a dozen inner tubes. We were probably a bit 'fragrant' by the end of the week, but we had no major mechanicals and din't have to lug a load of weight around. Enjoy it - it's well worth the effort.

wasp707

You can buy a rack that clamps to the seatpost which will enable you to take panniers. I use a Delta Postporter which does a cracking job.

andymiller

wasp707 wrote:

You can buy a rack that clamps to the seatpost which will enable you to take panniers. I use a Delta Postporter which does a cracking job.

Well yes, but watch the weight limit. IIRc on the Topeak racks it's 10kgs which isn't much.

Robk

- the fact that you don't have mudguard mounts doesn't mean you can't put a pannier rack on. There are a number of options including using p-clips or the quick release or the M:Part seatclamp which also includes mounting points for a rack. Have a look around I'm sure this was discussed very recently.

mercsport

I had a bash at lejog last August and the weather was atrocious from the 'off'' , horizontal rain , and cold with it in the Lakes . The only good thing about it was that the breeze was on my back the whole way . Still , I wimped out , as it was , I suppose , par for bike touring in Britain . That is to say , not at all very enjoyable . I intend to return to it - when a suitable weather window offers itself this year - and knock off the remainder of it which I hope will be better than the monotony of the southern half .

I was riding a normal ally framed road bike with no mudguard or pannier points , but as andymiller pointed out you can fit most racks to most frames with a bit of imrovisation . Maybe your LBS could help you out there .

I was dossing at the side of the road and didn't enjoy the luxury of B&B's every night ( my choice ) , but comfortably carried what kit I thought I needed : hammock ; pit ; grub ; a fleece ; a rain jacket .. and , I think that was it . SPD'd mtb shoes of course .

I just posted a pic' in Cake-Stop which showed the result of piling a load of gear on a light ti' frame but which was still ride'able with panniers - just . http://www.bikeradar.com/road/forums/vi ... t=12625201

Tim Farr

A Carradice saddle bag with a support (a pal dug out of his shed) and a bar bag were all I used when doing LEJOG in 2003. I stayed in youth hostels and B&Bs. I also carried what is best described as a drawstring bag - free with a purchase from JJB - which was handy for carrying food from store to hostel at the end of the day.

Of course you have to be strict and cunning with what you carry eg half a bar of soap for all washing - clothes and person - and shaving. There's been threads on here on how to be economical with the luggage.

For hostelling you definitely don't need a trailer, and IMO a rucksack is to be avoided at all costs.

I had the same set up - front bag and saddle bag - in 1962 and 1963 on month tours from Blackpool to Switzerland and return. Happy memories.

Peasoup

LEJOG from North to South = JOGLE

Peasoup

pointless information I realise

ho hum

tardington

Of course, now I am working out rude routes to cycle.

Up near thurso I met some charity LEJOGers. They had a support van tho! Did meet a man going down, he various bags bodged onto the bike - Wee small home-made looking things, some were (I kid not) attached on with string! He was completely unsupported, but had a plan to stop at a friends house in the middle for one night... He also wore Tesco bib shorts. :shock:

He also had a book he tore the pages out of as he read them. It was an Agatha Christie, if you were wondering!