LeJog in October

durhamwasp

Anybody done LeJog in October?

Have been aiming for months to do it in the last week of August, but one of the group cant get the time off work, so looking forward, the school holidays from Oct 21 to Oct 30 looks like the next best bet.

Just wondering if anybody has done it and how they found the length of daylight and also the temperatures?

barney69

I'm doing it (on my own) last 2 weeks of August.
My guesses to pros and cons of October would be:
Pros
Easier to source accommodation on the day if you need to
Easier to source return train if thats what you have planned.
The busy road sections eg A30/A82 will be less busy
You'll have more time to train.
Cons
Weather will be more mixed colder/wetter therefore you'll have to carry more gear
The daylight hours will be shorter
You won't meet as many lejoggers (or should that be a pro)
Some ferries may not operate outside peak season if you plan to use any.

good luck.

daviesee

No advice on the route but.....

In Scotland you can't predict anything weather-wise.

Friday past 25 degrees in blazing sunshine. Sunday 12 degrees with strong winds making it feel much, much colder. Pack for everything and layers are best.

Edit:- I would think that around October will be the cross-over where daylight North = daylight South. Probably around 12 hours 07:30 - 19:30 or 8:00 - 20:00. (We have longer days in Summer but shorter days in Winter so a crossover around then would make sense).

Hoopdriver

I did Hadrians Wall in November. It was the only time i could get away. And while the weather left a little to be desired and warm clothes and wet weather gear was absolutely essential, I rather enjoyed it. It was quiet, no tourists, accommodation generally easy to find and so I decided to look upon the short days and cloudy gloom as being atmospheric and moody.

Maudso

I did LEJOG last October (22nd to 30th) in the school half-term (we had a support driver who is a teacher).

The weather was changeable! Started off OK, but then rained on & off for days. The wind really picked up - one morning we were woken up by the tent almost being blown over. Oh yeah - we camped... Shap was a nightmare - hardly any visibility, cold & wet. Was -2 a couple of mornings when we set off. Light was probably the biggest problem, (my cycling parter was my brother on a heavy(ish) old hybrid; he hadn't cycled much in the last 20 years so not the fastest), so we left the tent as soon as it was light & a couple of days it was dark by the time we got to the next campsite (we did do it in 9 days, so time was always against us). After a few days camping, we decided to get travel lodges etc. just to get dry. Bonus was, apart from Fort William, we had no trouble getting hotels to stay in due to the time of year.

But then we got to Scotland & amazingly beautiful sunshine (mainly) & the last two days had really strong tailwinds. Was an absolute pleasure to cycle! I think the last two days cycle was the most fun i've ever had on a bike.

If there was any way round it, I wouldn't have gone that late in the year. Would have been lovely to be able to gently cycle into the next campsite at 8pm & it still being light. However, I am really glad I went when I had the opportunity. You could be lucky, or unlucky, with the weather, but you could be unlucky with it in July too...

I never thought of quitting however bad the rain/cold/wind got, so it couldn't have been really that bad

If that's the only time of year you can go, then go!! Best holiday i've had in a long time!

EDIT - Realised i;ve just rambled above! To answer your questions - light is a problem if you cycle slowly (avg 12-13 mph) with lots of ciggy breaks! I solo'd a couple of days & averaged 15-16mph & got to destination well before dark. Cold is not so much of a problem. Even though it was below freezing a few times, only hands got cold due to my £3 Aldi gloves.

durhamwasp

Cheers Maudso

Sounds very similar to what we are planning - our support driver will be in a motorhome and that will be our bed for 9 nights!

Planning on doing it over 8 days - Saturday to Saturday of the October school hols. I think our av will be no more than 12.5mph with a few breaks during the day in the camper. Probs gonna look to set off at 7.30/8am each morning when the light is up, and look to finish off around 6pm/6.30pm each night, so about 8.5 hours of cycling (plus breaks) should get us to around 100 miles per day.

Sounds like you had a good time, and as you say - once you have set off today, not much should stop you. If we don't do it in October, it might be 2 or 3 years til we do, so really wanna take this opp.

Maudso

A motorhome? Luxury!! Especially being able to meet up during the day. We only met our support driver at the end of the day - it was her holiday too so she went off walking & sight-seeing

You will be cycling in the dark - remember the clocks will go back about the time you reach Scotland so getting dark around 4pm I think. But cycling itself really isn't a problem with lights, just the sights aren't as fun at night :P

Also be prepared for mishaps... My chain broke on the 2nd day & my brother had a fall & buggered up his knee, meaning he had to rest for 2 days (hence my 15mph average!). Things will always unexpectedly slow you down (the chain cost us 45 mins finding a bike shop & getting it replaced), but then again, I always think it's things like that that make these trips more memorable.

One final warning, on the 'come-down' from this trip, I have planned a solo world bike tour starting this September! This cycling lark is damn addictive...

EDIT (again) God I sound like a pessimistic sod! Just wanted to reiterate - GO! During the trip you will love most of it, after, you will love all of it.

daviesee

Maudso wrote:

remember the clocks will go back about the time you reach Scotland so getting dark around 4pm I think. But cycling itself really isn't a problem with lights, just the sights aren't as fun at night :P

Info on daylight hours - http://www.golfing-scotland.com/daylight.asp

durhamwasp

Cheers again! and cheers for the daylight link...

now lets hope it all comes together.

The Mechanic

10 years ago my son and his mate did LEJOG in October. My wife and I went up to JOG to pick them up. We had to turn back at The Lecht and take an alternative road becasue the Lecht road was closed due to snow! There was also snow on the road up from Dornoch. JOG was miserable as it was raining, blowing a gale and freezing cold. However, they enjoyed it and are planning a 10th aniversary ride somewhere.