JOGLE in 5 days, possible?

msherry21

Hi all,

I am planning on undertaking my biggest cycle challenge to date at the start of August (Approx). I am planning on cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End in 5 days, this means I have to cover approximately 200 miles per day.

Is this a common time schedule for this route? has anyone done it in this time that can give me any tips?

I've cycled a few centurys but never as much as 200 in a day, so I'm building upto this just now in my training.

I plan on staying in hotels for comfort and amenities and washing my gear each night..or whataver valuable time I have there.

I'm a huge believer in "travel light, travel fast". I will be using my Specialized Allez Comp for this and since it cannot accomodate panniers, I will either be using a rucksack (not a fan, due to back sweat...lovely) or bar bag (big enough?) any other suggestions?

Any help on this challenge would be great and really appreciated, I will be doing it for myself and for the love of it but I'll also do it for McMillan's Cancer Research Charity.

Cheers,

Michael.

MichaelW

If your Comp doesnt have eyelets for a rack then try a bar bag + Carradice saddlebag.
Bar bags are good for map holders which really speeds up navigation.

pompy

Carradice do loads of good saddlebags, they also do ones called the SQR slim and tour, these fit behind the seatpost and probably work out cheaper than the saddlebags as you have to buy a bag rack too.

Or, you could get a rack that clamps to the seatpost (topeak among others do them) you could then add a rack bag or panniers, just be careful not to load the rack too much as all the weight is on the seatpost (no carbon please!)

I'm doing LEJOG at the end of Aug (singlespeed and solo! ) and will be fitting everything in an 11l Vaude rack bag. I now do all my training rides with the bag, big D lock etc to get used to the weight, it has helped lots! I'm also using a Garmin etrex for navigation and this works brilliantly, no stopping required, waterproof etc

let me know if you have any other questions...

nicktheluddite

good luck - I'm no sort of expert but I've heard 10-12 days as normal. How many times have you ridden 100 miles on consecutive days? Is stepping up to 200 miles/day a big leap? Only 6ish weeks to train until early Aug?
Don't take a rucksack - just smallest saddlebag and bar bag you can.
Go for extreme weight saving - cut the labels out of your clothes, don't take a watch as well as a phone, cut the handle off your toothbrush, don't take a wallet, just a small plastic bag.

amaferanga

I did LEJOG in 5 days. 1500km so 300km/day. Did it on my Kuota Kharma with a seatpost rack and a rack bag. Don't even think about a backpack.

I did it in July and trained properly for it starting from January. I built my mileage up so by this time of year I'd done my planned daily distance 3 or 4 times already over much hillier terrain than I encountered on LEJOG. The result was that I actually found it fairly easy to do the 300km/day for the 5 days.

It sounds like you've gone for the laid back approach to training, in which case you may well still manage it, but may be in serious pain by the end of it unless you get yourself used to riding for 12 hours plus a day asap. Riding a century a few times doesn't prepare you to ride double that distance for five consecutive days (stating the bleeding obvious).

Good luck

tim_wand

Its doable. After all Gethin Butlers record is just 44 hours.

You can adapt your allez to having a rack with just the addition of P clips and an M style seat post collar. ( about £10) .

Forumite on here (Check my Way of the Roses c2c post) IPETE has got some pictures of a spesh allez up that he tours on. Some really neat soloutions. Or just PM him hes a good bloke with lots of good advice.

If you use an ally seatpost instead of a carbon you could always use something like a topeak qr beam rack.

If you can hack the distance then I would imagine your hardest problem is going to be feuling/nutrition.

Whatever you do dont wear the backpack it will cause you neck shoulder and back pain which will cripple you after the first day.

iPete

Thanks Tim

msherry21 its possible, a few mates did this in 3 days 19 hours but they had a support car and nearly rode around the clock!

Do NOT try and ride that long with a back pack, a horrendous thought!

Whilst I did ride my Allez Sport to Rome fully loaded (@80 miles a day average), I'm not sure the same set-up is suitable for your mission.

You could get a rack on your Allez but I don't think the Comp has any mounting points so you'd need a M:Part seat post clamp and QR adapter or P-clips for the bottoms.


Here is my Allez today, set up for speed on my commute:


For a light weight LEJOG with speed in mind, I think you could do it with the above Ortlieb large saddle bag, Topeak tri bag and a handle bar bag.

the ferry

I've just done LEJOG (also for MacMillan) in 6.5 days the last leg being only 56 miles. I did have a back pack which caused no probs whatsoever.
I did it unsupported alone but still travelled really light as i knew i would be in a Hostel most nights.
I was blessed with a tail wind for most of the way and only had one puncture for the whole trip. I recken i could have done it in 5 days but it would be a challenge mind...

Twostage

+1 for the qr mounted pannier. I use the axiom streamliner road dlx. The fixing point is offset rearwards so the back of your foot doesn't catch your pannier bag.

amaferanga

Twostage wrote:

+1 for the qr mounted pannier. I use the axiom streamliner road dlx. The fixing point is offset rearwards so the back of your foot doesn't catch your pannier bag.

I don't think panniers would be a good idea for a 5-day LEJOG - you need to travel light.

Twostage

amaferanga wrote:

Twostage wrote:

+1 for the qr mounted pannier. I use the axiom streamliner road dlx. The fixing point is offset rearwards so the back of your foot doesn't catch your pannier bag.

I don't think panniers would be a good idea for a 5-day LEJOG - you need to travel light.

Could just use one side. There's always the danger, though, that the bigger the bag, the more cr*p you take with you.

El Gordo

When doing a 7 day LeJoG a few years ago (which was tough, but not ridiculous) I caught a couple of guys toiling up Shap and got chatting. They were doing the same ride in 5 days and reckoned sleep deprivation was the biggest problem.

For luggage a bar bag and a saddle bag are certainly the way to go. Pack for minimum weight but bear in mind that in Scotland it can be cold and wet at any time of the year and you can be a long way from shelter on some roads.

My biggest problem whenever I've gone over 150 miles on consecuative days is not so much tiredness as pain in the contact points and my neck. You've got to be absolutely comfortable on the bike. What may only be a niggle on single day 100 mile rides can easily become excruciating when you tackle this sort of thing.

amaferanga

El Gordo wrote:

When doing a 7 day LeJoG a few years ago (which was tough, but not ridiculous) I caught a couple of guys toiling up Shap and got chatting. They were doing the same ride in 5 days and reckoned sleep deprivation was the biggest problem.....

I got a good 7 or 8 hours sleep a night on my 5-day LEJOG. They must have been either seriously slow or serial phaffers.

amaferanga

Twostage wrote:

amaferanga wrote:

Twostage wrote:

+1 for the qr mounted pannier. I use the axiom streamliner road dlx. The fixing point is offset rearwards so the back of your foot doesn't catch your pannier bag.

I don't think panniers would be a good idea for a 5-day LEJOG - you need to travel light.

Could just use one side. There's always the danger, though, that the bigger the bag, the more cr*p you take with you.

I think that's it - the more space you have the more crap you carry. Best to be brutal and only allow yourself a small rackpack. A rackpack will be (marginally) more aero than a pannier and the bike will be better balanced as well.

mossychops

amaferanga wrote:

I did LEJOG in 5 days. 1500km so 300km/day. Did it on my Kuota Kharma with a seatpost rack and a rack bag. Don't even think about a backpack.

I did it in July and trained properly for it starting from January. I built my mileage up so by this time of year I'd done my planned daily distance 3 or 4 times already over much hillier terrain than I encountered on LEJOG. The result was that I actually found it fairly easy to do the 300km/day for the 5 days.

It sounds like you've gone for the laid back approach to training, in which case you may well still manage it, but may be in serious pain by the end of it unless you get yourself used to riding for 12 hours plus a day asap. Riding a century a few times doesn't prepare you to ride double that distance for five consecutive days (stating the bleeding obvious).

Good luck

Mate, would you mind letting me know what sort of training schedule you did do? I am thinking of doing this when I have time to fit the training in. Would be very useful to know what you did.

Thanks

El Gordo

amaferanga wrote:

El Gordo wrote:

When doing a 7 day LeJoG a few years ago (which was tough, but not ridiculous) I caught a couple of guys toiling up Shap and got chatting. They were doing the same ride in 5 days and reckoned sleep deprivation was the biggest problem.....

I got a good 7 or 8 hours sleep a night on my 5-day LEJOG. They must have been either seriously slow or serial phaffers.

Well, if I could catch them up on Shap then they definitely fall into the slow and steady camp!

philkeeble

You're clearly a lot harder (and younger) than me, I've just completed LEJOG in 14.1/4 days and like an earlier respondent, I had a tailwind nearly all the way. You will notice that all the fast guys that have responded have done it in that direction (i.e. south to north). The message is : you're doing it in the wrong direction! You'll need all the help you can get and a headwind is not going to help you.

The other aspect to bear in mind that can really kill progress is navigation. I had the entire route laid into a Garmin GPS with full OS mapping. I never had to stop for a map check and this saves a bunch of time. Also remember that passing through cities slows you down big time. You'll also need to allow time to eat and you'll need plenty. Sandwiches and stuff from the shops is quicker to throw down your neck than waiting to be served in cafes/pubs.

The record stands at 44 hrs (Gethin Butler of Hewitt Cycles) ... but he did it south to north!

May the weather Gods smile on you, good luck.