From no road bike to LeJog in a little over a year.
shaunclaridge
Posts: 87
If anyone wants to take a look I have created a website with a fully written up daily journal from my recent LeJog and with some other write ups(and a few more to come) Will hopefully use the site for future fundraising and to help others who are looking to do a similar ride.....These blogs were invaluable to me during my planning. Be great to get some traffic through the site and I will be blogging on there as much as possible in the future.
The main purpose of this blog will be to describe and document a year long challenge that I recently undertook to cycle solo from Landsend to John O Groats. In the space of 2 years I went from not having cycled more than 10 miles in one go (while eating quite a bit of cake) to averaging 70 miles a day across Britain over 13 epic days in April 2014(and still eating a fair bit of cake, but feeling less guilty about it!) Now I am well aware there are plenty of LeJog Blogs about – but I feel I have a fairly unique story to tell due to my back ground of doing precisely no cycling up to a year or 2 before this trip started. I feel I have a wealth of information and experience to share with anyone taking on a similar challenge or indeed any beginners that are looking to get into road cycling in general and would hate it all to go to waste. I found other peoples cycling blogs usefull but also slightly daunting at times. Daunting because these people looked nothing like me, they knew much more about bikes than me and they smoked and ate far less than me. I am hoping my planning and preparation for this trip may be more relevant and of more use to your average fat lad trying to squeeze into some Lycra bib shorts and cycle a few miles without ending up in a heap on the kerb. The success and elation of having completed this adventure has definitely given me a taste for planning further fundraising cycling events and I hope to use this site for fundraising and for helping others to do the same, or to help people share some of these trips with me.
I do not claim to be an expert or even a very good rider but I do think I have a decent amount of knowledge and experience to offer any beginners wanting to get into road riding.
I have made a blog post on the site about how I built up to my first century ride
http://claridgecyclingtocurecancer.com/ ... tury-ride/
The ride was to raise money in memory of my friend Dave who passed away 10 years ago and almost £5k has now been raised
My daily updates are all on there and sum things up better than I can here
http://claridgecyclingtocurecancer.com/ ... -o-groats/
The main purpose of this blog will be to describe and document a year long challenge that I recently undertook to cycle solo from Landsend to John O Groats. In the space of 2 years I went from not having cycled more than 10 miles in one go (while eating quite a bit of cake) to averaging 70 miles a day across Britain over 13 epic days in April 2014(and still eating a fair bit of cake, but feeling less guilty about it!) Now I am well aware there are plenty of LeJog Blogs about – but I feel I have a fairly unique story to tell due to my back ground of doing precisely no cycling up to a year or 2 before this trip started. I feel I have a wealth of information and experience to share with anyone taking on a similar challenge or indeed any beginners that are looking to get into road cycling in general and would hate it all to go to waste. I found other peoples cycling blogs usefull but also slightly daunting at times. Daunting because these people looked nothing like me, they knew much more about bikes than me and they smoked and ate far less than me. I am hoping my planning and preparation for this trip may be more relevant and of more use to your average fat lad trying to squeeze into some Lycra bib shorts and cycle a few miles without ending up in a heap on the kerb. The success and elation of having completed this adventure has definitely given me a taste for planning further fundraising cycling events and I hope to use this site for fundraising and for helping others to do the same, or to help people share some of these trips with me.
I do not claim to be an expert or even a very good rider but I do think I have a decent amount of knowledge and experience to offer any beginners wanting to get into road riding.
I have made a blog post on the site about how I built up to my first century ride
http://claridgecyclingtocurecancer.com/ ... tury-ride/
The ride was to raise money in memory of my friend Dave who passed away 10 years ago and almost £5k has now been raised
My daily updates are all on there and sum things up better than I can here
http://claridgecyclingtocurecancer.com/ ... -o-groats/
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Comments
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Just had a quick 2 min look and seems like a cracking write up!! Gonna read it all later myself as i'm off on my own LEJOG ride on Friday (starting Saturday) over 9 days with the longest day at 119 miles. Our trip looks a polar opposite - 35 club riders (including a LEJOG record holder) with hotels and van support (properly pampered really!!)
Great effort on all the fundraising anyway mate 8) 8)0 -
Thanks - I really can not tell you how useful these journals were as a beginner and during my planning. Just wanted to do a decent one to help others! If nothing else its nice to see what Scotland looks like with the sun out!
Enjoy the trip - I think my next one will be with some company! Having said that being solo has some massive benefits to it.0 -
an inspiring read Shaun, well done and best of luck with future projectsriding a canyon endurace
spesh allez0 -
That's a great blog - very inspiring.__________________________________________
>> Domane Four Series > Ridgeback Voyage0 -
After suffering from a post LeJog hangover - I thought you might like to see what I am planning for next year. Hill reps have begun in anger!
http://claridgecyclingtocurecancer.com/ ... edication/0 -
Enjoyed that blog. kept me busy on Friday evening.0
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I've really enjoyed reading the blog too, great work and very well written. It feel like in a small way you've took the readers on the same journey.
As others have said it is inspiring and as someone who would love to cycle long epic adventures it'll stay on my 'favourites bookmark' for a long while as a reference point.
Thanks.0 -
Hi Shaun, I seem to be having trouble navigating on your site as I can only see Day 1 of your LEJOG blog. I can't seem to find any other of the daily write ups under your Daily Diary even going via the Calendar on your site.0
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steg666 wrote:I've really enjoyed reading the blog too, great work and very well written. It feel like in a small way you've took the readers on the same journey.
As others have said it is inspiring and as someone who would love to cycle long epic adventures it'll stay on my 'favourites bookmark' for a long while as a reference point.
Thanks.
Thanks very much for the kind words.... Seriously, just do it! It really was a lot of fun, if I can do it anyone can0 -
ForumNewbie wrote:Hi Shaun, I seem to be having trouble navigating on your site as I can only see Day 1 of your LEJOG blog. I can't seem to find any other of the daily write ups under your Daily Diary even going via the Calendar on your site.
Really not sure - seems to work fine for me. Anyone else had issues?0 -
Fine for me, I read it via iPad if that makes any difference. As you click 'day 1' there is a drop down menu for the further days riding.0
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Ah ha, I see the drop-down menu now when I hover my mouse over 'Lejog Daily Diary' on the top Menu. My laptop is a touch screen, but when I was touching the 'Lejog Daily Diary' button no drop down was appearing so I wasn't aware of it.steg666 wrote:Fine for me, I read it via iPad if that makes any difference. As you click 'day 1' there is a drop down menu for the further days riding.
I'm usually relatively good with computers - must have been having a senior moment last night 0 -
Awesome to read blogs on this sort of thing as it is what i am attempting in june 2015 for charity, i am doing it solo and camping the whole way so am training hard for it and also looking at all advice and information from folk who have done similar things0
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A great read and brings back fantastic memories of my two LEJoGs, whilst desperately making me wanting to complete another one!!
Similarly to you, I went from having next to no cycling experience to riding my first LEJoG solo just 6 months later on a £250 carrera!! Oh how naive I was, but now you can't keep me off the bike
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