Account
Pictures
All forum posts
end to end 20 August 2018
My friend and I are intending to ride the end to end next August on the tandem. We are planning between 100 and 126 miles a day. Obviously, we are doing this because we want to ride it but are hoping to raise some money for Guidedogs as well. Would like to hear from those that have already done this and any lessons we can learn. If any one would like to join us for any of the route, I am sure we will appreciate the company. I will post details when we have settled on the exact route.
We are also hoping that a few more members of the cycling club (Ogmore Valley Wheelers) will join us but no takers so far. Also hoping my daughter is going to drive the support van.
Any suggestions for reasonably priced accommodation would be most useful.
Will post again once we are further on with the plans.
Regards
Keith Barrett
Each to his own but having ridden E2E twice first on a tandem and then on a Recumbent Tandem Trike I would say cut your daily mileage and enjoy the country. Scotland is wonderful but do take midge nets if you go in August. We took a western leisurely route through Galloway, Arran, Mull, Moidart, Skye, then up the west coast and across the North coast. Never mind support vans. Tour as bikes and Wheelers were meant to. That's what panniers are for. We met a couple of elderly lady cyclists heading for Achmelvich YH. I said it's a super hostel but just a pity they don't have any showers. The ladies were disgusted with me "what do you want showers for" they said. "There is the whole atlantic right outside the door". (I think they have installed showers now) For Accommodation get the Blue Hostel guide and also check out SYHA hostels on the net or pack a tent.
June is best. The sun hardly sets in the far NW.
: My friend and I are intending to ride the end to end next August on the
: tandem. We are planning between 100 and 126 miles a day. Obviously, we are
: doing this because we want to ride it but are hoping to raise some money
: for Guidedogs as well. Would like to hear from those that have already
: done this and any lessons we can learn. If any one would like to join us
: for any of the route, I am sure we will appreciate the company. I will
: post details when we have settled on the exact route.
: We are also hoping that a few more members of the cycling club (Ogmore Valley
: Wheelers) will join us but no takers so far. Also hoping my daughter is
: going to drive the support van.
: Any suggestions for reasonably priced accommodation would be most useful.
: Will post again once we are further on with the plans.
: Regards
: Keith Barrett
: Each to his own but having ridden E2E twice first on a tandem and then on a
: Recumbent Tandem Trike I would say cut your daily mileage and enjoy the
: country. Scotland is wonderful but do take midge nets if you go in August.
: We took a western leisurely route through Galloway, Arran, Mull, Moidart,
: Skye, then up the west coast and across the North coast. Never mind
: support vans. Tour as bikes and Wheelers were meant to. That's what
: panniers are for. We met a couple of elderly lady cyclists heading for
: Achmelvich YH. I said it's a super hostel but just a pity they don't have
: any showers. The ladies were disgusted with me "what do you want
: showers for" they said. "There is the whole atlantic right
: outside the door". (I think they have installed showers now) For
: Accommodation get the Blue Hostel guide and also check out SYHA hostels on
: the net or pack a tent.
: June is best. The sun hardly sets in the far NW.
Thanks for the thoughts but we are a bit limited in terms of getting time off work so we have a tight schedule. We don't really have the gears for carrying extra luggage, the bike is configured for fast club rides and time trials. Actually wondering about this, we have DI2 so limited to a double chain ring and there is a good bit of climbing in parts.
Work is the curse of the cycling class.
If you are intending a fast main road route the only hill problems are likely to be in Cornwall and Devon and perhaps Shap in Cumbria. In Scotland most main roads follow the glens and climb gradually. There are a few exceptions. My son did a main road E2E on a light weight road bike years ago and recorded more height gain on his first day from Lands End to Steps Bridge than in the whole of Scotland including the A9 over Drumochter.
Get the Cycling UK End to End pack for useful info.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/lands-end-to-john-ogroats It's free to members and not dear to purchase. I haven't used it myself as I prefer to find my own way but these days I expect it will include downloadable GPX files for several routes which should avoid to much risk of getting lost where the signs for the next town send cars on the motorway.
Matt
: Thanks for the thoughts but we are a bit limited in terms of getting time off
: work so we have a tight schedule. We don't really have the gears for
: carrying extra luggage, the bike is configured for fast club rides and
: time trials. Actually wondering about this, we have DI2 so limited to a
: double chain ring and there is a good bit of climbing in parts.
Keith,
Just thought I would state that Im a new member of TC aong with my compadre Ian. We are undertaking E2E this year also. Thinking around Sept but that is yet to be fully confirmed. Also its our main plan to ride from The Wirral to the top of of the Rock of Gibralter around Sept 19. I look forward to seeing how things develop with yourselves. Regards. Darren