Brenda Noonan - On My Bike
  • Home
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
  • 2017 - AUST-3
  • 2016 - USA
  • 2015 - UK
    • Overview
    • Ride Supporters
    • John O Groats to Helmsdale
    • Helmsdale to Tain
    • Tain to Inverness
    • Inverness to Kingussie
    • Kingussie to Pitlochry
    • Pitlochry to Kinross
    • Kinross to Dalkeith
    • Dalkeith to Jedburgh
    • Jedburgh to Ponteland
    • Ponteland to Guisborough
    • Guisborough to Scarborough
    • Rest Day - Scarborough
    • Scarborough to Barton-upon-Humber
    • Barton-upon-Humber to Thorpe-on-the-Hill
    • Thorpe-on-the-Hill to Ibstock
    • Ibstock to Stratford-upon-Avon
    • Stratford-upon-Avon to Cambridge
    • Cambridge to West Huntspill
    • West Huntspill to Crediton
    • Crediton to Bodmin
    • Bodmin to Camborne
    • Camborne to Land's End
  • 2014 - AUST-2
    • Supporters
    • Accommodation Supporters
    • Scarborough to Dee Why
    • Dee Why to Toukley
    • Toukley to Heatherbrae
    • Heatherbrae to Bulahdelah
    • Bulahdelah to Taree
    • Taree to Kempsey
    • Kempsey to Nambucca Heads
    • Nambucca Heads to Repton
    • Repton to Mullaway
    • Mullaway to Grafton
    • Grafton to Broadwater
    • Broadwater to Hastings Point
    • Hastings Point to Labrador
    • Labrador to Northgate
    • Northgate to Scarborough
  • 2013
  • 2012 - NZ
    • Participants
    • Getting to the Start
    • Fund-raiser for NZ Gynaecological Cancer Foundation
    • Zonta
    • Our Wonderful Supporters!
    • Bluff to Clinton
    • Clinton to Dunedin
    • Dunedin to Oamaru
    • Oamaru to Winchester
    • Winchester to Christchurch
    • Rest Day
    • Christchurch to Cheviot
    • Cheviot to Kaikoura
    • Kaikoura to Ward
    • Ward to Picton
    • Picton to Mana
    • Mana to Foxton Beach
    • Foxton Beach to Mangaweka
    • Mangaweka to Turangi
    • Turangi to Tokoroa
    • Tokoroa to Huntly
    • Huntly to Orewa
    • Rest Day
    • Orewa to Whangarei
    • Whangarei to Coopers Beach
    • Coopers Beach to Cape Reinga
    • After completing the ride
  • 2011 - AUST-1
    • My "Crew"
    • My "Bike"
    • Preparation
    • Poems
    • Supporters
    • Scarborough (WA) to Northam
    • Northam to Kellerberrin
    • Kellerberrin to Southern Cross
    • Southern Cross to Coolgardie
    • Rest Day
    • Coolgardie to Norseman
    • Norseman to Balladonia
    • Balladonia to Caiguna
    • Caiguna to Cocklebiddy
    • Cocklebiddy to Madura Pass
    • Madura Pass to Eucla
    • Eucla to Nullarbor
    • Nullarbor to Nundroo
    • Nundroo to Penong
    • Penong to Ceduna
    • Rest Day
    • Ceduna to Minnipa
    • Minnipa to Kimba
    • Kimba to Port Augusta
    • Rest Day
    • Port Augusta to Peterborough
    • Peterborough to Olary
    • Olary to Broken Hill
    • REST DAY
    • Broken Hill to Dolo Hill
    • Dolo Hill to Emmdale
    • Emmdale to Cobar
    • Rest Day
    • Cobar to Nyngan
    • Nyngan to Warren
    • Warren to Gilgandra
    • Gilgandra to Coonabarabran
    • Coonabarabran to Narrabri
    • Rest Day
    • Narrabri to Moree
    • Moree to Goondiwindi
    • Goondiwindi to Lake Coolmunda
    • Lake Coolmunda to Warwick
    • Warwick to Kalbar
    • Kalbar to Doolandella
    • Doolandella to Scarborough (Qld)
    • Rest Day
    • Week 1 - Scarborough (WA) to Balladonia (WA)
    • Week 2:- Balladonia (WA) to Penong (SA)
    • Week 3:- Penong (SA) to Peterborough (SA)
    • Week 4:- Peterborough (SA) to Cobar (NSW)
    • Week 5:- Cobar (NSW) to Moree (NSW)
    • Week 6:- Moree (NSW) to Scarborough (Qld)
    • Heart Foundation
    • The "Media Tart"
    • Competitions
Picture
Picture
John O Groats to Land's End via Scarborough and Redcliffe

MY "JOGLE"

It is rather funny to reflect on where I have come from – biking-wise – and what I have got to – and what may be in the future!! The more I read and interact with other cyclists on facebook – I realise there are loads of adventures to be had – so I don’t intend for my web-site to stop with my 2015 adventure! Fresh off my “End to End” ride of the UK – it has only made me hungrier for more!!

Everyone is an individual, and each has their own specific challenge or desire as to where and what they want to do on their bicycle – and of course the type of bicycle they want to ride!! For me – I love my very basic road bike “Finn”. This is the 4th “long ride” we have done (totalling about 10,000 kms) and I have no idea how many local kms we have clocked up. 

“Finn” is a Giant Avail 1, carbon seat post and front forks and allux frame. Shimano 105 10 speed drive chain – and is named after the mythical Irish Giant – Finn MacCool -  http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/avail.1/7274/44187/  .While it has been suggested I get a more modern, lighter bike – Finn has done the job well for me, and I can’t stand the thought of casting him aside for some younger flashier model!!! Finn has coped admirably with so many different conditions – from day after day of heat and red dust across Australia, to day after day of rain the length of New Zealand on pretty rough roads, to an “easier” journey up the east coast of Australia, and now probably the roughest road conditions of all the rides – completing JOGLE.

 LEJOG is a popular trip for individuals and groups to do for personal fulfillment and for charity fund-raising challenges, and each of us decides just what format that journey will take. What direction? What time of the year? How long to take? What route to go? Join a tour or go it alone or with friends? Self-supported or supported? Camp or stay in B & B’s and pubs? Luckily there are no right or wrong answers and therefore many different adventures take place!

People ask why I decided to do JOGLE – ride from John O Groats to Land’s End as opposed to LEJOG. I don’t really have an answer why – despite reading that I should have more favourable winds if I did it the other way, my “gut feel” was to go the way I did and I can’t really explain why! All I knew was that I wanted to cycle the UK “End to End” and include going through the town of Scarborough – which saw my journey grow to 1020 miles compared to the “normal” 874 mile route. I had also picked out “Redcliffe” (an inner suburb of Bristol) which didn’t really change my course at all – and a big bonus, I got to ride through 2 “Newport’s” – one on the first day in Scotland and one the day after I had ridden through Redcliffe. I do admit to a bit of “OCD” on this – but having lived in Scarborough and Newport on the beautiful Redcliffe Peninsula – I keep an eye out for these names!

This has become a popular challenge in the UK – and once I started researching it – many different modes of transport are used. From unicycles, to bicycles, to tandems, to a bike made for four, walkers, runners, skate-boarders, by horse, para-glider, wheel-chair, motorbikes, scooters, motoring groups – you name it and it has been done!! There is even one guy – Sean Conway – who has completed the ultimate Triathlon – and has run, cycled and even swum from Land’s End to John O Groats!!! 

While I always think in "kilometres" travelled and "metres" above sea-level, the UK uses "miles" and "feet". It took a little while to get used to working in miles again - in the early stages I'd see a sign saying "26" to wherever and think good - not far - and then re-think - oh no 42 kms to go. It all seemed rather odd as petrol is bought per litre - strange!!! Maps and road-signs were all in miles - but my bike recorder is in kms and I didn't want to risk changing it and mucking it up.

I have included info about supporters of this ride who donated to The Fred Hollows Foundation. Most of the pic's and logo's carry links to their websites, so I urge readers to "click" through to them, and where possible support these companies!!

The following pages are a record of my "JOGLE” – I guess mainly for myself - but perhaps others may enjoy reading them, and if you are contemplating a similar journey and have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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