|
|
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.
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.
