The LEJOG pre-amble
I’d been watching YouTube clips of cycling related stuff; maintenance, clothing reviews, you get the idea, all to make my cycling commute to work more tolerable. When, due to the great YouTube algorithm I was faced with suggestions for watching other cyclists doing great things notably some guys and gals doing LEJOG films. Like some addict taking a hit. I started watching. OMG what was I thinking? I could do that; If I was doing LEJOG maybe, I’d of done it different.
Chatting to my sister I told her that I’d been watching these epic videos of peoples experiences and it would be epic, I’d like to have a go etc. The ideas were just that at this time.
Some-time later my Sister and husband purchased a motor home. To which they then call my bluff. Goddam was my response.
After some time the motor home was swopped out for a caravan. The support and offer remained. Game on.
Jan/Feb of 2021 the planning started in earnest. Realising that any COVID restrictions would probably, hopefully be relaxed by the Summer. We realised that foreign hols would probably be still restricted so domestic holidays would be in high demand. I’d seen facebook ads for Deloitte LEJOG done over 10 days, it looked so straight forward. So, following their lead I decided that I could do it the same. 10 days.
I followed roughly their route. I made a few changes. I knew during the planning process that it would be a challenge so I tried to ‘flatten’ the Deloite route. So a general route was split into ten ‘legs’. Campsites were booked (thank you sis). Countdown began.
The Run-up
I had grand visions of doing epic training and dialling in every aspect of the journey. Route knowledge, nutrition etc. just so I could breeze from south to north. In reality and truth. It didn’t happen. Life, work, and procrastination got in the way. I managed to book a week off work within a few weeks of departure in an attempt to A: do some training. B: prep the bike. So the week arrived. The weather was bonkers 30+ deg. I stripped the bike and replaced headset bearings, chain, brake pads, brake discs, sprockets, jockey wheels, gear and brake cables inner and outers. I felt I was kidding myself and the time that the bike would be fine. Myself would struggle.
Charlotte, Martin(my sister and brother in-law) had arranged to be at Lands End for several days before our arrival on the Sunday. I remember they took facebook pictures on their journey. It wasn’t until that point that shit got real. I’d wanted plenty of time at Lands End to prep and get ready. I therefore said that we needed to be enroute to Lands End early on the Sunday morning for weeks prior to departure. Wincanton, my employer had a the final say. I didn’t finish work on the Saturday until 18:30 ish so bedtime wasn’t until late. We didn’t depart until 6/7 ish. 3hours after I’d wanted to be away. Shit happens, I’d turned the alarm off and rolled over. I’d packed 90% of my stuff the previous weekend. So Sunday morning wasn’t too much of a stress. We made it there, without fuss mid-afternoon. After mis-directions from pathfinder JimBob. I built my bike on arrival full of anticipation for what I knew would be tough journey.
In the planning process I’d used an app called Kamoot which I sync to the cycle computer on my handlebars. This would be my primary navigation tool I’d split the route to each camp site so I had 10 stages averaging 100 miles on the computer. Day one was the one. The hundred miles to Oakhampton was, on paper the hardest it had the most ft of elevation at 8k ft of vertical gain I knew it was going to be tough.
Day One – Lands End to Oakhampton.
Ups and downs
Well Monday arrived. Because I knew it was going to be a long day, it was an early start. We were camped at Lands End so at 4am in the pitch dark I cycled the half mile to the Lands End complex. The sky was incredible. Totally clear sky the Milky Way was visible it was incredible. I wanted to stop, lay down and just look up.
Unfortunately the small matter of putting some miles on. The route took me down from Lands end to Penzance and along the sea front. I got to Penzance and the trains along the seafront were warming up and the odd car moving about. I felt at this moment fantastic and had nothing to worry about. It soon changed. Cornwall was everything I feared. Constant change of elevation. I was doing ok, I’d chosen country lanes as opposed to major roads as I’d thought they would be safer. I got through Truro and made Bodmin. I stopped at that point I’d done 70miles and needed food and to take stock. I paused my computer, unbeknown to me I pressed the wrong buttons and inadvertently routed myself towards the start.
I set off out of Bodmin, thinking I was going to Oakhampton. After a couple of miles and one very large uphill I realised I was going wrong having passed a strange house that I had passed on the way into Bodmin. Realising the mistake I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts and replumbed my satnav. Drat. I knew that these things would happen so I just got on with it. Still had 40miles to go but had to cross Bodmin Moor. The climb onto Bodmin Moor was savage, particularly after 70miles of Cornwall’s roads. There was an upside, once in Devon the roads became wider and there were trees.
The run-in to Oakhampton was brilliant. It followed a disused rail line converted to cycle and footpath called the Granite Trail. I made the campsite at 8pm ish. I dropped my phone on the way through the campsite, retrieved with the aid of a torch. Thank the Lord. I finished, without pain, just very tired!
Day Two – Oakhampton to Cheddar
The emergence of ‘Barry’
What can I say about day two. I got up ok, but a bit tired; left everybody else in bed. A day of lanes and climbing in absolute peace and quiet so beautiful. The route profile for the day was generally downhill but there was lots of climbing for the first part of the day.
Not long after I’d set off I had my first mechanical. The split link on my chain came apart fortunately the links were still attached to my chain. I carried spares so I was unworried and not concerned reattached, thinking that if it went again no worries I would put the new link on and carry on. It went on to survive the whole of LEJOG and some more when I got home. Couldn’t believe my luck.
On one of the lanes, in the distance was a person walking down the middle of the lane. I dinged my bell. He yielded to which thanked, he was carrying a rucksack so I slowed down and made conversation. It turned out he was walking LEJOG. He’d been completing the route over the last 20 years picking a chunk to complete of his two week summer break. This was one of the last sections he had to complete. The big downer for the day was the traffic through Bridgewater and Taunton. Very Busy. Somerset levels to Cheddar. Once I’d got onto the Levels I knew I had cracked it for the next few days at least. During the course of this day and the previous to be honest I cycled through some stunning villages and hamlets of course looking great in Summer. I arrived at the campsite early evening to dinner and drink and fell asleep into a deep sleep. During the course of the day pain in the posterior occurred. An irritation more than anything else. I took a personal photo of my arse and realised what was causing the pain was a boil the size of a match head hence ‘Barry’. It didn’t get any worse so I just carried on. Thankful, when I stopped. So did the pain.
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