LEJOG: 03-08 JULY 2022

[audax-man]

Hi Andy Could I please have an update from you regarding the refund of the £146 I paid you via cheque in July 2019.
I have been very patient on this issue, and don’t really understand why the matter remains outstanding. The LEJOG ride has been postponed twice now (in 2020 & 2021) and as I have informed you previously my priority is LEL in 2022, and I don't have the time outside of work/family to do both LEJOG and LEL in 2022. I look forward to receipt of the £146 owed.

[Andy Corless]

Hello,

If you requested a refund you'll be on the list so it'll be processing soon. Very busy and a bit behind at this end with very big cycle tour coming up in a couple of weeks time. With it being such a long time email addresses have to be (re)confirmed as direct refunds can only be processed within 180-days. You'll need to email me your PayPal email address if you haven't done so already? Banks tend not to recognised YACF pen-names these days ...

Andy Corless

[Andy Corless]

Hello all,

I do hope you're all keeping safe and well in these difficult times.

The December update on the progress of the LEJOG 1400 AUDAX, due to be held between 03-08 July 2022, is currently being emailed to all those on the starting list.
 
The Start:

We still plan on a mass start at 09:00 am on Sunday 03 July 2022. A optional all-you-can-eat buffet is also being arranged at the nearby village hall for the night before the event (Sat 02 July 22).

Route and controls:

We're still searching for some larger controls near the existing control points in case the event is over-subscribed. A re-route through Cornwall is under consideration but the route is very likely to be close to that already drafted and posted on the Ride With GPS website. Link attached here:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31764424?beta=false

International travel:

For foreign entrants still intending to travel over to the UK next July, the UK government has relaxed travel restrictions for entry into the UK for fully vaccinated travellers however, these are set to change at very short notice. I'd advise all foreign entrants to keep a close eye on the UK foreign office website here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office

The finish:

We don't plan on using any building for the finish. The exact finish point will be in the main car-park at John o' Groats. For those that haven't been there before the road actually runs straight into the car-park anyway so the right turn onto the A99 at the village of Reiss, about 13-miles from the finish is essentially the last instruction. All-day parking at JoG costs just £2 when we last looked. There's a number of cafes and souvenir shops surrounding the main car-park although a controller will be on hand 24/7 from opening to closing time (or from when the first riders are expected to arrive until the last riders have collected their drop bags and left for home) in order to collect cards; and your drop bag will be here available for collection.

Overall, I'm more confident that the 2022 LEJOG will go ahead as planned despite the ongoing C*vid-19 Pandemic. The vaccination programme combined with the relaxing of travel restrictions, both domestic and international makes the event a huge probability despite the number of variants that keep cropping up from time to time.

Entries are now open and I'd advise aspiring riders to also keep an eye out for updates on the event website at:

https://lejog1400audax.com/

After a couple of inquiries I'll confirm that tribars are allowed.

I'll probably be away between Christmas and New Year so I'll only have limited email access in that time (which I often only do anyway), but the next update's likely to be around February time when I'll have more information on exact control points.

In the meantime, do stay safe and I look forward to seeing you all in the near future.

Andy Corless
Organiser
LEJOG 1400 AUDAX

[Tom88]

Finally committed to this, looking forward to getting some decent training rides in over the winter now…he says as he looks at Zwift!

[Andy Corless]

Hello all,

It's that time again. Time for the latest LEJOG AUDAX progress update before I go away again this weekend.

Event jersey:

There's likely to be a commemorative jersey for the event. Cost isn't included in the entry fee but are likely to be priced at around £40-£45 each. More details in April! There's likely to be an extra page added to the event website so keep an eye on the website link at:

https://lejog1400audax.com/

Officialdom:

After all the trials and tribulations over the last couple of years it looks like we’re finally going to get an AUDAX LEJOG after all. Despite the travel chaos caused by the Pandemic, the recent easing of social distancing measures and travel restrictions makes this year’s edition more probable than possible. I’m as certain as I can be that the 2022 edition will proceed as planned although we’re still talking to some of the controls. Foreign entrants might find some useful travel information of the foreign office website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office

Controls:

After some discussion, it's now believed that the original controls will be large enough for the field so we'll be sticking with these. More details in or around Easter.

Route:

We still plan on issuing much of the final information around Easter, including split GPS tracks for each day, but the overall route is expected to be at or close to this draft:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31764424?beta=false

All entrants will be issued with the latest update sometime over the next couple of weeks. I'll be away until early March so keep getting the miles in.

Andy Corless
Organiser
LEJOG 1400 AUDAX

[Andy Corless]

It's been brought to our attention that not every entrant received the February update last weekend so it's been re-emailed. If you haven't had yours by now please get on touch.

Andy Corless
Organiser
LEJOG 1400 AUDAX

[Alans coffee]

Does anyone know if we can stay at the hall on the night before?

[Wycombewheeler]

Does anyone know if we can stay at the hall on the night before?

I don't think there was any suggestion of this being available before, and personally I wouldn't. There will be enough subsequent nights in a dorm with lots of noisy audaxers. I would have no desire to sleep in a shared space before the event as well and potentially start the event sleep deprived, especially with the sort of people who will set an alarm for 20 minutes before they need to get up and then hit snooze.

Of course if you are a particularly heavy sleeper (or deaf) you may feel differently.

[Andy Corless]

Hall will be all locked up about 11:00 pm so no overnight sleeping available for the night before. Most appear to be staying in or near to Penzance. Some info' here:

https://lejog1400audax.com/event-information/

Andy Corless

[Ian H]

Premier Inn opposite Penzance station is bike-friendly.  Be aware that nearly all places in the town stop serving food at or before 21:00.

[Redlight]

Premier Inn opposite Penzance station is bike-friendly.  Be aware that nearly all places in the town stop serving food at or before 21:00.

Also, don't count on being able to get a cup of coffee or anything else at Land's End, before you set off. When I was there in September, the hotel refused to allow me in, despite the dining area being visibly near-empty.

[Wycombewheeler]

Premier Inn opposite Penzance station is bike-friendly.  Be aware that nearly all places in the town stop serving food at or before 21:00.

Also, don't count on being able to get a cup of coffee or anything else at Land's End, before you set off. When I was there in September, the hotel refused to allow me in, despite the dining area being visibly near-empty.

Event start is in the village hall in Sennon, I expect some food and drink will be provided by the organiser. Not expecting a full cooked breakfast here, but there will almost certainly be coffee.

[Marek]

Hi Andy - I just want to be 100% sure. There's no option of having a single bag that will be dropped sequentially at each site? It has to be three separate bags? If so I presume this is because the bags will be separately delivered to each of the three locations right away rather than someone traveling from location to location each day. I only ask as I planned to have chargers in this bag with them available at each stop. If this isn't the case I'll factor it into my packing on the bike. Thanks!

[Andy Corless]

Marek,

It's 3 separate bags, not the same bag three times and the bags are being delivered to each of the three locations rather than being driven from location to location.

Charging facilities will be available at each of the four overnight controls.

Andy Corless

[Wycombewheeler]

Marek,

It's 3 separate bags, not the same bag three times and the bags are being delivered to each of the three locations rather than being driven from location to location.

Charging facilities will be available at each of the four overnight controls.

Andy Corless

Andy,

will it be ok if one of the bags is larger than the others (to carry the other two inside when riding to the start?)  And do we get to choose which controls?

[Marek]

Thanks Andy! Wycombewheeler - From the information on the site it looks like the three bag drops will be at Sandford, Warrington and Paisley. There will therefore be no bag drop on the final control Inverness.

One large bag (collapsable) to house the three is what I plan to do as well to help with getting to and from the start/finish.

[Simon_A]

Hello Andy, I've just entered.  Thanks for putting on such an iconic route as an event 

I'm out, recent medical issue means I won't complete my training in time   Hope it goes well for everyone else!!!

[Andy Corless]

Thanks for letting us know; I'll mark you down as DNS. Due to calendar congestion many are transferring over to 2024. There'll be another update later this month. A few updates on the event website at:

https://lejog1400audax.com

Andy Corless

[Southy]

Thanks for letting us know; I'll mark you down as DNS. Due to calendar congestion many are transferring over to 2024. There'll be another update later this month. A few updates on the event website at:

https://lejog1400audax.com

Andy Corless

Hi Andy, I am probably stating the obvious based on the above, but just to clarify. There are currently no plans to run this in 2023?

Many thanks

James

[Kangaroocourt]

Per usual I've left organisation until the last minute, and now can't find any trains with bike spaces from Thurso or Wick heading down south until days after the finish.  The bike transports also seem to be booked out and flying isn't an option.  Cycling back to Edinburgh might be fun - or not.

Anyone else the same boat?

[Lightning Phil]

Head up onto Orkney and get overnight ferry Kirkwall to Aberdeen, then train from there to London and onwards.

[Wycombewheeler]

Per usual I've left organisation until the last minute, and now can't find any trains with bike spaces from Thurso or Wick heading down south until days after the finish.  The bike transports also seem to be booked out and flying isn't an option.  Cycling back to Edinburgh might be fun - or not.

Anyone else the same boat?

possibly. I haven't attempted anything.
 I have a couple of thoughts on this.
1) it's only 200km back to Inverness, so cyclable
2) JOG bike transfer will (probably) ship your bike home for you from Inverness even if they don't pick you up from JOG.

[Kangaroocourt]

Per usual I've left organisation until the last minute, and now can't find any trains with bike spaces from Thurso or Wick heading down south until days after the finish.  The bike transports also seem to be booked out and flying isn't an option.  Cycling back to Edinburgh might be fun - or not.

Anyone else the same boat?

possibly. I haven't attempted anything.
 I have a couple of thoughts on this.
1) it's only 200km back to Inverness, so cyclable
2) JOG bike transfer will (probably) ship your bike home for you from Inverness even if they don't pick you up from JOG.

Cycling might be the go unless something else turns up.  What's another couple of days in the same kit after all?

[Ajax Bay]

Head up onto Orkney and get overnight ferry Kirkwall to Aberdeen, then train from there to London and onwards.

FTFY
Ferry direct from JoG or a few km west of JoG at Gills Bay. Very civilised compared to via Inverness but first Kirkwall - Aberdeen ferry possible is Friday 8 Jul at 2345 depart from Kirkwall (Mon/Wed/Fri ferries).
https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/booking-info/timetables/

[marlan]

Head up onto Orkney and get overnight ferry Kirkwall to Aberdeen, then train from there to London and onwards.

FTFY
Ferry direct from JoG or a few km west of JoG at Gills Bay. Very civilised compared to via Inverness but first Kirkwall - Aberdeen ferry possible is Friday 8 Jul at 2345 depart from Kirkwall (Mon/Wed/Fri ferries).
https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/booking-info/timetables/

I took that ferry when I did my LEJOG a few years ago, very civilised with a recliner seat and a good price!

Then leisurely ride to Edinburgh and a train home


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