LEJOG E2E 7x 200km Perm Audax

[thing1]

(apols if there's already a topic on this that I failed to find)
has anyone here done this as the 7x 200km and would be happy to share their route or tips?
https://markhbdm.wixsite.com/end2end/7x200

A friend and I are thinking about riding it (observing the the "supported" rules variant) this July, bit of a pre-PBP warm up. If we do, we'll do extensive route planning and research, but at this point just looking to browse some inspiration from prior examples if anyone has any.  So far I've found the 1400km calendar route, the various CTC routes, and the sustrans route (approximately categorized by their route through Devon as "South", "mid" and "North" respectively).
I think for 7x 200km I'm interested in what overall route taken, how over distance the days / total route end up being, and where abouts the accom landed, for those that did it that way.

[Wycombewheeler]

Ajax Bay of this place suggested to me a breakdown of

LE>Exeter (210), 2: Exeter>Tewkesbury(204), 3: Tewkesbury>St Helens(207), 4: St Helens>Gretna (216), 5: Gretna>Perth (215), 6: Perth>Inverness (205)(via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212)

Which I will probably use when I find time to complete this, how the intermediate controls need to be provided within each day to ensure each day is >200km by shortest route, or whether the end to end organiser will now accept mandatory route for each day I don't know.

[Ian H]

Hummers devised and rode it - stopped here along the way (I can't remember whether I signed a card  or not).  Ajax will doubtless have some route suggestions (he's not far from here).

[Steve Orchard]

Did this in 2019. Will try to remember to add to the thread tonight

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

[fimm]

I've definitely read a thread from someone who did this but I'm not sure which forum it was on!

[Solocle]

Ajax Bay of this place suggested to me a breakdown of

LE>Exeter (210), 2: Exeter>Tewkesbury(204), 3: Tewkesbury>St Helens(207), 4: St Helens>Gretna (216), 5: Gretna>Perth (215), 6: Perth>Inverness (205)(via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212)

Which I will probably use when I find time to complete this, how the intermediate controls need to be provided within each day to ensure each day is >200km by shortest route, or whether the end to end organiser will now accept mandatory route for each day I don't know.

When I did LEJOG my first and last days were LE-Exeter and Inverness-JOG. The rest was more like 100 km / day.

For LE-Exeter controls at Fraddon, Camelford, and Heavitree would be sufficient for ensuring the distance.

Inverness-JOG if you specify the Fairways Travelodge as a start, then a control at Muir of Ord does it.

[Shaftesburybiker]

Have a look at this https://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/rides/audax-rides

This is Hummer's website and gives the various validation options and routes.

I had all but entered this in 2020 - accommodation booked, everything, then, well......

Tentatively planned for next year and will use the allotted 10 days to take a scenic West Cost route in Scotland utilising various ferries to avoid the busy Loch Lomand/Rannoch Moor and the A9 routes. The Grampians route I did 25 years ago and will revise when I get to tick off the Snow Roads.

Let me know if you want my route/gpx/accommodation details.

[thing1]

Have a look at this https://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/rides/audax-rides

This is Hummer's website and gives the various validation options and routes.

Thanks, just to clarify -the website linked here is Rob's website (whoever Rob is!), Hummer's website is the one I linked in the OP: https://markhbdm.wixsite.com/end2end/7x200
(clue is the MarkH in the hostname

I had all but entered this in 2020 - accommodation booked, everything, then, well......

Tentatively planned for next year and will use the allotted 10 days to take a scenic West Cost route in Scotland utilising various ferries to avoid the busy Loch Lomand/Rannoch Moor and the A9 routes. The Grampians route I did 25 years ago and will revise when I get to tick off the Snow Roads.

Let me know if you want my route/gpx/accommodation details.

Sorry to hear about the 2020 plans. How many km did your 10 day ride come out at?  (where you doing it as 7 riding plus 3 rest days, per Hummer's rules?). If it's 1400km in 200km chunks this would be very handy, thanks!

[thing1]

I've definitely read a thread from someone who did this but I'm not sure which forum it was on!

LOL IKWYM! Maybe it was on the FB group, but that means it's surely unindexed and lost by now.... 

[thing1]

Ajax Bay of this place suggested to me a breakdown of

LE>Exeter (210), 2: Exeter>Tewkesbury(204), 3: Tewkesbury>St Helens(207), 4: St Helens>Gretna (216), 5: Gretna>Perth (215), 6: Perth>Inverness (205)(via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212)

This is super handy, thank you! I'll use that as a starting point to sketch out a straw man to do the rest of our feasibility planning around.

Which I will probably use when I find time to complete this, how the intermediate controls need to be provided within each day to ensure each day is >200km by shortest route, or whether the end to end organiser will now accept mandatory route for each day I don't know.

Yeah slotting in the controls at 50-80km intervals (my pref on 200km DIYs) will be much easier if GPX validation is supported. I see Hummers accepts GPX file on the rest of the E2E perms (example) but for some reason the 7x 200km perm is no longer listed on the auk page (Mark's website links to http://www.aukweb.net/perms/detail/MH02/ for "Enter the ride", but that redirects to the perm landing page).
I started an email thread with Hummers already so will enquire about that!

Cheeeeers! 

[Neil C]

Thanks, just to clarify -the website linked here is Rob's website (whoever Rob is!)

Rob is robgul OTP.

[αdαmsκι]

Here's what I did for my 7 × 200 LEJoG ride

 *Day 1* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/16799291

 *Day 2* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/16799300

 *Day 3* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/16799304

 *Day 4* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/17000986

 *Day 5* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/16914184

 *Day 6* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/17001526

 *Day 7* https://ridewithgps.com/trips/17001528

There's an arrivée article in spring 2018 edition
https://issuu.com/audax-uk/docs/arrivee_140_2018_issuu

PM me for more details

[Steve Orchard]

In 2019 I did 8x200km. I made use of AirBnBs, regular BnBs, a hostel and my parents in Bristol. Met by my family at JoG for a holiday.
Day 3 onwards was mostly following the Cicerone guide book by Richard Barrett.
Day 1
https://www.strava.com/activities/2515409056
Probably looks like a strange route but I did enjoy the 4 ferry rides and plenty of hills.
Day 2
https://www.strava.com/activities/2518729341
A very random route to get 200km to my parents house. Cheddar gorge was lovely. The route into Bristol through Ashton Court and the crossing Clifton suspension bridge is great.
Day 3
https://www.strava.com/activities/2521369122
A lovely day. Some busy roads to get out of Bristol and you might notice a diversion on the way to Tintern as the road was closed.
Day 4
https://www.strava.com/activities/2524213523
Some urban bits but the 2nd half was lovely.
Day 5
https://www.strava.com/activities/2526757328
Beautiful start to the day but I would investigate alternatives after Gretna. The old A74 is quiet but poorly surfaced.
Day 6
https://www.strava.com/activities/2529435399
The traffic free route through Glasgow up to Baloch is good if a little slow. Had a forced diversion for a festival in a park. The rest of the route to Fort William is spectacular but very busy on a Saturday afternoon (probably better midweek or early morning). I did use the cycle paths past Loch Lomond up to Tarbet which are not great but I didn't fancy mixing with the volume of traffic. After Tarbet there wasn't a cycle track so I rejoined the road which was quieter.
Day 7
https://www.strava.com/activities/2532466363
Another unusual route but it was lovely
Day 8
https://www.strava.com/activities/2535085786
A fantastic route. Proper feeling of isolation in places.

[Shaftesburybiker]

I had all but entered this in 2020 - accommodation booked, everything, then, well......

Tentatively planned for next year and will use the allotted 10 days to take a scenic West Cost route in Scotland utilising various ferries to avoid the busy Loch Lomand/Rannoch Moor and the A9 routes. The Grampians route I did 25 years ago and will revise when I get to tick off the Snow Roads.

Let me know if you want my route/gpx/accommodation details.

Sorry to hear about the 2020 plans. How many km did your 10 day ride come out at?  (where you doing it as 7 riding plus 3 rest days, per Hummer's rules?). If it's 1400km in 200km chunks this would be very handy, thanks!
[/quote]


This was the outline of the route, but the Preston to Connell section needed a bit more work to make 2 of the 3 days as 200's and then one more sub-100 "rest day". The issue was the ferry schedules, which were all over the place due to covid - no foot passengers etc. The plan was to go part off-road up the Great Glen as well, as there's a good trail on the west side avoiding the busy A-road, and in Cornwall use the Camel and Granite trails.

Start                             Finish                   Distance (km)
      
Lands End                            Drewensteignton   201.4
Drewensteignton            Chepstow                   201.2
Chepstow                            Chester                   206.5
Chester                            Preston North           96.3
Preston North                    Annan                   181.7
Annan                            Lairgs                   170.0
Lairgs                            Connell                   140.0
Connell                            Dingwall                   201.6
Dingwall                            JOG                           213.7

[fimm]

I've definitely read a thread from someone who did this but I'm not sure which forum it was on!

LOL IKWYM! Maybe it was on the FB group, but that means it's surely unindexed and lost by now.... 

I'm pretty sure it was Adamski, having looked at the Strava of his route (he did something odd on the section of his route that I know).

[αdαmsκι]

I'm pretty sure it was Adamski, having looked at the Strava of his route (he did something odd on the section of his route that I know).

Which bit are you referring to? One oddity was Day #3; I was stopping with my sister for the night near Wigan and so headed into the Welsh Marches to get the day up to 200 km as a straighter route would have been ~180 km.

Then my route from Edinburgh to Dalwhinnie was a bit odd as I cut along some tiny arounds to avoid the A9 corridor, instead going via Aberfeldy and Tummel Bridge, which was bloody brilliant.

[fimm]

I'm pretty sure it was Adamski, having looked at the Strava of his route (he did something odd on the section of his route that I know).

Which bit are you referring to? One oddity was Day #3; I was stopping with my sister for the night near Wigan and so headed into the Welsh Marches to get the day up to 200 km as a straighter route would have been ~180 km.

Then my route from Edinburgh to Dalwhinnie was a bit odd as I cut along some tiny arounds to avoid the A9 corridor, instead going via Aberfeldy and Tummel Bridge, which was bloody brilliant.

On day 5, at the 74.9 mile mark, you used a cut through, rather than going down to the junction to turn right into Kirknewton. I'd never noticed that footpath, although I rode along that road about once a week for a decade... Your route is shorter!

[Ajax Bay]

Ajax Bay of this place suggested to me a breakdown of

LE>Exeter (210), 2: Exeter>Tewkesbury(204), 3: Tewkesbury>St Helens(207), 4: St Helens>Gretna (216), 5: Gretna>Perth (215), 6: Perth>Inverness (205)(via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212)

Which I will probably use when I find time to complete this, how the intermediate controls need to be provided within each day to ensure each day is >200km by shortest route, or whether the end to end organiser will now accept mandatory route for each day I don't know.

Here's the route on which that breakdown was based (drafted 2017, the odd amdt in 2021):
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21476114
Draft was a 'quick and dirty'. I would go over the bridge and over the FoD rather than up the A38 to Gloucester. I will go and see whether there are any significant errors therein, and will likely not be able to resist a 'polish'.
Thank you for your wheel @thing1 in Oxfordshire, on the KW (to Hay and back) 600 in 2018.
Edit (now with a 'half-way' control to satisfy minimum distance criterion): 1: LE>Exeter (210, control: Delabole), 2: Exeter>Hereford(209, control Chepstow), 3: Hereford>Wigan (202, Shrewsbury), 4: Wigan>Longtown (204, Kirkby Lonsdale), 5: Longtown>Perth (215, Edinburgh), 6: Perth>Inverness (205, via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212, Thurso; NB Nigg ferry)
I have ridden the roads from 0-997 (Rosyth) but into the Highlands I've preferred the west coast/Great Glen route and then via Lairg rather than the boring A9. But you can't do 7x200 and west coast without some serious over-distance. On my end-to-end I went Gretna > Arran > Kintyre > Mull > Ft W which required careful ferry timings management.

[willpom gwraudax]

This thread got my thinking cap on again. Via Glasgow & the Great Glen

LE > Exeter
> Tewkesbury
> Liverpool (Queens Tunnel after 7pm)
> Carlisle
> Garelochhead
> Drumnadrochit
> JOG

All less than 210km.
Ridden 1440km
Shortest 1430km
Difference 10km - 42minutes lost.

https://ridewithgps.com/collections/1785245?privacy_code=9nsgwwJ2cji8zO6m

[Wycombewheeler]

.. but for some reason the 7x 200km perm is no longer listed on the auk page

https://www.audax.uk/event-details/693-end_to_end___7_x_200km_randonneur

[Ajax Bay]

This thread got my thinking cap on again. Via Glasgow & the Great Glen

LE > Exeter
> Tewkesbury
> Liverpool (Queens Tunnel after 7pm)
> Carlisle
> Garelochhead
> Drumnadrochit
> JOG

All less than 210km.
Ridden 1440km
Shortest 1430km
Difference 10km - 42minutes lost.

https://ridewithgps.com/collections/1785245?privacy_code=9nsgwwJ2cji8zO6m

Looks good, Will. Like the Sub-Mersey option.
Here's an end-to-end option list I worked on ages ago:
The main choke points on an end-to-end are: N/S of Bodmin Moor, Bridgwater, crossing the Mersey/MSC (Widnes or Warrington or Queen's Tunnel), Preston and Carlisle. That's England.
Let's assume you are talking about Scotland and take it from the PoV of LEJOG.
Three main ways to get up to the Clyde/Forth line:
A. NW to Ardrossan and ferries to Kintyre via Isle of Arran.
B. // M74 to Glasgow (or pass east of the city)
C. N to Edinburgh (using south-going LEL route recommended)
A1. If A you're going 'West Coast' via Oban, Fort William, Great Glen
A11. to Dingwall (via Inverness or Beauly)
A12. 'West coast' to Durness via Ullapool (Note consider going from Oban via Mull , Ardnamurchan and Skye if heading for there)
B1. If B you could cut NE through Dunblane and Crieff to the A9 (to Inverness)
B2. Go north via Killin to the A9 (to Inverness)
B3. Head NW/NNW/N to the A82 (Loch Lomond) to Fort William
B4. Option of the Gourock/Dunoon ferry and 'west coast' via Connel or back to the A82 to Fort William
C1. If C, you're logically heading for Perth, the A9 and Inverness
C2. Tho' maybe via Braemar for some scenery (and to stay off the A9).
After the Moray/Cromarty Firths, three options:
a. Long tour round the west coast via Durness (see A12 above) and east to JoG
b. A9 up the east coast with 'cut north' options at Helmsdale or Latheron to go via Thurso
c. N thro' Lairg and Altnaharra to Bettyhill (and then east to JoG), either via Tongue or Strathnaver

My 2015 route was this one: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/8592623
Main preference for me was not to ride long distances on the A9 (the lot of the 'East Coast' warrior), or the A82: had to do some from Corran ferry to Ft William and from the Commando Memorial (Spean Bridge) to Drumnadrochit but dived off all I could on parallel roads/towpaths (eg from Banavie and from Bridge of Oich to Ft Augustus).
Then ferry to Burwall, Orkney, and a night ferry Kirkwall to Aberdeen.

[fimm]

I've definitely read a thread from someone who did this but I'm not sure which forum it was on!

LOL IKWYM! Maybe it was on the FB group, but that means it's surely unindexed and lost by now.... 

I'm pretty sure it was Adamski, having looked at the Strava of his route (he did something odd on the section of his route that I know).

Found it!
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=103312.0
(wasn't looking for it, just came across it)

[thing1]

Ajax Bay of this place suggested to me a breakdown of

LE>Exeter (210), 2: Exeter>Tewkesbury(204), 3: Tewkesbury>St Helens(207), 4: St Helens>Gretna (216), 5: Gretna>Perth (215), 6: Perth>Inverness (205)(via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212)

Which I will probably use when I find time to complete this, how the intermediate controls need to be provided within each day to ensure each day is >200km by shortest route, or whether the end to end organiser will now accept mandatory route for each day I don't know.

Here's the route on which that breakdown was based (drafted 2017, the odd amdt in 2021):
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21476114
Draft was a 'quick and dirty'. I would go over the bridge and over the FoD rather than up the A38 to Gloucester. I will go and see whether there are any significant errors therein, and will likely not be able to resist a 'polish'.
Thank you for your wheel @thing1 in Oxfordshire, on the KW (to Hay and back) 600 in 2018.
Edit (now with a 'half-way' control to satisfy minimum distance criterion): 1: LE>Exeter (210, control: Delabole), 2: Exeter>Hereford(209, control Chepstow), 3: Hereford>Wigan (202, Shrewsbury), 4: Wigan>Longtown (204, Kirkby Lonsdale), 5: Longtown>Perth (215, Edinburgh), 6: Perth>Inverness (205, via Braemar), 7: Inverness >JoG(212, Thurso; NB Nigg ferry)
I have ridden the roads from 0-997 (Rosyth) but into the Highlands I've preferred the west coast/Great Glen route and then via Lairg rather than the boring A9. But you can't do 7x200 and west coast without some serious over-distance. On my end-to-end I went Gretna > Arran > Kintyre > Mull > Ft W which required careful ferry timings management.

This is fantastic, more than enough inspiration to be getting on with , that's the basis of a solid plan. And glad you enjoyed the wheel on that 600, back when we were last tandem fit!
Great to have adamski's previous thread too. Plenty to work through.

(The AUK search feature considers it a 200km ride, not a 1400, for anyone struggling to find it in future!! Hummer's website just needs a link update)

[thing1]

Doesn't time fly! Quick update, as we set off in less than a fortnight.
Thanks all for the suggestions here. Largely based our 7x200 off the outline from @AJaxBay. Had to stretch out controls a bit to ensure 201km by gmaps, and also decided to skip Edinburgh (as our guests are spending a few days there post-JOG anyways).

Planning in 2 rests days.

Here's the summary, with RWGps links and also the gmap minimum distances.

1: Lands End>Exeter (ctrl: Padstow)   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953255   202km
2: Exeter>Hereford (ctrl: Cheddar Gorge)   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953258      203km
3: Hereford>Formby  (ctrl: Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain)      https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953259   205km
4: Formby>Gretna Green (ctrl: Sedbergh, Carnforth)   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953260      201km
5: Gretna Green>Perth (ctrl: Carnwath, Lanark)   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953268   202km
6: Perth>Inverness (ctrl: Braemar)   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953276      203km
7: Inverness>John O'Groats (ctrl: Thurso)   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41953809   203km

(The route overview is best viewed here, click the "Show all on map" button)

Love to hear any advice on this!  esp any "must avoid" horror roads/areas, or "must see" sights or attractions (with minimal stopping needed) along the way. With Edinburgh removed I think Preston and Carlisle are the two biggest cities we have to slog through (ignoring overnight stops in Exeter and Liverpool)

We have 3 ferries: Padstow, Mersey, and Nigg. They all seem to run good hours - Padstow we should avoid low tide, but worst case it's only a few more km to take the camel trail out to Wadebridge instead of the ferry. (Decided against attempting the Mersey tunnel!)

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is what I'm personally most excited for

[Frank9755]

I know Carlisle well and your route through it is fine - I wouldn't change anything there.
Good luck!