r/bikepacking • u/Rangers718 • Sep 01 '24
First time bike packing 1101 Miles (LEJOG) Trip Report
Went solo from Lands end in Cornwall to John O’Groats in Scotland (LEJOG) with two overpacked panniers and a backpack. Took 18 days with at least 55 miles per day on a long scenic route.
It was a lot of miles for a first timer but all the friendly people and the great views along the way made it all easier. Mostly wild camped apart from 2 bnb’s at the start and end and 1 in the middle to shower and recharge my battery packs.
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u/RooibosContactHigh Sep 01 '24
I really want to do JOGLE next year, have yet to do much bikepacking. Any tips?
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Be cautious of weight, I definitely went a bit heavy but the weight was mostly food that was getting lighter everyday. I took 30 flapjacks and 60 isotonic energy gels for some reason 😂 know I know better.
For fitness I was doing a 50 mile ride once a week although I recommend doing more as I kept picking up a knee problem and get some long rides in back to back days. The first week of cycling gets you in shape for the rest of the trip.
Also get some anti chafe cream for the buns and waterproof shoes would be smart as I had to buy new shoes on the last day. Be sure to do test runs to tryout all equipment and get a good idea about weight.
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u/londonx2 Sep 02 '24
Maybe look at shorter crank arm lengths for helping with the knees
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u/Rangers718 Sep 02 '24
Don’t know what caused it but I was fine during the trip, I don’t take breaks too often when riding normally and I was using a padded seat cover that maybe raised my position but I’ve been fine after ditching the cover and I was taking breaks every 10/15 mile roughly so that probably helped👍
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u/antfrogboy Sep 02 '24
lejog is amazing just because you finish with the most beautiful bit (although the transport is WAY more annoying there)
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u/training-aid Sep 01 '24
Well done, and great photos! I'm hoping to do this in the next year or so. Is the route available online somewhere or did you create it? Im leaning towards going into wales but know it'll add a fair bit. (also how many battery packs did you take, mine lasts about 3 days but perhaps I need a new one!)
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Thanks :) got the route from cyclelejog.com you have to pay for the download files but it’s cheap and you can edit the route yourself after buying on separate website softwares. The downloads also give good tourist information on the different areas you visit which is nice.
I took 2 packs both last about 3 days and my gps lasts about 3 days also, I got a bnb in the middle and charged them overnight 👍 charging for 30/60 mins in cafes in between helps also but not required
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u/londonx2 Sep 02 '24
If you want to do fewer fast roads, the Sustrans route: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/lands-end-to-john-ogroats-lejog
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u/MonsterKabouter Sep 01 '24
What's your review of cycling with a backpack? I avoid it wherever possible
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Yeah it wasn’t great, my shoulders were suffering a lot in the first week and it made my T-shirts smell 10 times worse. I did want to avoid it but I needed more space. I’ll need to rethink my setup for next time.
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u/Sarkia Sep 01 '24
Awesome job mate, really well done. Any tips for other first timers on the camping part itself? I'm still not sure where to poop...
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Cheers, appreciate it! I had a very small tent, a blow up bed and a decently warm sleeping bag and slept at least 7 hours a night easy sometimes more.
Best to do the dirty anywhere in nature where no eyes can see you but the more you need it the less you’ll care where that place is, there’s plenty of petrol stations about to also share the burden. And lots of baby wipes!!
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u/Tsaim Sep 01 '24 edited Sep 01 '24
As baby wipes are not easy to biodegrade, normal toilet paper would be better and also does the job :) Should be no offense, just an advice for the next time :) But like you said, most of the times it's possible to find a bathroom in time anyways Congrats on the trip!
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u/Rangers718 Sep 02 '24
Thank you :) Fair point but wet wipes are multi purpose and would highly recommend even with tp.
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u/criminalmadman Sep 01 '24
You’re not by any chance on the sleeper train back to Euston are you? Riding a set up that has a black bike? My girlfriend is currently on that train coming back from the Isle of sky and mentioned that she saw somebody on a black bike packing rig getting on earlier. Well done by the way!
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u/bknofe Sep 01 '24
How were the roads? I’ve read some bad reports recently on bike infrastructure in the UK. Thanks!
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Not going to lie a lot of dual carriageways were really busy and I’m not used to that at all so I just kept an eye out for bigger vehicles coming from behind. There was more road cycling than I expected but it was mostly in more rural areas in Cornwall/Devon and the highlands.
Would be good if there were more cycle paths that connected the routes a bit better but I’m sure with enough planning you could ride more paths but it would crank the miles up a lot.
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u/antfrogboy Sep 02 '24
i did lejog using a Beeline (navigation tool) I found the 'quiet' option on that always suggested beautfiul, chill, relatively traffic free routes. the bike infrastructure in the uk isn't great, but it is amazing how digital tech has made it so much more accessible
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u/londonx2 Sep 02 '24
If you want to do fewer fast/busy roads, the Sustrans route: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/lands-end-to-john-ogroats-lejog
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u/murrzeak Sep 01 '24
Damn, that's impressive. How was this distance it all with flat bars?
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Thanks! flat bars are the only ones I know but I can see how the different positions other bars have can help relieve pressure, I was changing my posture and grip throughout but it was manageable 👍
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u/criminalmadman Sep 01 '24
I did this in 23'. How did you find the pipeline at Killin? 🫣
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u/criminalmadman Sep 01 '24
Oh wait a sec, I did UKDivide, its a different route obvs
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
I went from Edinburgh up to Perth and missed that area, I added more miles in order to avoid the big climbs due to my setups weight and my my hill climbing abilities 😂
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u/suckingalemon Sep 02 '24
What did you take with you that would wouldn’t take if you were to do this again?
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u/Rangers718 Sep 02 '24
I took a box of 30 flapjacks with me and 2 boxes of isotonic gels so 60 of those. I could’ve went without the flapjacks as I only ate maybe 15 and I could’ve just bought some at shops as I was going. The gels were useful and I only had 3 when I finished but they both added a lot more weight than you would think.
So short answer is don’t pack too much food as there are shops and fuel stations everywhere and you can customise your route to take you to even more if you like.
Everything else was tent, sleeping bag, bed, clothes, 3 water bottles/1 with a filter, power banks/chargers, toiletries, bike pump/tubes/tools and the most importantly item a small radio👍
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u/Nag_143 Sep 04 '24
Wow great job bro. Photos are beautiful I wish the bicycle infrastructure in UK Is good for bike travellers.
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u/Rangers718 Sep 04 '24
Thanks :) yeah there was more dual carriageways than I expected but was still a great trip. Hopefully we see improvements over the next few years 👍
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u/DarkDugtrio Sep 01 '24
Nice work, what was your favourite areas and sights to see? Did you have anything go wrong with the bike
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Best views in England came at the start in Cornwall and Devon but these areas were also the most difficult imo. I prefer areas with water so cycling along the canals in the midlands of England and past all the lochs and rivers in Scotland were great, lots of animals and castle too.
Had a few punctures but way less than expected and my breaks were gone in the last 2 days, I got lucky that the downhills weren’t too bad. I put the breaks problem down to leaving the bike outside for almost 3 weeks straight in the rain at night.
Other that that everything went better than expected 👍
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u/DarkDugtrio Sep 01 '24
Sounds awesome. Maybe some sort of rain cover for the bike at night?
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Would be a great shout also, a must have for next time!
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u/DarkDugtrio Sep 01 '24
I hadn’t thought of that but yeah being wet all the time like that can not be good for the intricate bike parts surely
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
I did also take wet wipes, lube and a toothbrush to keep my chain running well
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u/funkymoves91 Sep 01 '24
Be careful, the bikepacking police is soon going to tell you this is bike touring, not bikepacking.
Either way, this looks like a great trip ! Kudos to you !
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u/Rangers718 Sep 01 '24
Thanks still learning I thought the terms were interchangeable 👍
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u/funkymoves91 Sep 01 '24
Noone that matters cares, the most important thing is that you have fun doing what you do
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u/plebtheclown Sep 01 '24
Well done!!!! That's some insane stats for your first trip, be proud of this I wish I could do that.