Pro cyclists can cycle LEJOG in less than a week. Most cyclists seem to take around two. We had to ask our workplaces nicely to get three weeks off work but we thought this would allow us to amble up the country, leisurely spinning at a speed suited to a summer holiday. In practice, we found it was just enough time to get us to the top, turn into a headwind and return to Wick for our train back to London.

We had a great time, but with some extra days up our sleeves we would have been able to climb Ben Nevis on a cloudless Scottish summer’s day. We could see ferries to the Orkney Islands from our campsite at Thurso and we might have managed a few days tracking puffins on this remote part of the UK. We definitely would have made time to catch up with friends we missed in Bristol, Hay-on-Wye and Liverpool.

We won’t really know how fast we’ll be travelling until we’re on our bikes, but we’ll do our best to make sure we have enough time to take opportunities when they present themselves; whether its a chance to catch up with friends and family, to stay another night at a tranquil campsite or the chance to lie on the grass in the sun for an afternoon.

I can’t wait.

• Cycling to the top with stops for Cake – Part 1
• Cycling to the top with stops for Cake – Part 2
• Cycling to the top with stops for Cake – Part 3
• Cycling to the top with stops for Cake – Part 4
• Cycling to the top with stops for Cake – Part 5

Below are my twitter posts made during the trip and a rough map of our route.
  

• Penzance to St Ives via Lands End. A few big hills mousehole in particular. Lovely cream tea. Sunset dinner + camp on a cliff above St Ives.
• St Ives to Padstow very hilly but beautiful coast and every time you go up you get to come down. Rick Stein fish n chips for dinner yum yum.
• Padstow to Okehampton rolling hills n wobbling legs. A day of rain but good to know pasties are waterproof. Bunk house tonight to dry shoes.
• Okie to Holman Clavel lots of sunshine made my 7 hours cycling a bit easier. Hills a bit smaller legs just as tired. No local snacks today.
• HC to Priddy grey day but good views over somerset and lots of flat rd for a change. Wet evening in tent but local bacon + cider make it OK.
• No cell signal for a few days so no updates. Priddy to llanthony a big day. Severn bridge crossed. Enter the welsh valley as sun slides away
• Llanthony rest day for ems birthday. Washing. Bike tidy up. Bit of a hill walk to top of ridge then pub dinner with more than 3 ingredients.
• Llanthony to bishops castle. Beautiful bike ride from llanthony big downhill to hay on wye. Bbq for dinner and pitch with a view…again.
• BC to chester. Early climb over stiperstones with cake stop. A mostly flat grey day. Pitch view of calves + cows. Nav challenge of Lvpl 2mw
• Chester to Ormskirk via lvrpl. Zigzag along Wirral ferry cross the Mersey. Shards of glass, shutter doors, face down arrest. View of hedge.
• Ormskirk to Hawkshead. Massive day on flat plains. Brooding hills + thunder clouds ahead as we climbed hill from windermere. View of ducks.
• I just ate: bacon + mushrooms, muesli + fruit, steak slice, triple choc cheesecake + bannana milkshake. I think cycling is making me hungry
• Hawkshead to keswick. Rest day but got few miles done as sunny. Ride by Thirlmere lovely. View of White Pike hill from tent. Midges attack!
• Keswick to Anan. On Carrock Fell roaming ponies tried to eat ems towel. Lucky bike faster than pony. View of huge blue sky above Solway.
• Anan to Coylton. Cairspharn very remote sheep + wind. No accom in towns of boarded up houses. Camp in farmers field. View of million midges!
• Coylton to Brodick. Long coastal run to ferry then steep hill. Rhubarb crumble for lunch. B&B tonight after farmers field need a duvet.
• Brodick to Kilmelford. Coast to ferry low steel skies. Lunch at Tarbert co-op flapjacks rule. Camped in yard
  of pub. Midges bad again.
• Kilmelford to Fort William. Cool morn then hot. Swim in a loch max 2mins. Busy road to campsite beneath Ben Nevis. View of summit at sunset.
• FW to Inverness. Canal + Forest paths along lochs feels like a newly found land.Uphill to 400m for views across loch ness. View of fence.
• Inverness to Helmsdale. Lots of main roads today as few options. Saw seals bathing in sun. Tea + scone fixed my knee. Best hostel in world.
• Helmsdale to Thurso. Maybe best ride of trip. Big empty eggshell sky. Hills looming. Lochs reflecting. Deep fried dinner. View of thunder.
• Thurso to JOG. Windy ride. Think legs knew end was nigh. Photos with bikes. We made it. Celebratory bacon + square sausage bun. Onto Wick.

View LEJOG June/July 2009 in a larger map