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bucket list- Riding round the UK.. what to take?
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Start with the CTC (Cyclists' Touring Club), who can offer a wealth of information to help you.0
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I think you are thinking of a straightforward Lands End to John O'Groats, although even that is 874 miles / 1407 km. The coastline of Great Britain is 17,820 km, a somewhat more challenging ride!
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/didyouknow/whatis/q_12_69.html
Edit: I've just realised (despite quoting it) that theEnd's post actually says 8000km, whereas I misread it as 800km, hence my comment about LE-JO'G. I suspect that by road rather than high water mark that 8000km is probably not far off. Apologies for causing confusion.
I was considering doing the same on a motorcycle and plotted a route using Google maps and a Garmin/Tomtom utility called Tyre (Trace Your Route Everywhere).
http://www.tyretotravel.com/
Keeping close to the coast - which is the whole point - but not going down every single peninsula to the very end, I worked out a mileage of about 6000 miles. That's a long way on a bike! Even with 600cc of assistance I reckoned it would take me three weeks minimum.
I wish you luck - it sounds like a great project.If someone is nice to you but rude to the waiter, they are not a nice person.0 -
Another discussion forum which might be useful is http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk
That's more focussed on "bikepacking" - ie multi-day mountain biking trips, so more concentrated on camping, and generally people are talking about 2-3 day trips rather than several weeks! Even so, they're an intrepid lot and there are a LOT of really good tips and tricks to pick up by browsing the forum, and they'd be really excited to chat with someone taking on a challenge like this.
Jealous - good luck!0 -
And lo and behold the first post on the BB forum today is linking to a VERY MSE-friendly blog post! http://tomsbiketrip.com/how-to-go-cycle-touring-for-the-price-of-a-round-of-drinks-part-1/0
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I read a book by a chap who decided to cycle all the way around the UK (well, except N.I); it's worth a read, if just for the list of hugely unnecessary stuff he ends up taking, and discarding en route: http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Man-Bike-Mike-Carter/dp/00919405672015 comp wins - £370.25
Recent wins: gym class, baby stuff
Thanks to everyone who posts freebies and comps! :j0 -
If it's 6,000 miles I reckon you could do that pretty easily in 120 days of riding. Add in a few rest days and you're look at about 5 months to do it in a leisurely fashion.
It'll be a relatively flat ride, if undulating, so you could probably do it in 50 days of riding. Add a rest day each week and that's 8 weeks.
So the time cost is likely to be 2-5 months if you don't want to stop in places to see them.
I've done quite a few cycling tours and really enjoyed them. I've taken one set of 'civvies' which I wear off the bike, a set of waterproofs and 2-3 sets of cycling gear. I'd strongly recommend that you invest in a really decent set of panniers (Ortlieb Back-Roller wins every time - no connection other than a satisfied customer). There is little more miserable than setting off in a cold, wet set of clothing in the morning in the knowledge that you'll change into a set of cold wet clothes in the evening. With distance touring you need to take account of the mental side of things too.0 -
And lo and behold the first post on the BB forum today is linking to a VERY MSE-friendly blog post!
What a great find. Been browsing and reading up on Tom Allen's blog all day. Some excellent ideas here for a trip. Some of his explorations look amazing.I read a book by a chap who decided to cycle all the way around the UK (well, except N.I); it's worth a read, if just for the list of hugely unnecessary stuff he ends up taking, and discarding en route.
One Man and his Bike is a very good book IMO. Well worth a read.
Round the coast is still something that I would really like to do (oh, and maybe reply with links).0
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