Cycle - End to End: October 2026

23 October 2026

cycle-endtoend.org.uk - the end of an era . . . . and a new beginning

Twenty-one years on from my first E2E (2005), and seventeen years since the website was created (2009), have seen a lot of changes - not least of all the expansion of various media, both social and otherwise which perhaps divert interest from a website?

It's been a bit of a labour of love and I hope it's been useful to riders undertaking the UK's greatest cycle ride (and other rides too)

The content here will remain in place for the foreseeable future but any additions are unlikely - inevitably some external information sources will disappear or fail over time.

Quick Index Links:

About the website (now the Blog)
Who is Rob?
LEJOG & JOGLE
Mapping/planning on and offline - and books
Transport - getting to the start/from the finish
Records
What they said . . . .
FAQs - index

.oOo.

The Rides

The expression "end to end" in the UK invariably registers with people as travelling from Land's End to John O'Groats - from the far south-west to the far north-east of the mainland British Isles.

The purist will tell you (normally spluttering through his beard and spilling real ale on his sandals) that the REAL end-to-end is actually from Lizard Point to Dunnett Head ... whatever, the rides listed and the content of the website relate to the "principle of an end-to-end"

As well as the LEJOG & JOGLE in the UK rides the site carried information about other end-to-end cycle journeys be that from Malin to Mizen in Ireland, wherever they start from in Northern Norway and Gibraltar, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego - or the Calais to Montpellier that the webmaster rode in 2008 and France also has the "Manche to Med"

The original website Home page:

Cycle : End-to-End

Cycle : End-to-End - (probably) the most extensive resource for Land's End to John O'Groats - the ultimate ride across Britain - cycling trips.

The intention is to provide a comprehensive resource for cyclists to find inspiration, routes, ideas, maps, books, tips & tricks etc. to help them achieve and enjoy their "BIG RIDE" - primary focus is on the UK E2E, but "end-to-end" rides in other countries will also be included.

About the website (now the Blog)

If you've found your way here you must be interested in cycling the "end-to-end" - the classic ride from Land's End to John O'Groats (LEJOG) - or any of the various flavours of the ride ... the JOGLE (John O'Groats to Land's End), or the various corner-to-corner options.

Having completed the ride (JOGLE, the downhill version - not really!) in 2005 we produced a Journal - Rob & Joe's JOGLE - which has, to our amazement, become a popular read so much so that we made it available (with the route maps) on a DVD/CD [No longer available]

There has always been a lot of interest in the ride and several attempts at creating a resource for would-be end-to-enders .... this is my contribution which has been precipitated by the, apparent, demise of the Ultimate Links website.

Who is Rob?

I'm a keen cyclist (and bike fettler) and live in Stratford-upon-Avon - and as of June 2010 I became a "double end-to-ender" - JOGLE in 2005, LEJOG in 2010 (both unsupported)

The two photographs are taken at exactly the same point at the northern end of Glencoe - the one on the right in 2005 riding N-S and on the left in 2010 riding S-N (with the same bike and the same shorts)

Having drifted away from cycling as a result of : going to work, driving a car, getting married, children .... I eventually got back to cycling again

The return to cycling in about 1999 was precipitated by the need to rehabilitate a damaged knee - after 18 months of discomfort and two arthroscopies the consultant recommended cycling as a non-impact exercise, undertaken sitting down (most of the time) with a rotary action for the knee ... and good cardio-vascular exercise too. In 2014 I contracted cancer which resulted in some pretty major surgery at the end of that year - but I'm still here!

After a few short rides I became more adventurous and went out with the local cycling group, Shakespokes. Cycling holidays followed, riding with the CTC, Audax events and being involved in the founding of Heart of England Cycling Club in 2015 - and riding the velodrome track (strictly for fun) ... as well as acquisition of more bikes (current tally in December 2024 is just 4, it did hit a peak of 16 at one time)

Between 2005 and 2016 I organised, as a volunteer, cycle events to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support - the MacRide Events, in Warwickshire. 35 events and a net total of just over £800,000 raised - and over 2,500 jerseys sold (see pic above)

Having retired and gone back to work 2 or 3 times - including a 3 year stint managing (well, doing everything as it was just me) a local bike shop for the absentee owner I'm now fully retired and my time is spent cycling, running a micro-business servicing and repairing bikes, woodworking and generally trying to enjoy life.

I first cycled the end-to-end (JOGLE) in 2005, an end-to-end in France (Calais - Montpellier) in 2008 and LEJOG in 2010.

Since 2012 I have organised a cycling club overseas tour each year - visiting France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany.

LEJOG & JOGLE

Land's End to John O' Groats is a journey - the traversal of the whole of the island of Great Britain from South-West to North-East.

- Land's End is the extreme Southwestward (but not Southern or Western) point of Great Britain, situated in western Cornwall at the end of the Penwith Peninsula.

- John O' Groats is the traditionally acknowledged extreme Northern point of Scotland, in North-eastern Caithness. The actual northernmost point is at nearby Dunnet Head. The point which is actually furthest by road from Land's End is Duncansby Head, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from John O' Groats.

The straight-line distance from Land's End to John O'Groats, is approximately 603 miles (970 km); it passes just east of Glasgow, leaves the Scottish coast near the Isle of Whithorn, crosses the sea and passes across the Isle of Man, passes a few miles to seaward of Holyhead on Anglesey, crosses the St David's peninsula of Pembrokeshire, and makes landfall again near St Just in Cornwall.

The distance by road is 874 miles (1,407 km), according to the much-photographed signposts at each end.

Expeditions from Land's End to John O' Groats (sometimes referred to as end-to-end or LE-JOG) have been undertaken using numerous forms of transport, and are often sponsored as charity fundraisers.

from Wikipedia

Wikipedia has nothing to say on JOGLE, other than a referral to LEJOG - it's just going the other way!

Mapping/planning on and offline - and books

There are numerous mapping options to help with initial planning and creation of GPS files or printed maps - as well as creating routes*

Listed here, in alphabetical order, is a wide range of services/software/gadgets with links to them (opening in new windows) - some are free, some have a subscription charge, some work with a web browser, some work with an Android or iPhone, some have the facility to convert from one format to another - .gpx is the most common format.

There are also many apps for both Android and iPhone gadgets, mostly based on OpenStreetMaps or Google Maps.

Bike Ride Maps - https://www.bikeridemaps.co.uk
Bikehike http://bikehike.co.uk
Bikemap https://www.bikemap.net/en/routeplanner/
Bryton (GPS gadget with mapping) https://www.brytonsport.com/
Garmin (GPS gadget with mapping) garmin.com
Garmin Connect https://connect.garmin.com/
Google Maps (and Streetview) https://www.google.com/maps
Google Maps (convert route to .gpx) https://mapstogpx.com/
GPS Visualiser (format converter) http://www.gpsvisualizer.com
Just Go Ride https://www.justgoride.co.uk/
Komoot https://www.komoot.com
Memory Map - PC based mapping and route creation https://memory-map.com/
Mio (GPS gadget with mapping) https://www.mio.com
OnTheGoMap https://www.mio.com
OpenStreetMaps - free mapping https://www.openstreetmap.org/#m
Ordnance Survey https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
Osola (load .gpx to maps) https://www.osola.org.uk/rides/gpsuploader.htm
Plotaroute https://www.plotaroute.com
Ride with GPS http://ridewithgps.com/
RouteYou https://www.routeyou.com/en-gb
Strava (Ride recording/competition, with separate mapping capability) https://strava.com
Strava .gpx upload https://labs.strava.com/
Via Michelin https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/
Viewranger https://www.viewranger.com/en-gb
Wahoo (GPS gadget with mapping) https://uk.wahoofitness.com

* my experience with services that offer "here to there" routing has been mixed - the results need to be checked to ensure that the route uses suitable roads/lanes (offering motorways or drover tracks isn't unusual!)

There are also errors in many of the base mapping with roads marked that don't exist, and roads that exist not marked - using Google Streetview is a good way to check if you're in doubt.

The list here is not definitive and is with no recommendation or warranty.

.oOo.

Books

In no particular order this is a listing of books about riding the End-to-End in the UK together with some other books and mapping resources. There are others . . .

End to End Cycle Guide - Land's End to John o'Groats : Cicerone Guide

A handy guidebook describing a 14-day End to End cycle route from Land's End to John o' Groats (LEJOG), largely on minor roads and cycle paths, with detailed maps, profiles, all key grid refs and GPX files. Also full listings of accommodation providers, tourist information offices and bike shops as well as tips for first-time cycle tourers.

A very good source of information - probably the most used route. The following is the product description from Amazon Books:

This handy pocket guidebook offers a detailed route description of an End to End cycle route from Land's End to John o' Groats, with over 350 OS grid refs included for GPS navigation. It is divided into 14 stages and contains information on where to stay, with full details of numerous B&Bs, campsites, cycle shops, small hotels, tourist information offices and hostels. The route has been designed to avoid the busier A roads as much as possible and follow minor roads and cycle paths. It also takes in some of the best landscapes of Britain from Dartmoor, the Wye Valley and the Welsh Marches, the Forest of Bowland, the Lake District through to the glorious Strathnaver Trail and the rugged coast of Caithness. Descriptions of key landmarks along the route are also included, from Tintern Abbey through to the Forth and Clyde Canal in Glasgow and beyond.

Bike Britain: Cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats : Epic Books

This book is out of print and only available second-hand at premium price

An excellent book, probably 85% of my E2E route was derived from this book. The following is the product description from Amazon Books:

Land's End to John O'Groats is Britain's classic long-distance cycle tour. This route, from the south-west tip of England to the north-east tip of Scotland, follows mostly quieter roads and incorporates some of Britain's most beautiful and interesting areas: the Cornish coast, the Roman towns of Bath and Chester, the Lake District and Scotland's tussock covered Highlands and brooding lochs. Whether cyclists are planning a short county to county jaunt, or a tip to tip epic, they will find this unique guide valuable. The volume features: the best times to go and what to take; detailed route descriptions, including historic and geographic data; strip maps, elevation profiles and GPS points along the route; hotel, B&B, hostel and camping ground listings; and information centres and bicycle shops.

Land's End to John O'Groats: The Great British Bike Adventure -

This book was out of print but is now available again ... the following is a review from Amazon Books (from 1999), I have to agree that it was pretty poor. The more recent version appears to be a modest improvement.

"I must admit, the introduction was by the far the best nine pages included in this book. I shared all of the author's 'dreams' covered within the introduction, only to be lead into a second rate history of Great Britain. Each of the towns/cities visited along the way were given a BRIEF historic review, not particularly relevant to the touring cyclist embarking on this mammoth trek. The maps were a little confusing and one must ask oneself if using two different shades of red for routes and major highways was a wise choice. Overall I have come to the conclusion that there was not enough relevant information in this text"

Lonely Planet Cycling Great Britain

Not just the E2E but lots of other routes too. The details are comprehensive but in common with most Lonely Planet books this one has an awful lot of the content taken up with general information about the country to pad it out.

Mapping

Memory Map

Ordnance Survey and other maps to use on a PC with comprehensive plotting and printing facilities; easy creation of files for GPS

The Map Shop, Upton-on-Severn

A fantastic source - they must have every map known to man!

Transport - getting to the start/from the finish

Getting to/from either end of the UK E2E with a bike is problematic ... the following links and comments are provided, but without endorsement:

Trains :

The Scotrail Sleeper from London to Inverness (or vice versa) carries bikes. Book early for the best fares.

Scotrail services from Inverness to Wick or Thurso (actually the same train) have very few bike spaces available, booking is essential.

Trains to Penzance have more bike spaces, some trains even have what is, almost, a traditional guard's van compartment that takes about 8 bikes - again, book to make sure.

Car rental (one way) :

It seems possible to rent a car from several of the major companies and leave it at Penzance - similar facilities for Inverness or anywhere further north are harder to find. The size of car available for one way rentals may make it difficult to transport bikes.

Inverness to JOG or vice versa - minibus and trailer services :

John O'Groats Bike Transport

Flying to/from Wick :

The planes are very small and bicycles are only taken on a "standby" basis - in other words, if there's room. Not helpful.

Sending your bike by carrier :

Riders have reported that some bike shops at both Thurso and Penzance offer a packing service to enable the machine to be sent by a courier company - no further details available (and it should be noted that most services to the Highlands & Islands carry a surcharge)

The links and information here are for information and carry no warranty or endorsement

Records

There is no "official route" for the End-to-End - records claimed for "oldest/youngest/fastest/slowest/whatever" have been sent to me over the years but I decided not to publish as it is impossible to definitively validate them given the different types of ride - e.g. supported or unsupported (that makes a substantial difference to riding speeds and daily distances)

That said - the current recognised LEJOG records are (at October 2026)

Men: Michael Broadwith — 43h 25m 13s (2018)
Women: Christina Mackenzie — 51h 5m 27s (2021)

A more typical cycling time is 10 to 14 days.

The following is an extract from the (now defunct) endtoenders.co.uk website :

Travelling from Land's End to John O'Groats (or the other way) - an 'end to end' - is not a totally modern idea, we have records dating back to the 1800's. Over the years, the trip has been done by many tens of thousands of people and in a number of amazing ways, however, it is a unique challenge and quite an incredible achievement.

Many will remember hearing of Dr Barbara Moore and the Billy Butlin walks of the 1960's, Ian Botham did it twice and in March 2005, BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles in support of Comic Relief and James May from BBC's Top Gear in support of the RNLI.

By doing this journey you will join the ranks of the famous and be able to claim your 15 minutes of fame!

Methods of Transport

The most popular forms of transport are walking, driving or cycling but it has also been done by a Harrier Jump Jet, turbo charged JCB digger, wheelchairs, 'celebrity cars' and a motorised bath tub. Someone even posted himself and literally became 1st class mail!

What they said . . . .

At the risk of appearing to be trumpet-blowing .... these are just a few of the comments made by riders since Cycle - End to End was established :

BIG Thanks to Rob from cycle-endtoend.org.uk for his very comprehensive disc of his JOGLE and LEJOG. If you're planning a JOGLE or LEJOG, I have found the information contained on the disc extremely interesting, inspiring and most of all, really helpful. MS, Hampshire

What a brilliant and long overdue site. KH, Brighton

Keep up the good work – it's an amazing job you do. MJ, Shipston-on-Stour

Thanks for your efforts - great site. PM, Penzance

The site is great - lots of useful info and up-to-date which is ideal. Thanks for a great job. JC

Great site that you are running, keep it up it's very much appreciated. AG

... a personal message via a cycling forum : Dear Rob, Although you do not know me you have inspired me, and I thought I would say thank you now while I am in the comfort and warmth of my home! I returned to cycling last year and did the MacRide for the first time last September. This year I intend to cycle "Side to Side" in April and LEJOG in July. Any way I just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration. Terry

FAQs - index

I have tried to assemble the most common questions people ask when contemplating the E2E ride.

The posts contain a lot of information that most people are likely to want or need to know to be able to plan and undertake the ride - the FAQs answer many questions, but are not definitive and without liability.

The list serves as an index - click on the entry to jump to the text (opens in a new window, BACK button to close)

LEJOG or JOGLE?
How many miles is it?
How long will it take?
What time of the year is best?
Where's half way?
Solo, or in a group?
How much will it cost?
Are there "package tour" providers?
How do I get my bike to/from the start/finish?
How do I get to/from JOG/Inverness?
What sort of bike is best?
What spare and tools should I take?
Maps, GPS . . . or both?

FAQ - LEJOG or JOGLE?

Most people will comment on the prevailing wind being from the SW for most of the year and thus LEJOG being easier with the wind pushing you along.

DO NOT BELIEVE IT! . . . the wind statistics are highly inconsistent and the word "prevailing" is open to mis-interpretation - just accept that on some days it'll be behind you and others it will be head-on.

There are also the wags that suggest JOGLE is easier because it's downhill . . . you can put them right on that: On an absolute net basis LEJOG is downhill - you start on the high cliffs at LE and finish almost at sea level at JOG. Of course, the total climbing, for whichever direction, will be dictated by the route.

Having ridden both ways, on almost the same route:

JOGLE - despite Scotland being seemingly more mountainous it was a much easier start - the hills are long drags rather than the sharp rises in the SW of England. By the time you reach England you are well towards half-way and into the swing of riding good distances day-after-day ... by the time you reach Devon and Cornwall with the real hills your legs are ready.

The logistics of getting to JOG are simpler for most people (see comments about trains)

Cycling south, in theory, will mean that the weather improves and for me, the countryside and a few more people around in the SW made it a more pleasant trip.

LEJOG - the steep hills start straight away, perhaps before your legs are really ready for them. The further north you travel, and into Scotland the wilder the country becomes in terms of scenery - towns and villages are fewer . . and the risk of poor weather increases. The last 100 miles or so are pretty barren, although scenery is stunning in its way - it's likely to be very windy ... and arrival at JOG is a bit of an anti-climax for many. There's not much there!

Summary : If it's your first time I would recommend JOGLE - it was easier to ride than LEJOG (although for LEJOG I was 5 years older, and we took about 4 days fewer!)

FAQ - How many miles is it?

The shortest distance that is believed to be possible (cycling) is usually quoted as 874 miles - that's the distance on the signs at Land's End & John O'Groats.

That distance uses a lot of main roads which many riders would prefer not to use, the "usual" distance for a fairly direct End-to-End will be between about 920 and 975 miles. That said, many riders choose to use routes taking in specific places, increasing the distances accordingly.

My two End-to-End rides were about 935 miles for JOGLE in 2005, and about 920 for LEJOG in 2010 - following the same core route with a few small changes around the Bristol/River Severn area.

FAQ - How long will it take?

Most riders take between 8 and 20 days, with the average somewhere around 14 - of course, daily distances covered are affected by any number of factors and personal preferences : style and speed of riding (racing along, or touring pace); the route taken; un-supported or supported (carrying own luggage, or with a vehicle doing so) ... the options are endless.

Taking two weeks is comfortable and provides a pleasant experience for most riders

Rest days ? - feedback seems to indicate that most people that plan (and take) rest days regret the decision - finding it harder to get started again after a day, or more, off the bike - preferring to keep the legs moving. The compromise that we used on our French trip was to schedule some half/shorter days to take in side-trips. (They were usually wine-related . . . touring a Champagne house, tasting at Nuits St Georges etc.)

FAQ - What time of the year is best?

The ride records compiled by Cycle : End-to-End (April 2009 - January 2020) indicate a season that starts at Easter and runs through to mid-September with some extremists at either side of that window.

Peak time is late-May through to mid-July (presumably the riders unaffected by school holidays) and then another blip late-July to mid-August.

The daylight hours in June are very long in Scotland (we were at JOG on 20 June and there was barely any darkness) which allows longer riding times .. and, of course, weather may be better (but don't bank on it!)

The other factor cited for an early season ride is the risk of midges in Scotland - although they seem to have been upset and confused by climate changes and rainfall patterns in the last few years.

Summary : Other than periods of obvious extreme weather, any time is pretty much OK

TIP: For midges, use the Avon Skin So Soft product ... they just hate it [All the ghillies in the Highlands have a bottle in their Barbour jackets]

FAQ - Where's half way?

The exact half-way point will be dictated by your route - and you'll only really know when you finish and know the finite mileage ... however well the route planning is done, with whatever tools, there will be variations.

For the popular "western" route - that's broadly : LE - Bristol - Warrington - Carlisle - Glasgow - Fort William - Loch Ness - Tain - JOG, the half-way point is somewhere around Lancaster/Carnforth. Most people are surprised at how far south that is ... there's a lot of Scotland up there!

TIP : Doubtless you will take photographs along the way - one nice record to keep is a picture of the rider(s) every 100 miles, holding up a progressively increasing number of fingers to represent each hundred ... over 1,000 miles and you'll need another system!

FAQ- How hard is the ride?

That people from all walks of life, abilities and disabilities have ridden the E2E implies it's "easy" - that's an over-simplification of the answer.

When I was asked the question after my first ride in 2005 my reply was: "It's not easy, but it's not as hard as I thought it would be"

For most people 1,000 miles on a bike is a long way - it is! - but with some training, a bike that suits you, common-sense, planning, realistic time aspirations and a willingness to "get on and do it" it's achievable for lots of people.

FAQ - Solo, or in a group?

Very much personal preference . . - lots of solo riders, probably more ride as a group of 2 ... - some bigger groups but accommodation etc becomes an issue - the ride itself is, relatively, easy ... but could be seen as lonely by a lot of people, pedalling along for miles and miles.

Obviously route, accommodation etc play a part in the decision.

My first E2E was to have been with one of my "Boys' Outings" pals ... being the BIG ONE as the culmination of a few longish, multi-day rides - however he was unable to commit and my first reaction was to go it alone. After some reflection I decided that approach was high risk (I'm tenacious, but 2 weeks on your own doing something quite challenging was a potential issue) - so I rode (on both trips) with 1 other person (Joe in 2005, Jon in 2010 (having ridden to the South of France with Jon in 2008). We paced each other, we joked, we chatted ... we enjoyed the ride.

FAQ - How much will it cost?

An impossible question to answer - depending on so many factors. I have ridden the E2E twice and do not know what it cost for either trip! - we did get good rates for advance purchase train tickets and researched reasonably priced B&B accommodation - and ate and drank at a level that made the trip enjoyable*

Organised holiday packages vary widely in cost - depending on accommodation, duration, support etc.

It's obvious, but a simple budget will reduce the risk of any nasty financial surprises:

Fares to get to/from the start/finish : £n
Accommodation (B&B, Hotel, Hostel, Camping?) : £n x n nights
Coffee stops, morning & afternoon : £n x 2 x n days
Lunch : £n x n days
(On our trip to France we stopped mid-morning for coffee and bought quiche, cakes, fruit etc for a roadside stop - for LEJOG in 2010 we stopped at a cafe or pub every day)
Dinner : £n x n days

These are the obvious costs - the usual general costs of living (toiletries, laundry etc) are not included nor are any costs related to the bike, parts, equipment, maps etc.

* If you really pushed me on cost I would guess at around £1,100 for our 12.5 days on the bike LEJOG in 2010 (that included overnight stops at Bristol on the way to the start and Edinburgh on the way home . . and I do recollect buying an ice-cream somewhere near Preston!)

FAQ - Are there "package tour" providers?

Yes - a few are :

This is just a list of websites that Google listed, without warranty, comment or endorsement:

https://www.skedaddle.com/uk/
https://maximumadventure.com
https://www.peak-tours.com
https://www.bikeadventures.co.uk
https://www.pedalbritain.com
https://www.wildatlanticcycling.com

My own view, as is probably apparent form the Cycle-End to End Blog, is that planning is part of the fun of the ride!

FAQ - How do I get my bike to/from the start/finish?

Presuming the ride is unsupported, even for getting to/from the start/finish. The extreme points of the End-to-End are both about 17 miles from the nearest station.

Land's End - nearest station is Penzance where long-distance mainline trains terminate. It's an undulating but easy ride with the A30 being the most direct : there will be some traffic but in my experience (4 rides) it was not over-fast.

John O'Groats - nearest stations are Wick or Thurso (on the same line) with an infrequent local service from Inverness. Both stations are an easy 17 miles or so from JOG - although the wind may be a challenge.

Long-distance mainline trains, together with medium distance trains from Glasgow & Edinburgh, terminate at Inverness. The Scotrail Sleeper from London and some other locations is an excellent, time-saving, way to get to/from Inverness. The local service north from Inverness is notorious for bike transit problems - you are advised to OBTAIN A PHYSICAL CYCLE RESERVATION TICKET when you book the passenger ticket.

Bikes on trains are problematic and booking is always recommended - even if you turn up at the train and there is bike space it's possible that another rider has a cycle reservation from another station on the route and will take preference - it is not unknown for bikes and cyclists to be ejected from the train for lack of a cycle ticket.

Flying to/from Inverness is possible from a few places in the UK - it is also (sometimes) possible to fly to/from Wick but bike transport is variable and subject to passenger numbers (bikes are dealt with on a "standby" basis, without guarantee) The planes are very small, bikes replace passengers!

FAQ - How do I get to/from JOG/Inverness?

As suggested in the "How do I get my bike to/from the start/finish?" question the leg of the journey between Inverness and John O'Groats is problematic. There are trains that run to/from Wick & Thurso (it's actually the same train) but spaces for bikes are very limited, and there aren't many trains each day. There is also a 17 mile ride between either station and JOG.

Train : if you choose this option, with the ride, ensure that you book and have a physical reservation/ticket for your bike.

In the past Scotrail has run a bike van service (riders go on the train, bikes are taken by van to Wick) in the summer - it's worth checking if this is still the case

Taxi/van hire : there are several businesses offering van or car and trailer services between Inverness and JOG [see the Transport section on this website] - it's a long way and quite costly, but if there are a few people it's not too bad .... or post a message on one of the cycling newsgroups to see if anyone else is travelling the same day (I found another group that used the return half of the journey with a car/trailer at the end of our 2010 LEJOG - that halved the cost)

Courier : It should be possible to pack a bike in a box (a used carton from a cycle shop) and send it to Wick or Thurso, perhaps to a cycle shop, hotel or B&B address. This is not without risk as the bike would have to be partially dis-assembled to fit in the box, and may suffer transit damage en route.

FAQ - Where can I stay overnight?

Of course, budget and preferences apply here - as well as the pre-booked vs. find-somewhere-on-the-day question.

There are numerous websites, of varying degrees of usefulness, that provide accommodation details and that is an obvious first option - another useful source, usually with a modest fee, is the local Tourist Information Centre (often run by the local authority) that often offers accommodation finding and booking.

AND, a cautionary note : Make sure you know EXACTLY where any accommodation you book is located relative to your route .... actual locations, especially in Scotland (and on some unscrupulous "information websites") may be some distance from the quoted town or village .... somewhere 30 miles off your route might be OK in a car, but not on a bike.

FAQ - What sort of bike is best?

What suits you?

"Cycling the E2E" has covered every sort of machine imaginable from unicycles and upwards! - just on our 2010 LEJOG we saw full-on carbon machines, Dawes and Thorn tourers, Trek hybrids, a couple of "bottom-of-the range BOGOF newspaper ad" machines, a tandem or two, two recumbents and a Brompton folder - they all seemed to be going OK.

Obviously the type of ride, as considered elsewhere in the FAQs, has an impact on the bike - the key issue being that you can ride it with some comfort for the miles you plan to cover, day-after-day.

The most popular machines appear to be "touring" or "hybrid" bikes - one person's definition here may differ from another ... Clearly - if you are riding, fully-supported, in 6 days you'll be going for something a bit more sporty ... the 4 week camping tour via the Hebrides will call for a heavy-duty machine.

It's horses (bikes) for courses.

My own rides were on a Dawes Galaxy - originally built in 1975 but upgraded to current standard components.

FAQ - What spares and tools should I take?

The list below is simply extracted from the Appendix in my book, "Wine-ding Down Through France" - it's parts, tools and some essentials kept in the bar-bag.

It's all very well carrying this stuff . . . but you need some basic knowledge to be able to repair punctures and make minor adjustments. Bike shops are few and far between, although those that we did stop at were invariably very helpful . . . the usual request was to use the track pump to keep tyres up to pressure.

Tubes x 3
Pump & CO2 Pump + 3 cartridges
Puncture kit & Tyre levers
Park Multi-tool
Chain tool
Cables (1 each brake & gear, rear)
Mini pliers/cutters
Tape
Cable ties and wire
Nuts/bolts
Chain links + 3 magic links
Plastic gloves
Chain oil
Silicone lube spray
Tyre boot (an 8" section of an old tyre with the wire bead removed)
Brake blocks
Degreaser
Rag
8, 9 & 10mm spanners
Lock + wire loop for locking helmet to the bike when parked

Spare spokes are a good idea, but not easy for most people to fix - a useful item I've come across (but yet to use in anger) is the Emergency Spoke - a Kevlar cord and clamp

BAR BAG

Map book (this was a home-printed A5 page complete route map created from Memory Map)
Accom bookings & tickets
Notebook
Swiss Army knife
Toilet paper
Wet wipes & Hand sanitiser
Mini torch
First Aid kit
Mars bars + tube of condensed milk (instant energy boosters!)
Nylon shopping bag (for lunch carriage!)
Mobile phone & charger

FAQ - Maps, GPS . . . or both?

Navigation methods reported in the website's journals ranged from a pound-shop road atlas with the requisite pages torn out - through to turn-by-turn GPS routes.

Equally varied are the approaches to the ride . . . from the "set-off and stop when I feel like it" brigade to the "everything booked" rider.

My recommendation (and I'm in the "book it all" camp) is to have the route pretty much planned out - with options for some side-tracking if you want.

Using a GPS nowadays is a great way to do it with the vast range of PC and online mapping BUT it's not infallible - batteries will go flat, satellite signals may fluctuate, you can lose it/have it stolen ... and if you do get lost it may be a little difficult to see how to get back on course. More and people are using smart phones for navigation - again issues of signal and battery apply, as well as weatherproofing.

It's for all those reasons that I would recommend you have at least a rudimentary old-technology map on paper.

Our 2008 French tour and 2010 LEJOG were both navigated with a GPS and detailed printed maps : Jon had the plotted route on the GPS, I had the printed map in the case on my barbag . . . it all worked

Summary : Use both!

Work is in progress to transfer content from the website . . .

. . . . most of the content (copied and edited from the original) has now been transferred in the form of "posts" that more or less mimic the key topics from the website.

The posts just run down the blog from the "Home" page - it is unlikely that much new content will be added (unless I ride again which is unlikely as I'm approaching 80!)

The FAQ section will probably be the most use - it is indexed to open answers in a new window.

Friday 23 October 2026 - the transfer and sequence of pages has been finished - all of the content, in the correct order should be visible after 20:00 today (and this post will drop to the end of the content)

23 October 2026

Resources and inspiration for a great adventure!