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Ride across Britain.
Soup Dragon
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in Triathlon
Can't find a thread started on this anywhere but it looks a rather tempting challenge:
Trouble is, 25 miles is so far enough for me in a day and I don't camp. So why am I so tempted? Someone talk me out of it or into please cos its turning around in my head and won't go away!!!
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I wonder what use an exercise bike/turbo trainer would be, just to get the volume of miles/time to train in etc...oh and try every saddle in the world to find the most comfortable
SD if 25miles per day is ur max and u don't camp ur knackered then! and as 25 per day its gonna take you 1 hell off a time to do the event!
1k for the event way way too much!!!!- do it off ya own back with you're own support
Surely this should be Ride Down Britain, not across.
I'm in now way a decent cyclist but I don't think 25 miles is very far to cycle in one day at all. If you need some inspiration then search for Debster's thread of 4 years ago and also SarahL's thread which is on the FetchEveryone forum. Sarah did it in 2 weeks and Debs did it in 3 weeks.
I think I could train over the year to cover 100 miles in a day - but its doing it every day that would be the killer, so the relay option would probably be the most sensible, especially with the amount of climbing involved.
I suppose it all depends on how badly I want to do it and whether I'm prepared to put in the hours of training.
I was really taken by this...until I saw the dates
. I'm a teacher and can't take hols in term time 
. Having said that, I'm not a fab cyclist by any means but would love to train for this challenge across Britain with a group of people.
doing the relay would be a right cop out! if you're going to do it, do the whole thing.
you can build up cycling distance much quicker than you can running distance.
Thanks for the comments.
Although I say 25 miles a day is my limit now - that means 25 miles and I need a rest. I could do more I'm sure! I wanted to do the relay with my OH but he wants to do it all or nothing. Oh, decisions.......
Looks like a challenging ride. I've done a couple of long distance rides and the milage of 110 per day is do-able. Trouble is, when you factor in huge climbs, torrential rain, biting head winds, and a sodden tent overnight, it begins to look less attractive!
Go for it. The Relay option does look better, particularly the mention of a "support vehicle". Just make sure you pick a nice, FLAT section as your bit...
Is it LeJog you want to do or an ultra race?
If it's LeJOG (and I recommend it that way round not JOGLE - prevailaing winds and sun in your face) then it's pretty easy. I averaged 50 miles a day and only bought my bike 2 weeks beforehand i.e. no training whatsoever. Got some advice from nice IM peeps about cycling long distance and then set off on my own stopping at lots of nice hostelries enroute. Best holiday ever - I loved it!
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ianclare/links.htm
This is a great link I used to work out routes etc . You can check out my thread on my forum profile.
Since then I've cycled all over t'world still at a nice leisurely pace. Don't believe in rushing it. You've got to enjoy otherwise what's the point?!
I thought that looked really cool but at £1095 it costs more than all of my running entries/triathlons/travelling and hotel put together!
Would be tempted to do it, just not in an organised thing like that. It would be nice to have someone plan the route and put your tent up for you and stuff but surely thats half the fun!
LEJOG is high on my list of things to do and is quite probably going to happen next year, I just need to work out whether this or an attempt at Ironman should be tackled first.
I was going to do LEJOG 3 years ago, got the training in for it, which is perfectly manageable but then unfortunately had to pull out as my eldest had to have some surgery 3 days before we were meant to push off from LE, hence this particular itch needs to be scratched still!
The remaining 4 guys did it over 10 days cycling, staying mainly in hostels, a couple of nights camping and a couple of B&Bs. I'm sure I've got all the costings somewhere but it was about £400 per head including a support vehicle.
I've often thought about doing lejog but I think this appeals a bit more - next event is 2011.
Trouble with lejog is if you want to do it quickly then you have to take quite busy roads - so it only really makes sense to do it as a touring type holiday - in which case I always think if I was going to do a 1,000 mile tour I'd rather do it somewhere warm and see a bit of the world I've never been to before.
not quite 1000miles but me and the missus are riding from Bangkok to Phuket over Xmas - 850km - in 8 days (one rest day for Xmas day) which will be a nice warm leisurely ride, somewhere different and with some great food en route........
Some good points made - thanks, I knew I could rely on you all.
Debster - thanks for the link - very useful and given me lots more to think about. I've walked a few long distance footpaths and agree that planning the itinery is all part of the fun.
All in all I think I've decided that £1k for a weeks camping really is too much money - I think I got carried away a bit!!
But I will keep the idea for another day - in my own time and staying at B&B with a pub close by!
I've enjoyed contemplating this though and will definitely work on my cycling more. In the mean time my OH has reminded me we have a marathon to run next Spring so I'd better get some running done too.
http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/pit-stops.aspx
lol, that was one of the toughest rides ever (thanks to my lack of training)!
i'm pleased my large form has been used for promoting an event rather than the hundreds of smooth legged bike ponces who overtook me.
i'll be the new slightly chubbier face of rapha next.
Brilliant JD
Makes a change from the slightly sl*tty looking model in the comic hiding her boobs !
LeJog is going to be my summer hols next year but I'd rather do it unsupported and plan my own route - £1k for that event would go a long long to doing it on your own, plus there's the adventure side of it that would be missing in an organised tour.
SD - if you really want the support etc, then I think you need to get up the distance you cycle in a day and then look at doing multiple days like that. I have done a couple of 100mile rides and can happily do 70miles a day but I'm planning a four day trip at Easter next year just test out my kit and myself.
They could have gone with Olympic double medallist Cracknell - but no - they chose JD. Impressive !
yeah, my nice assos winter top which was handy given it was incineratingly hot all day. i take yellow very seriously
i'll push for free entry then, it's my right.
i was probably the only person (other than flywaway) to smile at the camera that day. to date i've never come across so many miserable ponces.