Land Ends to John O'Groats

Introduction       Price: £1249 (mix of B&B's & hostels) or £1439 (B&B's only)

The notion of cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats conjures up a variety of images, an escapade, a challenge, hard work, a puncture or two, stunning scenery, glorious sunrises and a tremendous sense of achievement. Since the 1960’s the End to End has become a firm favourite with the British people. Every year, walkers, cyclists, joggers and runners navigate the length of the British Isles.

Experience tells us that the best way to traverse the length of the country; is from the southwest to the northeast. The rationale behind this choice revolves around wind and transport. The prevailing wind blows from the southwest and the transport connections work best when returning from the northeast of Scotland.

The ethos, which guides our company, revolves around safety and camaraderie and wherever possible we will be utilising country lanes and national cycle routes. Our principal guide is a veteran of long distance cycle touring and also a National Standards cycle instructor. This means that our routes are designed to take in the quieter roads and to be as enjoyable as possible.

The route we will be taking is undertaken over 14 days and has been tried and tested by our principal guide. It encompasses some of the United Kingdom’s most spectacular countryside and exhilarating cycling. The pace we will travel is designed to be well within the reach of a fit and competent cyclist. Our training days in the Peak District are designed to build confidence and discuss some of the logistics of completing a successful End to End.

The distance we will travel is approximately 990 miles, with an average mileage of 71 miles per day. It should be borne in mind that a reasonably fit cyclist will average around 10 miles per hour and therefore we will be in the saddle each day for around 7-8 hours.

Tour dates:

Sat 4th - Sun 19th September 2010 - Full

Sat 2nd - Sun 17th April 2011 - Places available

Sat 9th - 24th July 2011 - Places available

Sat 3rd - Sun 18th September 2011 - Places available

What's Included?

The tour price includes 15 nights accommodation, 15 breakfasts, 14 lunches, full trip support including a tour leader that cycles with the group, back up van with spare parts & a few spare bikes, detailed route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, souvenir T-shirt, luggage transfer each day, Transfer from Penzance to Lands End and transfer from John O’Groats to Inverness.

What's Not Included?

Evening meals, YHA membership, drinks & snacks, cycle hire (available for a fee), Transport to Penzance, Transport from Inverness.

Group Size

The group will be a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 20 people. We feel that this size of group works best as there will always be enough in the group for some good company but there won’t be so many people that it becomes overcrowded.

Accommodation

You will stay in a variety of places in a mixture of hostels, hotels & B&B’s (or B&B's throughout). All the places that we stay have been carefully selected on grounds of character, location, comfort & cleanliness. You will stay in a mixture of dormitory rooms, 4 bed rooms & twin rooms or if you chose the B&B only option you will stay in twin/double rooms throughout. Hot showers will always be available so that you can get cleaned up & relax after a long day on the saddle.

Route

Although the shortest route from Lands End to John O’Groats is 874 miles our route of 990 miles avoids main roads & takes in some of the UK’s most beautiful scenery. Wherever possible we cycle along quiet country lanes and cycleways & only join main roads when we absolutely have to. The terrain is varied but generally undulating rolling fields and hills with some areas hillier than others (primarily Cornwall, Dartmoor, Lake District & Scotland).

Food

All of your breakfasts & lunches are included in the price of the trip. You will have a choice of full English, toast, cereals, fruit juices, tea, coffee etc. Lunches will be provided each day & consist of sandwiches, pasta salads, fruit, nuts, crisps etc. We will stop in suitable places to have lunch or you can be given a packed lunch to take with you if you prefer. Evening meals can be bought at your accommodation or in a nearby pub.

Back Up

An experienced tour leader will cycle with you each day and be on hand to help with any bike problems that may occur. You will have detailed route notes so that you can go slower or faster than the leader if you prefer or you can cycle behind the tour leader so that you don’t have to navigate at all.

A back up van will leap frog the group a number of times each day so that help is never far away. We carry a range of spare parts & so that repairs can be made en-route and we will have a spare bike available in the event that your bike has a serious breakdown.

Bikes

We highly recommend that you use a bike that you are used to & feel comfortable riding. Your bike should be fully serviced & in good condition before you start, this will reduce the risk of mechanical problems and unnecessary stoppages along the way. Either a road bike or a hybrid bike is preferable however the ride can be done on a mountain bike if you prefer. We have a range of hybrid bikes & mountain bikes available for hire (£100 per person) if you don’t have your own bike.

Fitness

This tour is suitable for someone with a good level of fitness and wants a challenge. If you do plenty of training beforehand you should have no problem completing the ride. We will have a training day in the Peak District available if you would like to join the group before the main event.

It must be stressed that a good amount of training before the ride will make your tour much more enjoyable & ensure that you finish your ride. We are always happy to advise you about training plans in preparation for the ride.

Clothing & Equipment

Clothing for all weathers is recommended so waterproofs are essential. A full recommended kit list is provided & we are always happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Your baggage will be transferred for you each day & will be waiting for you at your accommodation when you arrive.