Distance: 1,913 kilometres Start/finish: Land’s End/John o’Groats, UK Surface: Road Land’s End to John o’Groats, or, LEJOG, is one of the best cycling routes in the UK, and for good reason! The route runs from southern England to the northernmost tip of Scotland and completing it is a significant challenge for most riders. There are many different road cycling routes available that take in some of the best long distance cycling the country has to offer. You’ll find coastal vistas, hidden valleys and some of the finest places to cycle in the United Kingdom. It’s a popular route and cyclists can choose between a self-supported trip or support from tour operators who will help with luggage, accommodation and other services too. The duration of the tours depends on your speed and selected package, but usually take between seven days to three weeks to complete. It’s a challenging long-distance cycling route, but an excellent way to see the best of Britain by bicycle. It’s the kind of route any self-respecting British cyclist has either done or is hoping to do. How long does it take to cycle LEJOG? There’s no set rule for this. People undertake LEJOG across a wide range of days and a variety of distances. Also remember to add a day on at the start and finish of the cycling route to allow for travelling. 21 Days For those of you with plenty of time then I’d recommend the Sustrans route of 21 days which enables you to really take your time, explore areas in more depth and choose even more remote roads. 14 Days Most common is the 14-day 1,000 mile option. The reason we opt for this on our trips is that it strikes the balance between speed and being able to pick the best road. It means we can avoid many of the main urban areas and you can mainly cycle on quiet, country roads. At 71 miles average per day, the longest day we do is 87 miles and the shortest is 50 miles. The route has a total ascent of 55,000ft and it provides a tough challenge, whilst still allowing for time to take in your surroundings. You can spend up to 8 hours per day in the saddle, so be prepared. 9 Days Another popular option is the 9-day Ride Across Britain challenge, which with an average of nearly 100 miles per day, is targeted more at cyclists wanting to test themselves to the very limit of their capability. With those kind of distances, enjoyment is a secondary consideration! And less…. When you hit 5 or 7 days you are into ultra cycling territory usually only attempted by those raising money for charity or looking for bragging rights at the cycling club! The point is that whatever your aim, be it a personal challenge or simply a desire to experience the incredible beauty of the UK from the saddle of a bike, LEJOG can be tailored to suit your needs. …Or ride at your own pace A more normal speed to ride LEJOG is 10-14 days. My philosophy is that you should ride LEJOG at your own pace. On our tours you will usually get three or four groups forming, each with its own characteristics in terms of pace, photo stops and time spent at brew stops. Generally the average pace of these groups ranges from 15mph to around 11mph. Also these groups are fluid depending on how you feel and if you fancy a few miles alone, that is no problem. Bike-friendly accommodation on the LEJOG route While there may be a good number of places you could potentially stay on the LEJOG route, some are better than others in terms of welcoming cyclists. Some of the things we consider when selecting accommodation are whether they allow cyclists to keep bikes in their rooms overnight help dry wet clothes provide flexibility around cancellations provide evening food at the accommodation or nearby restaurants. Over the years, we have developed excellent relationships with our hospitality partners. They reflect our philosophy about customer service and they are very sensitive to our needs as a cycling group; they’ll cover off the points above and more. Our guests often tell us that not having to worry about accommodation reservations (or transporting their luggage) makes the whole LEJOG experience enjoyable and hassle free. Indeed, to make riders’ lives easier, we also make dinner reservations – as the last thing you want to do after a hard day in the saddle is wander around trying to find somewhere to eat in the evening! (You can also choose not to dine with the group and indeed we have two nights where we encourage this and provide a list of nearby restaurants to help.) Booking accommodation in advance The accommodation conundrum is the reason we most often get as to why our guests have opted for our tour rather than a self-guided trip. The issue is what to do if for some reason you get delayed – whether due to a mechanical or illness/accident. Having to deal with all the accommodation providers remaining on the trip would be time consuming and potentially costly depending on what cancellation policies the providers have. This then leads to the need to dig into the detail of hotel cancellation policies before you book – as well as the dilemma of whether to book all the accommodation or chance it and book as you go. If travelling alone or as a couple, and you haven’t got strict requirements over when you need to get back home, you could remain super flexible and book accommodation as you go. So long as you’ve planned to arrive in a relatively large town you’d generally be able to find accommodation – albeit you may not have much choice. There’d also be the possibility to add in an extra day of cycling or a rest day if accommodation wasn’t available. If you’re on a time limit or travelling as a larger group, booking as you go becomes more difficult…