Fundraising for Dorothy House

I have set up a Just Giving Fundraising page here: http://www.justgiving.com/alexdewar
I'm delighted with how generous everyone has been, but more is always welcome!!

Kit List

Everyone with a LEJOG blog seems to publish a kit list, and I suppose it is useful for those that follow. This list is provisional because I have not tried packing yet and I suspect when I realise how much this lot weighs I will edit it down.

Bike:
Specialized Tricross Sport
Topeak rear rack
Altura Dryline 56 Rear Panniers
Topeak T-bar (provides extra mounting space for GPS and light)
Front rack (if I can find one to fit the bike)
Altura Arran 16 Front Panniers (not waterproof, but I will use for tools, tyres, tubes, etc.)
5 spare inner tubes
1 spare tyre (folding)
Tools and multi-tools including a chain splitter and a good set of Allen Keys
Puncture repair kit
Spare chain
Spare brake blocks
Spare batteries
Blackburn mirror
Topeak Panoram Computer wired fitting (because the wireless one won't work with the Satmap on the bike!)

Cycle Clothing:
2x Bib Shorts
1x Track Bottoms
3x dhb Base Layer (excellent value this dhb clothing)
Waterproof Overshoes
Sealskinz Waterproof Socks
Waterproof Jacket
Waterproof Trousers
Specialized Off-road SPD Shoes
Buff (to be worn under helmet, stops me getting striped suntan on my bald head through the helmet vents)
Cycle Gloves
1x dhb Long Sleeve Jersey
Cycle Glasses with Inter-changable Lenses
Tesco Hydration Pack (what a bargain)
Waterproof Helmet Cover

Other:
Phone
Camera
Small First Aid Kit
Printed Route
Printed Accommodation List
Multi USB Charger for Phone, Satmap and Camera
Compact Towel
Compass
Sponsorship Forms
Minimum Casual Clothes
Toiletries

Chemist Shop:
Ibulieve
Chamois Cream
Vaseline
Savlon
Daktarin
Jointace
Sun Cream
Autan (for the Midges)
Lip Balm
Antihistamenes
Anti-fungal Talc

Satmap Active 10

I decided to use a GPS for the ride, reasoning that it would avoid a lot of faffing around wondering where I was on paper maps and generally getting lost. I agonised over what to buy and in the end the choice was down to Garmin or Satmap and in the end I bought a Satmap Active 10. The availability of 1:50k OS maps for the entire UK clinched it.
One minor gripe which to be fair is probably with the Ordnance Survey rather than Satmap or Memory Map - I am very unhappy about having to buy the entire UK at 1:50k twice, once for Memory Map and once for Satmap. Come on guys, that is plain unreasonable!!
Having bought the Satmap I found most of the time while cycling I use a compas pointer to show me where to go next. But the ability to switch to a detailed map view is invaluable.
I made a typical newbie error when plotting my route initially, putting waypoints in the middle of every road junction. When following the route on Satmap I had to cycle right up to the middle of the junction before it told me whether to turn right or left. Not very smart. So I have just edited the route to chamfer off all the corners so that as I approach the corner the pointer shifts to the direction I need to follow after the corner, much better.
Yesterday I exported the entire 14 day route from Memory Map in .GPX format and loaded it into the Satmap. Satmap took the lot without a word of complaint - Excellent bit of kit!

Update after a long absence

Less than a month to go until the ride and I'm getting butterflies!
Since the last post I have gradually increased my weekend rides and started riding with luggage so now I am doing a weekly 66 mile ride with as many hills as I can find. Then when I get a chance during the week I do a shorter 13 mile hilly ride after work.
My wife Jehane has spent endless hours tracking down and booking accommodation in pubs, hotels, B&Bs and YHA. I am tremendously grateful and could not have got by without her.

Welcome to my Blog

I've created this blog to record my planned cycle ride from Lands End to John O'Groats (LEJOG). It is my 50th Birthday in August and in a moment of mid-life crisis bavado it seemed like a good idea to see out my 40's with a really big bike ride. When I had this barmy idea in the summer of 2008 I contacted a few friends who are into cycling to see if any of them were up for it and one was. So there will be three of us in total, myself, a friend Andy and his son Alex. I've done a few long-ish bike rides before. A number of times I have cycled the route of the Kennet and Avon Canal from Reading to Bath (or vice versa), around 80 miles of tow path in a day. And last September I did the Coast to Coast from Whitehaven to Tynemouth, About 160 miles over three days. But nothing like this, we will be averaging 73 miles a day and cycling every day for a fortnight.

Now if you are a fan of Italian motorcycles perhaps you should not read the next bit. Because to fund this trip I sold my Ducati Monster M1000s. And the proceeds paid for a Specialized Tricross Sport road bike, a copy of Memory Map, a Satmap Active 10 GPS, a fortnight's accomodation (B&B, YHA, etc.) and various other bits and pieces.

Bye bye Ducati!

I have kept cycling through the winter and have regularly done one 30 mile ride each week. My goal over the next few months, now the weather is warmer and the days longer, to get used to longer distances and cycling more often than once a week.

My son Tom suggested fundraising for the Dorothy House Hospice near Bath (http://www.dorothyhouse.co.uk/), who I am delighted to support.

I had no idea where to start with planning a route then heard that the Cyclists' Tourning Club (http://www.ctc.org.uk/) publish a selection of routes and also lists of cyclist friendly B&B's so I took out CTC membership which has been a boon. Last December I took a day's leave from work and plotted the CTC's Bed & Breakfast LEJOG route into Memory Map. I then divided it into 14 roughly equal parts of around 73 miles a day.

So that is the story so far. I will provide progress reports from time to time then when we are on the trip upload daily reports and perhaps photos.