Anyone done it in winter?

[paul dormer]

Now that I've cracked LEJOG in July, looking for new challenges, possibly things to do over winter.

So wondering if anyone has completed JOGLE in Winter? I can see the obvious problems:

Daylight: keeping lights tip-top, though imagine a combination of a strong front light, Lumicycle or similar, with and LED backup and use in lit areas, or maybe get a dynamo hub built on..

Weather: I've commuted in winter in the home counties, but riding all day could be serious, and full on winter conditions could stop me in my tracks (literally) in the highlands.

Clothing: I'm not so sure an any set of winter gear would be up to it.

Bike, guess tyres would need changing to Marathons or something really grippy and softer compound.

Has anyone tried this? Sounds real tough now I've written this post up

I suppose at least accommodation should be straightforward a I would leave the tent at home.

Paul D

[robgul]

This chap did it in winter conditions at Easter this year - his Journal (No 536) link on my site is

http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/index. ... &Itemid=93

- you can click through to a pdf with his stats

Rob

[wallyone]

David Walliams and friends did it for Comic Relief earlier this year when the country was covered in snow and ice and it was shown on telly. They fell off a lot.

[Si]

David Walliams and friends did it for Comic Relief earlier this year when the country was covered in snow and ice and it was shown on telly. They fell off a lot.

Although to be fair, they did have silly tyres for such conditions!

If you can bear to pack ice tyres in case the whether turns then it'd be a lot easier (and slower - but it's better to complete the ride at a snail's pace than end up in A&E).

On the other hand, Walliams et al. had a nice warm bus and lots of helpers. By your self it'll be a lot harder both practically and morale-wise.

The way that I'm going, the next tour that I do will probably be in the winter...don't think that I'll be taking on something as big as LEJoG though!

[robgul]

David Walliams and friends did it for Comic Relief earlier this year when the country was covered in snow and ice and it was shown on telly. They fell off a lot.

Although to be fair, they did have silly tyres for such conditions!

If you can bear to pack ice tyres in case the whether turns then it'd be a lot easier (and slower - but it's better to complete the ride at a snail's pace than end up in A&E).

On the other hand, Walliams et al. had a nice warm bus and lots of helpers. By your self it'll be a lot harder both practically and morale-wise.

The way that I'm going, the next tour that I do will probably be in the winter...don't think that I'll be taking on something as big as LEJoG though!

The Walliams thing in March was an achievement in winter BUT :

- it was a relay so each person only rode a small part of the total ride
- there were swarms of buses, vans, coaches etc supporting the thing
- an eye-witness suggested to me that the riders slip-streamed a vehicle for a lot of the distance.

So not really a fair comparison with a "genuine ride" in winter

Rob

[mr riff raff]

Controversial.......but right.

[robgul]

Controversial.......but right.

Indeed .... some of the hard-core riders have suggested that my site at http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk should differentiate between "supported" and "unsupported" rides in the calendar and other journal listings.

Supported seems a bit of a soft option to me .... although I'm biased having done it both ways, unsupported - part of the challenge to me is being out there doing it and carrying my own kit (for B&B stops) with the only contingency being : money and a taxi!!

Perhaps if you have a time constraint and can only take, say, 6 days then the supported option makes sense.

Rob

[wallyone]

Whether you travel alone or as part of an organised and supported group the Walliams programme does give a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of conditions. What cannot come across in any TV show is how painful/uncomfortable it can be if you don't get the clothing right. It is very different to commuting especially if you have no chance to warm yourself by getting the blood circulating to the extremities. Walking for a short while helps your feet but there's little opportunity to warm your hands other than clutching a cup of tea. Layers of clothing are better as overheating can be as uncomfortable as the cold, but in that respect I'm an old school tourer and possibly more recent technical fabrics are better, maybe others can advise here.
Also don't underestimate the impact of the length of daylight you have. Psychologically it can be hard. Most of my winter touring has been camping on the continent and I found I could be cycling in the dark as long as in daylight, sometimes more. Traveling in the Pyrenees I could go for a day without seeing anyone on the road and those little chance meetings on the road do make a difference. Technically I'd recommend hub dynamo these days whatever cycling you're doing but for winter touring batteries don't last as long in the cold. Because I've used various dynamos for many years any recent advances in technology have passed me by so cold weather efficiency may have improved.
Accommodation outside of urban areas can be tricky as many establishments close for the winter season.
However it can also give you a wonderful experience with a totally different view of the outdoors. I've found that wildlife seems to behave differently to people in the winter and I've had some great encounters with deer and boar on winter tours.
You don't say what bike you're using. A recumbent trike could be fun.
If you do it then have fun however you're traveling and let us all know how it goes