LEJOG, Camp or b&b?

[vernon]

I have just completed LEJOG...and it was great. On the ctc website there are many different routes. There is one that goes via b&b and another that uses youth hostels. I would defiantly not go for camping as after buying panniers and tent etc it will be more expensive than b&b and a lot heavier, which is not what you want on the hills. Also travel lodges are a great option. They are cheaper than most b&b and you know what you are getting each night.

Panniers and tents liberate you from the need to find/book accommodate and confers a greater degree of flexibility should you find that you are faster/slower on a given day. The beauty of having a tent, rack and panniers is that you have them for future camping rides and their cost does not make a LEJOG more expensive unless you are doing the ride in just a few days.

As for weight, there's not a lot of difference made by the extra weight of camping gear especially if you are travelling at tourist pace and not Tour de France pace.

Travel Lodges are fine if you hit upon their lowest prices...

 

[bof]

Some sections of a route are not well served by Travel Lodges. My moderately fast attempt (7 full plus two half days riding) will involve 4 travelodges in England booked at a cost of £72 in total. However I found they would not be much use in Scotland. Youth Hostels are another choice and there are some en-route in Scotland - sadly the castle in Sutherland - cant remember its name now - is closed all year for refurbing. You need to plan ahead to get the really low prices at Travelodge and there are some where clearly demand means they can keep the price comparable to other hotels.

A compromise I have used before in touring where indoor accommodation is expensive is to take just a tent and sleeping bag but eat out. On the road find somewhere asap after starting off for a coffee, picnic with food from supermarkets/convenience stores (garages if nothing better) en-route with stops in pubs/restaurants for evening meals. Tescos with caffs do very good value breakfasts. I take a spoon and a small kitchen knife and a small hard plastic bowl. This cuts faff time and weight as you dont need any cooking things nor carry more than pocket food with you.

 

[alans]

I did JoGLE using B&B,pubs & hotels.This allowed me to travel light (after sending half my stuff home after 4 days & half of the rest after two weeks).I took 21 days at a slow touring pootle.
This was longer than originally intended & obviously then incurred more expenditure which took me over-budget.
I couldn't do it in 9 days with camping kit but ymmv.In fact I couldn't di it in 9 days...period.

Despite my avowed intention,upon reaching LE,of throwing all my bikes into a skip & not ever turning a pedal again I am wanting to do it again,this time LEJoG.
In the interests of economy this next time will be lightweight camping & I expect it to be another 3 week journey,or more depending on work/lack of it.

Doing 160km-ish a day with camping kit on board is,to my mind & body,a serious undertaking.
Good luck with it & I hope you enjoy the ride.

 

[Brommyboy]

The advantage of camping is that, if required, you can overnight in a B&B or hotel. The reverse does NOT apply! The weight of the extra gear has little or no effect on the flat. Up hill needs very low gears, and down hill good brakes, but 100 mile days are easily achievable in undulating terrain.

 

[willem]

This is a recurring discussion. The answer depends on three things:
1 the extra weight of camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, mattress, stove etc). This is about 2.5-4kg, depending on the kit that you take. Heavier stuff will make a difference, lighter stuff much less so. Light is e.g.: TN Laser tent, Neoair Allseason mattress, PHD minimus 300 bag, Primus express duo gas stove. More comfort with a Hilleberg Anjan 2 tent, Trangia 27 UK stove.
2 what do you actually like more? That is very personal. I spend a lot of time in hotels, so preferably not on holidays.
3 the economics of it all. A top quality outfit will cost about 1000 pounds (Anjan, Neoair, PhD, Trangia). It will last about a decade, and perhaps more. B&B's plus restaurant will probably be at least 50 pounds per day more than campsites and your own cooking. So you earn back the investment in 20 days. If you buy more sharply priced gear, 500 pounds may be enough, which you can earn back in 10 days. (examples: TN Laser seconds tent, Alpkit bag, Exped Synmat Basic mat). These are obviously only examples, but they give a good idea of the argument.

In conclusion: do you like camping, and can you afford the luxury of hotels/b&b's?
enjoy,
Wim

 

[User482]

B&b or youth hostel every time. After a long day in the saddle, I want to have a shower, go to the pub and sleep in a comfortable bed. Faffing about with tents and trangias is for when there is no other option.

 

[oldfatfool]

If you are going solo I would forget the cooking gear, just as cheap to eat at cafes for 1 rather than faff about buying ingredients and carrying the weight, and cooking (especially in inclement weather) in a lt wt 1~2 person tent is not an easy (or comfortable) skill to master.

 

[willem]

Awfully tasteless conservative decor with big pink roses and other aesthetic horrors, creaking beds, street noise, stuffy room ..........
Willem

 

[User482]

Awfully tasteless conservative decor with big pink roses and other aesthetic horrors, creaking beds, street noise, stuffy room ..........
Willem

All part of the charm. Extra points for matching curtains and bedspread.

 

[srw]

B&b or youth hostel every time. After a long day in the saddle, I want to have a shower, go to the pub and sleep in a comfortable bed.

Which is why I'd only choose a B&B if there's no hotel available - and would never go through the door of a Youth Hostel unless I was absolutely desperate.

You are, after all, planning a holiday, not a route march.

 

[User482]

Which is why I'd only choose a B&B if there's no hotel available - and would never go through the door of a Youth Hostel unless I was absolutely desperate.

You are, after all, planning a holiday, not a route march.

A good b&b is just a hotel that doesn't serve evening meals, and is much preferable to one of those dreadful chains. I find youth hostels to be variable. Some have private rooms, en suite and good food.

 

[srw]

A good b&b is just a hotel that doesn't serve evening meals, and is much preferable to one of those dreadful chains. I find youth hostels to be variable. Some have private rooms, en suite and good food.

A good B&B is a rara avis. I know of only one person who is able to select good B&Bs (probably with a look over his shoulder to a woman of taste and distinction) - and even his mojo failed one night in County Durham, when the hotel was the better bet than the dog-breeding B&B.

I haven't darkened the door of a Youth Hostel in 20-something years. "Variable" is one of those adjectives that invite too many further questions.

 

[User482]

I must have more luck than you! And I've stayed in hostels all around the world. The best ones are fantastic places to stay (most memorably, the Rocks near Sydney harbour). It's fair to say that they've upper their game in recent years.

 

[mcshroom]

Aim for the non-city hostels and they are great. Tongue was a stunning hostel when I was there in June, and Braemar was nice last October as well. City ones tend to be undecided whether they want to be cheap hotels or bunk houses.

 

[EthelF]

I can only speak from (distant) experience. I did a bit of both on my E2E. My most productive days by far were the ones when I B&Bd. Better rest, better breakfast, quicker getaway. Had I not lugged the camping gear I could have added greater range/higher average speed.
So while I did enjoy some of the camping, next time (and yes, one day there will be another) I won't bother with the tent.

Good luck, & enjoy!