iolair Posted August 30, 2004 Posted August 30, 2004 I had a crazy idea ages ago that it would be cool to cycle all the way around the coast of Britain, as close as you can manage it. I've not planned an exact route, but it should be somewhere in the region of 5000 miles. That should be possible in 6 weeks of the school summer holiday (I'm a teacher) riding 6 days a week and about 140 miles a day. Which sounds feasible - I'm pretty good naturally at endurance stuff, and have no problem maintaining 15+mph for a long period. I would do it to raise money for a charity, though I don't know which one yet, and given the amount of organising would probably aim for Summer 2006. Perhaps to cut down on the time commitment, it would be possible to chop the route up into stages and have multiple cyclists completing it in a relay. Anyone else here that potentially insane? Currently: Kickboxing and variants.Previously: Karate (Seido, Shotokan, Seidokan), Ju Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, Fencing.
ZR440 Posted August 31, 2004 Posted August 31, 2004 I wouldn't even want to drive my vehicle that much, but it's a noble thought if it's for charity. It's happy hour somewhere in the world.
Rotten Head Fok Posted August 31, 2004 Posted August 31, 2004 Go For It !!! I think it's an awsome idea and one you will never forget. You must be stable and balanced in your foot work, if you have to use your martial knowledge in combat, your intent should be to win. If you do strike, you must release great power! The martial arts are easy to learn, but difficult to correct.
steveb Posted August 31, 2004 Posted August 31, 2004 How much riding do you currently do? I do quite a bit of riding and 140 miles a day for 6 weeks is quite an ambitious goal. Ever done multi-day tours approaching that daily mileage? I wouldn't recommend doing more than 100 miles a day at most. You realize that Tour de France riders do less mileage per day for 3 weeks and that is the toughest ride in the world. I am not trying to bash your idea, just hope that you are really physically prepared for something so grueling. On a brighter note, I am totally jealous of the idea. I would love to tour England or parts of Europe by bike. Good luck! Res firma, mitescere nescit
Drunken Monkey Posted August 31, 2004 Posted August 31, 2004 but don't forget the tour de france guys are also racing, i mean, he can take it easy some days, and go like the clappers the next, depending if he's going through brighton or southend..... post count is directly related to how much free time you have, not how intelligent you are."When you have to kill a man it costs nothing to be polite."
steveb Posted August 31, 2004 Posted August 31, 2004 but don't forget the tour de france guys are also racing, i mean, he can take it easy some days, and go like the clappers the next, depending if he's going through brighton or southend..... True, but I don't care how fast you're riding, 140 miles every day is killer unless you're in top shape. I have ridden one-day races that are over 110 miles and once did one that is 157 miles and it is fine for that day. It's the next day, and the next, and so on that will get you. I've also done multi-day rides and it's the second and third days when your body (and your butt) hurts most. Res firma, mitescere nescit
battousai16 Posted August 31, 2004 Posted August 31, 2004 ^see, that's what i was thinking^. the first 300 miles or so might work out ok, but good lord, you're gonna' be so sore after that... no matter what kind of shape you're in... "I hear you can kill 200 men and play a mean six string at the same time..."-Six String Samurai
torris Posted September 1, 2004 Posted September 1, 2004 I am going out on a limb here, but it is 4968 miles from New York City to Honolulu, Hawaii. You may want to plan your route, and then figure the mileage. I think what you are doing is noble, and you should go for it. But, I think that you will be relieved to know that it probably isnt going to be near the distance you are thinking.
aefibird Posted September 1, 2004 Posted September 1, 2004 It's a great idea, if you can manage it. If it is for charity, would it be possible for your school or LEA to give you extra time off at the end or start of term, in order for you to do less miles in a day, but still complete the round tour. ie, still do the same route, but cycle for 8 or 10 weeks instead of 6. I work in a special needs school and was allowed to take off a week at the end of the summer term a few years ago in order to be able to climb Mt Kilimanjaro for charity. If it is for charitable purposes then your school might look kindly on the enterprise, especially if you were raising money for childrens charities, or would give a %age of the money raised to your school! On a practical note, you'd need to either take loads of cash with you to be able to afford places to stay each night, or have a great back-up team following you about with a caravan. Plus, there's issues of what you'd have to carry on your bike - water, obviously, but what about food? Warm clothing? Waterproofs (remember, this IS Britain in the summer that we're talking abut...)? You'd be able to do more milage with an unladened bike than one with a bag full of stuff strapped to it. Anyway, I think it is a great idea - I hope that you can overcome the problems and be able to GO FOR IT! On a final note, I'd suggest that you read French Revolutions by Tim Moore. It's about how a fairly-unfit bloke with not much cycling experience ended up riding the route of the Tour de France unaccompanied. It's a good read! "Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My CologneSheffield Steelers!
iolair Posted September 3, 2004 Author Posted September 3, 2004 I got the mileage figure from the site of someone who did the ride round Britain's coast, but they were just taking it slowly etc., I want to go far as quick a route as is possible, so it may be shorter... I'm working the route out now, gradually, and it looks like it will be shorter. (My route along Scotland's coast is 1265 miles). The shape of the British coast can be quite fiddly, so I guess it depends how closely I want to follow it! (aefibird: regarding all the preparations required, that's why I'm aiming for a date two years away. And hoping to travel with a support car who can carry the majority of stuff.) Currently: Kickboxing and variants.Previously: Karate (Seido, Shotokan, Seidokan), Ju Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, Fencing.
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