LEJOG April 2025 - Land's End to John o'Groats in 11 days

Which Gravel Bike Did I Choose, and Why? When it comes to finding the perfect (first) gravel bike for me, the search felt like an adventure in itself. After weeks of researching and evaluating various options, I’ve finally made my choice: the TRIBAN Men's Gravel Bike GRVL 520 Subcompact from Decathlon . Note that I chose a gravel bike over a road bike primarily because I know that we'll definitely *not* be on nice smooth roads all the time on LEJOG. Gravel bike forks allow for wider tyres than road bikes, which is important for more stability and control on off-road surfaces. The Very Close Contender: TRIBAN Gravel Bike Triban GRVL 520 Sram Apex During my search, the Triban GRVL 520 Sram Apex caught my attention as a strong contender. Its lightweight frame, SRAM Apex groupset, and thoughtful design made it a tempting option. I actually preferred the grey color of the Sram Apex over the burgundy color of the Subcompact, but the former only has a single chainwheel. Why I C...

Way back in June 2024, when the idea of tackling LEJOG was still just a twinkle in my eye, I decided to invest in a Beeline Velo 2 navigation device  for my mountain bike. Prior to this investment, I'd been using a Quad Lock cycle mount to attach my not-inexpensive smartphone to my mountain bike's handlebars. So why the Velo 2? 1. When your smartphone is worth approx as much as your bike, the phone feels somewhat vulnerable. It's often being shaken fairly violently, and sometimes hit by rain, mud, cowpats, etc. Storing the phone somewhere safer, and handing nav responsibilities over to a much less expensive, dedicated device, seems like a smart move. 2. It's cheaper than the popular Garmin range of bike computers , and I prefer the raw, uncluttered simplicity of the Beeline devices. Note that this device requires an active bluetooth connection with your smartphone to operate. Which is fine! I mean, who leaves home without their smartphone these days?!? If money's ...