The Route

Click on the links below to be transported to a wonderfully colourful view of our route for that day.


Route Overview

June 2nd - 8th
1. Land's End to Helston - 55 miles, total ascent 1250 metres
2. Helston to Week St. Mary - 70 miles, total ascent 2100 metres
3. Week St. Mary to Minehead - 75 miles, total ascent 2500 metres
4. Minehead to Cheddar - 70 miles, total ascent 1550 metres
5. Cheddar to Hereford - 80 miles, total ascent 2250 metres
6. Hereford to Much Wenlock - 65 miles, total ascent 1500 metres
7. Much Wenlock to Leek - 75 miles, total ascent 1550 metres

June 9th-15th
8. Leek to Miller's Dale - 55 miles, total ascent 2100m
9. Miller's Dale to Milnrow - 40 miles, total ascent 2000m
10. Milnrow to Dent - 75 miles, total ascent 2500m
11. Dent to Carlisle - 70 miles, total ascent 1950m
12. Carlisle to Lanark - 90 miles, total ascent 1500m
13. Lanark to Perth - 85 miles, total ascent 1750m
14. Perth to Aviemore - 90 miles, total ascent 2700m

June 16th-22nd
15. Aviemore to Brora - 100 miles, total ascent 2500m
16. Brora to Thurso - 85 miles, total ascent 2000m
17. Thurso to Durness - 75 miles, total ascent 2300m
18. Durness to Ullapool - 90 miles, total ascent 3500m
19. Ullapool to Balmacara - 80 miles, total ascent 2800m
20. Balmacara to Kilchoan - 80 miles, total ascent 3400m
21. Kilchoan to Inveraray - 70 miles, total ascent 2500m

June 23rd - 29th
22. Inveraray to Dunoon - 30 miles, total ascent 1500m
23. Dunoon to Biggar - 80 miles, total ascent 1800m
24. Biggar to Kielder - 85 miles, total ascent 2500m
25. Kielder to Derwent - 65 miles, total ascent 1500m
26. Rest day
27. Derwent to Helmsley - 80 miles, total ascent 1800m
28. Helmsley to Market Rasen - 85 miles, total ascent 1250m

June 30th - July 6th
29. Market Rasen to Hunstanton - 95 miles, total ascent 650m
30. Hunstanton to Lowestoft - 85 miles, total ascent 900m
31. Lowestoft to Rougham - 65 miles, total ascent 700m
32. Rougham to Northampton - 85 miles, total ascent 1000m
33. Northampton to Oxford - 65 miles, total ascent 1000m
34. Oxford to New Forest - 90 miles, total ascent 1900m
35. New Forest to Bridport - 75 miles, total ascent 1500m

July 7th - 9th
36. Bridport to Teignmouth - 55 miles, total ascent 1600m
37. Teignmouth to St Austell - 70 miles, total ascent 2600m
38. St Austell to Land's End - 65 miles, total ascent 1600m


Totals - about 2800 miles and a total ascent of about 25 miles.





Through England we will be making use of the extraordinary network of minor roads that wind across our landscape. Yes, A-roads are easier and more direct, but they are also dangerous and boring. Travelling along back-roads gives a lot more breathing space and an element of surprise. On the downside it means a longer route, more hills and rougher road surfaces. Worth the sacrifice in my opinion.

Back-roads are tougher to navigate than A-roads and decent maps will be important. Rather than buying multiple Ordnance survey maps, or relying on a road map that doesn't give much detail, we use a map program by Fugawi to design the route and will be printing out as many pages as we need. This takes up a good deal of space on the bikes though, something which will be looked into later on.

Heading up muddy bridleways in the middle of nowhere is a recipe for disaster so the only time we will go off-road for any considerable distance is along the Pennine Bridleway in the Peak District.