Finishing Grandad's JOGLE

Starting this thread as a place to collate planning, advice, ideas etc for what will hopefully be the toughest challenge of my life so far and as a prompt to myself, making it slightly more binding than just a "yeah I'm gonna do it".

My Mum told me the story a few years ago but I didn't think too much about it at the time. I'm not sure what has happened recently but I suddenly feel quite strongly about it.
I asked her again and she dug around in their attic and pulled out some of the pictures.

It starts with this:

A train ticket from Liverpool Lime St to Wick in Scotland on 11 Aug 1983. My Grandad would have turned 50 that year so this was I suppose his mid life crisis.
He was an incredible man, loved by all and skilled at whatever he turned his hand to. What he wasn't though, is a cyclist. Quite why he decided to just go for this remains a bit of a mystery.

Long story short, he never finished the ride. He rode down through Scotland and northern England, his plan being to stop at home in Wirral and continue south from there but he never set off again for the second leg of the journey. My Mum said she remembered him coming home quite different. Quiet, kinder, more loving. This was of course before mobile phones, GPS computers, even decent bike lights and apparently riding alone in the dark across some of the open/exposed rural areas in the North shook him up a bit.

Anyhow, I'm going to try to do it. I don't know his route but I plan to visit the house where he lived and where he finished his ride, then carry on to my Parent's in Shropshire, down the Welsh border and on to Lands End. The plan is for this summer but I'm going to play it by ear and be sensible about my preparedness. At this minute, furthest I've ridden in one go is 200km and not really any overnight or multi day trips.
I'm unsure whether I'll try camping or B&Bs.
I have an extremely rough route planned out which I will need to look at in more detail and tweak for sleeping and food stops but as it stands its 1625km with no more than a few km on A roads.

My Mum has sent me some pictures of pictures, sorry for the bad lighting.

Now that's a thread. Subbed.

Amazing. What a great thing to do.

Get procelain rocket to do you some swag bikepacking bags in same plaided pattern.

Awesome

Do I need a new bike for this?

I need a new bike don't I.

Wonderful idea! the important question is obviously what bike you're doing this on. Do you have his bike?

Re route, if you're heading west you should be well-placed to make it over gospel pass near Hay on Wye, which was potentially my favourite stretch of road from a LEJOG a few years back. Also, having done it, I would advise taking enough time to ride in every beautiful place you possibly can, because you don't know when you'll do this again. I rode through Dartmoor, Exmoor, Quantocks, Somerset Levels, Cheddar Gorge, Mendips, Wye Valley, Malvern Hills, Peaks, Yorkshire Dales, Lakes etc - it will add elevation but 100% worth it...

You need an old bike for this.

Or a bike built up from a frame you've made

Good stuff..! Yeah you need a new old bike for this

100% old bike with risers and two massive panniers

Like Mark's Soma?

Is there a front mech on that bike? Big ring 1x JOGLE is pretty epic.

Re route, if you're heading west you should be well-placed to make it over gospel pass near Hay on Wye, which was potentially my favourite stretch of road from a LEJOG a few years back.

Ok, I may reroute for this then. I was planning on linking the Shropshire Hills with Wye Valley but I could head slightly further west and over the border instead. Not sure about going that way and then coming right back across for Wye Valley, seems to add quite a few miles. It may have to be one or the other.

I've gone for the North Coast to finish rather than inland and therefore skipping Dartmoor, however I've got Exmoor, Quantocks, Somerset Levels, Cheddar Gorge, Mendips, Wye Valley, Shropshire Hills, Forest of Bowland, Lake District, Cairngorms
(In reverse order)

Again, I miss the Peaks because of going West to Merseyside

I'd be up for this, quality would be nowhere near PR but that will be reflected in the price. I'd do it for the cost of materials, happy to get some practice in.

judging by the (great) pictures, all you need is a 5 speed town bike with steel rims and a kick stand. Just be extra careful on any wet highland descents.

looking forward to following this one.

Great route - i expect you'll get a load of people from the Archive store accompanying you on part of your ride ....!
Your grandad looks happy there, great 80s pictures.
I was 13 then now turning 50 and the mid life "crisis" is very much a re-evaluation of your priorities and an acknowledgement of your mortality. Not really a crisis but more a realisation that unless you believe in reincarnation this is your 1 chance at life so do stuff you've always wanted to..
Do it with maps not GPS

Sounds great mate! I don't know what your schedule/available time is but if you can fit Gospel Pass in you won't regret it - I went from Monmouth to Abergavenny so still got a bit of the Wye Valley in and it was all beautiful....

You will make your own stories that will be passed on. Seems a top idea. Don't overplan too much, just turn up and turn the pedals.

Subbed! Obvs bonus points for every picture with bagpipers. Also your grandad looks fit considering he's fifty, especially it being the 80's (considering Bruce Willis was an action hero).

Do you know what the bike is he used? Would be epic if you find that exact bike or one similar to do the trip on!

No unfortunately not. Not sure I'd want to make it that much harder for myself anyway

Or a bike built up from a frame you've made

It'd be a fine confirmation of your newly acquired skills :-)

We could all help you design it...

Build your own and get a paintjob to match his bike

We could all help you design it...

More chance of getting the summer caps than a Forum group agreeing on how to make the perfect bike :)

Loving the old pictures, old Biek or old frame with new parts no disc brakes :)