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Books Related to Cycling Guide from Lands End to John O'Groats Simon Brown - ISBN: 1852841885
A nice warm up read but do not follow the route in this book. - Rated
In April this year I cycled from end to end and decided to use this book as a guide. As a small history of the route its a nice cheap book to keep you inspired but really you can't use this as a guide.
The book is over 10 years old (See the picture on the front and you'll see for yourself). Any gear information is so out of date e.g. Mountain bikes were a new fad, the author suggests taking a cycling cape instead of new fangled waterproof clothing etc. Advice is also given on the kind of places to stay, there are rarely hostels in the areas where the book suggests.
The book is written in the style of a period drama. If you're cycling on your own, carrying your gear in British weather you may rather know exactly when and where big hills will arrive rather than the next rose bordered sweeping bend.
The suggested route, e.g. through the Cotswolds, often takes the most scenic but also hilliest route.
Probably the most important point, the mileage is hugely inaccurate, sometimes by 20 miles. On a hilly day the difference between 80 and 100 miles can be a dangerous and upsetting experience.
I had to abandon the route on this book at Warrington. An old fella on a bike said the route the book proposed for the following day was suicidal, only to be attempted on a one off day. I did so much better using an old AA atlas for the rest of the trip.
Due to inexperience I thought I'd rely on this book. If you read the other review you'll notice they didn't actually use the route in this book, I strongly advise against it. I often wondered if this guy actually cycled this route. Could seem a lot easier in a car with a dodgy milometer.
My advice, pay the money, join the CTC and use their maps.
Short and sweet, just what you need really - Rated
If you're planning on cycling from Land's End to John o'Groats, it's probably worth getting this book (especially since it's quite cheap), even if you don't end up using the route it describes. We used the CTC "YHA" route in the end, but even so this book was invaluable on the journey, and a good read before we set off. The "elevation" maps (that tell you height gained/lost over a day) are particularly useful. Plus, it's small and light.
