Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
-
- Member
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:39 am
- Location: DEVON UK
Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
Hello,
Suggestions please.
I'm at the early stages of planning for an unsupported solo ride around the coast of Great Britain, beginning and ending in Plymouth, on my G9 Super Clubman. My Grandad bought the bike new in 1952 and took my Mum & Aunt all around the Lake District, North Wales & the NW in general when they were kids. It was the family transport for many years.
My Dad had custody of it from the early 80's before storing it off road in the mid 80s. In 2013 I began the process of getting the old girl back on the road. In early 2014 I passed my bike test and began riding in earnest. Our "oily rag" restoration was duly completed and in July 2014 my wife and I used the G9 as our wedding transport. Since then I've completed a few thousand miles with her and carried out general maintenance and have been rewarded with pretty good reliability.
Sadly, my Grandad & Mum are no longer with us but my Aunt is well and living in Blackpool. I hope to take her out on the bike when I get there.
I'm looking at taking around 7 weeks to complete the trip and will be camping as I go. The idea is to keep costs to a minimum.
I will keep a record of the trip and will look to write it up as a book afterwards.
I'd really appreciate any ideas or suggestions that may help in terms of financial support or opportunities for publicity. As I said, I'm at the early stages of planning now, I haven't done a trip like this since I was a kid and I don't have any contacts who can assist. Perhaps there are some folk on here with experience or ideas that they could share with me?
Thanks in advance, all ideas gratefully received,
Jason
Suggestions please.
I'm at the early stages of planning for an unsupported solo ride around the coast of Great Britain, beginning and ending in Plymouth, on my G9 Super Clubman. My Grandad bought the bike new in 1952 and took my Mum & Aunt all around the Lake District, North Wales & the NW in general when they were kids. It was the family transport for many years.
My Dad had custody of it from the early 80's before storing it off road in the mid 80s. In 2013 I began the process of getting the old girl back on the road. In early 2014 I passed my bike test and began riding in earnest. Our "oily rag" restoration was duly completed and in July 2014 my wife and I used the G9 as our wedding transport. Since then I've completed a few thousand miles with her and carried out general maintenance and have been rewarded with pretty good reliability.
Sadly, my Grandad & Mum are no longer with us but my Aunt is well and living in Blackpool. I hope to take her out on the bike when I get there.
I'm looking at taking around 7 weeks to complete the trip and will be camping as I go. The idea is to keep costs to a minimum.
I will keep a record of the trip and will look to write it up as a book afterwards.
I'd really appreciate any ideas or suggestions that may help in terms of financial support or opportunities for publicity. As I said, I'm at the early stages of planning now, I haven't done a trip like this since I was a kid and I don't have any contacts who can assist. Perhaps there are some folk on here with experience or ideas that they could share with me?
Thanks in advance, all ideas gratefully received,
Jason
Jason
1952 Matchless G9 Super Clubman, 2014 Triumph Street Triple, 2007 Suzuki 1250 GSF Bandit.
1952 Matchless G9 Super Clubman, 2014 Triumph Street Triple, 2007 Suzuki 1250 GSF Bandit.
-
- Member
- Posts: 8549
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:00 am
- Location: WEST SUSSEX UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
Sounds like fun!
If you follow strictly along the mainland coast it's about 7,000 miles so roughly 1000 a week.
I'd be wary of sponsorship and publicity (if you could get any) since it inevitably adds unwanted pressure in order to meet reporting commitments/achieve deadlines and do 'interesting' stuff. It sounds like a great personal adventure but I have to be honest and say that I doubt that the trip itself would attract financial support or a great deal of interest unless you had a worthy/charitable cause but a write-up for the Jampot would be interesting. Take lots of hi-resolution photographs. However, much would depend upon your writing style and details of peripheral events or incidents which were not necessarily related to motorbikes. At bike shows there is invariably someone looking to sell a book about their travels to Timbuktu on a Honda 90, BSA Bantam etc. It helps if you're 23, slim and blonde with big panniers
Camping is probably the least expensive but you might wish to consider Youth Hostels (especially for a night or two in spells of wet British weather) as they are open to all travellers. On the other hand Members might be willing to put you up for a night en route......
For my retirement I mostly wild camped for 2 months and 3,000+ miles through France, Spain, Andorra and back on my '54 350 Matchless, meeting up en route with ladies from foreign 'Grab-a-Granny' websites, and one occasion when a couple of spinster sisters in the Dordogne took me in as thanks for changing their wheel when they needed someone willing to get their nuts off. (You make your own luck).
Don't get hung up on too much detail when planning, bike preparation, or what spare parts to take for every conceivable eventuality; you're not going to the Moon. Just do it!
If you follow strictly along the mainland coast it's about 7,000 miles so roughly 1000 a week.
I'd be wary of sponsorship and publicity (if you could get any) since it inevitably adds unwanted pressure in order to meet reporting commitments/achieve deadlines and do 'interesting' stuff. It sounds like a great personal adventure but I have to be honest and say that I doubt that the trip itself would attract financial support or a great deal of interest unless you had a worthy/charitable cause but a write-up for the Jampot would be interesting. Take lots of hi-resolution photographs. However, much would depend upon your writing style and details of peripheral events or incidents which were not necessarily related to motorbikes. At bike shows there is invariably someone looking to sell a book about their travels to Timbuktu on a Honda 90, BSA Bantam etc. It helps if you're 23, slim and blonde with big panniers
Camping is probably the least expensive but you might wish to consider Youth Hostels (especially for a night or two in spells of wet British weather) as they are open to all travellers. On the other hand Members might be willing to put you up for a night en route......
For my retirement I mostly wild camped for 2 months and 3,000+ miles through France, Spain, Andorra and back on my '54 350 Matchless, meeting up en route with ladies from foreign 'Grab-a-Granny' websites, and one occasion when a couple of spinster sisters in the Dordogne took me in as thanks for changing their wheel when they needed someone willing to get their nuts off. (You make your own luck).
Don't get hung up on too much detail when planning, bike preparation, or what spare parts to take for every conceivable eventuality; you're not going to the Moon. Just do it!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by SPRIDDLER on Sun Nov 03, 2019 5:16 pm, edited 5 times in total.
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
Which taken at the flood............'
-
- Posts: 2886
- Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:44 pm
- Location: Aberdeenshire
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
Blimey Jason
That's some undertaking, 5000 unsupported miles on a 67 year old bike
Think very carefully on the spares you can carry and how - spare cables taped to in use ones, use the space inside the headlamp for bulbs etc. store things inside the handlebars.
Compile a list of contacts for all of the coastal Club sections.
Join the AA or similar.
The Scottish coastal route could be well be in excess of 1000 miles - there's only one Scottish section - don't forget your midge spray.
Good luck and keep us informed of you plans.
Regards Mick
That's some undertaking, 5000 unsupported miles on a 67 year old bike
Think very carefully on the spares you can carry and how - spare cables taped to in use ones, use the space inside the headlamp for bulbs etc. store things inside the handlebars.
Compile a list of contacts for all of the coastal Club sections.
Join the AA or similar.
The Scottish coastal route could be well be in excess of 1000 miles - there's only one Scottish section - don't forget your midge spray.
Good luck and keep us informed of you plans.
Regards Mick
- Rob Harknett
- Member
- Posts: 11236
- Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
- Location: ESSEX UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
http://www.jampot.com/C_AssistList.asp
Some of these peoples contact details may be out of date.
Some of these peoples contact details may be out of date.
-
- Member
- Posts: 8549
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:00 am
- Location: WEST SUSSEX UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
Totally agree with that, but just to add: Take a new plug and check that the spare cables fit. I went to use a spare clutch cable that I had transported many thousands of miles taped to the one in use only to find that it didn't fit. Luckily I was near a pal's place to scrounge another.Mick D wrote: Think very carefully on the spares you can carry and how - spare cables taped to in use ones, use the space inside the headlamp for bulbs etc. store things inside the handlebars.
I'm sure you already know what likely spares to carry but essentials include spare inner tube, primary and secondary chain links, bulbs (bubble wrapped in the headlamp shell), a foot or two of fuel pipe poked inside the h/bars...........
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
Which taken at the flood............'
-
- Posts: 663
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:27 am
- Location: Kent, England
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
The assistance list does not seem to be on the main site any more. The link just goes to the home page. I have looked at all the drop down menus and there is no mention.Rob Harknett wrote:http://www.jampot.com/C_AssistList.asp
Some of these peoples contact details may be out of date.
Jim
Too old to Rock and Roll but too young to die.
1952 G80 rigid, 1960 G12 DL / Watsonian Monza, 1954 G80S.
1952 G80 rigid, 1960 G12 DL / Watsonian Monza, 1954 G80S.
-
- Member
- Posts: 8549
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:00 am
- Location: WEST SUSSEX UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
Rob's link works. Click on 'Club' on the main Jampot website - then it's the last but one at the bottom of the drop-down menu (5 pages) - you have to be logged in to see it on the drop-down menu:
http://www.jampot.com/C_AssistList.asp
http://www.jampot.com/C_AssistList.asp
Last edited by SPRIDDLER on Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:30 pm, edited 4 times in total.
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
Which taken at the flood............'
- clive
- Member
- Posts: 5663
- Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
- Location: LONDON UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
The usual advice with carrying spare cables is to buy new ones and fit them, then attach the existing ones alongside them as spares. That way you can be sure the spare fits. From my own experience of long distance rides I would advise a spare petrol tap, and a carb gasket set, a cylinder head gasket set and of course the cables. After that take any spare that you really don't want to have to fit. The principle is whatever spares you carry, it won't be that which goes wrong hence carry parts that are a pig to fit and you know you won't have to. The forum will probably help with getting you out of trouble when something else goes wrong. Good luck.
Edit should have said if something else goes wrong
Edit should have said if something else goes wrong
clive
if it ain't broke don't fix
if it ain't broke don't fix
-
- Member
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:39 am
- Location: DEVON UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
That sounds like an amazing trip. I've done a lot of riding in Spain and the Pyrenees on modern machinery, fantastic roads.SPRIDDLER wrote:5000 seems to be common if one takes the odd bridge across an estuaryIf you follow strictly along the mainland coast it's about 7,000 miles so roughly 1000 a week
SPRIDDLER wrote:For my retirement I mostly wild camped for 2 months and 3,000+ miles through France, Spain, Andorra and back on my '54 350 Matchless
Thanks also for all the general and spares advice.
More good stuff, thanks.clive wrote:then attach the existing ones alongside them as spares. That way you can be sure the spare fits. From my own experience of long distance rides I would advise a spare petrol tap, and a carb gasket set, a cylinder head gasket set and of course the cables. After that take any spare that you really don't want to have to fit. The principle is whatever spares you carry, it won't be that which goes wrong hence carry parts that are a pig to fit and you know you won't have to. The forum will probably help with getting you out of trouble when something else goes wrong.
Cheers Mick, good advice.Rob Harknett wrote:That works for me, thanks.http://www.jampot.com/C_AssistList.asp
Some of these peoples contact details may be out of date.
Mick D wrote:
Compile a list of contacts for all of the coastal Club sections.
Join the AA or similar.
The Scottish coastal route could be well be in excess of 1000 miles - there's only one Scottish section - don't forget your midge spray.
Jason
1952 Matchless G9 Super Clubman, 2014 Triumph Street Triple, 2007 Suzuki 1250 GSF Bandit.
1952 Matchless G9 Super Clubman, 2014 Triumph Street Triple, 2007 Suzuki 1250 GSF Bandit.
- Peter Morris
- Member
- Posts: 733
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:21 pm
- Location: SURREY UK
Re: Round Britain's coast 5000 mile ride - ideas
http://www.jampot.com/C_Assistlist.asp? ... 2815123433 It's on the main site under the 'Club Details' tab Jim, but as Rob says, it isn't up to date.JimFitz wrote: The assistance list does not seem to be on the main site any more. The link just goes to the home page. I have looked at all the drop down menus and there is no mention.
Jim