During my route planning for Lands End to John O’Groats I came across a route created by Cycle Travel and was named the Easy East Coaster. This route incorporated allot of the things that I wanted to achieve on my ride. The main thing was to he chance to cycle up the coast in my home county of Northumberland.
South West England
Day 0 – Penzance
Day 1 – Bodmin
Day 2 – Oakhampton
Day 3 – Taunton
Day 4 – Webbington
Day 5 – Bath
Day 6 – Gloucester
Midlands
Day 7 – Stratford upon Avon
Day 8 – Loughborough
Day 9 – Gainsbourgh
North East England
Day 10 – York
Day 11 – Middlesbrough
Day 12 – Newbiggin by the Sea
Day 13 – Eyemouth
South and Central Scotland
Day 14 – Edinburgh
Day 15 – Perth
Speyside and Cairngorms
Day 16 – Dalwhinnie
Day 17 – Inverness
Day 18 – Tain
The Scottish Highlands and the North Coast
Day 19 – The Crask Inn
Day 20 – Melvich
Day 21 – Lands End
The Journey Home
What is the Easy East Coaster LEJOG Route?
The Easy East Coaster is an alternative Lands End to John O’Groats route that takes in a number of interesting places along the way. The creators claim that it is the flattest route possible between the two points with up to 25% less climbing than other LEJOG routes.
Traditional routes follow the West side of England where the East Coaster travels across the Midlands and up to North East England. There are only 3 climbs over 300 metres compared to sometimes up to 11 on other LEJOG routes.
It follows quiet country lanes and cycle paths with only the occasional ride along busier main roads. It follows many traffic-free sections of the National Cycle Network as well as canal towpaths, segregated cycle lanes, and shared-use paths.
Named the Easy East Coaster, I have to say that it is far from easy but it is an interesting alternative and in my opinion a good choice. Cycled over 21 days it takes in a lot of interesting towns and villages along the way as well as taking in some amazing countryside and several millennium mileposts.
Over 75% of the Easy East Coaster is on tarmac which is great for any bicycle. However, there are some parts of the route that an expensive road bike would not be suitable for and I would recommend a detour.
Parts of the Northumberland Coast section are extremely rough and were a struggle on a cyclocross bike. Some other short sections of the path along the way were also only suited to wider tyres.
The route incorporates a number of major towns and you are never far from a town, village, or city for a place to stay.
My ride diary explains my day-to-day LEJOG experience with the occasional photo thrown in.