The Shakedown Pedal

 The Shakedown Pedal


Thinking that you’re ready to go and knowing that you’re ready to go are two different things.  When we were sailing, we used to do all the fixing of the boat, put all the food on, pack all the things we thought we’d need and then go on what we called a ‘Shakedown Cruise’, taking a trip out in similar conditions to test that all was in working condition and that we had all the right gear for the trip.  Many gaps and missed things were discovered on our shakedown cruises.  We decided to apply the same approach to prepping for LEJOG.


The Sustrans book was helpful for planning this as it gave us a view of the daily altitude gain and the specifics in terms of daily ups and downs.  Knowing that, we created a shorter 5-day route replicating what some of the LEJOG days might be like so we could experience the things that we would experience on the trip.


The criteria for the Shakedown Pedal were:

  • Distance - up to 50 miles

  • Hills - gentle rolling up to big steeper hills

  • Big Hill - one long climb similar to Exmoor, Drumochter

  • Consecutive Days - 5


Luckily we live in Lancashire, land of climbing.  We also live at the top of a hill so when pedalling from the house, the day always ends with a final climb - according to the blogs, that end of the day hill is the bane of many LEJOG cyclists!  All of this has been an asset in training for a trip with many hills!  In choosing the trip, Steve kept these four things in mind and selected the following route:


  • Home to Kendal - this is the part of LEJOG route that we’ve changed to have the rest stop at home.  Through the Ribble Valley, Ribchester, Longridge, out to Scorton, towards Glasson Dock, pick up the Route 6 through Lancaster and on out to Kendal.  Gentle rolling hills, 50 miles

  • Kendal to Penrith - Again part of the route that we’ve changed for our midway rest stop, this day is the 9-mile climb over Shap

  • Penrith to Kirby Lonsdale - Back over Shap (!)

  • Kirby Lonsdale to Grassington - Hilly

  • Grassington back Home

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