Bikepacking
Ride4T1: Land's End to John O'Groats
Contributed by Jerry Gore
Great Britain
A 1,907-kilometre off-road gravel ride from Land's End to John O'Groats across Britain, undertaken by two cyclists managing Type 1 diabetes to build community and exercise confidence.
- Distance
- 1907
- Ascent
- 24437
- Days
- 25
- Stages
- 25
Also found on Ride4T1
Fundraising for EXTOD
Fundraising for Together Type 1
Dave and I set out from Land's End to ride to John O'Groats, choosing something far removed from the standard tarmac route. We took on 1,907 kilometres and over 24,000 metres of climbing across Britain, mostly off-road, mostly gravel, and largely unsupported, managing our Type 1 diabetes every single day.
Ride4T1 was never really about the bike, the mechanicals, the wild weather, or the hypos. It was about people and confidence. Along the way we brought together folk living with Type 1 diabetes, parents, children, families, and healthcare professionals. We held community days and launched the EXTOD Exercise Confidence Guides to help remove fear and show that regular physical activity with Type 1 diabetes is possible for anyone.
Stage 1: Day 1 - Land's End to Bodmin
- Distance
- 85
Day 1 was a brutal introduction: about 85 km from Land's End, much harder than either Dave or I expected. It was rough gravel, giant gunneras, bike-swallowing wild meadows, and even some mini dinosaurs, but it set the tone for the adventure ahead.
Stage 2: Day 2 - Bodmin Moor
Day 2 was something else: biblical rain, flooded trails, and an accident when a branch caught my rucksack while descending, swinging me around and smashing my head into a tree. The helmet broke and the rucksack ripped open, but my head was thankfully still attached. Then came Bodmin Moor. We were out on wild gravel when an horrendous downpour hit. We were soaked through, getting seriously cold, and hypothermia was becoming a real concern. We eventually found shelter in a sheep shed. Dave found the Travellers Rest about 10 miles away. The owner, Andy, knew exactly the tiny road we were stranded on because he had once farmed there. He drove out, collected Dave, then came all the way back for me. Coincidentally, Andy was 68 and had recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, worried about exercising and unsure what he could safely do. The man who rescued us ended up getting an impromptu lesson about exercise and diabetes.
Stage 3: Day 3 - Bodmin Moor to Moretonhampstead
- Distance
- 85
We managed another 85 km to Moretonhampstead, where we stayed with my old friends Pete and Monika. I also managed an interview for Radio Bristol en route. That made 255 km and around 4,000 metres climbed across the first three days: tough, exhausting, occasionally ridiculous, but absolutely brilliant.
Stage 4: Day 4 - Exeter Community Day
- Distance
- 30
Our first Ride4T1 Community Day took place at the Double Locks in Exeter. We had a wonderful mixture of people with Type 1 diabetes, caregivers, families, and supporters, alongside plenty of dog walkers. Professor Rob Andrews, founder of EXTOD and a world leader in clinical research into exercise and Type 1 diabetes, gave two excellent talks on why physical activity matters and practical principles like ICE (Insulin, Carbohydrates, and Exercise). We also officially launched the new EXTOD Exercise Confidence Guides. Although this was supposed to be my rest day, I somehow clocked up another 30 km on the bike, heading out on mini rides around the Double Locks with people of all ages and abilities, including Malcolm, who rides a specially adapted bike.
Stage 5: Day 5 - Exeter to Bristol
- Distance
- 140
- Ascent
- 2000
- Hours
- 10
That was a long one: 140 km, nearly 2,000 metres of climbing, and 10 hours on the bikes, including some seriously tough hike-a-bike terrain. It was brilliant to have my daughter Lottie riding with us through the difficult brambles, gorse, streams, and boulder fields, alongside Malcolm Dickinson. With less than 10 km to go, disaster struck when Jean's rear derailleur became completely entangled in his spokes in a dark forest during heavy rain with no phone signal. Thankfully Lottie and Jean somehow fixed it and got us moving again. We finally rolled into Dave's brother Paul's house around 7 pm, cream-crackered.
Stage 6: Day 6 - Bristol Community Day
Our second Ride4T1 Community Day took place at the Courtyard Cafe at Ashton Court Mansion in Bristol. More than 50 people joined us throughout the day: families living with Type 1 diabetes, adults and young people with T1D, healthcare professionals, and supporters. We met children who were very new to the condition, including 9-year-old Erin, diagnosed just four weeks earlier, and 18-month-old Jacob. Jon Matthias and the Together Type 1 team supported us, alongside Ollie, a talented T1D triathlete, and Monika Jakiel-Rusin, our lead paediatric dietitian. It was exhausting managing kit, accommodation, and fluctuating glucose levels on top of the riding, but days like this reminded us why we were doing it.
Stage 7: Day 7 - Bristol to Ross-on-Wye
- Distance
- 85
- Ascent
- 1000
After the Bristol Community Day, this was a gentler day: 85 km and 1,000 metres of elevation meandering north through the Wye Valley. Blue skies welcomed us out of Bristol onto gravel tracks, forest paths, and quiet lanes towards Symonds Yat, bringing back memories of traditional climbing routes on the cliffs years ago. Crossing into Wales, we reached Monmouth and found a bakery just in time to fend off a hypo with a bacon-and-cheese turnover and cakes. When you are burning 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day, you have to fuel the engine constantly. The afternoon brought forest trails, a hand-pulled ferry bridge, gravel through our self-named Happy Valley, Nepalese-style swing bridges, and finally Ross-on-Wye, where Amy at The King's Arms looked after us.
Stage 8: Day 8 - Ross-on-Wye to Ludlow
- Distance
- 80
It rained pretty much constantly from start to finish on our 80 km ride to Ludlow. Steve Rosser joined us, Tom and the team at The Bicycle Chain in Hereford gave us great advice and repair work on our bikes, and we stopped at The Shop @ Coo Corner for coffee and cake after a damp night camping. After lunch at The Buttercup Cafe in Leominster and an awesome forest mountain-bike section, we reached Ludlow. Arriving there was emotional for me because my father Brian grew up there during the war. Reaching town also meant we were officially a quarter of the way through the journey.
Stage 9: Day 9 - Ludlow to Uttoxeter
Steve Rosser joined us again for this leg. I was starting to worry about my bike: since Hereford I had effectively lost one of my gears. A bike shop cleaned everything up and lubed the chain, but within 30 minutes the clicking returned. I could still ride, but with less than 1,000 km completed, I worried about losing every gear one by one. We eventually reached Uttoxeter, where we shared a final meal with Steve before saying goodbye and preparing for the Peak District.
Stage 10: Day 10 - Uttoxeter to Edale
We picked up the Tissington Trail, an old railway line running through the Peak District. For the first 25 to 30 km it was almost perfect riding: beautiful scenery, a gentle railway gradient, and a welcome break from climbing. Then the Peak District reminded us how hilly it actually is. We skirted Buxton, headed towards Mam Tor and Edale, and enjoyed a fast descent where a rabbit darted right under my wheels. When we reached Edale, Henry met us with the van to look at my bike. He dug around the rear cassette and found a tiny piece of wood wedged tightly in the mud. He pulled it out, the gear was restored, and we celebrated with a pub dinner.
Stage 11: Day 11 - to Leeds
We woke to a wet, windy morning in Edale with my glucose running high. After riding above Ladybower Reservoir through stunning scenery, we hit what I can only describe as the Trail from Hell: deep gritstone, loose sand, rocks, and massive bumps that ground into our drivetrains. Henry was on a full-suspension mountain bike and even he struggled, so he turned back to fetch his van, leaving Dave and me with a four-mile hike-a-bike across the moorland. Later, on the outskirts of Leeds, Dave suffered two punctures and a torn valve stem. While we rode along the canal path in the dark, a lad fishing cast backwards and hooked Dave's finger. After freeing the hook, we got lost in a dark, tangled forest before finally finding a petrol station, grabbing flowers for Henry's partner Grace, and reaching their house late for fish and chips.
Stage 12: Day 12 - Leeds Community Day
Our Leeds Community Day was another really successful gathering, bringing together young people, adults, families, and people at very different stages of their Type 1 diabetes journey. There were plenty of questions and shared experiences, united by the message that physical activity is enormously important for living well with diabetes. It showed the power of sharing knowledge to remove fear and build confidence.
Stage 13: Day 13 - Leeds to Hawes
We returned to the bikes for glorious Yorkshire Dales scenery and an unexpected encounter in the middle of nowhere with Dave's cousin Tim, who had tracked us down in his yellow Ferrari using the Ride4T1 website. That evening we received a warm welcome from Nicky and the team at The Hawes Club campsite, where, in another remarkable coincidence, Nicky's grandson had recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Stage 14: Day 14 - Hawes to Alston
- Distance
- 90
A 90 km ride on fully loaded bikes across spectacular high Yorkshire moorland. We were joined by Neev Renton and her dad Alister. Neev was diagnosed with diabetes at 18 months old and is now a podium-level ski mountaineer and mountain athlete. She rode happily in driving rain, cold, and wind wearing just a fleece and no gloves, while I was wrapped in every layer I owned with frozen fingers. Dave and I ground our way over the famous Hartside Pass at 1,904 feet in freezing, windy conditions before a thrilling descent towards Alston, touching 70 km/h with phenomenal views towards the Lake District.
Stage 15: Day 15 - Alston to Kielder
- Distance
- 85
Around 80 to 85 km and, by Ride4T1 standards, almost an easy day. We enjoyed dry weather, lovely roads, gravel tracks, and good progress without the rain or mechanicals we had grown accustomed to. We rolled into Kielder feeling civilised until we discovered the campsite was shut, everything became damp, and clouds of midges arrived for dinner.
Stage 16: Day 16 - Kielder to Innerleithen
Up at 6:30 am, and within the first hour we crossed the border into Scotland. Scotland welcomed us with true hardcore terrain: the route diverted onto the moors into a swampy gully of bog, marsh, long grass, and water. Cycling stopped and turned into wrestling as we pushed, dragged, and manhandled fully loaded 40 kg bikes through undergrowth and over gates, fences, and bridges in the pouring rain. We eventually escaped onto rideable gravel, reached Hawick soaked and freezing for emergency coffee and cake, and pushed through more gnarly gravel to reach Innerleithen around 5:30 pm.
Stage 17: Day 17 - Innerleithen to Falkirk
- Distance
- 85
Another 80 to 90 km day, heading over the hills from Innerleithen towards the canal and the Falkirk Wheel. High in the hills, after the road disappeared into a rough trail, we met Noah from Queensferry on a mountain bike, foraging magic mushrooms using a phone app. After a flowing descent and a hypo stop, we reached the canal and tackled a dark, wet, cobbled tunnel with no lighting right beside deep water. We emerged to find Steve Sadler waiting to drive us to his home in Killin by Loch Tay for a much-needed rest.
Stage 18: Day 18 - Edinburgh Community Day
Our Edinburgh Ride4T1 Community Day took place at the Pavilion Cafe in The Meadows. We met people across the diabetes spectrum, including Janet, who had lived with Type 1 for 50 years with zero complications, Geo, a visually impaired personal trainer, and Karen, an accomplished endurance athlete adapting to a recent diagnosis. Dr Berit Inkster from NHS Lothian and specialist dietitians Anne-Marie Frohock and Manyee Li joined us to share practical advice. Steve drove us back to Killin, where Mike Rosser joined us for dinner surrounded by Loch Tay wildlife.
Stage 19: Day 19 - Killin to Dunkeld
An altogether gentler ride from Killin to Dunkeld with lovely roads, decent weather, and great coffee stops. In Dunkeld we stayed with Bill and Rosie Wright, swapping stories about mountaineers we had known through my work with the BMC. Bill, who was recently awarded an OBE for his campaigning work around haemophilia, shared his experiences of living fully despite chronic health conditions. In addition, our support vehicle was no longer available, meaning the final leg to John O'Groats would be completed fully unsupported, with all tents, sleeping bags, and supplies loaded back onto our bikes.
Stage 20: Day 20 - Dunkeld to Kingussie
- Distance
- 100
Another 100 km through the Scottish Highlands, riding with Mike Rosser. Along the way we met Adele Pennington, the first British woman to climb Everest twice. She shared stories about the challenges of managing insulin, dosing, and food for clients with Type 1 diabetes in extreme mountain environments. Her message reinforced our own: education, knowledge, and confidence allow people with diabetes to pursue adventures safely. We ended the day in Kingussie with tired legs and another 100 km behind us.
Stage 21: Day 21 - Kingussie to Inverness
This was without doubt the hardest day of Ride4T1 so far. Leaving Kingussie early towards Inverness, Dave's rear tyre started leaking air around the spokes due to failing rim tape. We lost four to five hours stopping, wrestling with inner tubes and midges, until our very last tube held. With 45 km still to Inverness, torrential Highland rain arrived. We joined up with Linda, a German cyclist heading the same way, and three very wet cyclists limped into Inverness around 6 pm. With accommodation prices around £500, we opted for fish and chips, warmed up by a radiator, and pitched our tents beside the estuary.
Stage 22: Day 22 - Inverness to Dingwall
- Distance
- 30
Highland Bikes in Inverness opened at 9 am and sorted Dave's bike while we had breakfast. We then rode 30 km north to Dingwall to leave our kit with our friends Susie and Richard at their farm, catching the train straight back to Inverness for our fifth and final Community Day at the Cathedral Community Hall. Healthcare professionals, diabetes specialist nurses, and locals with Type 1 gathered to share practical ideas about staying active. Afterwards, a supporter drove us back to Dingwall for a huge lasagne dinner and route planning for the days ahead.
Stage 23: Day 23 - Dingwall to Lairg
- Distance
- 100
- Ascent
- 1300
The day started with a diabetes disaster: after eating two enormous helpings of lasagne the night before, I woke at 6:50 am at 23 mmol/L. I corrected with insulin, my CGM sensor temporarily failed, and when it revived I had plummeted to 5 mmol/L. After hastily eating toast and marmalade, we set off into the Alladale Wilderness Reserve. For hours we dragged loaded bikes through mud, grit, freezing rain, and knee-deep river crossings with no shelter in sight. Around 100 km and 1,300 metres of climbing over remote gravel brought us into Lairg soaked, filthy, and buzzing.
Stage 24: Day 24 - Lairg to Forsinard
- Distance
- 91
A 91 km ride north through the huge open landscapes of the Flow Country: remote, wild, and seemingly endless, past dark lochs and wild sheep. The day humbled us through the people we met, including a woman working three jobs who showed us great hospitality. Dave was solid as a rock throughout, navigating, taking care of mechanicals, and producing a Snickers bar the moment my glucose dropped. We reached Forsinard ready for the final big day, despite gale-force winds in the forecast.
Stage 25: Day 25 - Forsinard to John O'Groats
- Distance
- 102
The final leg from Forsinard to John O'Groats covered over 100 km in howling winds. Dave and I cracked it, completing 1,907 km, 24,437 metres of climbing, and 250 insulin injections across 25 days, mostly off-road and unsupported. Reaching the cafe at John O'Groats, Dave headed inside while I stayed outside reflecting on how alive I felt. Living with diabetes meant extra kit and frequent finger pricks, but it had not stopped us experiencing every single kilometre. We celebrated briefly, then turned around to ride the final 22 km into a fierce headwind to Wick to catch our bus south.
Must-Know
- Managing Type 1 diabetes during intense endurance exercise requires constant planning, continuous glucose monitoring, and carrying ample fast-acting carbohydrates.
- Tubeless tyres require a comprehensive repair kit, including plugs, spare tubes, and tools, as remote gravel trails and rim tape failures can cause repeated flats.
- The route demands flexibility: mechanical issues, rough terrain, and unpredictable glucose levels frequently require adapting plans on the fly.
Camping
- Accommodation was a mix of wild camping, commercial campsites, and stays with friends or supporters.
- Wild camping spots by estuaries or on remote moors require self-sufficiency, warm gear, and midge protection.
- Some commercial sites along the route may be closed out of season, so have a backup plan.
Food
- Daily expenditure can reach 4,000 to 5,000 calories, demanding continuous high-energy fuelling.
- Carry emergency fast-acting sugar at all times, such as chocolate bars, flapjacks, and sweets, to treat sudden hypoglycaemia.
- Take advantage of cafes, bakeries, chip shops, and pubs in towns along the route for substantial hot meals.
Trail Notes
- Spans 1,907 km from Land's End to John O'Groats, following predominantly off-road tracks, gravel paths, and quiet country lanes.
- Surfaces vary dramatically, from smooth disused railway lines like the Tissington Trail to rocky moorland trails, loose gritstone, canal towpaths, and rough forestry tracks.
- Expect severe hike-a-bike sections, including boggy gullies, boulder fields, river crossings, and overgrown moorland where loaded bikes must be pushed or dragged.
Gear
- Sturdy gravel or mountain bikes capable of carrying heavy bikepacking bags over rough off-road terrain.
- Robust puncture repair kit, inner tubes, mini pump, and chain tools.
- Reliable continuous glucose monitor (CGM), backup finger-prick blood glucose meter, and sufficient insulin supplies.
- Waterproof jackets, thermal layers, warm gloves, and durable bikepacking tents and sleeping bags for wild camping.
Hazards
- Unpredictable British weather brings torrential downpours, flooding, freezing temperatures, and gale-force winds, creating genuine hypothermia risks on exposed moors.
- Remote stretches through areas like Bodmin Moor, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Alladale Wilderness Reserve have no shelter, phone signal, or easy exit points.
- River crossings in the Scottish Highlands can reach knee depth, with slippery rocks and strong currents after rain.
- Navigating dark, unlit canal tunnels and steep technical descents with heavily loaded bikes requires extreme care.