General Cycling Discussion - Some help would be greatly appritiated.. please :)

hello all. new here.

i have suddenly hit a mid-life crisis and decided that i want to cycle lands end to john o'groats later this year with a few friends.
now, here is my problem. i havn't got a clue what sort of bike i would need.
iv'e pretty much planned my route already and it's mainly road. does this mean i need a road bike, or perhaps a touring bike?
and could you possibly give me a few ideas towards a cheapish bike that would be ideal and not fall to pieces halfway up a hill in scotland.

thanks in advance for any help.
liam

What's your budget is a good place to start. :)

i'm not sure really.
i didn't want to spend loads..
would 300 quid be too cheap? i'll probably buy second hand as long as it's good quality, but i'm not really sure where to start.
definately no more than 500 though.

Have a look at the Edinburgh Bike Co-op's Revolution range of tourers as they are within your budget and offer outstanding value.
Again why post here as there is a wealth of info re LEJOG on the CTC forum with tons of local information.

unfortunately im not from scotland. but i'll try and find there website.
but i'm sorry, i have no idea what you was on about in the second part "re LEJOG on the CTC forum" ?
i'm not really down with internet jargon.

Cyclists Touring Club (http://www.ctc.org.uk/): it's worth going for rides with your local club for some advice and training.
Lands End to John O'Groats: the CTC have routemaps for the journey based on aover 100yrs experience.

A touring bike is probably the best style for a long tour on roads when carrying luggage. You can tackle most tracks and trails and I have used one on extreme mountain trails.
Lighter weight touring bikes, called Audax are better suited to faster long rides with light luggage (eg supported by a van or hostel/B&B style).
The standard road bike has no luggage capacity , limited tyre clearance and often high gears so I wouldn't recomend one for a beginner.
You can get entry-level touring bikes from Edinburgh Cycles, Dawes, Ridgeback and Saracen.
Used touring bikes are not cheap but fo hold their value well. The CTC is a good place to buy used.

unfortunately im not from scotland. but i'll try and find there website.
but i'm sorry, i have no idea what you was on about in the second part "re LEJOG on the CTC forum" ?
i'm not really down with internet jargon.

In case it hasn't clicked yet: L(ands) E(nd) to J(ohn), etc. Would suggest that you join the CTC for their excellent public liability insurance and legal assistance if you have and idiot-in-car/you interface.

For direct info from CTC website:

For LEJOG http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=22&sid=b3241c8f93c63cb7b5a480d056f7bcbc

For bike’n’bits
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=4