Lands End to John O' Groats Archives - Phil Cox

Home / Archive by category "Lands End to John O’ Groats"

Category Archive: Lands End to John O’ Groats

  1. Kindle Unlimited Trial – How unlimited is Unlimited?

    Leave a Comment

    The Kindle Unlimited Trial rolls on…

    I’ve now had a chance to test out the trial and all is going well. I have a stack of reading, downloading these books has been very simple but I have started to get the feeling that Kindle Unlimited is not so unlimited.

    Kindle Unlimited

    The Kindle Unlimited Free Trial might not be for everyone

    If you were considering doing the Kindle Unlimited free trial in order to download lots of books, cancel the subscription and enjoy your reading at a later date you will be a little disappointed. The limit is set at 10 downloads at any one time; you can return books to free up space for further downloads but be aware that when you cancel the trial, all your Kindle Unlimited books will disappear. They will, of course, remain if you decide to take the paid subscription after the trial period has ended.

    Although the books will disappear, any notes, bookmarks or highlights you might have made will be saved to your Amazon account. The theory is that these will be available if you buy the books or take out a Kindle Unlimited subscription and download it at a later date.

    Maybe a way to judge whether you want to keep going with the paid subscription (currently at £7.99 – Jan 2016) is perhaps to compare your reading wish list to Kindle Unlimited and see if the titles are offered. Most people sign up to save money I guess, but running a few calculations, I don’t think I can consume a book fast enough to really save a lot of money. The vast majority of books listed in Kindle Unlimited sell at $4.99 or less and there doesn’t seem to be a whole load of best sellers on offer. I tend to read novels at around 1-2 a month (not all are Kindle books) so I would be breaking even at best.

    If you are an Amazon Prime customer, you may wish to consider the Kindle On-Line Lending Library as an alternative, it’s part of the Prime Subscription and you don’t have to return books! If I was a Prime customer this might suit my personal circumstances a little better, I could borrow a book and get around to reading it at some point without paying any more for that privilege.

    So, I enjoyed browsing what was on offer and discovered a few new authors but I suspect I will not be signing up for Unlimited, it just doesn’t suit my reading habits. I know there are people out there who consume books a lot faster than I can so this might be a good option for them. Amazon are very good at telling you the benefits of a feature if it is positive, I had to hunt around to find out the not so positive stuff e.g. the 10 book limit download.

    speed readIf you do sign up for the free trial, Amazon will assume that you want to continue with Unlimited and pay the subscription, it’s down to you to cancel the trial before its end date. This date is made very clear by Amazon as is the need for you to cancel if you do not wish to continue with a paid subscription.

    My own Kindle publication is currently priced at $3.99 which equates to £2.80, I do offer it on Kindle Unlimited and have been pleased with the income generated, I donate all royalties to www.criduchat.org.uk. Although the download is ‘free’, I get paid per page read for the first time. Additionally, it gets my book out into the readers’ hands, with luck they will like it and talk about it to other people. The more people who recommend it, the more paid downloads will result (fingers crossed).

    But don’t take my word for it, have a look and see what you think, just click the cover image!

    single_sliders

    If you fancy having a look at the trial, click here.

  2. What’s involved in signing up for the free Kindle Unlimited trial?

    Leave a Comment

    Every time I log into Amazon, I’m constantly reminded that I have not signed up for Kindle Unlimited yet so I thought I would give the free trial a go and see what it was all about. The usual monthly cost comes in at £7.99 so the free trial was definitely worth a go.

    KindleUnlimted Logo

    As a Kindle author, I benefit from people choosing my book through the Kindle Lending Library/Kindle Unlimited. Subscribers to Kindle Unlimited have a huge choice of books to borrow/download for free. Royalties are calculated on the number of pages read for the first time only.

    The free trial for Kindle Unlimited looked enticing and straightforward to set up, I thought it might be useful to blog my experience. I tend to be the kind of reader who has a pile of books waiting to be read as well as a few on Kindle that I have picked up when browsing (usually impulse purchases). I always have a book on the go and there just never seems enough time hence why I haven’t signed up previously.

    I logged into my Amazon account, clicked ‘Your Account’ (top right) and selected ‘Your Kindle Unlimited’. The next screen presented me with a few details about what I would get during my free trial, basically a choice of over a million free Kindle books and thousands of audio books – sounds great so I clicked the big button marked ‘Start your 30-day free trial’, straightforward so far!

    The word ‘free’ is mentioned a lot, which is why I was a little surprised when the next screen to appear was asking for payment card details. I read through the text and was reassured that this information was required in advance of any billing after the free period had expired. I noticed that Amazon gift cards cannot off-set any future subscription fees but there was still a box to complete the gift card reference. I’m guessing this was just part of a generic screen used for purchasing so paid it little attention. I clicked the ‘Place your order’ button and moved on….

    The next screen asked me to click on my billing address for future invoices, the format looked like a normal Amazon purchase screen so no surprises there. That was it, the welcome screen appeared and I was ready to browse through all those tempting books, downloading what I wanted for free! Happy days!

    I made a note of the trial period expiry date so I wouldn’t run into the charging period.  I wanted to see if Amazon where as good as their word around the ease of cancelling your Unlimited subscription when the time came.

    Kindle Unlimited Image

    The welcome screen looked intuitive but I thought I would give that a test drive another time. I was eager to try out the process of looking for something in Amazon and downloading it through Unlimited. Worked a treat, I clicked the ‘Buy now with 1 click’ and that was it, a confirmation screen appeared and I received an e-mail to boot – standard Amazon stuff. I then had a look at Point North & Pedal to see how the screen had changed; it was slightly different, the button was marked ‘Read for £0.00’, apart from that it was clear that the book featured in the Kindle Unlimited section of Amazon.

    Kindle screendump

    Check back for part 2 of this blog where I will have a nose around the Unlimited menus, the final part will look at cancelling the free subscription. I tend to post new blog notifications on my Facebook Page and my Twitter account, please connect with me, there may be something of interest in all the white noise! Every ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ helps with raising funds and awareness for Cri Du Chat Syndrome Support Group.

    If you would like to check out Point North & Pedal, please click here. All profit to www.criduchat.org.uk. It’s a great resource for anyone considering the UK End to End ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats (or vice versa or ‘There and Back Again’!), lots of anecdotes to help you plan your trip as well as good information about kit and training etc.

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Further reading…..

    If you liked this blog please take a moment to check out my book describing the solo Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in 2012, all profit from sales to www.criduchat.org.uk

    Please click the cover image for the Kindle version or click here to order a paperback copy. Thank you!

    single_sliders

  3. Re-Launch of Point North & Pedal – Get your FREE Kindle copy now!

    Leave a Comment

    Download FREE from 3/1/16 – 00:15

    I’ve learned a lot about self-publication since launching Point North & Pedal in 2013, a book about my experience of riding nearly 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Sales have been OK but I thought I would apply some of this new-found knowledge to re-launching the book. I’ve read a lot of blogs and listened to countless videos about the best way to promote a book, hopefully some of it has rubbed off!

    JOG Signpost

    So, what’s it all about and what’s the point?

    I rode the UK End to End in 12 days, a solo effort on a heavy mountain bike but it had a clear purpose, raise lots of money for the Cri Du Chat Syndrome Support Group. I was a fairly new to riding a bike at the time but made sure I practiced everything I would need to ride an average of 80 miles a day for nearly two weeks. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, I can’t recommend it enough.

    slider

    The book is an amusing look at the physical and mental side of taking on such a ride. It’s supposed to be funny but also inspirational, something I hope comes across to the reader. I have been honest about how I felt, especially regarding the severe homesickness, something I have never suffered from in the past. I have also resurrected the word ‘wassock’, a very satisfying term when applied to people who wind me up.

    I originally wrote up my notes purely as a personal project, as I got into the detail, it became steadily more fascinating. I had always planned to write something when I got back so I maintained a meticulous journal during the ride. It was a positive way to spend the evenings once all the ‘housekeeping’ had been sorted out. I had a lot of thinking time, usually in a freezing tent and isolated from the rest of my life.

    slider

    The book also developed into a ‘top tips’ guide for those looking to research the ride, I made plenty of mistakes so I hope prospective LEJOGers will find some useful information. Check out the About section of this web site for further tips and kit reviews etc.

    The end result should have something for everyone, it’s not just for cyclists or those interested in touring on a bike, it’s a story too.

    I have received some nice reviews on Amazon, I think this one sums them all up well:

    ‘A truly amazing book for cyclists and non-cyclist (like myself!) everywhere. This book tells the story of one man, one bike and a 1000 miles for charity. The planning, the physical and emotional endurance and pressure of cycling one end of the country to the other without a support vehicle all for the selfless goal of giving some financial support and help to this wonderful charity. The funny bits made me laugh out loud and the sad bits made me remember those that have gone before. A truly remarkable read written by a man and his family who are an inspiration to us all. Please, please buy this book you will not regret your purchase.’

    All the above sounds very self-indulgent but there was a point to the exercise, I sell the book to profit the Cri Du Chat Syndrome Support Group. They are a great (small) charity that supports families of those with CDC Syndrome, they also fund research into this rare chromosomal disorder. I have a personal connection with the charity so raising money for them seemed a natural thing to do. To date, the figure stands at over £7,600 but I can and must do better!

    So, moving into 2016, I am offering the book for FREE for a limited period of 5 days only! A little counter intuitive but I hope to improve future sales as a result; more people see what I have done and talk about it to their friends etc.

    Please help me to make this a success, there are several things you can do:

    single_sliders

    • If you have a Kindle, please DOWNLOAD the book – after all, it’s FREE!

     

    • If you don’t have a Kindle, you can down load reading apps for most devices.

     

    • Share this post with your friends on Social Media

     

    • Like my Facebook Page (there is also a ‘Like’ button in this blog, under the Twitter feed on the right).

     

    • If you read/have read the book, write a review on Amazon, this really helps to drive sales.

     

    • If you don’t have a Kindle, buy a paperback copy (they make great presents too!).

     

    You may own a copy already, if that’s the case, thank you for helping to raise a little more cash for the charity. It all adds up and makes a difference. More information about the charity can be found here.

    Here’s to a great 2016, whatever you are doing.

  4. Interview with Richard Nokes as he plans a solo JOGLE….

    Leave a Comment

    I’m always keen to connect with others who have ridden LEJOG/JOGLE to get their perspective on the trip both before they set off and after. If nothing else, it puts more information out into the ether which some may find helpful when planning their own LEJOG/JOGLE.

     Richard ordered a copy of Point North & Pedal to help with preparation for his trip in June 2016; he was particularly interested in my LEJOG because he was undertaking a solo effort too. Our routes appear to be very different in that Richard is aiming to stay away from the main roads as much as possible. In a way I envy him that as there is nothing much better than rolling hills and solitude without the traffic. Another time perhaps!

     He kindly agreed to field some questions for my blog which I hope will be useful to others, please read on and enjoy!

    JOG Signpost

     How did your interest in bikes begin and what kind of cyclist would you class yourself as now?

    As a kid growing up in the 70s, everybody played outside and just about everybody had a bike, it was the given mode of transport and our entertainment all rolled into one. That was a few moons ago now but the thrill of riding and the adventure it offered has never left me. In recent years, although I’ve not owned a bike, I hire them out on occasional weekends with my two teenage sons, so I’d certainly never classify myself as being anything other than an occasional leisure cyclist, well, that is until now!

    What bike will you be riding and why did you decide upon it for the trip? (be as technical as you like and talk about kit you will have with you!)

     I was in a position to shell out on a new bike and so it made sense to look at a dedicated tourer for the purpose. After a bit of shopping around I settled for a steel framed Dawes Galaxy. It was a slight leap of faith as I couldn’t find anywhere local to actually view one, let alone test one out. This seems common place as cycle shops simply don’t shift that many and so fill their floorspace with stock that sells more quickly such as conventional road bikes and racers.

     http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Dawes-Galaxy-Cromo-2015-Touring-Bike_76858.htm

    So what of my Galaxy? since it’s arrival in June I’m now fast approaching a thousand miles of use and so far I must say it’s been faultless. All expectations have been met and I’m very pleased with it’s all round performance, particularly the gearing and the comfort afforded by the steel frame itself. The bike is completely standard other than the addition of Shimano touring pedals (A530). They are clipped on just one side so allow freedom of choice to go clipped or free. However, if I were to pick a hole in the Galaxy then it would be the brakes, namely the standard issue Tektro Alloy Cantilevers, they are an old, but trusted on-rim design, and I find them very average. Perhaps I should of held out for the next model up as I’ve since read disc brakes are the way to go with their added stopping power.

    Incidentally I did not realise it at the time but my Dad used to own a Dawes road bike back in the 1950s and from the photo he showed me, they’ve not changed much, probably including the brakes!. Unlike my father however, he was never quite crazy enough to contemplate an End-to-End, so I guess I’m not quite that chip off the old block.

    Choosing a bike is always a (nice) problem, let’s face it, if we all had unlimited cash there would be a bike for every occasion! The comfort and relaxed geometry of a tourer plus clipless pedals will certainly make the trip more enjoyable. Nice touch on the one sided pedals, another option that makes life a little easier.

    At the point you decided to ride the End to End, what was the biggest ride you had undertaken and how does it compare to the challenge of JOGLE?

    Years ago I took part in a London to Brighton charity ride for the British Heart Foundation. I was in my 20s and it seemed like a worthwhile and fun thing to do with a few lads from work. With seemingly thousands of others I endured a quite testing ride on a very hot June day (using a mountain bike with knobbly tyres). I treated it as a bit of a laugh and so did little in the way of training, but having youth on my side I just about got away with it, crossing the finish line with nothing more serious than ‘jelly legs’. That ride was 60 odd miles, which is almost the planned daily mileage for my End-to-End ride. Although it was nearly 20 years ago, that ride helped put things into perspective when I began to consider the effort required to cycle the length of the UK. It was very obvious I would have to put in some serious training to begin to even dream I could finish.

    Have you settled on a route and what type of roads will you mainly be riding on?

    This is about the journey itself and in no way a need to cover a thousand miles in the quickest time. Within reason, I looked to where I fancied going and then simply marked out a route that would take me there. I’m particularly keen to take in the west coast of Scotland, an area I’ve grown to love from previous non cycling visits – it’s a place of sheer raw open beauty.
    As for the type of roads, I will look to quieter roads and paths to try and avoid the busier A roads where possible. I must add I’ve gained good ideas and a degree of inspiration by checking out the journals and blogs of those End-to-Enders that have gone before me, which has helped form my own ideas on how I want this to be. I’d certain recommend Sustrans who promote cycle friendly routes, they have a comprehensive website which is worth checking out if anybody is in the planning stage
    www.sustrans.org.uk. As the End-to-End has no set route, whatever path I do ride will make for a very personal journey and I like the uniqueness in that.

    Did you use any online mapping and how do you intend to navigate your way on the trip itself?

    There are quite a few different planning and mapping sites and apps freely available or at little cost, but I tend to use ridewithgps.com and cycle.travel/map which work well enough for me. Using these cycling aids helps make identifying cycle friendly routes, elevation profiles, local accommodation and those all important bike shops, effortless. However for the actual ride I shall use paper maps, taken from a cheap, 3 mile to 1 inch scale road atlas. It’s not that I’m a luddite, just my way of keeping things simple with less chance of failure, and there’s nothing much simpler or fail safe than paper.

     I agree on the map front, low/simple tech is sometimes better! I used a Garmin on a 24 hour charity ride, it worked well until we got near the New Forest, then it got very confused! The other issue is battery life/chargers/finding a socket etc. etc.

    ‘Conventional’ wisdom has always recommended riding from Land’s End because of the prevailing winds, why did you decide to ride north to south?

     I wasn’t overly phased by this as I’ve read plenty of accounts of winds affecting riders in either direction. What I am even more wary of is the wetter weather I am likely to ‘enjoy’ on Scotlands west coast, my intended route of travel. The main reason however behind my North to South route is simply to clear the more time consuming haul up to Scotland by rail first, thus leaving the relatively shorter journey back to Kent after the finish. I also think there is that school of thought of travelling south, and therefore aiming for home, will offer up a slight psychological lift. In addition to this my girlfriend will meet me at Lands End for a lift home after so it underpins my decision based on my travel logistics, rather than the conditions of prevailing weather during the ride. Not forgetting another very good reason for heading south of course is that I’ll have warm weather and glorious sunshine to look forward to, that reminds me – must pack the sunblock and shades!

    What type of physical preparation have you undertaken and were there any particular issues that have surfaced during the training?

    My health is generally good but there is no escaping the fact that some weight has crept on over the years. Since the summer I have built up to several weekly rides of around 10 miles or so each with an added weekend ride of 30-40 miles. After six weeks of regular riding I also wanted to give myself an early test, to see how I would fair stringing together two long days of cycling. This I did on what was the hottest weekend of the year last August when I cycled to Canterbury and back with a loaded bike. This turned out to be a very satisfying and successful ride of just over 110 miles and although a little dehydrated and saddle sore I felt fine. So in essence my only real exercise has been from the cycling itself. With regular mileage and a watchful eye on my diet, I’ve shed nearly 2 stone in as many months and feel absolutely great for it.

    When the going gets tough, specifically ‘undulating’ terrain in the Lakes and Scotland, what is your mind set for dealing with the hills.

    I will try to maintain a good pace and rhythm especially on the climbs, but I have to be realistic and concede if I need to stop as king of the mountains I certainly am not. I recently read Ellie Bennett’s amusing account of her own LEJOG, ‘Blood, Sweat and Gears’, a very worthwhile read. She shares her own ideas on the subject of hills and how ‘counting elephants’ along with the use of the ‘F’ word does the trick for her. Got to be worth a go I think.

    Swearing goes hand in hand with LEJOG/JOGLE, it helps no end!

    Riding End to End is tough enough, but to do it on your own brings a whole new dimension to the challenge, in my case it was loneliness that could have become a real issue. What is your greatest fear during the ride?

    Certainly there is no getting away that I’ll be foregoing the moral support and companionship a cycling buddy may bring. Usually I ride on my own so in that respect I will be used to this, but cycling End-to-End will be a different matter, so it will be interesting how it turns out. Strangely, in a way, the solitude won’t be completely unwelcome. I commute to London for my work, I’m often stuck in ridiculous traffic and continually surrounded by the hum drum of the rat race. In essence I am look forward to connect with that inner peace of my own thoughts that a quiet road may bring.

    I know you have decided to raise money for Mind, can you tell me more about this and also let people know where they can sponsor you?

    I’ve decided to raise money for MIND as they offer support to sufferers of mental health all over the UK. They also push for better services and campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems My own family were touched first hand by this when my younger brother, who at the time was just 17 years old began to suffer the onset of mental illness. This was an extremely difficult time but as a family we pulled together to help in what ways we could. Unfortunately others may not have this support and so this is where Mind can help, as they state that no-one should have to face mental health problems alone. Their support can quite simply be a lifeline to those who feel nobody cares.

    For anyone wishing to donate I’ve set up a Just Giving page, any donations will be gratefully received.
    https://www.justgiving.com/RichardNJOGLE/

     Please visit Mind’s website for further information http://www.mind.org.uk/

     And finally, if you could take one luxury item with you, what would it be and why?

    Just the one? Oh well, I guess it would be the luxury of having the company of my girlfriend at the end of each day. She has given me much support since I came up with the idea, not only that she is also a trained therapist who would help bring me back to life with her healing hands each day. If that was too much to hope for then I’d happily settle for a nice plump pillow, it’s the thing I miss the most when I’m camping.

     My thanks to Richard for going to considerable effort to answer my questions, it sounds like his preparation is well on track for next June and I wish him all the best. Perhaps we can do a post-JOGLE blog in 2016?

     Please do consider sponsoring Richard, from my own experience, seeing donations role in from people is a real positive for the project as a whole, particularly during the ride.

     https://www.justgiving.com/RichardNJOGLE/

     Best of luck Richard!

    e2e_logo_web

    Further reading…..

    If you liked this blog please take a moment to check out my book describing the solo Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in 2012, all profit from sales to www.criduchat.org.uk

    Please click the cover image for the Kindle version or click here to order a paperback copy. Thank you!

    single_sliders