c2c in two days, which bike best?

chrishumes

hi guys

just a beginner as started out doing the odd commute to work (12 mile each way), so bought a ridgeback flight 04 with hub gear. cracking bike.

just got a orbea fleche road bike to put on a turbo trainer in the house for the dark nights as well.

a group of people from work are tackling the coast to coast over two days next june. more experienced than me, but some are doing it on mountain bikes, some on road bikes.

which bike should i take? (ive also got a old mountain bike in the garage?) i think the hybrid would be a good choice as its the best of both with slick tyres and nearly as fast as the road bike? only problem is its a bugger to change the rear tube in case of puncture? the gearing seems ok, but would a road bike give better lower gears?

any tips or advice ?

ColinT2

Well lets put it this way......you won't get very far on the tracks (off road) with road tyres; constant punctures etc. There is an all road route but I doubt whether your colleagues will be taking this option?

galaxyboy

I would say it depends if you want to do the mud or road and wait in the pub for the muddies to catch up.

scazzer

hi Chris
Are you doing the Whitehaven -Sunderland route????

amaferanga

If you're not carrying luggage and are happy to avoid a couple of the offroad bits then I'd say use the road bike. There's not much needs avoiding though - the Waskerly Way is fine on a road bike so its just a couple of stretches in the Lakes.

TMR

I did it in May this year. I used a Carrera Kraken with Specialized Armadillos. Not a single puncture. Not the most comfortable ride, and make sure you have panniers because trying to carry your gear in a rucksack is a very bad idea...

singlespeedexplosif

Well lets put it this way......you won't get very far on the tracks (off road) with road tyres; constant punctures etc.
interestingly this sounds like sh1t to me. I did all the offroad sections of the C2C on my road bike and it was fine. It's hardly a black run downhill is it?

chrishumes

scazzer, yeah that route. over two days, so gunna have to train!

to the other guys, a few are using road bikes who have done it before (and said they just took it easy on some of the off road parts, so are using mountain bikes as thats all theyve got and have done it before , i just thought the fast road hybrid ive got would be the best of both??

we have someone following with a van so wont be carrying any luggage!

im swayed by the hybrid as surely its the best of both??

Garz

If you were doing it at a good pace then road bike. If your going to have to stop and wait in sections for the others due to MTB's then there's no point just go with the bomb proof comfy hybrid.

kayakerchris

My son and I did this a year ago, Oct 09. We were both on roadbikes. We did the Wjitehaven to Sunderland Sustrans route. There is one off road bit out of Keswick and then the Waskerly way. You can do a couple of other real mountain bike sections but there is no need to.

We both had 23 tyres front and back, gatorskins I think. We had one snakebite puncture on the Waskerly way and that was all. My wife drove the car, took photos, supplied food, etc.

I would take the road bike. There are some superb hills both to go up and down. Coming into a village and passing a 30mph sign at 45 is such fun. You also get the variety of position for hands and back on a road bike.

Having said that nobody does round the world on a road bike so you could change the hybrid bars to one of the more esoteric types.

cougie

I'd prob go for the hybrid so you'll be slap bang in the gap between the road bikes and the MTB bikes. As someone else pointed out - theres not much point in doing it on a faster road bike and then spending all your time waiting for your mates. Its not a race.

scazzer

I done it in May with few mates,3 of us mtb and 1hybrid...
We done it over 3 days hauling our own gear in back packs and out of us all only suffered 1 punture(hybrid)about 10 mile from the end on bridle track .....

I would opt for hybrid or mtb as you have a choice then if you want to take an off road section...off road section i would recommend is when you get into Rookhope take the off road there you prob climb for about 1mile on a rocky terrain but once your at the top the views and cycling for about 4-5 miles is stunning....best secton for me from the whole route

Warwickshire Whizzer

Sorry if this is a little close to hijacking, but which route is best for those that will be on a road bike then? There's a few of us looking at a 2 day crossing on road bikes next year, I'd like to avoid tracks if at all possible, any suggestions?

scazzer

If you go to c2c site you can purchase a route map which shows you the route by road and also shows the off road sections if you wish to take them,plus on c2c site there are lots of reviews and you can pick up some helpful tips

geordiefella

fella. no comparison, take the hybrid. add 28mm tyres if you want comfort. take it easy after grisdale forest as theres a gravelly track going down to keswick. aside from that, hybrid will be so much easier. I've done it 4 times over 3 days and twice in a single day. hybrid 3 days and road bike 1 day. hybrid ideal man. enjoy the ride however you travel. take little luggage and plenty of snacks! (do you even need luggage). i took a carradice barley for the 3 days. forget it, eat in your lycra and bed after shower. drink beer at lunchtime. lol

chrishumes

geordie fella, the only prob i see with the hybrid is getting the rear wheel off if i get a puncture, as you probably know, its a bit tricky with the alfine hub gear! guess ive got 6 months to practive this, and to choose which bike!