Coast to Coast

puppiesdanglybits
puppiesdanglybits Posts: 101
edited January 2012 in Road beginners
Really loving the road bike again after so many years without one & the fitness levels are improving week by week. I want to give myself something to aim for & help me focus, so was thinking about doing the Coast to Coast, is this doable on a road bike (heard there are several off road sections) or do I need to be looking at MTB which I don't really want to go back to.
Any advice would be much appreciated, looking to do this for charity as well so I don't back out-)
Thnaks Steve

Comments

  • ollyridesfirst
    ollyridesfirst Posts: 486
    Easily done on a road bike as there are roads that go coast to coast....i did Scarbrough to Blackpool last year in a day (138 miles). Set off at just after 6am and apart from some horrific hills in the Yorkshire Dales, the day went quite well. Got a puncture 6 miles in and was dreading the rest of the day, but turned out nice. I'd suggest getting a few people to do it with, and if possible, someone to drive it with you so you have a bit of support and food/water if needed.

    One thing i would also suggest is that you try to go East to West if possible. Whichever arm is on the south side of you will get a great tan, so this normally catches the tan up from the right arm driving tan everyone gets in summer!
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    OllyRidesFirst wrote:
    One thing i would also suggest is that you try to go East to West if possible. Whichever arm is on the south side of you will get a great tan, so this normally catches the tan up from the right arm driving tan everyone gets in summer!

    West - East is more likely to get you a tail wind.
    More problems but still living....
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    As above. The St Bees to Tyneside route has options for off and on road. I did one last year from Morecambe to Scarborough via some hilly bits - that was about 170 miles including a stop off at my house (in Leeds) on the way!

    As for tailwinds - I got a good one for the second leg. Did the hundred in about 5 hours solo!

    Of course, you could do a coast to coast worth talking about - eg Barmouth to Aldburgh. That'd keep you quiet for a while :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Warwickshire Whizzer
    Warwickshire Whizzer Posts: 218
    Totally do-able on roads/road bike. Group of us did the traditional Wainwrights of St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay this year, albeit purely along the roads. I've got the gpx files saved if you want them.
  • puppiesdanglybits
    puppiesdanglybits Posts: 101
    Thanks guy's, I believe the route is Whitehaven to Tynemouth area, will be a few doing this as its through work so we get some funding we raise matched by company, looking forward to it already, if only to get me out training more & away from her indoors :mrgreen:
  • pauldavid
    pauldavid Posts: 392
    Warwickshire Whizzer wrote:
    Totally do-able on roads/road bike. Group of us did the traditional Wainwrights of St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay this year, albeit purely along the roads. I've got the gpx files saved if you want them.

    Hi Whizzer, I would be really interested in these files if that offer was open to all :?: :D
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    I was looking at doing the C2C in a day next June but due to commitments it's starting to look doubtful, if you have a look on line there's plenty of sites with help and blogs from people that have done it, generally folk do it west to east because of the wind.
  • the_spooks
    the_spooks Posts: 190
    We did Tynemouth to Whitehaven this year and 2 people did it on road bikes, we have 2 sections that were bad for the road bikes and one section that could not be done on it at all so we found an alternative.
    Stanhope area was very bad on road wheels and broke a spoke on one of the road bikes, we avoided the moor after that and went onto the road after that. The only other section was the MTB off road section on day 2, soz forgot the name of it that we avoided and went up the road also.
    Was considering an all road version of the route we did next year also.
    Good luck
  • puppiesdanglybits
    puppiesdanglybits Posts: 101
    Thanks spooks that's the route but I think we do it west to east, don't want to revert to MTB if I can help it so wondered if there were road sections as alternative to MTB sections as alternatives
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    There isn't a defined C2C route - so if you want to find a route to follow just get a road map out and see what suits you best.

    I did Maryport to Blackhall Colliery, purely based on the availability of train transport to the start and the fact that I like Get Carter and they filmed the end scene at Blackhall Colliery!

    119 miles in a day made it seem challenging enough for me.
  • kayakerchris
    kayakerchris Posts: 361
    The Sustrans C@C route from Whitehaven to Tynemouth is a great ride. I did it 3 years ago with my son over 2 days. We did it on road bikes all the way. 1 puncture each. The first mountain bike section is alongside the road and then the second mountain bike section is up Hartside and we just followed the road. The run down the cinder covered reclaimed railway line was where we got our punctures and I would probably do just road if I was doing it again.

    However if you follow the Sustrans route it keeps you on cycle path and off the road for the last 20 miles or so which is useful if members of the group are getting really tired and losing concetration.

    Chris
    www.hand-surgery.co.uk
    www.dupuytrens.co.uk
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    I did whitehaven to Sunderland on my road bike and had no problems - did it over 2 days but if you are organised I reckon it can be done in 1 day

    following the sustrans route markers the first section out of whitehaven is on hard tracks but ok on road bike, follow the road at whinlatter, there is a section out of keswick that is messy and I would avoid next time, the bit around stanhope is definitely not doable, but I had no problems on the waskerley way (the last cindertrack section)
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • puppiesdanglybits
    puppiesdanglybits Posts: 101
    kayakerchris wrote:
    The Sustrans C@C route from Whitehaven to Tynemouth is a great ride. I did it 3 years ago with my son over 2 days. We did it on road bikes all the way. 1 puncture each. The first mountain bike section is alongside the road and then the second mountain bike section is up Hartside and we just followed the road. The run down the cinder covered reclaimed railway line was where we got our punctures and I would probably do just road if I was doing it again.

    However if you follow the Sustrans route it keeps you on cycle path and off the road for the last 20 miles or so which is useful if members of the group are getting really tired and losing concetration.

    Chris
    How old was your son when you did it, never even thought of taking mine for all or even part of the way?
  • Warwickshire Whizzer
    Warwickshire Whizzer Posts: 218
    pauldavid wrote:
    Warwickshire Whizzer wrote:
    Totally do-able on roads/road bike. Group of us did the traditional Wainwrights of St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay this year, albeit purely along the roads. I've got the gpx files saved if you want them.

    Hi Whizzer, I would be really interested in these files if that offer was open to all :?: :D


    No worries,

    Drop me a PM and I'll ping them through.
  • notlongnow
    notlongnow Posts: 176
    Theres loads of various routes on the c2c west cumbria-north east route that will keep you on the roads if needs be.
  • kayakerchris
    kayakerchris Posts: 361
    My son was 20 and I sat on his wheel!! Seriously, I stayed with him on the flats and met him at the top of each climb!!
    www.hand-surgery.co.uk
    www.dupuytrens.co.uk
  • blackpoolkev
    blackpoolkev Posts: 474
    Check out the "Way of the Roses" route which goes from Morecambe to Bridlington.171 miles with 2800m of climbs.

    I did it last June(lots of daylight) including an extra 20 miles from Blackpool.

    Day 1,set off at 6am,was in York B+B (128 miles)12 hours later.
    Day 2 ,62 miles to Bridlington,2pm train back to Blackpool,home by 7pm.Job done.
  • puppiesdanglybits
    puppiesdanglybits Posts: 101
    Can't believe some of you have done this in a day, only a few weeks back on road bike so thought I was doing well to do it in 2 or 3 days
    Thnaks for the info though, certainly will start planning after new year for this & gives me the xcuse to get out & get a few more miles under the belt without the other half giving me to much grief
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    I did Whitehaven to Sunderland a few years ago. It was all ridable on road bikes (although we took the Old Coach Road, which wasn't even ridable on a mountain bike in parts). I was glad I did it on my mountain bike though, because I bloody well needed my triple and stupidly low granny gears in parts... =)
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    There's a route from Morcambe bay to saltburn, easily doable in a day to average fit riders just about 100 miles, Lots of C2C routes north or south of the A66, have done the south side C2C's a few times mainly because the dales area is such a nice place to ride in, good luck the first C2C is always the best one
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • Garz
    Garz Posts: 1,155
    Holyhead to Yarmouth?
  • jewbs
    jewbs Posts: 139
    just bringing up this thread as i`m trying to talk my friend into doing a coast to coast next year. I would like to do it as a day ride, 100 - 130 miles. I`m interested to find out more about routes from morcambe to saltburn or around that area. If anyone has some routes on file they are happy to share i would be most grateful. cheers.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Rolf F wrote:
    Of course, you could do a coast to coast worth talking about - eg Barmouth to Aldburgh. That'd keep you quiet for a while :lol:
    Garz wrote:
    Holyhead to Yarmouth?

    Keep up at the back :wink:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • nonshy
    nonshy Posts: 22
    i did west to east last "summer"... whitehaven to sunderland.... for 3 days we battled circa 20mph head winds

    Everyone said we should've of benefitted from tail wind but just my luck it was going against us.... having to cycle hard downhills is soul destroying

    good laugh though and we raised £8k

    enjoy
  • ollyridesfirst
    ollyridesfirst Posts: 486
    My route from last summer.....did it in less than 10 hours, which for someone who can't climb at all i was pretty happy with!

    http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/17817344

    1 cat 3 climb and 7 cat 5 climbs (apparently)

    4,377ft of climbing!
  • puppiesdanglybits
    puppiesdanglybits Posts: 101
    Thanks for that Olly, was planning to do Whitehaven to Sunderland but the route you took look sgood & as I live near York might even look at doing this Blackpool to Scarborough then I can spend the night in my own bed, can't see me doing it in a day at this early stage back on a road bike (but you never know-) )
  • ollyridesfirst
    ollyridesfirst Posts: 486
    No probs....tough going through the Dales, but some great views. Loved the bit between Pately Bridge and Grassington.....very tough climb, but then downhill for a long time!

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