Coast to Coast in a Day: NUTS?!?!?!!?

Bobbinogs

I must admit that I have a real case of charity fatigue. What ever happened to people doing things just because... like going out at the w/e and cycling or running, or even walking in the countryside just because they want to? Nowadays folks don't seem to be able to do chaff all without someone somewhere either paying for it (like the free holidays paid through sponsorship) or paying money to a charity because of it.

The big sportives are a good example of the madness that is going on at the moment when charities like MacMillan PAY huge amounts of cash to have their name associated with some rides just because they can then use the events to raise funds, so no different than McD sponsoring the olympics to fill their corporate coffers, albeit that MacMillan obviously has a much more altruistic objective.

Me? I like riding my bike.

Runtothehills

@sub55 - so the real reason you don't think the Coast to Coast is worthy of sponsership is that you don't like the number of people that ask you to sponser them - which is fine, it's a position I can sympathise with but don't say it's because the coast to coast isn't hard enough - for most people it is. (although 3,500 m of ascent may be more realistic than 4,500 m if my Garmin is to be trusted).

Luckily for me most of my friends ask for sponsership through (repeated) facebook messages and e-mails and collect the donations on-line (a pretty easy thing to do nowadays) so I can pick and choose without looking tight.

If it's not hard enough you can always put a time limit on it, I once did a 8.5 mile for charity (Air Ambulance, they'd picked me up about 6 months beforehand and some of my friends were pushing me to do something anyway). A few people said they'd give different amounts based on time - and they were not nice with their time bands!

If you want to sponser only things that push the limit of human endurance than only one cycling challenge comes to mind - breaking the record for most miles cycled in a year, currently standing at 75,065 miles (or over 200 miles per day). Even the Tour de France can't be pushing the limit of human enduyrance as 150-200 people finish it most years. Maybe the cycling the Pan American highway or cycling around the world as well but lets face it most people don't have the time for any of these.

By the way I've only ever done that one sporting thing for charity, I agree with the views I wouldn't want to ask for money for something I'd do anyway, I enjoy riding my bike. Plus if I did do something for charity I would want it to be a real challenge, and I'm fit enough that few things count. That doesn't mean that I don't recognise that what i find easy is a struggle for others though.

700c

Hi all, entries open today! I've already signed up..

If anyone who has done this in previous years has any further advice it would be most welcome!

Thanks

rolf_f

Might be putting my money where my mouth is on this one as we might be having a club entry and I could hardly miss it if we did!

Initialised

I did the 100 mile, 10000ft Hexham Hell at the weekend with a 40 mile round trip to and from the event. I left the house at 6:10 and got back at around 18:50 subtract maybe 40 minutes for registering at the start and hanging about chatting at the end and call it 12 hours. So from that I could realistically expect to tackle the Coast to Coast in a day next June. Going to try an extreme diet and training system I read about in Training and Fitness for that one see if I can't get a better average speed than I've managed on this year's centuries.

t4tomo

Runtothehills wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

700c wrote:

PS Rolf F - Dales and moors are 'easy'? Yeah right!

You probably need to look at the route plan. I've ridden all over the Dales and Moors and know what they are like to ride. The route takes the easy route through Garsdale and into Wensleydale without any big climbs and then skirts along the North edge of the Moors without properly going onto them at all

I know most of the route having ridden many of those roads and driven the ones I've not ridden. There aren't any significant climbs after Wrynose (though Londoners might run away screaming from any part of it). You could say that the climb over from Kendal to Sedburgh is a bit of a slog (and you'd be right!) but it is nothing compared to eg the climb into Swaledale from Nateby or any of the nasty routes they could have taken over the Moors. Pretty much it takes the path of least resistance.

I think this counts as a climb:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=glaisd ... 02,,0,3.32

Short yes but also annoyingly steep after 130 miles or more. I found it harder than Wrynose, but then again Wrynose from the west is pretty easy.

Yes it is steep plus hard to carry momentum into given the hairpin bend at bottom....I was born and raised near there, I could never make it up on my Raleigh Commando, but it was just manageable when I got Viking 10 speed racer.

Very tempting event, especially as it finishes on my mum & dads front doorstep.

markhewitt1978

Initialised wrote:

I did the 100 mile, 10000ft Hexham Hell at the weekend with a 40 mile round trip to and from the event. I left the house at 6:10 and got back at around 18:50 subtract maybe 40 minutes for registering at the start and hanging about chatting at the end and call it 12 hours. So from that I could realistically expect to tackle the Coast to Coast in a day next June. Going to try an extreme diet and training system I read about in Training and Fitness for that one see if I can't get a better average speed than I've managed on this year's centuries.

wow. Good going! We joked on the event when the Sunderland club riders went past that they'd probably ridden from home too; not actually thinking anyone would.

t4tomo

Runtothehills wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

700c wrote:

PS Rolf F - Dales and moors are 'easy'? Yeah right!

You probably need to look at the route plan. I've ridden all over the Dales and Moors and know what they are like to ride. The route takes the easy route through Garsdale and into Wensleydale without any big climbs and then skirts along the North edge of the Moors without properly going onto them at all

I know most of the route having ridden many of those roads and driven the ones I've not ridden. There aren't any significant climbs after Wrynose (though Londoners might run away screaming from any part of it). You could say that the climb over from Kendal to Sedburgh is a bit of a slog (and you'd be right!) but it is nothing compared to eg the climb into Swaledale from Nateby or any of the nasty routes they could have taken over the Moors. Pretty much it takes the path of least resistance.

I think this counts as a climb:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=glaisd ... 02,,0,3.32

Short yes but also annoyingly steep after 130 miles or more. I found it harder than Wrynose, but then again Wrynose from the west is pretty easy.

Yes it is steep plus hard to carry momentum into given the hairpin bend at bottom....I was born and raised near there, I could never make it up on my Raleigh Commando, but it was just manageable when I got Viking 10 speed racer.

Very tempting event, especially as it finishes on my mum & dads front doorstep.

Initialised

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

I did the 100 mile, 10000ft Hexham Hell at the weekend with a 40 mile round trip to and from the event. I left the house at 6:10 and got back at around 18:50 subtract maybe 40 minutes for registering at the start and hanging about chatting at the end and call it 12 hours. So from that I could realistically expect to tackle the Coast to Coast in a day next June. Going to try an extreme diet and training system I read about in Training and Fitness for that one see if I can't get a better average speed than I've managed on this year's centuries.

wow. Good going! We joked on the event when the Sunderland club riders went past that they'd probably ridden from home too; not actually thinking anyone would.

Epic wasn't enough so I upgraded it to Awesome!

southdownswolf

I've entered, should be a nice gentle ride out. 8)

negativelycra

I quite fancy that.
However, it's just 2 weeks after le mans - which is 5 days of badness. I'm used to riding through a hangover, but 15,000 ft of climbng post le sarthe? I'm not sure i'm hard enough for that!

rickeverett

Navrig wrote:

A bunch of my colleagues did Way of the Roses in a day. Started west coast about 0530 finished late evening east coast.

Absolutely one of the best C2C routes in the UK.
However I found a lot of riders were not doing the official route and either missing parts or using main roads etc.

Best thing is to load the official route into a garmin. We uploaded ours to share on garmin online.

It saves time looking for the cycle signs or map.

Doable in a summer day if your super fit, but its over 170 miles and goes through some hilly terrain. The last 3rd caught us out. Its flat and long so your burning along at 18-25mph for long long stretches.

desweller

It's sold out! 3 days to fill the available spots compared to 4 months last time. Bumders.

Wirral_paul

Still open for groups and clubs............ think i need to work on my own club to enter now!!

desweller

8 riders for a club/group entry...not impossible but substantially more difficult to organise!

sub55

The 3 Coasts 600
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-226/#more

secretsam

DesWeller wrote:

It's sold out! 3 days to fill the available spots compared to 4 months last time. Bumders.

Bumders indeed.

Well, that's that decision made...Ride to the Horns it is...

Initialised

Oh well, I guess I'll do the Cyclone again instead.

700c

So, anyone who's entered got any specific training plans, or are you thinking a good amount of early season miles will be sufficient?

I'd like to add a specific diet to the endurance training after xmas, to give me a bit more finesse up those early hills en route..

PS LOL @Sub55 posting a link to a long Audax as he doesn't deem this one hard enough! (even doing it twice non stop, apparently)

marcusjb

700c wrote:

PS LOL @Sub55 posting a link to a long Audax as he doesn't deem this one hard enough! (even doing it twice non stop, apparently)

That's the easy way to do it. Google Pendle 600 for a hard double coast-to-coast. 2nd hardest 600 I ever rode.

rolf_f

700c wrote:

So, anyone who's entered got any specific training plans, or are you thinking a good amount of early season miles will be sufficient?

None whatsoever!

700c

Rolf F wrote:

700c wrote:

So, anyone who's entered got any specific training plans, or are you thinking a good amount of early season miles will be sufficient?

None whatsoever!

Well good luck! I suppose it depends on the level of fitness and experience you have coming into this event. I for one do not feel ready yet - my best time for a century is 5 hrs 30 so far this year, and that did not include the types of hills that this one will feature! Admittedly that one was achieved in poor weather, so i have some experience of the suffering required.

I also have a way to go with the distance, having barely gone over 105 miles to date and never spent over 6 hours in the saddle in one session. I need to know how my body will react to the amount of time it has to spend in a reasonably aero position (one that I'm gradually getting used to).

on the subject of other events, eg the Audaxes linked on this thread, they may well be harder challenge -.they are certainly much longer - albeit over multiple days and perhaps not intended to be done as quickly, I do think it is acknowledged as a 'tough' sportive, and people should remember that this thread has been posted in 'road beginners', before they start knocking those who have signed up and may be less secure in their abilities!

rolf_f

700c wrote:

I do think it is acknowledged as a 'tough' sportive, and people should remember that this thread has been posted in 'road beginners', before they start knocking those who have signed up and may be less secure in their abilities!

Why would you think that anyone would knock anyone for signing up to this? Nobody will think it easy. It might not be the toughest way to go from one side to the other but it is still 150 miles with Hardknott at the start. Nobody who has ridden a bike up Hardknott is going to get sniffy about any ride that includes it.

700c

Rolf F wrote:

700c wrote:

I do think it is acknowledged as a 'tough' sportive, and people should remember that this thread has been posted in 'road beginners', before they start knocking those who have signed up and may be less secure in their abilities!

Why would you think that anyone would knock anyone for signing up to this? Nobody will think it easy. It might not be the toughest way to go from one side to the other but it is still 150 miles with Hardknott at the start. Nobody who has ridden a bike up Hardknott is going to get sniffy about any ride that includes it.

I completely agree with you, but tell that to @Sub55! (ref earlier posts in this thread)