Coast to Coast in one day?

chris_bass
chris_bass Posts: 4,913
edited September 2011 in Tour & expedition
Hi

I recently cycled from Birmingham to Paris and did 100 miles a day for 4 days.

I'm thinking of trying coast to coast in a day! would this be do-able? i'm thinking of doing it for charity so need there to be a sufficient challenge element to it!
www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes

Comments

  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Depends where on which coast! Could be easy: Forth to Clyde
    or better, head further north: Dingwall to Torridon for example.

    Or if you really fancy a challenge, what about the most westerly point of the british mainland to the most easterly?
    Bit of a trek in one day though.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    edited September 2011
    If you mean the C2C Whitehaven - Tynemouth then it's only about 135 miles so if you can do 400 miles in 4 days then 135 miles in a day shouldn't be too challenging.
    More problems but still living....
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    i didnt have specific points in mind really, if its a nice route then thats good enough for me! not too windy though! as i'll be heading in one direction all day it would be just my luck to have a head wind the whole time!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    Whitehaven to Tynemouth looks the most likely, most of the routes seem to mention some slight off road sections, are there any road only routes people know of? My bike definitely wont be going off road, well it wouldnt get very far anyway!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Its very easy to miss out the offroad sections on the Whitehhaven - Tynemouth C2C. Just look at a map. Also worth avoiding the ridiculous C2C recommended detour up through Mungrisdale between Keswick and Penrith just to avoid a few km on the A66.
    More problems but still living....
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    see the thread on the sportives forum
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • giantorangedale
    giantorangedale Posts: 79
    amaferanga wrote:
    Its very easy to miss out the offroad sections on the Whitehhaven - Tynemouth C2C. Just look at a map. Also worth avoiding the ridiculous C2C recommended detour up through Mungrisdale between Keswick and Penrith just to avoid a few km on the A66.

    Yeah much better to get squashed by some idiot on the A66.
    should of used giantorangecannon
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    giantorangedale wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    Its very easy to miss out the offroad sections on the Whitehhaven - Tynemouth C2C. Just look at a map. Also worth avoiding the ridiculous C2C recommended detour up through Mungrisdale between Keswick and Penrith just to avoid a few km on the A66.

    Yeah much better to get squashed by some idiot on the A66.

    Seriously? So do you take detours of several kilometres often to avoid a few hundred metres on an A road? How many times have you been squashed on the A66? Have you even heard of people having issues with traffic on the A66?

    Its like any A road - not pleasant if you're on it at the wrong time, but mostly ok, especially if its just for a few hundred metres.
    More problems but still living....
  • giantorangedale
    giantorangedale Posts: 79
    amaferanga wrote:
    giantorangedale wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    Its very easy to miss out the offroad sections on the Whitehhaven - Tynemouth C2C. Just look at a map. Also worth avoiding the ridiculous C2C recommended detour up through Mungrisdale between Keswick and Penrith just to avoid a few km on the A66.

    Yeah much better to get squashed by some idiot on the A66.

    Seriously? So do you take detours of several kilometres often to avoid a few hundred metres on an A road? How many times have you been squashed on the A66? Have you even heard of people having issues with traffic on the A66?

    Its like any A road - not pleasant if you're on it at the wrong time, but mostly ok, especially if its just for a few hundred metres.

    So its gone from a few km to a few hundred metres?If your not commuting what does it matter if it takes you out of your way on more pleasant roads.I can't beleave your last point,the A66 is a well known accident black spot.
    should of used giantorangecannon
  • ian_s
    ian_s Posts: 183
    See this recent thread on a similar theme too
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12799096

    The A66 bit is really a matter of opinion. Its a fast, unpleasant major A road but is only a mile or so (can't really remember, but not far). The Mungrisedale section is a long detour, but on pleasant, scenic country roads. Its probably going to cost you an extra half an hour or so.

    You take your choices..
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    giantorangedale wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    giantorangedale wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    Its very easy to miss out the offroad sections on the Whitehhaven - Tynemouth C2C. Just look at a map. Also worth avoiding the ridiculous C2C recommended detour up through Mungrisdale between Keswick and Penrith just to avoid a few km on the A66.

    Yeah much better to get squashed by some idiot on the A66.

    Seriously? So do you take detours of several kilometres often to avoid a few hundred metres on an A road? How many times have you been squashed on the A66? Have you even heard of people having issues with traffic on the A66?

    Its like any A road - not pleasant if you're on it at the wrong time, but mostly ok, especially if its just for a few hundred metres.

    So its gone from a few km to a few hundred metres?If your not commuting what does it matter if it takes you out of your way on more pleasant roads.I can't beleave your last point,the A66 is a well known accident black spot.

    It's a few km in total that you have to use, but split between two or three sections that are I think less than a km, hence why I said a few hundred metres. So is the part of the A66 that I'm suggesting people use an accident blackspot for cyclists? And if you're cycling 135 miles in a day it's likely that the last thing you want to do is take a several km detour.

    All I can say is that I've done the C2C four times and used that section of the A66 every time without any issues and I don't recall it even being busy.
    More problems but still living....
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    You see LOTS of C2Cers on the A66, theres a fairly wide lane either side of the road. I certainly wouldnt recommend doing the whole Keswick-Penrith on it, but its worth doing the suggested detour on it for a while.
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • slickster81
    slickster81 Posts: 17
    I trained up for a solo C2C over summer. I say summer, it was the day in August where it was torrential rain!

    Anyway, I took a direct road route between Morecambe and Middlesbrough. This turned out to be 101 miles, so pretty short for a C2C! A steady 6 hrs 30 min riding time. I've got a Garmin map if anyone wants it.
  • millimole
    millimole Posts: 53
    If we're ignoring the traditional c2c then I've done Prestatyn to Leicester (220km), and an add on of 125km to King's Lynn, would make a do-able less than 200 mile ride in under 24 hours without too many hills and not too much traffic if you plan sensibly east of Leicester.
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    I did the C2C via a route of my own choosing and spent a fair bit of time on the A66 and its a mark of how problem free it was that this is the first I've heard of it being a dodgy road.

    Maybe a fuss over nothing here?

    I remember long straight wide sections where I felt perfectly ok.
  • giantorangedale
    giantorangedale Posts: 79
    rodgers73 wrote:
    I did the C2C via a route of my own choosing and spent a fair bit of time on the A66 and its a mark of how problem free it was that this is the first I've heard of it being a dodgy road.

    Maybe a fuss over nothing here?

    I remember long straight wide sections where I felt perfectly ok.

    Voted most dangerous road in Cumbria by Cumbrians in 2007.
    should of used giantorangecannon
  • barney69
    barney69 Posts: 82
    I've done 2 coast to coasts in 1 day (each)

    I've done C2C (on my MTB) Whitehaven to Tynemouth, 135 miles and fairly hilly 7am - 9pm

    Then on my own last year I did Hadrian's Cycle Way (on my Dawes Ultra Galaxy tourer) Ravenglass to Tynemouth (via silloth) 175 miles, 4am start 9pm finish, had strong headwinds for 60 miles up west coast which made it really difficult but kept going as I was doing it for charity. I was the first person to have achieved it :-) http://www.cycle-routes.org/hadrianscyc ... trips.html

    I've also done Walney to Wear South lakes over 2 days

    This years challenge was LEJOG, solo and unsupported over 9 days on my Dawes - it was fantastic www.nigelend2end.co.uk.

    Looking for next years challenge now
    :wink:
    Tourer: 2010 Dawes Ultra Galaxy
    Road: 2011 Trek Madone 4.7
    Fun: 1973 Raleigh Chopper MKII

    http://www.nigelend2end.co.uk
    http://www.purplechopper.co.uk
    http://www.kbcycles.com/
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    giantorangedale wrote:
    rodgers73 wrote:
    I did the C2C via a route of my own choosing and spent a fair bit of time on the A66 and its a mark of how problem free it was that this is the first I've heard of it being a dodgy road.

    Maybe a fuss over nothing here?

    I remember long straight wide sections where I felt perfectly ok.

    Voted most dangerous road in Cumbria by Cumbrians in 2007.

    *shrug*

    Seemed fine to me!

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