Coast to coast

beefcake2
beefcake2 Posts: 157
edited August 2013 in MTB beginners
Hello

I've been given the opportunity to join a group doing the coast to coast mid September. The plan is to do it in 4 days. I have been mountain biking for quite a while now so my skills don't concern me but the distance does a little. The longest day will be about 60 miles. I can do 50 on my road bike but have never tried it on my mtb. The furthest I have been recently is about 20 miles off road. Do you think it is achievable for me to do it and shoul I just get out as much as possible on my mtb?

Cheers

Beefcake

Comments

  • tarbot18
    tarbot18 Posts: 531
    I did the whitehaven to newcastle route a year ago on a 10 year old giant hard tail with no prob s, remember your only doing up to 60 miles over an entire day and even with the big hills of which there are lots ,with the time available to you you should be OK. why is it taking you 4 days most do it over 2 or 3 it's only 135 ish miles depending on route?
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  • beefcake2
    beefcake2 Posts: 157
    Not sure why over 4 days. That is what I was told by one of the people organising it. I will ask him. Thanks for the reply though!
  • I do it once a year.
    I've been with people who have done it on less training than you, so you should be ok (but they didn't find it easy). I would suggest ramping up the miles between now and then. 30 miles will be ok, and I would also start doing a few hills. There are a couple of longish and steep climbs (nothing impossible, but you will be on your granny cog).

    4 days is easily long enough, but doing 50 miles a day would suggest to me that it is more likely be 3 days (4 nights).
    I would also check the route you will be taking and check the conditions before hand. Last year we all used semi-slicks or even slicks on the route for a bit of more speed.
    2007 Felt Q720 (the ratbike)
    2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
    2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)
  • beefcake2
    beefcake2 Posts: 157
    I checked with the guy organising it yesterday an apparently we are doing around 200 miles! :shock:
  • So you are doing the Coast-2-Coast + a bit more. Have you got a list of your starting points for each day?
    The split for each day will be different - I doubt you will be doing 50 miles each day. You will probably be doing shorter distances on days when you hit the hills. You'll still be on the bike for as long - just that you will be going up rather than along.
    But it is still doable if you take it easy and make sure that you are fuelled properly (lots of water, energy gels/flapjacks and a couple of stops for lunch/snacks).
    Don't give up on the hills - for me, it's mind over matter. Get into the granny cog on the hills and pootle up (even if it's at walking pace) - it's not a speed/fitness test. As long as you are with like-minded people (looking for a good ride with friends), you will be ok.

    Where are you based? Are their any longish hills that you can have a run at just to get your head in the right place? I always find that a couple of weekends hitting a steep hill gives me the confidence that I can actually ride the bloody things.
    2007 Felt Q720 (the ratbike)
    2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
    2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)
  • zx6man
    zx6man Posts: 1,092
    beefcake2 wrote:
    I checked with the guy organising it yesterday an apparently we are doing around 200 miles! :shock:

    Around 200 sounds like the southport - hornsea?

    We did that last year on the trans pennine trail. That was not too difficult as the surfaces were quite good. 60 miles a day if thats all you are doing is fine. I would suggests doing a few 40 milers back to back, as the morning after can be fun riding again after 60 miles the day before :-)
  • sniper68
    sniper68 Posts: 2,910
    Are you doing the Coast-to-Coast or the C-2-C..two very different rides.The Coast-to-Coast(Wainrights-StBees Head-Robin Hoods Bay) is almost entirely off road and the C-2-C(Whitehaven-Sunderland) is on green lanes/minor roads etc.If it's the C-2-C then 4 days is probably about right,If it's the Coast-to-Coast then I think 4 days would be seriously pushing it unless you are very fit.
  • Antm81
    Antm81 Posts: 1,406
    Sounds like the st bees to robin hoods bay route. I've done the route but on foot, took 10 days was very challenging. There is a lot of off road stuff on that route, including a section that we struggles to walk at times but there's also a lot of fire road type tracks too