By Bike - Re: C2C route: advice wanted

We did the C2C at Easter, taking 3 days for the cycling (we set aside a complete day in addition for the train ride from London to Whitehaven). We'd describe ourselves as fairly fit, and we took touring bikes (drops, knobbly tires and lowish gears - 29")

The three stages were Whitehaven - Greystoke - Allenheads - Newcastle. (we omitted the last 10 miles to the coast from Newcastle, our train tickets were booked, we were running out of time, and we had no guarantee of being able to get the bikes onto the local train back to connect with our InterCity, making it an extra 20 miles).

Start early in the morning if you're planning to do it in three days ... we cycled for 6 1/4 hours, 8 1/2 hours, and 5 hours respectively, (not including lunch stops etc) over distances of 47, 44, and 38 miles. The second day was easily the hardest ... long sections in desolate areas over appalling surfaces, and some killer gradients. We walked a fair bit, but we wouldn't expect to have cycled a very much greater proportion with MTBs, we saw plenty of MTB riders walking too.

The route appears to have been chosen by a sadist in places. I particularly remember looking across at the smooth gradient of the B-road going towards the Whinlatter Pass, while our unclassified road went like a switchback, first higher than the B-road, then lower, higher again, metc. We also gave the "Old Coach Road" out of Keswick a miss ... it was getting to the end of a long day, and we took the easy option (although this had some unnecessary switchbacks and detours too).

After you've got to the top of the "old railway incline" after Rookhope (mile 99 approx) you've cracked it really. It might not strictly be "all downhill" from there, as we were advised, but any ascents there are, are extremely short and sweet. The latter part of the "old railway incline" was memorable for being the coldest part of our journey, biting cross-wind, which, in combination with the poor surface (6 inch boulders in place) and our tires (not MTBs remember) forced us to walk up what would otherwise have been a cyclable incline. By contrast the road down _into_ Rookhope is bliss, 5 miles of freewheeling (after you've climbed up the 1 mile out of Allenheads).

We stayed at Chase Hotel Whitehaven (01946 693656), Lattendales Farm Greystoke (017684 83474), and at a B+B (the Davis's) in Rookhope (01388 517224). (Yes, Rookhope not Allenheads, we reached Allenheads at 8:00pm and decided that was enough cycling ... taxi to Rookhope and then taxi back to Allenheads again the following morning). All the accommodation I would recommend to anyone.

Other thoughts ... you'll probably get lost in towns, particularly Consett and Penrith. However lots of locals know the route ... in Whitehaven we went sailing past the turning for the old railway line, but before we'd gone 10 yards, 2 pedestrians and a car driver were all waving at us trying to get us back on the route :-)

Good Luck, and feel free to email me if you want to know more.

--
Andy Roberts
ajroberts@cix.compulink.co.uk