Overnight c2c?

[mrcharly-YHT]

I broached the subject of my doing a C2C with my dear lady the other night. The reaction wasn't favourable; "You'd rather spend a weekend riding than a weekend with me?" was one comment.

so I wondered; how far is the shortest route? One person said about 150 miles. I could do that overnight. Catch train from work to the Lakes, snooze on train. Hop off to coast, then ride through the night to Whitby. Bacon butties for breakfast, then down the coast to Scarborough, train back to York.

Anyone have any public C2C routes on bikely, or is there a website?

[Deano]

You might try this website:

http://c2c.freeforums.org/

I think a lot of routes end up in Sunderland - which is often easier for trains, and you miss out the Moors, so it's pretty much downhill after the Pennines.  Quite urban, though.

[Wowbagger]

I broached the subject of my doing a C2C with my dear lady the other night. The reaction wasn't favourable; "You'd rather spend a weekend riding than a weekend with me?" was one comment.

I think she misunderstood. Surely you were intending to do the C2C with your dear lady?

My dear lady knows that a C2C is amongst our pre-death plans.

[redshift]

I think a lot of routes end up in Sunderland - which is often easier for trains, and you miss out the Moors, so it's pretty much downhill after the Pennines.  Quite urban, though.

True, and one of the reasons I picked Whitby as our start point.  The CTC and Sustrans both have strip maps available for several routes, but I'd hesitate to recommend them as the basis of a fast C2C - they meander quite a bit, and go over some quite big lumps.  I also had issues with layout and surface conditions when we rode on sections of NCN - the road was almost always a better option.

[cometworm]

The CTC and Sustrans both have strip maps available for several routes, but I'd hesitate to recommend them as the basis of a fast C2C - they meander quite a bit, and go over some quite big lumps.  I also had issues with layout and surface conditions when we rode on sections of NCN - the road was almost always a better option.

I'd second that, having done the "classic" C2C route a few years ago. It looks from Google's directions as if a "direct" route not using motorways is about 100 miles - which is doable overnight or in a day for most/many of us on here. I'd be interested in doing this at some point, so will try to plan a fast route that doesn't just go along A roads.

[Naggers]

I think a lot of routes end up in Sunderland - which is often easier for trains, and you miss out the Moors, so it's pretty much downhill after the Pennines.  Quite urban, though.

True, and one of the reasons I picked Whitby as our start point.  The CTC and Sustrans both have strip maps available for several routes, but I'd hesitate to recommend them as the basis of a fast C2C - they meander quite a bit, and go over some quite big lumps.  I also had issues with layout and surface conditions when we rode on sections of NCN - the road was almost always a better option.

We mostly followed the C2C strip map to a little East of Stanhope.
Then instead of Consett and the Sunderland urban sprall we headed to Durham and South of Peterlee, finishing at Seaton Carew.
Not far to Middlesborough for regular trains back to York.
Would have been 150 miles dead if we hadn't buggered it up a bit but that's a story for the ride report I still need to write.
Was indeed a bit lumpy 

[Deano]

| have to agree with everyone about the guided C2C routes - they've been designed with an eye to gentle off road routes, away from traffic.  My commute crosses the Walney to Wear route, which would be awful on anything other than a MTB with decent fat tyres, since it includes Sleightholme Moor, Hamsterley Forest Drive and lots of rough farm track.  Pleasant in its own way, but useless for eating up the miles.

Back OT: If you're fixed on Whitby, I'd suggest taking the A174 (Coast Road) to get there.  The A171 is a fast, dangerous road, and the Eskdale route is hillier and longer.  The A174 serves as a good compromise, provided you join it somewhere after Eston - and preferably after Saltburn.  Before Eston, it's virtually a motorway, and the local yoofs race along it at x mph. 

For the rest of the route, it depends on how much climbing you want to do   It's a shame the A66 is unrideable.

I was planning an incredibly stupid route going over the Lakeland passes, Hartside, Killhope Cross and (probably) Crawleyside, before heading through Durham and finishing at Hartlepool.  But my girlfriend does live in Poolie, so I have a good excuse for going there.

[mrcharly-YHT]

My love does not cycle - partly due to arthritis. So it would be a solo trip.

I think I could manage 150 miles in an overnight - I did 100 back and forth over the north york moors in atrocious weather, averaging about 16mph.

Will spend some time examining your route - if I did do this overnight, I think a route that is easy to follow would be very important.

[Naggers]

I was planning an incredibly stupid route going over the Lakeland passes, Hartside, Killhope Cross and (probably) Crawleyside, before heading through Durham and finishing at Hartlepool.  But my girlfriend does live in Poolie, so I have a good excuse for going there.

Crawleyside was EVIL. The right and left past the phonebox on OS map!! 
But well well worth the pain for the ride over Waskerley and down towards Consett.
That was probably my favourite bit.
 

[Naggers]

My love does not cycle - partly due to arthritis. So it would be a solo trip.

I think I could manage 150 miles in an overnight - I did 100 back and forth over the north york moors in atrocious weather, averaging about 16mph.

Will spend some time examining your route - if I did do this overnight, I think a route that is easy to follow would be very important.

Does Mrscharly drive? We had a couple of 'support' vehicles and the two drivers enjoyed our three day trip as much as us riders did.

Treat her to a nice hotel and do it over two days?
We didn't go into Alston but it's at about 75 miles and should have something there.

[LindaG]

There are a couple of nice b+bs and a youth hostel in Alston,  it most certainly is a good stopping point on a 3 day c2c and the North Pennine cycle route = we stayed there on both.  A few weeks ago we went through Alston but carried on over Alston Moor (a long but beautiful drag) down to Middleton in Teesdale to home in Stockton; it should be easy to join up with the Walney to Wear about there, and it's all on-road (though lumpy) from there to Whitby.  Try going through Barnard Castle - it's really smashing riding country.

[MSeries]

Years ago I did a charity ride, organised by the Yorkshire Charity Cyclists Association from Morecambe to Scarbrough, 130 miles in the day. They also provided transport from Halifax to the start and from the finish back to Halifax. Worked out well, at the time it was my longest every ride, I hung onto my mate Stuarts back wheel and we were one of the first to finish. I'd could provide the route if you want, it would be easy enough to break midway at a B&B or similar.

I have done the 'official' C2C twice too, both times in 3 days, but they were more social and less sporting rides.

[Maladict]

My 3-day c2c had stops at Penrith and Allenheads.  The plan had been to stop at Nenthead but as it was December everything was closed.  This also meant it was dark riding from Nenthead to Allenheads.  It had also been dark for hours when I arrived at Penrith on the 1st day. 

If you stay at Alston I reckon you are cheating since you can avoid one of the hardest climbs on the route. 

[MSeries]

If you stay at Alston I reckon you are cheating since you can avoid one of the hardest climbs on the route. 

and isn't it de rigeur to do that climb with a hang over and a full English threatening to make a reappearance ?

[Joe Applegarth]

If you want to avoid the worst urban bits (Whitehaven and Sunderland), start from Seascale (the railway station is about 100 yards from the beach) or even from Sellafield station (avoid the Sellafield shift change times) and go from Calderbridge over Cold Fell to Ennerdale where you can join the standard route.  This was basically my lunchtime ride when I worked at Sellafield.

At the eastern end, aim for Seaton (about 5m south of Sunderland and 1m north of Seaham). Avoid the Consett - Sunderland railway route (bad for glass and dogs) and use Leadgate - Stony Heap - Maiden Law - Sacriston - Cocken Bridge - Rainton - Hetton-le-Hole - Murton Moor - Seaton Village, then it's a straight run to the beach along Byron's Lane.  I reckon this route is the best for road surfaces, minimising traffic, and urban areas.  This route passes within 4 miles of my home, and there is not a better alternative if you want to end up near to Sunderland,  I've tried them all.  There is a station at Seaton, which is on the Sunderland - Hartlepool - Middlesbrough line.

If you like the sound of it, I could mark the route on a paper map for you.

Good luck with it
 

[Deano]

If you're set on going to Whitby, here's a route you could use from Penrith (before that, you're on your own):

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Penrith-to-Whitby

It goes along A-roads and B-roads, and there's only one major climb, which isn't the equal of anything around Weardale.