c2c

Started the trip with a c2c 'shakedown'  Kelly dropped us off just outside the lovely village of Ulpha, leaving us 23 miles via St Bees to the B&B in Whitehaven, the idea was just to loosing the legs a little, the climb out St Bees certainly did that, little did I know at that point that that was just an 'inconvenience' compared to what lay ahead.

Distance = 23.3 miles
Time = 1 hrs 42 mins
Ave Speed = 13.7 mph
Top Speed = 37.0 mph
Hillometer = 101.5 ft/mile

Weather = Sunny Spells, 17c 

Day 1

Set out from Whitehaven just before 9 am, the first few miles are on cycleways around the houses of Whitehaven and out into the countryside, rolling hills soon become the order of the day but nothing too testing until Winlatter, that was my first real test on the c2c, it felt hard!




 

                       First Sight of the hills                                Lowes Water

 A quick snack at the visitor centre at the top of Winlatter and we were off again heading for Keswick, we didn't stop there but the little bit we saw reminded me of what a lovely town it is.  Back onto a section of cycleway out of Kewsick, the old train line out of the town was through some nice wooded area and took us 3 miles out of town until we met the A66, we followed alongside this for a few miles until turning off towards Greystoke.


From Greystoke we headed down to Penrith for a lunch stop in a lovely quiet Cafe.  After a lovely omelette and chips off we went up a nasty little dig, well it was nasty on a full stomach and onwards towards the biggy of the day, Hartside.

We were soon in Renwick and at the bottom of the 4.5 mile (and 1300ft) climb to the top of Hartside, it just went on and on.  I was OK up untill a switchback before joining the main road, that took a fair bit out of me but I recovered and made it to the main road up, about a mile and a half to go at this point.  The headwind now felt as though it was blowing me back down, head down I ploughed on, past the cottage on the left, not far now, one last bend near the top and it levels out a little, I even dropped it a couple of gears and pushed for the top.  I had made it, at that point it was the hardest thing I had ever done on a bike, it took a big effort and a large slice of will power to pull me up there, not forgetting the weight I was carrying in the panniers, this was the pinnacle for me.

After a well deserved glass of Coke and a coffee for Dad we headed downwards towards Alston, our stop over point.

Distance = 75.6 miles
Time = 6 hrs 24 mins
Ave Speed = 11.8 mph
Top Speed = 35.2 mph
Hillometer = 129.4 ft/mile

Weather = Sunny Spells, 16c








Day 2

Alston is a lovely town, apart from the cobbled hill out of it, very picturesque I agree but not the easiest thing to cycle up after a full english before setting off towards the highest point of the c2c route, the climb began only 5 miles into the day, far too early for me as I like to have have a good few miles in the legs before a goodclimb, oh well, we couldn't move the hill.  
 

  
Any how we reached Nenthead at the bottom of the climb, I got my head down a dug in, this was harder than Hartside, much harder.  It was also harder than the correct route I suspect, the top of the climb was like a wall! I didn't beat me though.  I say the correct route as I had my head down so much so that I missed the turn.  After waiting for Dad at the top for 5 minutes the phone rings. "Where are you?" "At the top" I reply "No your not" says Dad...... I had missed the turn and climbed 16ft further than the highest point on the c2c (had to get that bit in) We decided to meet in Allenheads.  About 5 miles later we were reunited.

A nasty little climb out of Allenheads and I'm beginning to wonder if this climbing is going to end, we knew we had one nasty one out of Stanhope further down the line, this was supposed to be an easier day!  Rookhope to Stanhope showed as flat on the c2c booklets profile, was it heck, another steep but shortish climb took a little more out of the legs.


Then came Stanhope, what a bugger that was!  2.5 miles of hell, especially the first half up to the cattle grid, it was steeeeep!  That was hard but not for long so in a way not as bad as other hills encountered but the effort required at points was more than any other.  At least that was it, downhill from here.

                        Road to Rookhope          View from top of Crawleyside Bank


After that big hill it was back onto cycleways all the way to Sunderland, some of this was a little hard going on a road bike equipped with 700x23's but was almost navigated without any issue until about 15 miles from Sunderland.  Hit a large stone which caused minor rim damage but enough to puncture the tube, this was not spotted until the second change of inner tube, nothing that a patch on the rim couldn't cure, and a minor repair the next time the tyre is off.  If I'm honest I would avoid this part of the route if doing it again, as said it was little rough (but just about manageable) for a road bike

 After 34 miles of Sustrans tracks we made it to the coast, it had been hard going off road for so long and the finish line was welcome.  We had made it.  This was my motivation for getting back on a bike, a change of direction from off road to on road along the way and I'm really enjoying my cycling.

Thanks to all the good wishes I received and all the donations to Macmillan that you made (there is still time if you haven't).

Distance = 62.6 miles
Time = 5 hrs 29 mins
Ave Speed = 11.4 mph
Top Speed = 38.8 mph
Hillometer = 99.7 ft/mile

Weather = Sunny Spells, 19c

2010
MTB = 89.2
Road Bike = 2008.2
Single Speed = 0.8
Total Mileage = 2098.2