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C2C2C

September 2023
A 5 day cycle tour from Newcastle to Whitehaven and back Read more
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  • TravelerC2C2C

    Three Weeks to Go: Planning

    August 13, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Successful bike tours don’t just happen, and the planning can take as much time as the actual event - or maybe that’s just me! There is so much to do, from plotting a route, to getting to the appropriate level of fitness, to weighing your pants (more about that later). What started as an idle conversation with friends in a restaurant in Rotterdam last autumn has grown into something which those closest to me suspect has ever so slightly become an obsession.

    According to the Sustrans website, the C2C is the UK's most popular challenge cycle route, traveling 137 miles between the Irish Sea and the North Sea, from Cumbria to Tyneside. Mostly on cycle paths and quiet roads, the route passes through the northern Lake District before climbing the Pennines and descending to the railway paths of County Durham. It is best cycled west to east, to take advantage of the prevailing winds and kinder gradients.

    Route planning has come a long way from those impossible-to-fold Ordnance Survey maps and there are now a multitude of online maps and plotting tools available. I tried a few before I settled on my preferred choice, Komoot. I like to think the app was developed in Glasgow with the name short for "will ye no cum oot tae play", but apparently Komoot is a boy’s name meaning Ruler, Good Person, Influencer... However, despite the somewhat ostentatious name, as a planning tool it was very intuitive and easy to use.

    Being such a popular challenge, there are plenty of GPS files of the route online, so it was simply a case of uploading the file into the Komoot software and dividing it to match our planned days. Ignoring the advice about prevailing winds and kind gradients, we had decided to make it the C2C2C rather than drive west from the Newcastle ferry to the conventional starting point, so some days had to be duplicated and reversed. Then I laboriously checked the route turn-by-turn against the official guidebook (I’m still not sure why I felt that was necessary).

    And finally, anyone who has cycled with me will know that coffee and cake stops are as carefully planned as the route itself, but for this tour such planning was simplified by the fact that there didn’t seem to be very many along the way. That’s why my preferred method is to plan the coffee stop first then look for an interesting way to get there.    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C
    1

    Two Weeks to Go: Training

    August 20, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    For me, cycling is a social activity - a chance to relax and catch up with friends. Such occasions should be punctuated by coffee and cake at a rate of 1 café per 20 miles or so. I am still recovering from the shock of a recent cycle with a friend from Carlisle who dragged me round a 45 miles ride without a stop.

    My initial approach to preparing for the C2C(2C) was to continue in that vein - a once weekly, 40 to 60 mile cycle with the requisite number of coffee stops. However, with about 6 weeks to go, it was becoming increasingly obvious that this approach wasn't working. The tipping point was when a planned 70 mile ride round Stow was abandoned less than half way and became a miserable get me home as quick as you can slog. I finally, if somewhat belatedly, accepted I needed a new plan.

    I was having my very own energy crisis. A review of my performance data - yes there are apps for that - confirmed I was hardly generating enough power on my leisurely, chatty, caffeinated rides to light a lamp (before the invention of low wattage LEDs that is). Cycling blogs reccomended including 1 or 2 short (20 miles), fast, caffeine free, rides in between the longer trips and also some full-on turbo sessions. Convinced that they knew better than me, I complied.

    The blogs were right, and my average speed and endurance have increased significantly over the past month. The increased ride frequency was having a marked effect. Strava (cycling app for the geek) has an algorithm that estimates increases in fitness as a result of training (and decreases as a result of sitting around on one's backside). The resulting graph showed pictorially what my legs were already telling me. I was getting fitter.

    The blogs also suggested that in the last few weeks I should get used to climbing hills with a full load, presumably by filling the panniers with bricks to represent my luggage. It sounds like good advice, however I will never know as there are lines that I am not prepared to cross. Cycling needs to be fun, or I will stay home with my feet up, and the idea of carting a load of bricks around Midlothian sounds anything but fun.

    Let's hope I don't live to regret my flat refusal to follow the science.......    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C

    One Week to Go: Weighing

    August 27, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Some people go through life never questioning how much their pants weigh. But when you have to drag your possessions up a steep hill into a headwind using what's left of the power in your legs, light pants are the order of the day.

    The sweet spot in packing is to go as light as possible without compromising function. On my last cycling tour I bought the lightest pair of casual shoes I could find, but then couldn't walk across the road to the pub without them really hurting. So with that in mind, weighing all the pants you own in order to select the lightest is a given, but shopping for a thong.......a definite no no!

    Of course, you need to take all your stuff in something, and a couple of Tesco bags for life just won't cut it. Bike panniers are sturdy, waterproof and with secure fittings. All that functionality comes at a cost, in my case almost 1 kg per bag - a depressing dent in my aspiration to keep my total load to around 5 kg.

    So here's how it's done (if like me you have a touch of OCD):

    1. Make a list of everything you plan to take.
    2. Weigh each item - this may involve weighing several options to find the lightest.
    3. Compile a spreadsheet of all the data.
    4. Sort the list by weight.
    5. Consider if you can lighten any item further - I replaced my multi tool and am currently researching deodorants. I haven't cut the end off my toothbrush (yet).
    6. And remember the most weight can be saved by removing stuff from the list altogether (how many casual tops do I really need for 4 days?).
    7. Congratulate yourself on managing to lighten your load by 573 grams, then remember you have to fill your water bottles.

    I have made only 2 exceptions to this approach. Firstly, I replaced my GPS bike computer for a newer, heavier model. The additional battery life, bigger map screen and the ability to navigate back onto the correct route if I took a wrong turn seemed to justify the additional weight gain. The second was to ignore the obvious alternative way to reduce the overall weight carried, by focusing on the mass above the saddle and cutting down on the many coffee and cake stops.

    And a final word to those who are still pondering light pants, it's 45 gams a pair. And while we are on the subject, why do we refer to pants as pairs when there is clearly only one of them?    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C

    One Day to Go: Packing

    September 2, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    You wouldn't believe how many hours I spent deliberating between carrying my belongings in 2 panniers hung on either side of a rear rack versus using a rack top bag and handlebar bag. Although if you know me well, you may easily believe it!

    There are pros and cons to consider. Panniers are hung from the rear rack and are lower to the ground, thus making the bike more stable, but they have poorer aerodynamics and will potentially act as an air brake. They also have a larger capacity which is both good and bad - I don't need the temptation to pack more pants, no matter how light they are.

    Whilst a rack bag / bar bag set up is better aerodynamically, due mostly to the fact the rack bag sits directly behind my derriere, it does have its drawbacks. The bag sits high on the bike, and being vertically challenged, I find it difficult to swing my wee leg over it. Also the supplied waterproof cover doesn't quite fit the bag when it's full and I will be in the Lake District (enough said?).

    The final thing to pack is my bike. I prefer to avoid using a roof rack, mostly due to my aforementioned deficiency in the altitude department. We have a hatchback, so normally I just drop the rear seats and sling the bike in the back. But for this trip, Jackie is dropping me off at the start and she and her friend are spending a few days holidaying nearby, before picking me up at the end of the tour. Not only do we require at least one functional rear seat, it was clear that they didn't have the same luggage restrictions as I did. Conveniently, short legged people have small framed bikes and by removing both wheels and turning the frame upside down I managed to tuck the bike inside the car and secure it using the plethora of available luggage. Result!

    If you are still curious, I have purposely not confirmed which bags I finally packed, since I don't leave until tomorrow morning and there is plenty time to change my mind (again).    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C
    11
    Day 1

    Day 1: Rowlands Gill to Alston

    September 3, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    So it's time to be upfront with the truth, I am not riding the C2C2C!

    I am in fact starting 18 miles inland, still quite near the sea so let's call it the nC2C2C. Ronald, my friend from Arnhem and travelling companion for this adventure, is arriving via the overnight ferry from Amsterdam. Meeting him off the boat would have involved a very early departure that neither me nor my driver were particularly enthused about. The planned meeting point had 2 advantages - an extra hour plus in bed for me and an extra hour plus in the saddle for Ronald, lessening the chance that I'd have to chase him up the first hill.

    Komoot has 5 levels of fitness ranging from "I don't get out much" to "professional" and uses these to work out trip times. Ronald arrived at our meeting point in the time suggested for Level 4 "athlete", so for this trip at least we will be referring to ourselves as athletes.

    After a sandwich and a tender, if somewhat tearful farewell (kidding), we were on our way. The first 17 miles were a gentle uphill cycle along tree-lined railway paths (thank you Mr Beeching) and while the moderate headwind didn't help, we made good time to the next feeding station (café). The descent into Stanhope was both exhilarating and frightening - the signposted advice to engage low gear is of no use to a cyclist! Keeping the speed under control for the numerous corners was a bit tense but knowing that the climb back out of the town had an almost identical profile was downright scary.

    After Stanhope the climbing began in earnest. I wasn't too concerned - I had trained for the hills. But as I battled upwards chasing Ronald across an ever increasing amount of tarmac it was clear that so too had he. What was less clear was where he had found them in the Netherlands. The hills just kept on coming as we meandered through the lead mining history of the Pennines, some short and steep, some long and steep but we maintained our "Athlete" status, arriving in Alston around 6 pm.

    Finding a drink in Alston is easy - there are lots of pubs. Enquiring of 2 barmaids who were sitting smoking outside theirs, beside the sign that said fresh food daily, we established they didn't do food, not on a Sunday. One of them recommended we try the Angel Arms but was reliably informed by the other that was the pub they worked at and they didn't do food - not on a Sunday. Sensing her colleague wasn't up to the task, barmaid No. 2 took over. "Go to the end of the street and turn left (...pauses, holds up both her hands and looked from one to the other....) yes, turn left at the end of the road" she said, while swinging her right arm to the right in emphasis. We hedged our bets on the swinging arm, sensing a visual impression of direction may prove the more reliable. It wasn't........    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C
    Day 2

    Day 2: Alston to Keswick

    September 4, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    The best thing about spending the night at the highest market town in England (thank you Google) is that one would imagine that today will pass in a downhill manner. For the most part it did and the one thousand or so meters height gain we picked up along the way was not a burden.

    It is difficult to write something interesting about cycling. There are hills, some up, some down, some gentle, some steep. There are flat bits in between. There's a headwind, a tailwind or a crosswind, it can be sunny, cloudy or raining. And that's about it. The interesting bits you really don't want to have to write about as they generally start with "I fell off" or "I had mechanical trouble". Suffice to say today's cycle was one of those glorious days on a bike when even your lycra looks splendid. It was warm, sunny and there was a light breeze to cool us. The scenery was outstanding and our food stops were well chosen. Cafe4Eden in Penrith, a local charity dedicated to providing support (and employment) for those with learning difficulties and then Lorraine's Tea Garden in Murgisdale, a pop up tearoom run by Lorraine and her partner/husband (we didn't ask) in her garden on sunny days.

    So there were a couple of interesting things to write about - although don't panic, no one fell off. I did however have the most unusual mechanical issue. Having got off the bike to open a gate, I couldn't engage my right foot into the pedal when I got back on. For the non-cyclist, I use pedals which you clip your shoe into by way of a cleat bolted to the sole of your shoe. If you are already convinced all cyclists are mad, and then learned that this type of pedal you clip your shoe into is called a clipless pedal, I am sure that will help reinforce your viewpoint. Anyway, back to my issue. I struggled up the hill for a few hundred metres without success and had to dismount to investigate. One of the 2 bolts that secure the cleat to the shoe had unscrewed itself and fallen out, causing the cleat to twist. Once I worked out the correct angle to re-engage I cycled the remaining 8 miles without daring to unclip, which necessitated sending Ronald into various shops to ask for directions to the bike shop, where I was given a replacement bolt for free.

    Interesting issue No. 2. Ronald uses sunglasses that clip onto his prescription lenses. Arriving at our destination he realised he had lost them along the way, probably in Lorraine's garden. The attached picture is a reconstruction of where he found them. So while I was cycling with one shoe permanently attached to the bike, he was cycling with his sunglasses jammed between his helmet and his head. And they let us out unaccompanied for a whole week......    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C
    1
    Day 3

    Day 3: Keswick to..... Keswick

    September 5, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Tempting as it might have been, we didn't spend today sunbathing in the park behind our hotel. The plan to ride each direction of the C2C in 2½ days meant that the morning of the middle day would be the final leg of our outward journey and the afternoon would mark the start of our return. In general I don't like linear routes (there and back on the same roads) and always try to plan a loop, mostly so the route map on Strava properly reflects one's efforts. So today has a loop......

    After yesterday's shenanigans, we decided it would be wise to take a grown-up with us for today's cycle. My friend Steven from Carlisle joined us for a superb 60 mile cycle through the Lake District in glorious sunshine and with very little wind to keep us back. The scenery was breathtaking in places, as were the hills. The first climb of 2 miles over Whinlatter Pass was challenging and was followed by an equally challenging 3 mile descent into the valley. We knew this was also the route back but before we got to the bottom we all agreed that there was no way we were prepared to do that descent in reverse and that we would reroute as soon as we hit Whitehaven.

    More unsettling was the fact that the 2 carefully planned coffee stops didn't work out. The first was inaccessible, as what I had thought was a cycle track leading off the Rowrah to Whitehaven railway path at Frizington turned out to be a walking path with a stile to get over the fence. So we continued on to Whitehaven and winged it as far as food went. But we were better for it. The first cafe we came to, Cafe West, turned out to be another charity supporting people with learning difficulties. The food was excellent, and the whole experience was both heart warming and at the same time heart wrenching. We were served perfectly and earnestly by a group of enthusiastic and dedicated staff, and although they may have needed to be patiently guided by the lady in charge, our lives were enriched by just being a part of it.

    After lunch there was the traditional dipping of back wheel of the bike into the sea. There is a big C2C sign to help you choose where, and a small group of locals to offer encouragement. As we stepped carefully down the ramp to the waters edge we were offered sound advice. "Watch you don't slip and fall in - it wouldn't be the first time". On the way back up the ramp, one of the bystanders asked if that was us setting off (it is the traditional starting point). No I replied with pride, we are already halfway as we are doing the route in both directions. Ah, he said, will you be back in Newcastle tonight (it was 2pm and Newcastle was 135 miles away). No I replied, we are doing the C2C2C over 5 days. Ah, he said, you are taking the relaxed approach, my friend did it there and back in one day. I looked him up and down, assessed his BMI and decided there was very little chance he was there to verify his friend's claim. I don't want to take the moral high ground, and I accept that the C2C isn't particularly difficult, but we are cycling for 60 or so miles and climbing the equivalent of Ben Nevis every day and the suggestion we were taking the relaxed approach left me a bit miffed, to say the least.

    Today, no one fell off and nothing broke so there is not much more to say about the cycle, except to mention rescheduled cake stop No. 2. Climbing the main road into Cockermouth we spotted a sign for a garden centre and cafe. What a pleasant happenstance. A wee gem of a place called Squirrel's Pantry, with the best cakes, coffee and place to rest your weary legs. The lady of the establishment captured the moment for us on film (well in pixels). If you look at the accompanying photos you will also note that we all got the memo to wear red for the day .....    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C
    11
    Day 4

    Day 4: Keswick to Allenheads

    September 6, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We initially considered stopping in Alston again tonight, but the need to hit the 4pm deadline for the ferry on the final day necessitated pushing 7 miles further east and adding another 300 metres of climbing onto what was already a long and hilly day. Checking into the Allenheads Inn to a lovely welcome, a room with a four poster bed and the offer of a rib eye steak and chips for dinner were compensation enough. We had a great day's cycle, fairly flat in the morning with lots of steep climbs and fast descents in the afternoon. Not as hot as yesterday but a bit humid in the afternoon.

    I thought rather than labour the point of today's many hills, I would say something about my on-bike tech. Cycling can be au natural or high tech. Many cyclists carry at least a GPS computer to provide information such as speed and direction and to allow the ride to be recorded and immortalised on social media for all the world to see. Granted there are also many who simply don a peak cap, carry a banana and set out for the open road with a devil may care attitude, but that's just not me.

    My new Garmin computer may weigh in at 2 pairs of pants heavier than my last model, but every day it is justifying both the financial outlay and the weight penalty. On the metrics side, it provides the usual information on speed, distance, etc and also has a screen for current weather, just in case you haven't realised the significance of the yellow ball in the sky. On the guidance side it is like a car sat nav, giving a map overview, turn by turn instructions and redirecting if you go off route. It also gives information on upcoming hills, to allow you to manage the effort needed to get to the top. There is also a lot of less useful information, like when after yesterday's ride I was reliably informed that I was 11% acclimatised to the heat.

    Paired with the computer is a rear facing radar and bright flashing red light; the light warning drivers of my presence, the radar warning me of theirs. It's a relatively new purchase and one I was initially sceptical about. However it has proved to be very useful, particular on quiet roads where cars are less frequent. A simple moving image on the display tells me how many cars are behind, how fast they are approaching and how close they are.

    Finally, I wear a heart rate monitor. I am getting on a bit and hearts are easily broken so I try to look after mine. The theory is to subtract your age from 220 bpm and keep the heart rate below that. I endeavour to keep mine below 160, even though the maths is a bit suspect. Maybe one day I will revise that to 150.

    There remains one unresolved issue from today. As we cycled through Greystoke this morning, I informed Ronald that this was the place Tarzan was from. It's fair to say my claim was met with some degree of scepticism and despite a lengthy discussion over a few pints in the evening and frequent reference to Mr Google, we remain none the wiser.    Read more

  • TravelerC2C2C
    Day 5

    C2C2C Day 5: Allenheads to North Shields

    September 7, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Well today started with a rude awakening. Actually it was Ronald banging on my door and asking if Phil should start cooking my breakfast! I had set the alarm for 7.30, for breakfast at 8.00 and then slept through it. The only day I wasn't up half an hour before the alarm and it had to be the day Ronald had a ferry to catch. After a sleepy stumble downstairs, a rushed breakfast and a hasty repack of my stuff, we just about made our scheduled start time of 9 am. I was in such a hurry that I didn't stop to consider the significance of the need to tighten the fit of my helmet...

    We had hardly turned the pedals when my bike computer's climb assistant screen popped up to advise that the first mile of our route would be a 100 metre climb at an average gradient of 8%. Well that woke me up. There were 3 climbs over the first 10 miles, 2 were steep and the third was really steep (17% in places), but we made good time and arrived at the only food stop of the day 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Halfways up the final hill, the sweat from my forehead running into my eyes revealed the reason for the earlier helmet adjustment - I had left the helmet's removable sweatband drying on the radiator in my room.

    After a coffee and scone recharge, the remainder of the ride passed by without much to note, except that it was a gentle descent down the many miles of railway paths we had ascended just 4 days before. We reached the ferry turn-off in South Shields at 2 pm, giving us an hour to cover the 3 miles to the end of the ride at Tynemouth Pier, immortalise the occasion on film (or in pixels) and then return to the ferry.

    We searched in vain in the car park above the pier for the sign to herald our arrival and applaud our efforts. A lady sitting in a nearby car reliably informed us that there was no official sign and offered to take our photo. "Did you do the C2C in 2 days with the one overnight stop" she asked. I replied that no we hadn't as we had in fact completed the C2C2C, praying that she wouldn't ask if that meant 2 overnight stops.

    So after 260 miles in the saddle and climbing the equivalent of Ben Nevis 5 times, what stays with me?

    The country we live in is a beautiful place, with breathtaking scenery.

    People are nice - spend a week meeting strangers and be surprised by the genuine warmth of their welcome.

    People are kind - the 2 charity run cafés we visited, dedicated to helping and empowering those with learning difficulties, were so inspiring.

    The hill climbs you fear turn out to be not so bad once you get there.

    When you pack in a hurry, you invariably leave something behind.

    The locals in Whitehaven and North Shields are well used to C2C cyclists, but our herculean efforts left them unimpressed.

    And there ends our adventure.    Read more

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