The Site Bumph Bit

Although not an official site, the C2C Guide has been vetted by Sustrans and is designed to be used in conjunction with the official C2C route map. The site was built to act as a resource centre for the C2C (alias ctoc, sea to sea, coast to coast etc) cycle route in the North of England, primarily to help and advise newcomers to the route, it will hopefully also remind the many 'veterans' of the route exactly what it is about the C2C that makes it so enjoyable.

It is now 2007 and the C2C Guide has been up and running since November 2000 from when it has had over 500,000 hits. The C2C Guide was built by me - Dik Stoddart - and has changed (hopefully for the better!) and grown somewhat since the first basic pages were uploaded to the net in my first ever amateurish attempt at web site publishing. The site will continue to be improved (once again hopefully!) by adding any relevant new information and route updates etc. as well as any journals, photos or ideas other C2C'ers and cyclists offer. Hopefully you will find the site useful in planning your C2C trip or even just find it mildly interesting whilst browsing, if not then let me know what you do and don't like and how you think the site can be improved. I receive an awful lot of feedback from visitors to the site (most of it favorable thankfully) and am very happy, if a touch surprised, with the number of visitors and complimentary feedback the site has already received. To date the site has been featured in the 3 best selling MTB magazines as well as Cycling Plus magazine, The Sunday Times, Ultra Fit magazine as well a rather embarrassing interview with me on local radio (!)  Feedback, articles, photos and all information C2C wise are always welcomed as are suggestions for improvements to the site.

Because of the mainly static nature of the route, a lot of the information contained within The C2C Guide will not require updating very often. This might, at first glance, make the site appear untouched but I do update, add, amend or totally rip out sections of the site on a regular basis. Certain pages will be kept as up to date as possible and updated as and when required whilst other pages will not require any changes for months on end. I will of course keep you all in touch with route updates and alterations as much as I can - unfortunately I cannot ride the route every month so I am dependant on Sustrans and other sources to inform me of the changes - and any other relevant information but as soon as I find something out I will upload it to the site.

Dik's Bit
I have been cycling for the past 16 years having bought my first bike at the ripe old age of 24 (I had a chopper when I was a kid but only for 5 months due to a rather nasty accident involving a puddle, wet brakes and a barn door!).

I started off by Mountain Biking around the Penrith and Ullswater area and have rode most of the main routes in the northern Lakes starting off with Moor Divock to Howtown (still the best short MTB ride in the Lake District) and then progressing all the way up to major rides such as Helvellyn and High Street although nowadays I tend to stick with tootling about the local area, cycling to work and riding longer routes as a type of restful holiday!

I am not a cycle-a-holic and am still left baffled by gear ratios and terms like 'cadence', but I cycle for fun and get as big a kick out of a Sunday tootle as I do when I am out on a solo blast round the country-side. As well as its environmental and health benefits, cycling leaves me relaxed (but tired) and is the perfect antidote to working in a printers for 10 hours a day (allegedly says Andy!).


I live on the route in Penrith and have to cycle up Fell Lane (the big hill out of town) twice a day from work and regularly see C2C'ers cycling out of town or even resting at the bench at the top of the hill! When passing thru town you may well see me out and about on the bike or even just walking the dog When I am not cycling or walking the dog you can probably find me tapping away on the computer (as Lou will unhappily testify!) and adding, building, altering or just tinkering with this site. We have had the computer since July 2000 and prior to that I was a complete novice so for all you technophobes out there I am living proof that anyone can build a web site.

Doug's Bit
Doug Ridgway (now known as Doug On The Tyne) is a regular contributor to The C2C Guide and helps out lots by producing excellent maps for the guide, writing route updates and advice as well being an all round giver of advice.
Doug is the Sustrans Liaison Ranger for a large portion of NCN routes in Newcastle and can be found out and about on his bike regularly checking his 'beat'. If you happen across him, stop him and say hello and if you are lost then a, you haven't downloaded Doug's excellent maps and b, Doug will soon have you back on track anyway - just don't try to keep up with him as he goes about his merry task.

The Thank You Bit
Many thanks are due to Doug Ridgway for all his help especially in guiding me thru Geordieland in the pouring rain, Anthony 'The Webmaster' Lowney for technical help and assorted duff advice, my ever so patient partner Louise, the kids (Jack, Hayley and Laura) for putting up with me and my 'cycling buddies', everyone who has allowed me to use a picture and those of you who have linked to the C2C Guide, given me feedback and generally been exceedingly nice about the site.


The Technical Bit
I understand it's bad form to state which browser or screen resolution you should use so I won't mention that The C2C Guide is best viewed using Internet Explorer, nor that it is designed to be viewed at a resolution of 800*600, instead I will merely say that it looks OK on the computer in our front room with a glass of red wine perched next to it! It even looks reasonably good with a pint of Coniston Blue Bird sat next to the screen but you could feel free to experiment yourself with differing beverages!