C2C in Two Days
by Dylan Hayes

Day One - August 9th - 74 Miles
Four in the morning and my alarm broke my sleep and then soon I was out the door and heading to the station to catch a 5 o'clock train to Leeds, my connection to the Settle to Carlisle line and eventually Workington. I'm hardly awake enough to realize the monumental lunacy I have set myself up for. It was too late to bail out now as the train ticket had been bought and friends have been told I was going to do it. Once on the train I began the serious business of eating as much carbohydrate as I could manage. Bagels, bananas and energy bars were washed down with liberal doses of energy drink.

The view from the train over the dales was spectacular and a fitting start to the journey, although I was now awake enough to start to question my sanity in attempting the C2C in two days on a bike I had only finished building up from a frame the night before. In fact one of my tasks on the train was to finish tweaking the gears and brakes. At Dent station I took the 'Dent' bit all too literally as I stood up and whacked my knee on the table, adding to the catalogue of misery inflicted on the poor limb. In 12 hours I had managed to get my right leg stung by wasp, hit on a railing, and hit my knee cap hard on a table to the point were walking was painful. I ignored what seemed to be a bad omen and carried on enjoying the view, albeit carefully avoiding the table support this time.

10 o'clock found me heading from Workington station towards the sea and the start. I was already tired and bored with energy bars, but couldn't back down now. I took a photo of the industrial landscape by the pier to and headed off back into town. I was in too much of a hurry to indulge in the ritual of dunking a tyre in the sea for luck. The narrow bridge next to the railway and the poor signage after that provided a demoralizing start, but once I was on the old railway I was starting to get stuck in to the task and made decent progress towards Cockermouth and the first stamping point.

The climb up from Cockermouth was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, as was pretty as only lakeland can be. The decent into Wynthrop Woods was rather scary but fast. In fact the route was actually far rougher than I thought, and I was pitying the people I passed earlier bound this way on laden touring bikes.

I avoided the temptation to have a quick splash in the river, and arrived around 12 in Keswick, which was full to bursting point with cars. At the Lakeland Pedlar I amused the staff by asking for the most calorie loaded items on the menu, rather than any specific dish. I filled up with rather tasty veggie food and started to notice it was getting very, very hot. There was not a cloud in the sky which was not something I was used to in Keswick.

The old railway from Keswick was pleasant and fast as the woods offered some welcome shade but as once I emerged onto the A66 I had to fix a puncture under the assault of heat, noise and exhaust fumes from the road. Not long after that and I'd finished all my fluids and it was still a long way to the next shop in Greystoke and the miles passed very slowly. Although blessed with lovely views and some quiet roads the hillyness of the section at the foot of the hills was tiring. By this time the heat was really starting to slow me down. The road was melting in places and the air felt like the blast of heat from an oven door.

After much needed water I arrived in Penrith, and booked a room in Leadgate at the tourist information office. The hill out of Penrith was hard in the heat, but I was feeling pretty relaxed after coasting down the other side and starting to wonder if I should have arranged B&B further along the route in Nenthead. However, once I saw the huge hill rise up above, and got stuck into the foothills which lead to Hartside I was already looking forward to the day's end. I meet up with some fellow C2Cer's on the way up the offroad route up Hartside and they provide a much needed conversation, and when we eventually arrived at the top they offered me tea from their support vehicle which was very welcome, as I was pretty knackered by then. To me Hartside was hell. On any day the sheer size of the climb would be daunting, but on a day when temperature records were being broken across the UK it becomes truly monsterous.

Once at the top my sprits rose as it was all downhill to the B&B and the I was enjoying a shower and being off the bike by 6:30. Considering it was the first ride the bike has been on, it seemed to be holding up very well as was my massively abused right leg. When I Was talking to some other C2Cer's at the B&B I learn that the driver of their support car was noting temperatures of 36 degrees C for most of the afternoon. This may have been hotter than the official maximum, but the narrow lanes as really seem to have their own microclimate.

The climb from Allenheads was steep, but even in the rain this was nothing compared to Hartside. By the time I coasted down toward Rookhope I was starting to feel quite cold, although my morale had been boosted by noting I was on the 2nd to last page of the C2C map, and only had one more major climb ahead.

Rookhope incline was harsh and rough but the feeling of elation at knowing I was past the last hill made for an swift climb. In fact it was almost a disappointment as I knew after this I was past the major challenges, and the mountains and moors, and ahead was downhill to the sea. Naturally it was pouring with rain again, but the smooth surface of the old railway was easy going. The railway got a lot rougher and was quite muddy with the recent rain and before long I was fixing a pinch flat in the pouring rain and low cloud, and I was glad I had a waterproof jacket as once I stopped moving I got really cold in the rain. I arrived at Parkhead station in time for lunch. Parkhead station was actually a caravan amid some derelict buildings but they served great value food and a offered welcome respite from the rain.

After that the route followed the old railway along the Waskerly Way and was well surfaced and downhill across the moors. It was easy going and enjoyable to see the miles pass so quickly. I was cruising over the viaduct and to the route junction before Conset in no time. The weather had cleared up and things were looking up, or so I thought.

Sadly such optimism often comes before a disappointment. First I lost the correct path, as somebody had moved the C2C signs which sent me down a steep muddy hill where semi slick tyres failed to grip and I had my first proper crash. After I had eventually regained the route I noticed my rear tyre had developed a large lump. It turned out the tyre had failed and there was very little holding the tube in. The tyre was from an old bike and I suspect the heat the previous day and the pounding over rough tracks near Consett had proved too much for it. Worse yet it was Sunday and I was 12 miles from the nearest shop selling bike tyres which was due to close in a few hours anyway. I decided to press on as best I could, but soon the inevitable happened and the tube popped. I tried making a repair to the tyre with a plastic mapcase, but this wore through after a mile or so. In the end I took the meaning of the 'Derwent Walk' all too literally and started walking east in the hope something would come along to save me.

After walking and cursing my false economy with the tyre help came in the form of a local rider who offered to go home and find a spare tyre. Even better luck appeared in the shape of some riders whom I had met at the cafe in Parkhead who phoned their support van, the driver of which offered to sell a new tyre if I could get to Rowlands Gill. I must have walked most of the way from Consett to Rowlands Gill and lost nearly 2 hours, but once I got the new tyre on (big thanks to the guys from 'Grin Up North' for the tyre and tube to replace the failed ones) I was at last able to resume riding. I'm sure the Derwent Walk is a wonderful wooded gentle decent, but I only remember the frustration I felt when it looked as if I was going to fail so close to the end and this part was one of the low points of the ride.

On the remaining section of the Derwent Walk I was able at last to pick up the pace and in no time at all was leaving the woods and heading into the industrial landscape of the Tyne. The path along the Tyne was easy going, but not quite as nice as coasting downhill. Dodging anglers rods and walker I rounded a corner and saw the amazing jumble of bridges high and low in Newcastle and at once again felt confident of being able to finish that day. The area around the Baltic and the Millennium bridge was full of people out for a stroll amid the amazing riverscape but sadly after that came the rundown areas and a path littered with broken glass, and I often had to slow right down and gingerly pick my way between splashes of broken bottles. By North Shields things picked up a bit and I was passing numerous chippies on the last mile to my goal. I hardly noticed the view at the end as I was just so elated to have finished. I had reached the end by 6 in the evening and had taken around 13 hours 'rolling' time in total despite having walked for over an hour and half previously that day.

My final goal for the day was to return back along the route 12 miles to Newcastle station, which was hard work into a head wind. The moment of elation at the finish was soon past when faced with all the broken glass for the second time, but once at the station with a ticket home I suddenly realised I had really made it. I was home only a few hours after reaching Tynemouth which was a welcome change in fortune after my low point early with the tyre.

Don't be put of by the rather awkward start at Workington. It really does get better!

Take 2 tubes per rider. Being able to fix a puncture quickly and still have a spare is worth it. You may need them for the glassy section around Newcastle.

If you have any doubts about your tyres replace them before you go as they take a lot of abuse on some sections. The same goes for any other part of you bike which is due for replacement.

For mountain bikes a semi slick tyre is the best tyre choice as few parts even on the offroad bits warrant proper knobby tyres but knobblies will slow you down on all the other sections. Mountain bikes owners might also consider a suspension fork with lockout (or if you have an air/oil fork pump it right up to reduce the travel), as there are few sections which really merit suspension if you are prepared to slow down a bit, but the bob in a fork tuned for offroad use will waste a lot of power otherwise. Don't even think about using a full suspension bike!

Road bikes might find the drop though the Wythop Woods best avoided.

Hartside summit is the hardest part of the ride by far. The chances are once you have done this you'll have little appetite for any other hills that day unless you are really fit. The good news is once you have done Hartside the rest is pretty easy by comparison.

If you can, have some backup you can call on, as stuff inevitably goes wrong far from the nearest bike shop.

The section from Newcastle to North Shields is terrible for broken glass, so you need to really pay attention to the surface.

The locals in Consett have graduated from nearly removing the C2C signs and now move them to misdirect you. Pay close attention to the map rather than the signs in that area.

Ensure you visit Parkhead Station (around 100 miles from start) with an empty belly as the food is filling and excellent value, they also have some rudimentary bike spares for sale and C2C merchandise.

The Lakeland Pedlar in the Bell Street car park in Keswick is another bike friendly eatery which carries bike stuff.