Dylan Hayes 1 day C2C trip Before long I was making good progress along the old railway and the road to Cockermouth as the night lifted. In Cockermouth I made my first minor mistake and followed the high street past the right turn up the beck, but soon corrected the problem. After Cockermouth I started to see a few early rising dog walkers surprised at a cyclist panting past on the way to Wynthrop Mill. The combination of mist and a rising sun made for a pretty but demanding climb to Wynthrop Woods. The single track descent was pretty scary on 1.5 inch narrow slick tyres, but the view out over the lake was impressive. Soon I was heading for Keswick and meeting the first traffic of the day. Keswick was full of tents but mostly asleep, and soon passed in a blur of carbohyrate fueled speed. At this point I actually started to believe that I was going to be able to finish, as I had completed nearly a quarter of the distance and it was still before 8 in the morning. I must admit I cheated a bit next: After following above the A66 on the path to Scales, I decided rather than go on the big dog leg to Mungrisdale, I'd stay on the A66 to Troutbeck as traffic was light and I just couldn't face the extra effort for little apparent gain. I'd not recommend doing this unless there's no traffic as even with a wide road the traffic is too close for comfort. The next section from Troutbeck to Greystoke was hilly but far faster than I remembered it last August in the heat of the hottest weekend ever, and not long after that I was in Penrith, and buying a supply of calorie filled food from the bakers to power me up the dreaded Hartside. By 9 I was climbing out of Penrith to tackle the part I had been dreading. Once at Langwathby the full horror of the next section dawned on me as I remembered the next few miles were a long slog before you even got to the start of the hill proper. I took the first off-road alternative as this offered the shortest distance and was easily ridden, but then decided to stay on the road as the offroad bit to the summit is just a bike push. I plugged away at the climb to the main road and eventually up the A road to Hartside. I felt tired but happy to have passed some fellow C2Cers as passing other people is always good for morale, although just before the summit I was passed by a roadie on a bike with far harder gears than my mountain bike. I took a quick photo at the summit and noted that it was just past 10, and for all the effort I'd made little distance in the last hour compared to the rest of the morning. At this point doubts started to come back, as I remember there was a further 4 hills until Parkside Station. After a long descent from Hartside I was back into the low gears after Leadgate, and found myself pretty tired by Garigill. Although it looked like a flattish valley floor it was hillier than you might think. This year I decided to follow the on road route by Dowgang Hush, rather than the lower off-road alternative, and immediately started to regret this as the hill started steep and stayed steep, and I fought a long battle with leg cramp, despite having walked a bit (the only time I walked a hill) at the very start of the hill. The only minor compensation was a few quite stops to sample the wild raspberries growing in the roadside. The hill down was even steeper and soon all my efforts were turned into heating my discs brakes up hotter than I'd ever seen them. The hill up from Nenthead seemed far easier by comparison although it had a sting in its tail when after descending from the pass you have a short climb at Coalcluegh before coasting into Allenheads. After a water stop at Allenheads I set off determinedly with some vigor as I had promised myself a proper lunch at Parkhead Station. Sadly I noticed I had in fact taken the wrong road out of Allenheads and had got most of the way up the wrong hill. I tried to blame the missing sign at the junction but really had to accept it was a case of more haste less speed. I was soon back on the right track and passed a puzzeled group of riders for the second time before reaching the summit and the County Durham sign. Sadly a headwind made the long descent to Rockhope a gentle pedal rather than a freewheel, but I was eager to push for the last great climb of the day at Rockhope incline. Rockhope incline was hard but I didn't let myself walk, and I cleared the top at 2:15pm. The old railway was fast, although rough in places and in my rush to lunch I clipped my ankle on a rock pretty badly. 15 minutes later I was enjoying a coffee and a toastie at Parkhead station and my first proper stop since setting off, as by this time I felt I was going to make it and could afford to relax a little. After Parkhead the Waskerly way offered by the chance to build up some decent speed for comparatively little effort and after what seemed a short time I had crossed the viaduct to the smelt wagon and the parting of the ways in the C2C. After getting lost last time I decided to try the route to the Derwent Way via Terra Novalis which I got just before 4. Not bad going, 14 miles and a long lunch stop in just under two hours! After the the sculptures I headed off down the new road past the retail parks which had replaced steel mills, taking careful note of the signs as Consett was where I got lost last time. I followed the signs to a pedestrian crossing by a park, but couldn't work out where to go next. I ended up getting very confused and climbing up the hill instead of down, and ended by rejoining the Derwent way after Medomsley. It was probably a little bit shorter than the Derwent way proper, but involved more climb so I didn't feel I had 'cheated'. The Derwent way once regained was far more pleasant this time than last year when I was walking a bike with a burst tyre, and I was out of the woods before long (does anybody know why the C2C leaves the Derwent way to follow the stream as it looks like it carries on in the right direction on a suitable path?). My ride was nearly ended by a group of kids out on motocross bikes weaving all over the path at speed near the A1, and again on the Scotswood bridge, but once on the other bank I was making slow but steady progress into the headwind blowing up the Tyne. It was a pleasant surprise to round the corner and see all the bridges in the centre of Newcastle ahead, although I remembered there was still more miles to come after that. The last few miles passed surprisingly quickly and I found myself at the sign marking the end at Tyneside at 6:24, or put another way, just under 14 hours after setting off. The cycle computer which measures only the time the wheels turned said I had taken 11 hours 22 minutes, giving an average speed of just over 11.6 mph, although aside from lunch at Parkside I only stopped for water and the odd photo. My mileage was 132 which is about the same as the official distance allowing for a slight short cut and a few extra detours. My actual speed when not climbing hills was far closer to 16-18 mph and more downhill, but the hilly nature of the route ensured my average speed was pretty unimpressive. The last final task I had to complete was to head back to the station and a train home. Rather than follow the pleasant but long winded riverside route I headed along the A193. By the time I reached the station even small hills were slowing me to a crawl and I was glad I had finished when I did as I was not fit to go much further. My total mileage that day including getting home from the station stood at 145 miles which considering the many hills was pretty good. I certainly couldn't have gone much further even if there was anywhere to go. My next challenge is already something I thinking about. I think I have done enough of the C2C, so I'll have to start researching the Pennine Cycle Way. Highs and lows Worst bit Realising that you still have 400 feet to climb when you reach the A686 on Hartside. Equipment and Preparation The bike was a fairly standard lightweight mountain bike but with a few modifications to make it more suited to road work, namely suspension forks with lockout to aid climbing and some very narrow and fast slick tyres. The particular tyres were specialized Nimbus 1.5" and I was very impressed with them as they were very fast on the road, and puncture proof despite loads of broken glass and nasty rocks. The only downside to such an extreme tyre was the extra road vibration from hard narrow tyres and a distinct lack of grip in Wynthrop woods. Semi slick mountain bike tyres are also a good choice, but you sacrifice some speed for comfort offroad. As I started before first light and thought I might finish after dark lights were a requirement, although luckily modern LED lights are very small and yet highly visible to traffic. The first part was pretty dark and unless you know the way you need something you can see by as well as been seen with, which is why I used a small helmet mounted light for a bit of extra light which came in handy on the bridge in Workington. The last 20 miles through Newcastle is mostly street lit, although I'm not sure I'd actually want to be out after dark in some bits so again a decent light would be a requirement if you don't think you'll finish by sun down. Food and water. Despite trying to drink as much water and energy mix as possible I still felt slightly dehydrated by the end. I should have drunk about 14 litres of fluids but only managed 9. Water alone is not enough as you need to replace the electrolytes sweated out. Getting enough calories was very hard, as I just didn't feel like eating much on the road. The best solution is to drink fluids which have some carbohyrate, eat as much carbo rich food as possible on the day before (think of the opposite of the Atkins diet) and try and eat suitable snacks like dried fruit little and often when underway. Gels and energy bars eaten just before the start of big hills seemed to help as well. Staying clear of chocolate or sugary snacks is a good idea as the sugar gives you a quick boost and then leaves you worse off than before. As it happens I broke these rules and had a pasty and cream cake in Penrith, but I didn't feel any better for doing it. As regards training, I hadn't had the chance to do anything like the same sort of distance, but had been riding short fast rides regularly interspersed with longer offroad rides to build up endurance. I had ridden 3 thousand plus miles since the last C2C so although my training wasn't specifically geared to that sort of ride, my general level of fitness was good enough to get me through.
|