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About me:
I’m 29 and I only started cycling seriously back in February.
I say “seriously”, I’m not that serious…
no lycra for me, for example! I hadn’t had a proper holiday
for ages, so I decided that riding the C2C route would be a pleasant,
and rewarding, way to relax.
Training: I regularly go for
20-odd mile bike rides around Birmingham, a surprisingly cycle-friendly
city, armed with a local cycle route map and guide book. The local
towpaths and parks are no match for the Lake District or the Pennines,
but I’ve got to make the step up somehow! In June, on the
two days of summer when it didn’t rain, I increased my range
a bit by cycling to my hometown, Stone in Staffordshire, and back
again in two days, a round trip of about 90 miles. This is what
convinced me to take on the C2C in four days rather than three.
The machine: Either an Optima
Reactive or a Reactive Optima, those are the two “dynamic”
words printed on my 18-gear, 22” mountain bike, I have no
idea which refers to the make and model, and such things don’t
concern me. It has front suspension only, and is cheap and cheerful.
I don’t see the point in spending hundreds on a bike when
all the effort is made by the man, not the machine! Ordinary rim
brakes and basic equipment is the order of the day. It’ll
get me there. I only have it because my original bike was stolen
back in April by an enterprising thief who broke into the locked
car park of the apartment block I live in, then dismantled my
bike before making off with whatever bits weren’t chained
down! When the new one arrived thanks to my insurance, I immediately
bought two more locks to chain everything up. Time consuming and
sadly necessary.
Other equipment: I have a cycle
computer, however I doubt its accuracy when comparing the distances
on it compared to the distances marked on the Sustrans map. I’ll
have to have a tweak with it sometime soon! I was informed by
Tom at On Your Bike in Digbeth on the day before the trip that
my bike lacks all the right points to connect a pannier rack to,
so for luggage I had to make do with a quite small bag attached
to the seat post and a rucksack. This meant travelling light,
probably a good idea really seeing as it’s a solo trip with
no support!
Day Zero. It looks a bit grim
for my ride weather-wise when I am soaked on two separate occasions
before I even start- between my flat and Birmingham New Street
station, and again between Whitehaven station and the Glen Ard
guesthouse. I wouldn’t complain, but while actually on the
trains the weather was at worst cloudy and at best glorious! I’ve
decided to have a soundtrack for each day of the trip, so bearing
in mind I’d quit my job two days before this trip and I
had no intention of worrying about ANYTHING before I got back,
today’s soundtrack is Leave Them All Behind by Ride. The
pedal to the guesthouse was uphill all the way, an early indication
of some of the challenges to come. I got a warm welcome at the
Glen Ard before heading back into town for a bite to eat (JD Wetherspoons
style- no matter what town you’re in, you know what you’re
in for) and to get my bearings, and, most importantly, to locate
the start. The rain had eased off by now, and the town looked
very pleasant and calm in the evening sunshine. I headed back
up the hill for an early night, crashing into my very comfy bed
at about 11:30 pm.
A big thumbs up today to the train manager on the Virgin train
from Birmingham to Carlisle- he was more helpful than the guy
on the Virgin Trains booking hotline and all the platform staff
at New Street put together! Note to self for the future when travelling
with the bike- book EVERYTHING in person at a station and don’t
settle for any arrangement that isn’t in writing, and in
my hands. Travelling with a bike on the mainline trains is unnecessarily
complicated- you can’t do it through the websites and trying
to organise it through the phone lines is a painful experience,
crammed with ambiguity and dusted with unhelpfulness. And the
music you have to listen to while on hold sucks. Much better was
the service from Northern Rail after I’d changed trains
at Carlisle- they claim to carry two bikes, first come, first
served, on any train. There were five bikes on the train departing
Carlisle, and the onboard staff were most helpful in cramming
everyone’s machines onto the train. Hats off to them.
Day One. Whitehaven to Threlkeld.
Woke at 2:30 am to the sound of rain hammering down on my window,
although this is more due to my inability to sleep in strange
places than the rain itself. Disconcerting, nevertheless. The
rain stopped at about half past three, but I didn’t get
back to sleep until five. Still, at eight I’m enjoying a
good fry-up in preparation for the first day’s ride. Wheel
dipped and photo posed for (thanks to the gentleman passing the
harbour for snapping me), and I hit the road at about 10am. The
trail is well signed throughout, so no problems regarding navigation.
It’s just a shame it was all uphill for the first nine miles!
It rained for about fifteen minutes on the climb out of Whitehaven,
but that was the only rain I suffered all day.
Once I hit the road rather than the cycle trail, the route went
up and downhill in equal measure, so each hard uphill stretch
was rewarded with a delightful freewheel down through the spectacular
countryside. Those are the “this is why I do this”
moments, and there’s no gain without pain! The scenery is
amazing, it’s hard to believe I’m in the same country
as spaghetti junction and the tube. The climb into Whinlatter
Forest is the first serious punishment of the trip. As if the
steep hill out of High Lorton wasn’t hard enough, the climb
into the forest itself proves to be a serious sting in the tail!
Decide it’d be prudent to get some lunch at the visitor
centre, while pondering today’s soundtrack - I opt for Carrion
by Cumbrian natives British Sea Power. It’s a cracking tune,
and the title can be misconstrued into a rallying call while battling
those ascents! I feel much better after eating, and even better
still after the rapid thrash down the hill into Keswick. The steepness
of this hill makes me glad I’m going down this bit rather
than up! Keswick is a pleasant enough town, and luckily there
are a large number of outdoor supplies shops where I buy some
bargain-priced waterproof trousers- I suspect I’ll need
them later this week. The railway path to Threlkeld is a terrific
ride, not too demanding on my tired legs and easy on the eye,
crossing the river several times.
There’s a slight incline into Threlkeld, nothing compared
to the ascent into the forest but at the end of a day’s
ride, any incline seems like Everest. I locate the Hollies guesthouse
for a much-needed hot shower and collapse onto another very comfy
bed! After a while I go for a stroll through the picturesque village
and the surrounding area- it must be great thowing open your curtains
every morning in Threlkeld to be greeted by stunning mountain
views every day. When I do that in Brum I get the BT tower and
masses of concrete! I head into the Salutation pub for a few pints
of the local ale (Jennings- thumbs up) and a huge gammon steak
dinner. Filled me up a treat. Thoroughly exhausted, I’m
asleep by 10:30 pm, and no amount of rain would wake me in the
small hours this time!
Opinions between my cycle computer and the Sustrans map differ
on how far I’ve come today, but here are the stats from
the computer anyway: 39.01 miles, average speed of 10.1mph, top
speed of 30.6 (downhill in the forest), 5 hours 31 minutes in
motion.
Day Two. Threlkeld to Alston.
Despite the weather forecast predicting showers all day, I got
lucky with the weather on my longest ride of the trip. Also, my
difficulty in sleeping was cast aside by being completely shattered.
Daily 40-mile bike rides are a good cure for insomnia, albeit
a bit excessive. Another fry-up is the order of the day, despite
last night’s huge dinner I’m still ravenous come 8am.
I set off at 10:15am, and commence the steady uphill ride into
Mungrisdale- passing a field of llamas on the way! I decide not
to attempt the old coach road option, as I doubt I’ll have
enough left in the tank for the Hartside climb later! This is
easy going terrain compared to yesterday, however. Greystoke is
a particularly pleasant village, centred round a village green.
The off-road route under the M6 and the railway is particularly
easy going, and I hit Penrith town centre at about 1pm to grab
some lunch at the chippy, and some liquid refreshment (non-alcoholic!
I’m driving!) at the intriguingly named Board and Elbow
pub. The weather carries no hint of the all-day drizzle predicted
on the morning news, I’m wearing shorts and sunglasses for
most of the day. The ride out of Penrith centre is very steep,
and there’s a nasty left turn off the corresponding downhill,
pointing me back onto an uphill section! Luckily, it’s a
short-lived uphill thrash before a most enjoyable descent into
Langwathby. From here, the steep climbs are matched by equal descents,
until I leave Renwick, where it’s uphill all the way…
It rains in Renwick, so I break out the waterproofs, but just
as I start struggling up Hartside, the rain abates and I am afforded
spectacular views every time I stop to catch my breath and look
behind me. My goal is to get to the top before the café
shuts at 5pm, I only just made it.
This was the single most punishing part of the whole trip, an
unrelenting steep climb for four miles, with the end in sight
for most of the way! I refuse to get off and push, that’s
not why I came all this way with a bike! At 4:50 pm I stagger
into the café and devour sandwiches, tea, chocolate, bananas
and lots of water, having run out halfway up. The effect was similar
to getting lunch at Whinlatter yesterday - suddenly, the bike
is my friend again, rather than a torture device! Also, the next
bit is downhill, and breaking the speed limit on a bike is the
only way to travel. The Pennine scenery isn’t as stunning
as the Lake District, but I’m not complaining. Today’s
soundtrack has to be Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. After
zipping down the other side of that hill, I arrive in Alston,
only to be confronted by another steep hill to get to the Highfield
guesthouse, my much-needed bed for the night! The hospitality
here was second to none, with tea and biscuits foisted onto me
as soon as I stepped inside the bungalow. Alston itself (Britain’s
highest market town, apparently) is delightful- I go for a riverside
stroll before eating at the Cumberland Hotel, a most welcome Cumberland
sausage, and more ale, of course. According to the computer I’ve
now covered 84.68 miles, at an average of 10.3mph, hitting a top
speed of 30.9mph after 8hrs, 10 minutes and 6 seconds in motion.
Whatever the accurate figures are, I’m fast asleep by 10pm.
Day Three. Alston to Castleside.
Another serious fry-up for breakfast. Who cares about the health
implications when I’m going to need all that energy for
four climbs today? Uncertain what to wear today, another inclement
day forecast but I’m greeted by a slight breeze only as
I set off at 10:15. It warms up as I coast into Nenthead, but
as I tackle Black Hill the temperature drops and I feel my choice
of trousers (long) is vindicated! Black Hill itself presents less
of a challenge than Hartside, probably because I went up it early,
as opposed to at the end of the day’s ride. The Pennine
landscape remains bleak and calm, so today’s soundtrack
is Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode. I feel a thousand miles
away from anything as I hit the summit of Black Hill, and even
though I know there are three more climbs today, at least I can
tell myself that it’s all downhill from the highest point
of the route! Am welcomed into Northumberland on the way down
the other side, before another gruelling climb between me an Allenheads.
Allenheads itself is probably the most picturesque village on
the whole route, although that may be due to the delicious tea
and cake I enjoy at the café there.
Another steep climb out of the village lies between me and County
Durham, although being full of chocolate cake made it a pleasure.
Just after passing the sign welcoming me to the “land of
the prince bishops”, the heavens open and it’s time
to break out the waterproofs again as I descend into Rookhope.
The rain stops as I arrive, and in a moment of madness, I decide
to take the off-road option across Stanhope Common… “uphill”
is probably the wrong word, “upstream” is more appropriate!
Every time I stopped to get my breath back, I turned round to
see the rain approaching again. Determined to make it to the top
of the hill before the rain starts again, I press on, losing the
race against the elements by a couple of minutes. I demand a rematch!
The rain eases off slightly as I make up for lost time across
the common, on the section of the route closed during grouse-shooting
season. Several grouse dart across the trail in front of me, perhaps
it’s grouse-crushing season? No casualties caused by this
conscientious cyclist, in any case. Although, while gleefully
thrashing through the mud and puddles, one of my water bottles
dislodges itself from my quite flimsy luggage bag, and I totally
fail to notice. One less thing to carry, I suppose. If you find
it on a subsequent trip, take it with my blessing.
Covered in mud and dripping wet, I eventually arrive at the Parkhead
Station café, where I top up my energy levels with tea
and bacon butties- most welcome. Afterwards, all the hard work
behind me now, and still in drizzle, I set off along the Waskerly
Way to Bee Cottage, my stopover for the night. Once again, the
hospitality was superb, as was the three-course dinner I’d
ordered the week before - compliments to the chef! After all that
hard work on the bike I thought I could do with some serious pampering,
so being served homemade soup, followed by trout with vegetables
and crumble for dessert hit the spot. I crash out at about 11pm
with aching legs, very happy that it’s all downhill from
here on in!
The computer reckons I’ve now come 113.93 miles, but the
average is down to 10.1mph. However, I hit a whopping 32.1mph
going down the hill into Allenheads. Total pedalling time is now
11 hours, 12 minutes and 32 seconds!
Day Four. Castleside to Sunderland.
Yes, you guessed it… another fry-up for breakfast. I could
get used to this. Glorious weather all day today, time to break
out the shorts once again! The route could be a bit more accurately
signposted as it goes through Consett, Chester le Street and Washington,
I took more than one wrong turn and had to retrace my steps and
consult the map. At least there are no serious climbs on this
final leg of the trip! The route itself is well surfaced, and
the unusual sculptures along the way distract from the not so
impressive landscape- well, compared to the Lakes and the Pennines,
townscapes just can’t compete! I really start to tire as
I leave Washington - I had been taking is easier stretch of the
route quite fast in places, so I must have run out of energy.
I never thought I’d be so happy to see a petrol station,
hen, when one appeared by the route on the road into Sunderland.
Sandwiches, chocolate and water imbibed, and I was ready to make
the final assault.
The riverside path is a delight to ride along, particularly as
it was a beautiful day. However, I became further frustrated as
each twist and turn failed to present me with a vista of open
sea! Just after the Stadium Of Light, the route curved to the
left and went uphill again, but after this bit all that was left
was a descent round the modernised dock area, and finally, the
piers and beach came into view. I pedalled into the sea with renewed
vigour at about 2:15pm, delighted that I’d finally reached
the end. Big thanks to the man on the beach walking his dog for
taking pictures of me and the bike, even though I did have to
instruct him on which way round to point the camera… I hadn’t
just rode all the way from Whitehaven to get an extreme close
up of his nose! Send texts to everyone on my phone to let them
know it’s all over, and I drink about a litre of orange
juice as the congratulations messages start to arrive. Today’s
soundtrack? Quite appropriately, it’s A To B by Sunderland’s
own Futureheads. Ride back into Sunderland centre for celebratory
pint, then I catch the train to Newcastle to bed down for the
night before the trip back to Brum tomorrow.
The map and my computer disagree on what a “mile”
is, however according to the computer the total trip was 149.06
miles, completed at an average of 10.3 mph, pedalling for 14 hours,
21 minutes and 12 seconds! Ouch!
Epilogue.
A terrific trip, I’d recommend it to anyone. I’ve
only been cycling regularly for six months, so inexperience is
no excuse! You just need a bit of confidence on the bike, an ability
to read maps and signs, and the determination needed to get to
the end. I’d certainly do it all again. Next time, however,
I’m going to make sure I can carry panniers on my bike,
as having the majority of my luggage in a backpack made it very
hard going- if I’d had a bit more time to shop around, I’d
have organised this. This is a minor gripe, however, certainly
made up for by the amazing views, the feeling of escapism, the
sense of freedom I experienced, and, most of all, by my pride
in achieving something I’d have dismissed as completely
crazy twelve months ago.
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