Coast-2-Coast this weekend!...

[Punt1971]

Hi all

Just thought I'd share that I'm doing the coast-2-coast, Whitehaven to Sunderland, over three days starting Friday.

Have to say... I'm bricking it!

Hartside puts the fear of God into me. I'm not built for hills, most would say I'm not built for bikes.The distance doesn't bother me too much though three longs days in a row will probably destroy my legs; I'm prone to cramps anyway.

Doing it for the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Punton-C2C-2012 if anyone's interested and has a spare couple of quid.

So if anyone sees a big fella huffing and puffing up Hartside on Saturday afternoon, a few words of encouragement can go a long way

I'll write it all up with pictures when I'm done.

 

[stephenjubb]

Hi all

Just thought I'd share that I'm doing the coast-2-coast, Whitehaven to Sunderland, over three days starting Friday.

Have to say... I'm bricking it!

Hartside puts the fear of God into me. I'm not built for hills, most would say I'm not built for bikes.The distance doesn't bother me too much though three longs days in a row will probably destroy my legs; I'm prone to cramps anyway.

Doing it for the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Punton-C2C-2012 if anyone's interested and has a spare couple of quid.

So if anyone sees a big fella huffing and puffing up Hartside on Saturday afternoon, a few words of encouragement can go a long way

I'll write it all up with pictures when I'm done.

Don't worry, no need to brick it.

If the hill is too steep, then walk.

For the cramps take a sports drink, should prevent them.

You say three days may destroy your legs. It won't but you will have an immense feeling of success and pride when you complete it.

So go enjoy. You should be fine.

 

[Arsen Gere]

Don't worry about Hartside, it a long drag. It's not steep, there are a lot more steep climbs after Hartside, they are shorter though. Good luck and most of all enjoy it.

There were some lads in the sea at Roker yesterday celebrating completing the c2c. Look forward to it.

 

[DeepBurn]

Fantastic, sounds great - good luck I'm sure you'll be fine.

Looking forward to the pictures and writeup!

 

[gavintc]

Come up to Edinburgh, a coast to coast here is nae bother, a dawdle.

 

[DCLane]

Enjoy it - I did the C2C in 2 days last month.

Hartside is tough, yes, but worth it.
Crawleyside was worse for me.

There's a great cyclists cafe just before Penrith - Greystoke's - as well as the watermill cafe shortly before Hartside (plus Hartside cafe on top).

 

[vernon]

It's Crawleyside that you need to be frightened of. Hartside is a doddle even for this rider who has never weighed less than 24 stones when riding up it.

 

[Punt1971]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I'm looking forward to it a bit more now.This idea was conceived over beer at Christmas, as most good ideas are. It was always months away then the next thing I know, it's days away! Sort of crept up on me then pounced.

We're stopping in Greystoke on the first night and Nenthead on the second. So the splits should be 45 mile, 30 mile & 55mile (-ish). I can do those distances no problem but I usually try to avoid hills, a strategy that I suspect will fail this weekend

And Vernon, if you can make it up at 24st then my svelt 20st should be very doable

Can't quite place Crawleyside on the sustrans c2c map. Am I correct in thinking it's just before or after Stanhope?

 

[theloafer]

Can't quite place Crawleyside on the sustrans c2c map. Am I correct in thinking it's just before or after Stanhope?[/quote]

hi punt
this will help you .. as some ppl miss the turn and go on to frosterly

 

[Punt1971]

Cheers loafer

Yep, that's sort of where I thought.

I'm looking forward to getting started tomorrow morning

 

[albion]

I now recall walking up Crawleyside when younger.

Being forced to save my knees with both a granny front and rear gear I found it fine a few days ago but it is in fact quite a boring long drag once you have negotiated the early steep curving section.
On 700c wheels with fat 40mm Marathon Xtremes I found the 24 tooth front chainwheel fine, but will certainly put on the easier 22 tooth one on my next loop there. Rear I maxed at 34 tooth.

 

[Andy_R]

There were a couple of climbs I really didn't like - Garrigill to Nenthead, Allenheads to the Durham border, and Crawleyside. Luckily, when we did it we stopped in Eastgate on the second night, so we only had Crawleyside to clim on the last day. After that, downhill for 30 something miles! Wheeeeeeeeeee.........................Enjoy it!

 

[theloafer]

Cheers loafer

Yep, that's sort of where I thought.

I'm looking forward to getting started tomorrow morning

no probs punt just enjoy.. BTW a little tip for you when you get to scales by the A66 the route takes you left up to mungrisdale which is a climb but is all so a gatted road which then takes you back down to the A66 if you look at pic you will see about 300m up the A66 on the right there is a small road that runs along side and brings you out at the same place but it is shorter less climbing and no gates ..
(sorry dc lane thought i posted this before you did your trip )

 

[carolonabike]

Hartside is nowhere near as bad as you'd expect, very doable, Garrigill and Nenthead are steeper but short, Crawleyside is the steepest. My gran used to live half way up Crawleybank, so I have many happy memories of walking up and down to the village every Saturday.
Greystoke is lovely and I can highly recommend the Boot & Shoe for a great meal, although you might have to book. The forecast is pretty good too. You'll have a great time.

 

[DCLane]

(sorry dc lane thought i posted this before you did your trip ) View attachment 9688

No. Me, I liked the gates in a sort of way.

Next time I do it though I'll take your advice. Also, if I'd looked properly myself I would have found this too.