Trans-Pennine Trail - Questions

[sabian92]

Afternoon All,

I'm looking at doing the Trans Pennine Trail at some point next year for charity, although I have a few questions.

I know it's well signposted (well, from what I've seen of it) but where can you buy a proper map of the thing? The sustrans website doesn't make it that clear and I gave up looking at it. Buying a few maps is fine, I just want to make sure I get the right one! I found this too http://www.cycle-n-sleep.co.uk/rinfo/map trans pennine trail.htm

Secondly - What bike do you need? I understand some of it is paved and smooth as glass, but what about the parts that aren't? I've got 25mm tyres on and they don't do soggy mud that well... I was looking at doing it in the summer but we all know the UK weather - unpredictable. I've got a hybrid frame that originally had 26x1.75 tyres on which was built with naff components so I took it apart but the frame is fine, and it can take a rear rack so that's good.

Thanks.

 

[growingvegetables]

Eeeh - I've only done bits, some on the E-W but mostly on the Leeds-Sheffield branches.

Just a fwiw - for the bits i know, the signposting is at best ......... "hit-and-miss". And on occasion entirely absent . Seems to depend on the local authority that actually did the signage.

From Hadfield through to Penistone - done it with a tandem, a hybrid on 28s, and 2 kids on BSOs.

maps and guides

 

[skudupnorth]

Hybrid type will be be more than upto the job.....me and Potsy are always playing on bits of the trail around Warrington to Stockport areas.Some bits are a bit fun but not too much to stop you.I think if you go on the TPT web-site you can purchase the full set of maps.I rode up to Moore the other week from Manchester,nice ride except for the landfill part near Warrington !

 

[DCLane]

I'm also planning on doing it next year - May or June (C2C April, then Way of the Roses and TPT May/June). There are three official maps available, but you only need map 1 & 3.

Map 1: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Sea-Y...7774/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323615917&sr=8-3
Map 3: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yorkshire-North-Sea-East-Map/dp/0953227790/ref=pd_sim_b_1

There's also the official accommodation guide, which I've got and is useful for tricky bits:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trans-Pennine-Trail-Official-Accommodation/dp/1901464180/ref=pd_sim_b_2

My plan is to use the Ridgeback Platinum I've got, with 25mm Gatorskin tyres. I'm used to using it on other NCN's so yours should be OK with similar. The trail's been done by touring bikes before, although mostly hybrid/MTB's.

 

[skudupnorth]

I ride some parts on my fixie with 23's fitted no problem

 

[ufkacbln]

VARied route!
From this near Maghull:

To this over the Moors (Woodhead) the path is actually stepped.

Other areas are simply off road tracks of varied surface:

.. but can be very wet!

 

[Danny]

Could this be another sighting of Cunobelin in a helmet?

 

[skudupnorth]

Bloody hell ! Bit different to our end of the trail !!!!!

 

[DCLane]

That's a surprise Cunobelin. It might mean a re-think although I don't fancy doing the whole route on a MTB. The alternative I guess would be to lug it up some of those routes; the Maghull bit doesn't even look like a track

 

[sabian92]

I'm also planning on doing it next year - May or June (C2C April, then Way of the Roses and TPT May/June). There are three official maps available, but you only need map 1 & 3.

Map 1: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Sea-Y...7774/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323615917&sr=8-3
Map 3: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yorkshire-North-Sea-East-Map/dp/0953227790/ref=pd_sim_b_1

There's also the official accommodation guide, which I've got and is useful for tricky bits:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trans-Pennine-Trail-Official-Accommodation/dp/1901464180/ref=pd_sim_b_2

My plan is to use the Ridgeback Platinum I've got, with 25mm Gatorskin tyres. I'm used to using it on other NCN's so yours should be OK with similar. The trail's been done by touring bikes before, although mostly hybrid/MTB's.

Cheers for the maps - wasn't sure what I was looking for. I've got a Carrera Virtuoso but I don't think even in the dry it would do on the rougher parts unless I pushed it, and I wouldn't like to chance it on gravel even with my Marathon + tyres on properly pumped up. Might have to build my crap bike back up with reasonable components, it had a triple on it as well which I'll probably need!

VARied route!
From this near Maghull:

To this over the Moors (Woodhead) the path is actually stepped.

Other areas are simply off road tracks of varied surface:

.. but can be very wet!

That looks really awful in some parts. I'll probably be better off walking it the whole way!

 

[darth vadar]

I've done Liverpool to South Manchester and yes, the track is variable to say the least!

It looks like somebody had an idea and threw a bit of money at it - but not enough. At this time of year expect deep standing pools of water anywhere and everywhere which remain there for long periods.

I am hoping to do the Way of the Roses next summer and I would be disappointed if the quality is as poor as that stretch of the TPT.

 

[growingvegetables]

VARied route!
Over the Moors (Woodhead) the path is actually stepped.

Other areas are simply off road tracks of varied surface:

Those are bits I hauled tandem, hybrid, and 2 kids on BSOs over - happy memories.

Aye, and the haul up Woodhead is a walkie. But it's such a short section, it'd be daft to go MTB over the whole route?

 

[sabian92]

I've done Liverpool to South Manchester and yes, the track is variable to say the least!

It looks like somebody had an idea and threw a bit of money at it - but not enough. At this time of year expect deep standing pools of water anywhere and everywhere which remain there for long periods.

I am hoping to do the Way of the Roses next summer and I would be disappointed if the quality is as poor as that stretch of the TPT.

Sounds like the majority of council projects then...

I was looking at it in the Summer so hopefully there won't be water or any great amount of it but you can never be sure - When did you do that stretch?

Those are bits I hauled tandem, hybrid, and 2 kids on BSOs over - happy memories.

Aye, and the haul up Woodhead is a walkie. But it's such a short section, it'd be daft to go MTB over the whole route?

How much of it is actually ridable on a road bike though - would it be worth at least slicking up my old hybrid frame and using that or would it be OK on a Virtuoso with 25mm M+? I'm not bothered about pushing it, but if i've got to push it any great distance (more than half a mile to a mile) it's a bit of a p!ss take.

 

[DCLane]

Way of the Roses is supposed to be better - I'll find that out as well!

I'm still planning to use a road bike, although I've fortunately got a Carrera Virtuoso as a back-up (my current winter commuter for dry/ice-free days).

 

[darth vadar]

"I was looking at it in the Summer so hopefully there won't be water or any great amount of it but you can never be sure - When did you do that stretch"?


I did it in August of last year and it was awful. But, after saying that, there had been lots of rain over that part of the summer, so I could just have been unlucky.

There was lots of standing water in deep pools all over the place, and it took a long time for my nice, new, clean hybrid at the time to forgive me !!! I spent the following day lovingly trying to restore it to its former glory by using an old toothbrush and bowls of hot, soapy water.

I still have sleepless nights about it !!!

Good luck.