I’m riding the Sustrans (Workington-Sunderland) C2C weekend after next, with a friend. We are women a little way into what used to be middle age, with children and not enough time to get fit as whippets…

I’ve started perusing the guide book anxiously. It gets very excited about the Old Coach Road, but on the elevation diagram it looks as if it’s almost all road, rather than off-road. Any experience? They keep saying it’s only for experienced mountain bikers, which I suppose I am up to a point. My friend is more on the dark-side, but I’m determined to make the most of any off-road stretches that are suggested. Is a MTB novice likely to find the OCR a problem?

Any other words of wisdom, especially places where it’s easy to get lost, vital equipment etc, would be welcome. We’ve got Sherpa to carry our stuff so can take plenty of spares, shampoo, books and other necessaries.

from st johns in the vale to patterdale

it is all off road, a novice would be fine, maybe have to push the tops of one or 2 climbs but its a nice wide track

First time I had a bash at C2C we got freaked out by all the rubbish about the Old Coach Road spelling certain death to the unwary.

I can see that in bad weather and fading light it would be nasty to be up there if you were badly equipped, short of food, had a mechanical that you couldn’t fix etc. But it’s basically absolutely fine, it’s just a track on the moors and a bit rough. Great route.

🙂

I don’t think our route goes through Patterdale – that sounds like St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay, the Wainwright walk.

Found some encouraging words on the C2C website, I guess we’ll be ok.

certain death to the unwary.

LOL, that’s exactly what they suggest…

Found a pic

Doesn’t look impossible.

Why no pic?

http://www.c2c-guide.co.uk/gallery_pages/gall_ocr2.htm
I miss the preview button.

the stretch you’ll be on is between st johns in the vale and high row, near dockray. its a track that 4wd vehs can do, but is all off road. bit of a slog on the first section in the direction you are going, but it gets much nicer further on.

Use the image properties not the page. 😉

It’s not bad just rough to climb, with plenty of loose stuff (you may possibly walk sections). Once at the top it goes along very well with great views. If you are on a tight schedule you may be better doing the cycle way through Threlkeld that then takes you via lanes to Mungrisdale. A consideration if your first day ends at Langwathby and you want to be really up for the next couple of days. Make sure that you do the off road climb up Hartside, the cafe reward is brilliant. Have loads of fun.

Overnight stops are at Penrith and Rookhope, meaning day 2 is longer than we would have liked…

Cafes of course are a priority.

I struggled on that section – but I did have slicks and panniers on.

My advice then is keep an open mind once you are leaving Keswick, both ways are good but differnt. Have done both and enjoyed both.

We passed it at about 10.30 pm in a storm and massive headwind. It was not a hi-light. We did however basically cycle all of it, steep but not to technical but my memory may well be tainted by the weather, and the fact that we did it all non stop, in crappy weather and a headwind.
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Did I mention the weather?
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Not too much of worry during daylight I suspect.