I thought it would be good to do this and basically use my holiday to ride home from a conference I’m going to in Ediburgh in a couple of weeks.

The main points of my rough plan are:

Lots of train transfers (quite like train journeys!) and use road sections if need be. All the off road routes seem to have roughly parallel sustrans routes to use if the going is slow. Obviously will be stopping over night alot but would like to do between 50 and 100 km a day. So…

Train to Cumbria, possibly do the first section of the C2C (done before) and play around in the forest park/s beofore finding the Penine Bridleway. Do the whole thing. Then cross country to Conwy (again maybe train or some of the sustrans route along the Welsh north coast). Do the Welsh C2C. Train to Bristol. Stay at a friends there. Train to Devon. Cross the moors in a top to bottom fashion with road links between sections if need be.

Would welcome company and any suggestions about good strategic places to stay and which bits of offroad to miss/not miss. I rode from Edinburgh to the start of the English C2C when I did that and would rather not do it again btw.

Train to Devon Somerset. Cross the moors in a top to bottom fashion with road links between sections if need be.

If you start in Taunton you can do this route in reverse http://www.mbruk.co.uk/mbruk_WestcountryWay_details.htm

Yes! i have that route guide, is the ride good? it looks amazing. Sorry about the county mis-designation.

Dibbs – do you know how they link that route from the end of the quantocks to minehead? looking at doing something similar this summer.

Sandstone way
South Tyne trail
Pennine bridleway

Short of a couple of gaps (including High cup Nick) that gets you from the Scottish border all the way down to level with offas dyke

jam-bo I can take a look at the guide and do a phone pic of that part of the guide and share it with you if you like?

jam-bo I’ve got the original MTB Pro book here. I can scan the Minehead-Taunton bit for you if you like.

Fantastic plan Tom, I’ll nick your idea for a future trip.
Is the penine bridleway completely madeup or is it boggy bridleway? I’d be interested in hearing about your experiences after you’ve finished.
If by ‘forest parks’ you mean Whinlatter then your first night should be in Keswick. If you set off early enough you’ll hit Whinlatter late morning so plenty of time to do the mtb loops there and then perhaps a cheeky ride up Walla Crag in the evening just because you can and because it’s fun.

that’d be great. email is in profile.

I did the west country way using the ‘old’ guide a couple of years ago, very nice, a fair bit of road in middle of the ride but pretty much all on nice quiet roads. Drop me an email if you want more info.

I was just looking in the back of my book, and I noted down the last time I did it, May 2002 and it took me 19 hours 37 minutes (116.46 miles without the Quantocks bit). If only I could do that now. 😥

It’s just struck me, if you do the route in reverse you have to ride UP Horner Woods. 😯

Thanks everyone, not considered that the routes would be too direction specific. I am pleased that I am doing the Wales ride the way the guide says though. Having done these sorts of things using guides before it is a bit awkward reading the instructions backwards.

I’m fit but not 2002-era Dibbs fit!

Hi Tom

What dates?

C

setting out the sunday the 10th of april.

at dibbs’ pace it will take a week!

ah sorry can’t do.

we will however be setting off on the coast to coast (offroad Woodcock route) from St Bees on 14th April if that syncs with you?

C

How equipped for gnar are you? Loaded up 29er? Im in west Cumbria if you want to see some local stuff, but how keen are you to make miles?