Coast 2 Coast - Best Gravel/Back Roads Route?

Posted by: blaggers

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Is Lakes section better on north via Keswick, or south across Grizelade? 

If you go south towards Grizedale, you'll end up going over Hardknott & Wrynose which are Very Steep. The only way around that is to go further south still and go from Ulpha over Stephenson Ground and into the back of Coniston, there's some nice trails around that way. Then you can go around Coniston (either N or S) and over into and through Grizedale. Around the S side of Windermere and there's a steep up and over to drop you into the back of Kendal (good overnight stop town) and from there you're well placed to go through Yorkshire via Ribblehead and over Cam High Road, a long stretch of old Roman road (gravel, I've done it on a CX bike many times).

The Hadrian's cycleway to South Shields from Ravenglass uses nearly all small lanes and cycle paths. Probably less scenic than Dales and Moors but still a good ride. Added plus is that train from Newcastle to Cumbria is cheap. Las tsummer we bought advance tickets to St Bees the day before for about £12 and no problems with our 3 bikes plus a couple of others on the Newcastle to Carlisle leg.

Stayed at a very random Air B&B in Port Carlisle and The Sill Youth Hostel at Once Brewed. YHA is recommended.

Not sure if this helps but it's another possible route.

Depends on your appetite for road pedalling. Avoiding the worst climbs (or pushes) in the Lakes would possibly involve going North via Whinlatter (Maybe start St Bees?) then Keswick, Old Coach Road, Pooley Bridge, Askham, Lowther, then minor roads to Great Asby Scar, Ravenstonedale, then onto the Pennine Bridleway at Stennerskeugh. This is mostly reasonable gravel riding all the way to Cotter End and Hawes. Backroads to Bainbridge, Askrigg, then the traversing BW which meets a good shooting track above Carperby that takes you all the way over to Grinton and the Dales Bike Centre via Greenhaw Hut. 

When I did it, I climbed out of Reeth towards Richmond, then crossed the Vale of York on backroads via Streetlam, Brompton, and Kirkby Sigston, then Osmotherley, avoiding the A19 using a byway heading north.

Other people can recommend the best gravel route from there, I went via Chop Gate, then the old railway over to the Lion Inn, and various tracks and minor roads to Whitby. There were a couple of short pushes on it.

Thanks all - some interesting options that I'll check out on OS maps. 

@blaggers

The classic Tim Woodcock route has been around for decades now so pre-dates all the new-fangled mountain bikes.

I did it 20 years ago and although there's a few carry bits in the lakes I can't recall anything that would trouble a modern gravel bike.

I can't see the book is available anywhere but I still have a hi-res pdf scan I did of it at the time (85mb file). I'll try messaging you to grab your email if you want it.

If you come further south, Way of the Roses is very enjoyable. Morecambe to Bridlington. Less hilly and dramatic than the Lakes and the top of the moors, but fully signposted and practically no busy roads.

We did one a few years ago (Whitehaven to Sunderland), looking at this for this year.

https://pedalnorth.com/gravel-bike-coast-to-coast-route/

Watching with interest for doing something similar in june / july

On re-ready the OP's post I think the Woodcock route would be hard work over 3 days unless you are very fit and like long days in the saddle!

We did it over 5 days.

Ive seen the Pedal North one, but this review of the route made me think its more MTB aligned - dont fancy hours of hike a bike.

Just found this on Komoot!...

https://www.komoot.com/tour/550621834

...the original book was written in 1994 and tries to follow Wainwrights walking Coast to Coast as closely as possible.

Look at the way of the roses overlaid in OS map. It's a (quiet) road route but should be easy to add bridleway diversions 

Ive seen the Pedal North one, but this review of the route made me think its more MTB aligned - dont fancy hours of hike a bike.

Just downloaded the gpx for that one, and the latest version is different from what those poor bastards in the video were sent to do. The ridiculous and totally avoidable Duddon river crossing is gone, although the Walna Scar push is still there. The section over Claife (mudbath on the video) has been fixed on the way up, but they've chosen very rough, slippery cobbles for your descent.

Still a lot wrong with it though even past there. The sections they've chosen around Dentdale are the wrong ones, particularly the push out over the flank of Whernside. Why do that when you could have a short hard pull up the Coal Road then a lovely traversing track over to Newby Head? No idea if the bits east of the Dales are equally odd.

More enjoyable than the Woodcock Route though. That is like one of those holy pilgrimages where they self-flagellate and crawl on their knees.

It's perfectly possible to come up with a gravel friendly C2C which maximises steady pedalling sections without losing much of the scenery.

Posted by: Martinhuutch

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Just downloaded the gpx for that one, and the latest version is different from what those poor bastards in the video were sent to do. The ridiculous and totally avoidable Duddon river crossing is gone, although the Walna Scar push is still there. The section over Claife (mudbath on the video) has been fixed on the way up, but they've chosen very rough, slippery cobbles for your descent.

Still a lot wrong with it though even past there. The sections they've chosen around Dentdale are the wrong ones, particularly the push out over the flank of Whernside. Why do that when you could have a short hard pull up the Coal Road then a lovely traversing track over to Newby Head? No idea if the bits east of the Dales are equally odd.

More enjoyable than the Woodcock Route though. That is like one of those holy pilgrimages where they self-flagellate and crawl on their knees.

It's perfectly possible to come up with a gravel friendly C2C which maximises steady pedalling sections without losing much of the scenery

Thanks for this info - I'll bring the latest route into RidewithGPS and start looking at options for avoiding those trails. Im sure theres a good "mid point" version between a dull route and an extreme slog. As you say a short hike a bike to access a great track is ok, but having done Walna Scar Road on a MTB on a Lakeland loop 20 years ago and had to walk down alot, Im not sure its worth the push up in the first place - not sure if its improved, i need to find "Google Street view" for bridleways! 

Descending Walna Scar is not what it was 20 years ago, it's a lot smoother. Still might be a few short sections you want to hop off for on a gravel bike, but nothing like you remember it.

If anyones interested heres the latest Pedal North sections

Part1 - Lakes - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49821396

Part2 - Yorkshire Dales - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49821402

Part3 - North York moors - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49821473

Posted by: Martinhuutch

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Descending Walna Scar is not what it was 20 years ago, it's a lot smoother. Still might be a few short sections you want to hop off for on a gravel bike, but nothing like you remember it.

Thanks - thats good to know.

Posted by: Martinhuutch

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Descending Walna Scar is not what it was 20 years ago, it's a lot smoother. Still might be a few short sections you want to hop off for on a gravel bike, but nothing like you remember it.

What's the descent from Black Sail like these days? My memory of the Woodcock route was lots of rock steps which were a challenge on a hardtail MTB. The Garburn Pass would make me think twice too, perhaps depending on how rugged a gravel bike you have.