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as an easy (technical-wise) ride with Mrs STS (and as training for me to go off and do the off road C2C later in the year).
Sustrans one is 50% on the road, so the flatter, more off road TPT sounds good, but maybe boring - anyone done it?
Thanks.
The TPT does wind round a bit, but a lot of it is off road between southport and Manchester, also has good links for the train, and cheap fares in the merseyside bit, Hunts Cross to Southport.Oh and its well signed as well.
morning bump (oh er)
The Sustrans C2C is largely on minor roads - some go up and down quite a lot, too. Is that what you are looking for? There's nothing technical, though.
I did it with an ex gf 2 years ago - was a lot of fun and she had not really ridden much until we started training a few weeks beforehand. Took our time over 5 days - enjoyed the ride.
Rachel
thanks. I don't really ride on (or like) the road so was thinking the tpt might be better.
just wondering if it is a good route or if the lack of hills might make it a bit boring.
TPT is ok and does have some reasonable off road sections over the pennines. can get a bit boring at times but me and my girlfriend did enjoy it, we camped in farmers fields/campsites along the way and plenty of pub stops too. not done all of the sustrans C2C but its shorter, and will be more rural so much nicer surroundings than the outskirts of liverpool/hull...
thanks. it's sounding ok so far still.
TPT goes through the worst sections of Hull and Liverpool. A couple of the Liverpool bits in particular should not be attempted after early evening unless you're dead tough. It's only hilly over the pennines, both sides of the hills it's dead flat and quite a lot of fairly dull trails. Then you have the ship canal which is actually quite nice in places contrasting having to ride through Widnes.
C2C is a lot more picturesque.
I live virtually on the TPT at the halfway point and you should be aware that if it's wet, the black sooty substance that used to form the trackbed from Hadfield to Sheffield will coat everything you hold dear. The C2C is much more picturesque and all weather, assuming you're looking at Whitehaven to Sunderland version.
We're planning to do the Walney to Wear C2C this year, but taking the southern split to Whitby instead, then extending to Scarborough (for 2 reasons!)
I've been doing some homework on getting back to the car when we've done, and it's a terrible train journey from one end to the other, 7+hrs!
But finishing as Scarborough (one reason!) makes this easier, and I've discovered that if I abandon the car in Huddersfield, then train to Barrow in Furness, there's only one change of train (Manchester), and then no changes at all back from Scarborough.
It looks like a good tour to me. We'll be on hybrids, towing a trailer full of camping gear. 🙂
In Huddersfield you say? Where on earth could you park it there? 😉
would you say the sustrans c2c is road rather than off road though?
The Whitehaven-Sunderland C2C can be 90% tarmac if you cut out the bit after Keswick up the old coach road, don't do the direct route up to Hartside cafe and go via Stanhope instead of the fairly rough section of old railway line up from Rookhope. You can also take the bridleway down from the Whinlatter visitor centre to Braithwaite. If you do all these, its about 75%.