Anyone done the C2C?

I’m thinking of giving this a go this year (Whitehaven to Sunderland).

What type of bike did you take? Was it pannier’d up? Reading the website set up with lots of info http://c2c-guide.co.uk/index.htm the off road sections sound fairly demanding for road/touring bikes. They don’t sound too fun anyway without a mountainbike or decent tyres. I don’t really want to miss them out either given half the route is off road! If its over summer, I guess low tread summer tyres would be fine for the road sections too, and keep travelling gear to a minimum?

we did the ‘off road’ c2c last year and apart from one small bit (which you can easilly bypass on the road) its all easilly doable on a tourer. i wasnt aware before i did it and took my mtb, basically it was all road with a bit of gravel path and one offroad climb, which by the time we got to it no-one apart from me in our group wanted to do it and went the road way (prob cos they were so knakered dragging round heavy mtb’s and big knobbly tyres).

The off road C2C I did was no where near doable on a tourer

St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay

There’s loads of different route possibilities, the (very old) Tim Woodcock book I’ve got is the “official” off-road version from St Bees to RHB. In fact, thinking about it, that book has done the route about 5 times with various different folk off here!
The C2C Sustrans is totally different but there’s at least another half dozen published variations on a theme and its easy enough to come up with other options as well.

It’s the Sustrans route I’m looking to do, if that helps.

I’m doing it with a friend in May (quick plug: sponsor us!). I’ll be taking a full-sus Giant something or other* because it’s all I’ve got (apart from road bike which wouldn’t be suitable).

We’re using Sherpa for transport, to keep luggage down. Anything I need for the day can go in a Camelbak. We found accommodation was getting booked fast, so if you’re wanting to do B&B, better get started!

(sorry, I forget if I can’t actually see it!)

sorry uplink, i was refering to the ‘off road’ sustrans route that Kit was asking about, i know there are loads of proper offroad ones but thats not what he asked.

We (me, an mtbing mate, a farmer mate, and a non-mtbing mate who didnt train at all) did it over 3 days, starting whitehaven friday lunch, arriving Tynemouth sunday lunch, carrying our own kit. Pretty easy really if you just take it easy but your knees, back and legs can suffer if your not used to time in saddle.

i’ve done it twice, both in two days which is more than doable but hard going, for me anyway? i did it with just a back pack and stayed at Alston youth hostel. you could do it on a tourer but i’d still rather do it on my hardtail with some sensible tires?

i’ve done it in both directions and they say its easier from the west to east but i didn’t feel any difference?

On a Tandem MTB, staying in B&B’s in 3 days, following the sustrans route. but Newcastle ending not Sunderland
Used big semi-slicks, am sure low tread summer tyres would be fine.

I’m thinking of doing the Sustrans one in a day in the summer. Getting to the start and the last bit from Consett to Sunderland are putting me off doing it. I might follow the W2W from home to the Lakes, then join the C2C back toward the North-East but head back south to home from Consett.

I did the Sustrans route in three days.

The off-road bits are quite demanding. Particularly the Old Coach Road.

I did it on my Heckler which was overkill but it was the only bike I had.

It would be fine on a hardtail. Just choose some sensible tyres that you can pump up hard for the road bits.

ok, just read bits of that site and a lot of the offroad on there was not marked on my sustrans map :0(. I think we must have taken the road alternative so i was on the right bike (mtb) but just on the wrong route, bummer! ill have to do it again, properly this time!

Miketually, why is the Consett-Scumderland bit putting you off? That’s the easiest bit of the whole thing. It’s virtually all downhill, and apart from having to get past the kids in Sunderland who still think it’s a novelty to see someone on a bike, there’s nothing to worry about.

You can get the train to the start if you can’t find anyone willing to give you a lift over.

Been considering doing it in a day myself, but never quite got round to it yet…

To answer the original question, virtually all the sustrans route is rideable on a tourer, as the only real off road section I can remember is the old coach road in the lakes, (and you can avoid it if you need to). The rest is decent gravel tracks and road. Probably the ideal bike would be a hardtail with fairly narrow tyres, (conti xc 1.5s or something similar), so you get the comfort of an MTB with less drag.

old coach road in the lakes,

There’s some bits in Whinlater (sp?) that are quite rough as well.

Probably the ideal bike would be a hardtail with fairly narrow tyres, (conti xc 1.5s or something similar), so you get the comfort of an MTB with less drag.

Agreed

Miketually, why is the Consett-Scumderland bit putting you off? That’s the easiest bit of the whole thing. It’s virtually all downhill, and apart from having to get past the kids in Sunderland who still think it’s a novelty to see someone on a bike, there’s nothing to worry about.

It’ll be quite dull. I’ll be in Sunderland when I finish. If I’m doing it in a day, it’ll be fairly late when I ride the more dubious bits of it.

Did the C2C last year, in a day with a mate that lives in the Lakes. Rather handily, his parents live quite close to the end so accomodation wasn’t a problem!

We missed ou the Old Coach Road and diverted away from the Whinlatter Forest downhill (choosing the road instead) but everything else was perfectly okay on my road bike (although it did get very dirty!). Ironically, my mate on the Salsa Hardtail, was the only one the suffer with a puncture.

Find the least draggy tyres you can. You can always “mince” down anything technical. The vast majority of the time, least drag will be most important.

As it happens, I’m now planning to do the same trip with my girlfriend, over four or five days. She needs to start training now…