A few of us are pondering a C2C next year, not sure which version yet.

Thinking of 3 steady days, decent accommodation, food and ale. Wondering about best route option, doing it ourselves or going with one of the companies who can sort it all out for us, accommodation, baggage transport etc

Advice and experience much appreciated please

Off road or on road?
Whereabouts will you be travelling from/to?

I’ve done both north England coast to coast Sustrans routes – C2C and way of the Roses so might be able to help.

Can recommend the way of roses route. Did it over two days which was a bit of a rush. 3 days would be lovely. Pateley bridge is a good stopping point. Plenty of nice places to eat.

Did it unsupported, but girlfriend dropped us at Morecambe and picked us up from Bridlington which saved having to negotiate trains back

Following. Thinking about doing a number of coast to coasts next year.

Way of the Roses might be more laid-back. We are mainly Derby based.

I loved way of the roses so much, I live near the route ish but it still took me places I’d never seen along roads I didn’t know were there. Only one properly steep hill and loads of long slight downhills.
Planning to do it again this year, can’t wait. I have a colleague who has done it 3 times and is doing it again.
Decent public transport to start and back from finish. Have a look how much the train would be from you local station as it might be doable.

Oh – C2C route is only 2/3rds the length of the WOTR but 50% more climbing!!!

Group of 8 did it this year, mostly 80% + off road, few hike a bike sections but it was bloody good fun… got the gpx route somewhere if your interested message me. Started at St Bees headed to Black Sail YHA, Wasdale, camped at Angle tarn on first night, second night at old railway line just outside Tebay etc etc, was a tough 3.5 days

Way of the Roses is pretty darned good. My Mrs and some of our mates did it over 3 days with me supporting. Dropped her off at start and drive to each end point before riding out to meet them and riding to the end. We had a belting time. In the pub every night. The 5 pint minimum rule was established on this trip. Later I did it as a two dayer after attempting it in a oner was abandoned due to hurricane related flooding after 100 miles.
Really good route. Keep your eyes on the signs as it passes through York. Watch out for kids at Travellers camp chucking spuds at you on outskirts of Brid.

Just to be different. I’ve done c2c on and off road including way of the roses. I didn’t like the last 3rd after York. It went around the houses, took us on muddy bridleways, we seemed to go round in squares just for the sake of it. If you are taking your time and not on 25mm tyres then you might enjoy it.

The 3rd time we did it, we changed it from ripon and ended up going past light water valley and through Dalby (on the road) and ended up in Scarborough and it was far better in my opinion. We rode it in a day but distance was similar to the original.

Ending in Bridlington isn’t great for transport. It’s not much further to cycle to hull after for better train times and cheaper fares. Its pretty flat on that coast.

Let me know if you want a gpx of an alternative route.

I did the Woodcock C2C this year. The first stage has some lovely scenery, but I wouldn’t rate it as a bike ride. There was too much sloggy hike-a-bike over the passes. I think there are better routes through the Lakes. The route further east over the moors was a lot more fun. It’s a tough ride; we had 3 days, and had to adapt the route with more road sections to finish in time.
I did the road C2C from Whitehaven to Tynemouth a few years ago wth my dad and enjoyed that route. Quiet roads, great scenery and plenty of opportunities for accommodation.

Did the WOTR last year, its a good route (did cheat as got heat stroke in 35°C heat wave at the end of first day…). Last third is a bit here and there but keeps you on the small country lanes and I live on the route there.
Thinking of the Reivers Way next year if anyone has info on that?

We did the (mostly) on-road route,with a group of vastly varying experience, about 8 years ago.
We used the services of https://www.trailbrakes.co.uk/ who transported our bags each day, organised accomodation, and had a minibus and bike trailer on standby.
Fantastic trip, great scenery, great banter, and massive achievements by all of the party.
Do it.

I did an off road one (Ravenglass to Ravenscar, though it ended up being Barrow in Furness to Scarborough due to various things) last year and wrote a blog about it. Dunno if I’d do it again, by the nature of it there’s a lot of ‘joining bits up’ riding. I’d sooner do a more gravelly one I think.

I wrote a blog about it if you’re interested.

I’ve done the Woodcock Coast to Coast a couple of times, the proper full off-road route; it’s great but would be tough over 3 days.

ive done the C2C about 7 teams, bit of off road and normal road. We would usually get to whitehaven on a thursday tea-time, have some food, drink then be up for 8 on the friday to start it.
We would set off from whitehaven, throught whinlatter, keswick then would stay in digs in greystoke. nice little pub there. You could always go a few miles further and stop in penrith.
Second day would be the usual route, big climb up hartside pass, used to be a great cafe at the top but has sadly burned down.
Next big climn after that would be garraghill, then onto nenthead. We would then stay in the allendheads lodge and another decent put there.
Then on the last day, big climb out of allendheads then a long blast downhill, and you can do rookhope, unless its closed due to grouse shooting, or go the longer road way with a massive climb up crawley side bank. the rookhope way is a lot quicker. Theres a nice cafe called parkheads and then from there its mostly downhill all the way to tynemouth. 🙂