I am looking to do the coast to coast over 3 days with friends and collegues not all of whom are hardened cyclists. Although not underestimating the requirement for training and preperation I am looking for the route that is the easiest of a hard lot!!

Suggestions and ideas welcome

whitehaven to sunderland. about 40 miles a day. easy

Is the Sunderland finish better?

Newcastle looks like a lot of urban sprawl but the Tyne bridge looks good

Cheers Jammy

I still think Sunderland to Whitehaven would be the easy way, provided it wasn't too windy..

just been thinkin about doing this with a friend on mtb's

Sustrans route from Whitehaven to Sunderland is fairly easy going.
I did it a couple of years ago with some lads that rarely cycle, and it was fine. It's mainly tarmac or cyclepath. We did it over three days.
Only a couple of really big long hills and going west to east you generally get a tail wind.

simon is right in that its much easier doing it west to east. I've done it both ways and it was significantly harder starting from the east with a heading for almost the entire way there.

The C2C is definitely the one to do and more than do-able in 3 days with bit of regular cycling.

Is the Hadrians cycleway route 72 easier than facing the Hartside climb and the climb out of Stanhope.

if you really want to do it the easy way try edinburgh to glasgow along the canal

Hadrians cycle route is fairly easy the last 25 miles from Hexam to the coast. Nearly all down hill following the tyne. Pass some decent pubs as well on the way.

Route development

Way of the Roses

The Way of the Roses is a new ‘coast to coast’ route between Morecambe on Lancashire’s Irish Sea coast and Bridlington on Yorkshire’s North Sea coast which is due to open in September 2010. Passing through the historic cities of Lancaster and York, the 169-mile route also links the Forest of Bowland AONB, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Nidderdale AONB and the Yorkshire Wolds. Sustrans is co-ordinating the initiative on behalf of partners in both counties and is publishing a map of the whole route, which should be available in August 2010.

An alternative southern strand between the Dales and York via Harrogate and Knaresborough is scheduled to open in 2011, using the Ripley-Bilton Connect2 scheme route over the River Nidd gorge.

The Way of the Roses route uses existing and new National Cycle Network routes.

Just copied this from Sustrans website