After several months of pain, treatment & recovery following me shattering my left humerus (no it wasn’t funny) 12 month ago, I’m now setting myself a goal of getting back into the saddle and recovering my fitness.

I’ve only been riding again (commuting to work, a grand total of 3 miles each way) for the last 2 days but I’m planning on doing the Trans-Pennine Trail with a couple of friends sometime in the next 12 months.

So what sort of bike should I get for it? I’m thinking of a 29er HT and open to any suggestions really but will want something capable of mounting racks to and would like a bit of bounce at the front too. The plan will be to stop at B&B’s, pubs, etc and do it in 4-6 days (we’re not hurrying and want to take in a bit of the scenery) so won’t need to carry camping equipment.

But (there’s always a ‘but’) I also want a bike that’ll be fun pre & post TPT ride, something I can have a bit a fun with around the occasional trail centre, maybe a blast off piste too.

The only other deciding factor will be price as I don’t want to spend huge amounts on it, probably £1500 max.

Moon on a stick?

Just buy whatever bike you fancy for the long term, it’ll be fine for the TPT. I live in Doncaster and use it regularly as a traffic free route in and out of town, there’s a lot of different surfaces, but none that need a knobbly tyre, though lots are slimy and horrid after heavy rain. Only one that failed was a road bike with guards that got jammed solid with mud. My go to bike these days is a tourer with 2″ big apple slicks and they are perfect for me. There will be a way of getting enough luggage on practically any 29er hardtail bar a crazy light xc machine.

Cheers MLC. Certainly not thinking of a XC race frame, no rack mounts for a start 😉

Anyone out there whose had experience of the whole route, or other sections of it? Looking at he map on line it looks like the sections through the Peaks could be fun?

I’ve done most of it on a cross bike but some sections are bumpy and would benefit from bigger tyres and suspension.

It depends on the route but there are a whole host of different surfaces to contend with. Around Barnsley it’s all old railway lines so pretty flat although some of the links can be more interesting.
MLC has it though, you should be fairly safe on a similar set-up

Marvellous, cheers folks.

Let the shopping begin!* 😀

*In a few weeks anyway, need to make sure my shoulder is gong to remain the same position for a while first.

I rode the whole lot in a day 2 weeks back to raise cash for Sheffield children’s hospital…. Did it on a kaffenback with a front cross tyre and rear 28c road tyre (for a bit more speed)- both at reasonably hard pressures to avoid pinch flats.

Was pretty comfy, other than sore hands at the end – If I wasn’t doing a massive ride over it, a 29er hardtail or a cross bike with big softish tyres would work best I think.

Brilliant, cheers. The whole lot in a day? you sure it was only your hands that hurt? 😉

I’d no idea what to really expect so you guys are really helping thanks.

I bought my On-One 45650b for exactly this kind of stuff – (pennine bridle way). Two minutes to pop the rack on and off to convert from work horse to trail tool – simples. (PS I’m still recovering from cracked scapula/rib job earlier this year and the big wheels, wide tyres, tubeless, with front suspension is ride all day comfortable.)

Thanks for the recommendation trailhound, will check that out.