Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

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Chris Jeggo
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Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by Chris Jeggo »

In this week's 'Cycleclips':
"Cycling UK and The British Horse Society send letter before action to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England challenging exclusion of cycling and horse riding on new Wainwright Coast to Coast national trail."

I have been a CUK member for decades and cycle far more than I walk, but my reaction to this was that when walking over, for example, Black Sail Pass, I would not want to share the path with mountain bikers. Conversely, I would not dream of cycling there. OK, that's my personal opinion. I mainly cycle on roads and do not own a MTB.

I think CUK has gone overboard on off-road cycling, with this latest pronouncement following close on the heels of their recent promotion of new bike-packing trails, which are mainly off-road.

What do you think?
axel_knutt
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by axel_knutt »

My father and his pals were into pass storming, I have a photo of them on Black Sail with their bikes over their shoulders in the 1940s, but times were different then, and I wouldn't want hordes of cyclists spoiling the fells for walkers now. It's 24 years since I walked the C-C, and not long after that that I heard a figure of 20,000 people a year walking the route. That's a lot of erosion to control as it is, without looking for ways to make it busier. Cyclists are people, they have two feet if they want to do the C-C that badly.
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PedallingSquares
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by PedallingSquares »

I've done it and as with the Great Glen Way and West Highland Way I did it in reverse.We did all three 18-20 years ago.At least in reverse most walkers we encountered head on as opposed to from behind.We stuck to the route in Wainwrights book despite him saying it was 'A Coast to Coast' not 'The Coast to Coast'.
I wouldn't want to do them now I don't think as the Lakes especially is so much busier than it was in the early 2000's.Even the true Mountain bike routes are much busier now than they were then.
There is of course the C2C(Sea to Sea) from Whitehaven to Sunderland aimed at cyclists but back then Mountain biking was my main hobby and the Sea to Sea was a bit tame and more road/green lane orientated.
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gaz
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by gaz »

Chris Jeggo wrote: 8 Oct 2022, 2:25pmWhat do you think?
My initial thought was one of Cycling UK making mountains out of mole-hills. There are plenty of C2C options if you want to cycle, why pick this fight.

Then I read the article: https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/coast-co ... government

After which I felt there was a point of principle, CTC should have been consulted, and also that there could very well be a way forward via a braided route (as with Cycling UK's version of the North Downs Way) that would mean more options for people wishng to cycle without spoiling the parts that are currently only open to and suitable for people walking.

I now think Cycling UK has made the right call.
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Chris Jeggo
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by Chris Jeggo »

gaz wrote: 9 Oct 2022, 1:30am <snip>
I felt there was a point of principle, CTC should have been consulted, and also that there could very well be a way forward via a braided route (as with Cycling UK's version of the North Downs Way) that would mean more options for people wishng to cycle without spoiling the parts that are currently only open to and suitable for people walking.
<snip>
Good point.
tenbikes
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by tenbikes »

I cycle tarmac as utility (,and if feeling exceptionally brave) and cycle off road for relaxing recreation.

Good call by CTC I'd say.
boblo
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by boblo »

There's 'always' (well as long as I've been MTBing - early '80's) been an offroad alternative to Wainright's C2C. Just Google 'Tim Woodcock's C2C'. You'll be carrying it up Black Sail tho...

It doesn't matter what CUK support or don't support, the routes are still there for the riding.
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PedallingSquares
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by PedallingSquares »

boblo wrote: 9 Oct 2022, 10:16am There's 'always' (well as long as I've been MTBing - early '80's) been an offroad alternative to Wainright's C2C. Just Google 'Tim Woodcock's C2C'. You'll be carrying it up Black Sail tho...
It doesn't matter what CUK support or don't support, the routes are still there for the riding.
Thinking on and discussing it with my co-rider last night I/we think it was actually the Tim Woodcock version we did.Though we did it east to west there was still a lot of pushing/carrying in the Lakes.IIRC the Lakes stretch of the route used to be called 'the handbag' section as the bike spent much of the route on the rider's shoulder.
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

gaz wrote: 9 Oct 2022, 1:30amAfter which I felt there was a point of principle, CTC should have been consulted, and also that there could very well be a way forward via a braided route (as with Cycling UK's version of the North Downs Way) that would mean more options for people wishng to cycle without spoiling the parts that are currently only open to and suitable for people walking.

I now think Cycling UK has made the right call.
Yes, I agree. I've not looked into the Wainwright route in any detail, but often just a couple of (permissive?) bridleway dedications can open up much longer sections of enjoyable off-road riding. The Wainwright National Trail would be the ideal opportunity for this.

It's also particularly important that the mooted new bridge over the A19 at Ingleby is built to a standard that accommodates cyclists.
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Jdsk
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by Jdsk »

gaz wrote: 9 Oct 2022, 1:30am ...
My initial thought was one of Cycling UK making mountains out of mole-hills. There are plenty of C2C options if you want to cycle, why pick this fight.

Then I read the article: https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/coast-co ... government

After which I felt there was a point of principle, CTC should have been consulted, and also that there could very well be a way forward via a braided route (as with Cycling UK's version of the North Downs Way) that would mean more options for people wishng to cycle without spoiling the parts that are currently only open to and suitable for people walking.

I now think Cycling UK has made the right call.
Today's email from Cycling UK includes:
"So, Cycling UK submitted a Pre-Action Protocol letter, to the previous Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which set out the legal grounds and demonstrated all the ways in which the decision was unlawful."

Is the letter online anywhere before I write to them?

Thanks

Jonathan
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gaz
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by gaz »

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chrissmith
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by chrissmith »

As a member of a cycling walking and equestrian household, I'm quite frankly horrified at the proposal. This is a great iconic walking route, invented by a walker who would be equally horrified at the suggestion that any part of it apart from the road sections be a shared use route. It must be one of the most unsuitable routes for this kind of use. So far as I know it is the only walkers coast to coast route in the north, wheras cyclists have loads of routes, including the largely off road route between Liverpool and Hull.

Some cyclists appear to be completely unaware of how much anger this sort of proposal causes amongst walkers. I live within a mile of the South Downs Way, where I am very much aware of there are huge difficulties between the two user groups. Quite a few walkers avoid the South Downs way because of this.

I would feel less angry if Cycling UK were doing anything to campaign on the issue of lost rights of way, most of which are byways or bridleways. Equestrians and walkers have done huge amounts of work to add new routes to the map, where as, if there are any cyclists active on this issue, they are keeping very quiet.
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gaz
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by gaz »

chrissmith wrote: 29 Nov 2022, 6:28pm I would feel less angry if Cycling UK were doing anything to campaign on the issue of lost rights of way, most of which are byways or bridleways. Equestrians and walkers have done huge amounts of work to add new routes to the map, where as, if there are any cyclists active on this issue, they are keeping very quiet.
HTH: https://www.cyclinguk.org/2026
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geocycle
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by geocycle »

When I read about this proposal I was not convinced. Like Chris I prefer my hillwalking separate from cycling and vice versa. No problem with bridleways of course. There are at least 6 designated cycle routes with variations across northern England so I’m not sure this is a battle worth fighting. Further reading suggests a ‘braided route’ might be a compromise if pinch points are avoided.
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Re: Cycling the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk?

Post by RickH »

boblo wrote: 9 Oct 2022, 10:16am There's 'always' (well as long as I've been MTBing - early '80's) been an offroad alternative to Wainright's C2C. Just Google 'Tim Woodcock's C2C'. You'll be carrying it up Black Sail tho...

It doesn't matter what CUK support or don't support, the routes are still there for the riding.
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The Coast-to-Coast Ride
The Coast-to-Coast Ride
It says inside that it was first published in 1994.
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