Cycling UK Forum

Did C2C Whitehaven to Newcastle a couple of years back in 3 days and I'm thinking about taking a small party of 6th Form students on the same or a similar expedition, Hosteling most likely, over Easter.

Just wondered if anyone had done all 3, got any preferences or would consider one of them more straightforward in terms of stops on the way etc?

If anyones done it with a party of people I'd be interested in how you did it. I'm thinking of minibusing bikes up to Whitehaven and taking party up on the train night before ride, then using minibus for support and getting bikes back to Staffs from Tynemouth or Sunderland.

In my experience hadrians is the easiest and will have plenty of options for stopping. C2C has some seriously challenging hills but should be doable by fit 6th formers. I really like the reivers because of the remoteness through Keilder but this might make it tricky for your purpose.

But Kielder does have a youth hostel...

A friend of mine did C2C in one day - next year he wants to do C2C on one day and Reivers the next.

Aye, I did C2C (Well an on road version) in a day earlier this year. Was good fun. Hilly though (in a good way).

Living in Sunderland, I keep meaning to do a loop on the tourer - Maybe going over on the Reivers and coming back the C2C.

I've been pondering the same choice. Anyone know what the quality of surface is like on the Reivers? Doable on 700x28 tyres?

Good question from james there from my perspective. I know that C2C can be ridden (and walked up Garragill) on a road bike or mountain bike - I did it on 700x28 tyres - but the others? Reivers sounds great and I'll look into the hostel.

Out of the three, I'd be most wary of doing the C2C on a road bike (From the parts I've done and looking at the Sustrans map).

I might do a loop next week actually.

Of the three C2C would be my choice, it's the most popular, so all sorts of businesses along the route are geared up for cyclists, more so than on any of the other Sustrans route I've done (which is a few though a long way from all.) It's very well signposted, some beautiful countryside, easy transport options at each end. The only sections that are not suitable for 28s are easily avoided, the Sustrans map is pretty good at highlighting these sections. I've done this three times, the first was as a non cyclist, on a organised trip, on a hired bike, my cycling experience was a couple of 10 mile rides on a canal path. I walked up every hill and coasted down the other side, I still enjoyed it and got great satisfaction in getting from one coast to the other.
The Reivers route is very pleasant, I did it around 10 years ago as a double with the C2C. Some of the off road sections were quite tough on a touring bike, I remember it being very sandy around Keilder, we came off route and used the road. It goes through some pretty remote areas and is nothing like as well signposted as the C2C (10 years ago anyway)
I've done the Eastern half of Hadrians, Haltwhistle to Newcastle, of the three I didn't think it was that great. It goes to some interesting places, though you don't see much of the wall! But some of the cycling in between is pretty ordinary. If you wanted a tour with plenty of off the bike interest, this might be the one, if it's going to be about the cycling, I'd give it a miss. On all three, there's the long run into gateshead/Newcastle at the end, it always seems to go on for longer than the map would indicate.
If I could throw another into the mix, I'd reccomend the Way of the Roses route from Morecambe to Bridlington. I did it earlier in the year and enjoyed it, it isn't as remote or as hilly as the C2C, hostels in Malham and York, very easy route from York to the end, all the hills are in the middle section. Well sign posted and with good train options at both ends (Lancaster for the start, it's a 4 mile ride to Morecambe)

Sunderland > Newcastle for the C2C.

Bear in mind that at at Easter there's still a chance of there being snow on the top of whichever route you choose. In my notes for the second weekend in April next year I noted snow around the field edges through Wark Forest, and the following weekend a hail storm!

Interesting stuff, I might link up two of the routes for a nice 7-10 day round trip on my Brommy next spring

I did Hadrians Wall in the summer and I loved it, one of my favourite rides ever. I'm a fat old fart so I'm sure your kids could do it. On a nice day, I can't imagine a more pleasant ride, on a bad day I suspect it could be quite nasty.

DaleFTW wrote:Aye, I did C2C (Well an on road version) in a day earlier this year. Was good fun. Hilly though (in a good way).

Living in Sunderland, I keep meaning to do a loop on the tourer - Maybe going over on the Reivers and coming back the C2C.

Pencilled in for this weekend. Not sure which routes I'll take over and back, will leave that until the day.

Actuallly, I'll probably do Reivers and Hadrians Wall. Not sure which way. Anyone recommend campsites en route? I'll probably stay at Kielder campsite on the Reivers.