***OFFICIAL 2016 C2C THREAD***

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How is everyone's training going for this?

I've invested in a brand new tourer (Trek 520) - not specifically for the C2C but I'll be using it - currently waiting for it to arrive but in the meantime I've been out on the roadie doing short jaunts of about 40miles at a time, a couple of times a week.

I want to be at the point where it's not that much of a challenge for me so I can just enjoy it all properly, and potentially ride slightly hungover and not feel like death.
 
How is everyone's training going for this?

I've invested in a brand new tourer (Trek 520) - not specifically for the C2C but I'll be using it - currently waiting for it to arrive but in the meantime I've been out on the roadie doing short jaunts of about 40miles at a time, a couple of times a week.

I want to be at the point where it's not that much of a challenge for me so I can just enjoy it all properly, and potentially ride slightly hungover and not feel like death.
:lol::lol: Über alert!!

I've done 10 miles, twice and had to put my lungs back in afterwards.

My recommended training plan for non-regular cyclists is 10 miles a couple of times a week, then increase it by 5 miles a ride each week til you reach about 30. Most people don't have time to ride more than 30. I organise a couple of 30ish rides the weeks beforehand, and the week before we always have a 50 mile jaunt to Hartlepool.
I don't ride on roads at all if I can help it, so all of my training rides are low mileage/high effort jobs eg tunstall/Penshaw hills. Probably not ideal for c2c mile munching but road riding bores me to tears. Last night was a seaburn - cleadon hills mudathon where I only averaged about 9mph. Oh, and don't train on a roadie if you're doing the ride on an mtb.
And if you are doing it on an mtb, do some proper off road training, especially mud and puddles.
There was one year where the moors were proper wet and I was amazed to find some riders had absolutely no idea how to ride it.

You will also piss it on a roadie when the mtb mob average about 10 mph.

Observe
https://www.strava.com/activities/157548310
 
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:lol::lol: Über alert!!

I've done 10 miles, twice and had to put my lungs back in afterwards.

My recommended training plan for non-regular cyclists is 10 miles a couple of times a week, then increase it by 5 miles a ride each week til you reach about 30. Most people don't have time to ride more than 30. I organise a couple of 30ish rides the weeks beforehand, and the week before we always have a 50 mile jaunt to Hartlepool.
I don't ride on roads at all if I can help it, so all of my training rides are low mileage/high effort jobs eg tunstall/Penshaw hills. Probably not ideal for c2c mile munching but road riding bores me to tears. Last night was a seaburn - cleadon hills mudathon where I only averaged about 9mph. Oh, and don't train on a roadie if you're doing the ride on an mtb.
And if you are doing it on an mtb, do some proper off road training, especially mud and puddles.
There was one year where the moors were proper wet and I was amazed to find some riders had absolutely no idea how to ride it.

You will also piss it on a roadie when the mtb mob average about 10 mph.

Observe
https://www.strava.com/activities/157548310
Hahaha cheers Dave :)

I'm not wanting to fly the route when we do it, it's a social event for me rather than a physical challenge.

My only concern is the suitability of the bike. The tourer can handle gravel paths but not much more. Will there be simple enough alternative routes for those sections?

Or should I just do it on the MTB? Even though its a f***ing monster and weighs about the same as me :D
 
Hahaha cheers Dave :)

I'm not wanting to fly the route when we do it, it's a social event for me rather than a physical challenge.

My only concern is the suitability of the bike. The tourer can handle gravel paths but not much more. Will there be simple enough alternative routes for those sections?

Or should I just do it on the MTB? Even though its a f***ing monster and weighs about the same as me :D
There will no doubt be some other tedious bastards on roadies, and the alternatives are simple. But it means you miss the most fun sections.
 
Hahaha cheers Dave :)

I'm not wanting to fly the route when we do it, it's a social event for me rather than a physical challenge.

My only concern is the suitability of the bike. The tourer can handle gravel paths but not much more. Will there be simple enough alternative routes for those sections?

Or should I just do it on the MTB? Even though its a f***ing monster and weighs about the same as me :D

relax, and just do it on whichever bike you're most comfortable on - if you're doing any of the normal C2C routes then the odd gravel path is the worst that you'll see

(unless the SMB group are all off-road junkies)

;)
 
relax, and just do it on whichever bike you're most comfortable on - if you're doing any of the normal C2C routes then the odd gravel path is the worst that you'll see

(unless the SMB group are all off-road junkies)

;)
@Dave Herbal care to comment on whether it's gravel paths only, or are you taking us through muddy fields?
 
@Dave Herbal care to comment on whether it's gravel paths only, or are you taking us through muddy fields?

well the Strava link he posted is almost the same as my first day when i do the C2C - only difference being we go on at Mungrisdale and loop round to Greystokes in a slightly different way (as it avoids more of the A66) - its cycle paths, roads and a couple of short sections of gravel

nothing to worry about
 
@Dave Herbal care to comment on whether it's gravel paths only, or are you taking us through muddy fields?

Gravel paths are the worst you will encounter.

There are a some off road bits but they have an alternative road section to by pass them

And don't listen to Herbal propaganda hes on a one man mission to rid the world of stiffbacks
 
Gravel paths are the worst you will encounter.

There are a some off road bits but they have an alternative road section to by pass them

And don't listen to Herbal propaganda hes on a one man mission to rid the world of stiffbacks
So tourer is fine you reckon? I don't want to miss any best bits like so the MTB is feasible for me but I'd prefer to use the tourer.
 
So tourer is fine you reckon? I don't want to miss any best bits like so the MTB is feasible for me but I'd prefer to use the tourer.

Depends what you term as best bits - for me the climb up the muddy hill of Rookhope and blasting across the moors is one of my favourite bits but you would miss that on a roadie as you take the alternative route up Crawleyside.

That's the only change of route I can think of and plenty have done it on roadies before and managed okay.
 
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Depends what you term as best bits - for me the climb up the muddy hill of Rookhope and blasting across the moors is one of my favourite bits but you would miss that on a roadie as you take the alternative route up Crawleyside.

That's the only change of route I can think of and plenty have done it on roadies before and managed okay.

this is where you find the opinions differ

to Sneech the real route is the off-road up Rookhope

to me the real route is going up Crawleyside

(plus whenever i do the C2C the off-road is closed cos of maniacs with guns)

;)
 
relax, and just do it on whichever bike you're most comfortable on - if you're doing any of the normal C2C routes then the odd gravel path is the worst that you'll see

(unless the SMB group are all off-road junkies)

;)
Erm, what about the grouse moor section from the top of rookhope to park head? It's all rocks, ruts and puddles, certainly if you do it properly and take the right hand fork. And the climb to up rookhope itself is pretty rough. That's the proper c2c route. Crawleyside is just an alternative for gays.

Depends what you term as best bits - for me the climb up the muddy hill of Rookhope and blasting across the moors is one of my favourite bits but you would miss that on a roadie as you take the alternative route up Crawleyside.

That's the only change of route I can think of and plenty have done it on roadies before and managed okay.
There's also that road descent from Whinlatter that we accidentally took one year. It's fun, but nowhere near as much fun as pushing 40 on the gravel descent.
 
Erm, what about the grouse moor section from the top of rookhope to park head? It's all rocks, ruts and puddles, certainly if you do it properly and take the right hand fork. And the climb to up rookhope itself is pretty rough. That's the proper c2c route. Crawleyside is just an alternative for gays.


There's also that road descent from Whinlatter that we accidentally took one year. It's fun, but nowhere near as much fun as pushing 40 on the gravel descent.

you gays on MTB's will do anything to avoid the climb out of Rookhope and the climb up Crawleyside

and that road descent after Whinlatter is lethal, had a mate who completely missed the bend and went over a wall - he stood up and done his finest impression of jungle camo Action Man

;)
 
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https://www.strava.com/activities/59795211

https://www.strava.com/activities/59679725

you gays on MTB's will do anything to avoid the climb out of Rookhope and the climb up Crawleyside

and that road descent after Whinlatter is lethal, had a mate who completely missed the bend and went over a wall - he stood up and done his finest impression of jungle camo Action Man

;)
you gays on MTB's will do anything to avoid the climb out of Rookhope and the climb up Crawleyside

and that road descent after Whinlatter is lethal, had a mate who completely missed the bend and went over a wall - he stood up and done his finest impression of jungle camo Action Man

;)
A few of ours have overcooked the gravel one and gone over the edge. And there's a genuinely scary moment when the trail begins to drop and you have to decide how far you'll let it go before you touch the brakes. Semi slicks and wet gravel do not good bedfellows make.
 
So tourer is fine you reckon? I don't want to miss any best bits like so the MTB is feasible for me but I'd prefer to use the tourer.

just ran thru the (non Herbal) route in my head

bits that are'nt towpath or road where you have no option but a gravel track

Day 1 - nothing really to worry about - a couple of mile stretch coming out of Whitehaven

Day 2 - the drop down from the college into Penrith

Day 3 - the blast from Parkhead down to Consett (this can be tricky on a tourer if its been raining)

a very short gravel section at Greencroft Ind Estate (literally 200 yards, but again if its been raining...altho you can easily skip that part)

the woods down from Stanley / Beamish (no way to avoid, but its normally ok)

the bit after CLS (is it Cox Green??) through the woods, this can be lethal if its been raining
 
just ran thru the (non Herbal) route in my head

bits that are'nt towpath or road where you have no option but a gravel track

Day 1 - nothing really to worry about - a couple of mile stretch coming out of Whitehaven

Day 2 - the drop down from the college into Penrith

Day 3 - the blast from Parkhead down to Consett (this can be tricky on a tourer if its been raining)

a very short gravel section at Greencroft Ind Estate (literally 200 yards, but again if its been raining...altho you can easily skip that part)

the woods down from Stanley / Beamish (no way to avoid, but its normally ok)

the bit after CLS (is it Cox Green??) through the woods, this can be lethal if its been raining
Cheers mate.

I'm erring on the side of the MTB now to be honest. Just so I don't have to worry about any of the sections. It'll give me a better workout too I suppose :D
 
https://www.strava.com/activities/59795211

https://www.strava.com/activities/59679725



A few of ours have overcooked the gravel one and gone over the edge. And there's a genuinely scary moment when the trail begins to drop and you have to decide how far you'll let it go before you touch the brakes. Semi slicks and wet gravel do not good bedfellows make.

which is why i dont do any proper offroad on my hardtail now - its got the skinniest semi slicks i could fit

:)
 
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