Day One: Workington to Penrith
http://app.endomondo.com/workouts/538426148/14323925
Day Two: Penrith to Stanhope
http://app.endomondo.com/workouts/538452993/14323925
Plus additional two miles:
http://app.endomondo.com/workouts/538450417/14323925
Day Three: Stanhope to Tynemouth
http://app.endomondo.com/workouts/538425748/14323925
Monday, 8 June 2015
Day Three
Surprisingly (?) our heads were not as clear as on previous mornings as we assembled in the back room of the Packhorse for the obligatory full English.
After a minor puncture fix for Jonathan we set off...in the wrong direction! Clearly we wanted to avoid the hill that takes you quickly up onto the top of the north Pennines. Not the best idea on a full belly and after a skinful or two the night before!
After a minor puncture fix for Jonathan we set off...in the wrong direction! Clearly we wanted to avoid the hill that takes you quickly up onto the top of the north Pennines. Not the best idea on a full belly and after a skinful or two the night before!
But we were spurred on by the guide book that suggested after this climb it was a gentle descent for the remaining 30 miles to the east coast and the North Sea.
And so it proved to be: for much of the way we followed an old railway line across moorland initially and then through woods: a glorious cycling surface too that avoided too much further discomfort to bottoms that by now had endured a saddle for what would be over 19 hours in 3 days.
But it can't have been that bad an experience as no one attempted to throw themselves off the spectacular viaduct as we pedaled into Gateshead.
After twenty four miles we stopped at the Red Kite Inn - a prospective gold mine if they actually advertised their existence, and actually did offer 'good food all day'. And to cap it all Dave A's nuts had melted. So much for M&S quality. At least they let us fill up our waterbottles!
And after two days of eyewateringly glorious countryside we were back into urban sprall as we followed main roads along the wide and silty low-tide Tyne. An obligatory shot in front of the array of bridges that make up Newcastle's quayside followed an equally obligatory walk through the hordes visiting the Sunday food market. After the Bonney Moorhen last night none of us could face a traditional Polish barbecue!
Amazingly Tynemouth is a further 11 miles east from the city centre, but personally it could have been double that as I eeked out the last energy in my legs to pedal through the increasingly deprived suburbs. Just the thoughts of the truimphal finish spurred me on - fireworks? ice cream? a brass band? dancing girls? a sign to stand by to prove our achievement? What would be waiting for us?
In fact, not a lot. The toilet facilities at the sailing club were a welcome, but rather anticlimatic end. But WE HAD DONE IT! 141 miles in 3 days. And Dave A's superb organisation peaked with the arrangement of a large minibus to take bikes and men back to our cars in Penrith..... Ian was there waiting and ready to whisk us away.
It was rather sad that two days cycling took less than two hours to cover by road, but by 1630 we were all on the road home - which thanks to an incident free M6 I reached by 2030. Plenty of time to lift the heaviest bike in the world off the roof of the car and quickly throw some interestingly smelling clothes into the washing machine.
What a trip! - bravo to my cycle buddies, and double bravo to Dave A for making it all happen. A huge experience for us all...
Chris
P.S. Keep looking at the blog...over the next few days I will compile a video of the trip and also load up the official stats...
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Day Two
Forget the Olympic breakfast we all avoided at the Little Chef this morning. The Olympian task this morning was leveraging aching middle aged limbs out of bed.
There was an air of palpable trepidation as we surveyed the sky along with the 10 or so other C2Cers creaming up and helmeting outside the Travelodge.
We set off, retracing our steps from the night before through the streets of Penrith, including an unscheduled tour of the Morrison's carpark. The ride started with a sizable climb out of Penrith...but that was a mere amuse bouche for what was to follow.
Glorious long downhills through stunning scenery soon gave way to the tortuous climb to the social hub of the ride that is Hartside Pass. Tough. Hell yes, and the wind was something else.... And built and built to a serious storm force crescendo as the day progressed.
Its so easy to dismiss to comments of how bad something will be, and then only realise too late how wrong you were. Consequently much of today was spent at either 3mph (yes, walking pace uphill) or 35 mph downhill.
And did I mention the wind? I have never experienced a gale so strong that, going uphill, you can take your feet off the pedals and be pushed up.
But the scenery, the experience and the sheer sense of satisfaction as we cycled into Stanhope made it all worthwhile.
Our loft conversion at the Packhourse Pub in Stanhope was novel but functional for 5 grown lads. (Steve and Rikki allocated the lilac honeymoon suite - an homage to the 1970s). Beers moved to dinner at the Bonny Moorhen, no one braving The Big One (see pic) and then a command performance by 'Poisoned Whiskey' - tonight's act, and Trevor's favourite, as the plucky waitress informed. We will never know who Trevor was but one might question his judgement. Never have I experienced so comprehensive a sound check that proved to be significantly better than the gig itself!
Karaoke night at the Packhorse was much more fun, and fuelled but pints of ice cold doom bar we sang away, locked in, to the wee small hours.
One more day to come....breakfast will be on the table at 8am....
Saturday, 6 June 2015
Arrived in Stanhope... Another 45 miles done.
Serious climbs, serious winds. Another tough day in the saddle. The luxury accommodation at the Packhorse Inn awaits...
Day One
We woke to the scenic view of the little chef and burger king outlets, and inspite of last night's debates bikes were loaded up and we were on the road at 8.10am. Destination Morrison's, Workington. Oh yeah baby!
En route we genned up on Workingtons demise as a major steel town, passing the Henry Bessemer pub that featured large in the tales of the day the steel works were shut.
Morrison's big breakfasts were the order of the day for all except for Steve, whose body is clearly more of a temple than anyone else's, who opted for a remarkable granola sundae special.
Bikes loaded with minimal faff and with full tummies we headed off for the obligatory photos at the official start point.
And we were away. The little blue signs for route 71 our guide. A mix of road and path and a few inclines led us eventually to Cockermouth 13 miles in.
As this point the signage seemed to fail us as the notorious Whinlatter pass that we had planned so hard to avoid loomed large. With no other options (except admitting we'd got it wrong or retracing our tyre tracks- and we are blokes!!) we persevered up to 1250 ft. Followed by a nerve and buttock jangling descent on a shingle and rock path into Keswick. We descended into the trademark Lake District misty rain almost obscuring the lovely Lakeland sights around us: the sounds of the village school reminding us that as we pedaled others were going about normal Fridays.
A hard won 30 miles. A late lunch of shandy, chips, peanuts and sausage rolls from Gregg's (all consumed for their nutritional value, you'll note) at the Red Lion and we were off again.
20 miles this time. The weather cleared and the views as we pulled ourselves up the hill out of Keswick were stunning. The pink stone of the village of Greystoke confirmed we were close to home.
Dave K guided us brilliantly back to the delights of the lovely Rachel in the Travelodge on a route that we will sell to any future adventurers.
The car shuttlers returned to Workington to retrieve the cars. And we headed to Raj's, the best curry house in Penrith. Dave A fretted over their business model as we were the only guests, and the funeral music was not to his taste either.
The #kingofthemountain cap was awarded many times over (heaviest bike, best route home, most compelling sleeps on the roadside verge, most unlikely bottle of white wine in a curry house). I could go on....
Home and bed. Hurricanes loom, apparently along with light rain and 46 miles to Stanhope.....
Friday, 5 June 2015
Got to Keswick
30 miles done. One hell of a ride. Total ascent 2595ft.
Somehow we cycled over the pass we were going. To avoid!
Day one...update one
We arrived. In one piece . and inspire of a small altercation at the reception desk involving two tourists, three ladies clearly attending the Appleby fair. And Dave mastering the art of allocating 7 grown men into 4 rooms!
But the beer tasted good and the 1.5 mile rapid stomp into the metropolis that is Penrith.
The team dynamics of a group that includes those who typically have run half a marathon before breakfast and those who don't want to get up at all led to an interesting debate when we should get to Morrisons in Workington for the full English. Who knows?
But the incentive of a curry at the end of 50 miles in the saddle will surely spur us on......
Thursday, 4 June 2015
Greetings from Penrith
The dream team are assembled, supping Jennings Sneck Lifter in The Agricultural Hotel in Penrith.
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Nearing the off...
Just one sleep and then the intrepid seven will be en route to Penrith - the first night stop before heading west to Workington and starting the hard work over three days to Tynemouth.
Our tasks have been divvied up:
Dave K has excelled on training rides and has been appointed Route Master, Matt is Team CIO with an App for everything), Chris – compiling and distributing a photographic record of our triumph (and disasters along the way) and blogging as we go, Dave A – chief grease monkey, Rikki – you’re down as Entertainment Officer and that does not mean hookers and drugs, Steve - as the only proper cyclists, making the rest of us look good in front of other cyclists and Jonathan – dealing with the natives, PR, police liaison, First Aider, AOB.
Keep watching! Posts, photos, videos et al to follow....:
Our tasks have been divvied up:
Dave K has excelled on training rides and has been appointed Route Master, Matt is Team CIO with an App for everything), Chris – compiling and distributing a photographic record of our triumph (and disasters along the way) and blogging as we go, Dave A – chief grease monkey, Rikki – you’re down as Entertainment Officer and that does not mean hookers and drugs, Steve - as the only proper cyclists, making the rest of us look good in front of other cyclists and Jonathan – dealing with the natives, PR, police liaison, First Aider, AOB.
Keep watching! Posts, photos, videos et al to follow....:
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