C2C - Day 2, The Tantrum

First of all I should mention THE BOOK (Coast to Coast Cycle Routes by Mark Porter with John Grimshaw ISBN:978-0-9555082-5-7) http://www.c2c-guide.co.uk/

Today started, according to the book, "with the first real challenge, the uphill slog to Whinlatter, the first section of which is unremitting." Needless to say I was fearful. It was steep and fairly long but whoever said you had to do it all in one go? My dh obviously thought someone had, but he comes from the disadvantaged section of society that only has one X chromosome. The poor stubby little Y chromosome obviously misses the DNA coding for "it's ok to stop for a breather". Also there are some typically lovely Lakeland views if you take the time to get off your bike and look behind you, whilst gasping for air. My mantra throughout the trip was to never believe the top was nearly there and then I was often pleasantly surprised. The last bit of ascent was on a rough track through woodland, the change in vista takes one's mind off the pain.

DH waiting for me on Whinlatter pass

Then came the best part of the day...the descent to Braithwaite. The book suggest you do this via the Whinlatter visitors centre and down the woodland track but I was too busy imagining I was in the Tour de France - you know stooped forward to lessen wind resistance, leaning in to the bends and shouting "wheeeeeeeeee", and missed the turning. I'm sure it is far safer to take the off road route but much more fun to go via the road, and my tyres are relatively thin for a hybrid* anyway.

*Ohh looky here, my first bit of bike techy language. A hybrid bike is a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. It has wideish wheels like a mountain bike, allowing it to manage off road but also wheels that can be pumped up to a higher pressure, allowing you to go faster along the roads. (I had to look that up as had no idea myself!) This is my bike:http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/lithium-three-hybrid-bike-ec027463


The dealbreaker of the trip for me had been: morning coffee and cake stop, pub lunch, afternoon tea and cake and pub evening meal. Yes I think we are the only people to put weight on whist doing the coast to coast. So our morning coffee stop was in Keswick at the The Lakeland Pedlar. http://www.lakelandpedlar.co.uk/



The route out of Keswick was another old railway route (see previous post) and other than a tedious short bit along the edge of the A66 we had a pleasant non taxing ride to Mungrisdale for the required pub lunch.

Here was big mistake number one. Real ale and black pudding at lunchtime. The first hill we hit and my quads felt as if they had red hot pokers running through them. The dreaded cramp. Clearly all my blood supply was too busy dealing with the beer and black pudding. This was where The Tantrum happened. Not realising straight away it was cramp, I thought my thighs just weren't up to it and how on earth was I going to cope with the horror hills that were to come. Bike left to drop on the side of the road, contents of paniers being thrown in to nearby field in search of painkillers and dh trying very hard to do the right thing. Clearly a waste of his time. But as with cramp it soon passed off and I rather shamefacedly repacked the paniers, got back on board the bike whilst muttering apologies.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully along northern Cumbrian country lanes as far as Melmerby (slightly off the prescribed route). We did 42 miles in total which was probably about 5 miles too long for me, the last bit although flat, seemed never ending and on arrival at the B+B it was all I could do to crawl up the stairs hopeful that the bathroom had a bath...it did. Foolishly thinking after The Tantrum incident that dh was doing his best to keep me happy I asked him to massage my quads. I was, romantically informed, that there was no reason why I couldn't massage my own quads, after all they are on the front of my legs and within reach. Ahhhh married bliss.

C2C for beginner cyclists - Part One

And this is how it all started:

So we have been married for twenty years, an achievement in our eyes, but how to celebrate? A romantic meal at an exclusive restaurant? A weekend away to some East European city? A UK country hotel break? No - lets pedal from the West to the East coast of England. Never mind that one of us (me) doesn't even own a bike. If we can survive twenty years of marriage surely our relationship can stand a long distance cycle ride together....can't it?

On 1st September 2011, twenty years to the hour since we stood at the altar sharing vows I find myself in a cycle shop in Gateshead muttering slightly different oaths under my breath. After an hour and a half we emerge with a new bike, inner tubes, pannier rack, gloves and the all important padded shorts. That evening we have ordered the relevant Sustrans maps and I am actually feeling quite excited by the idea.

I believe that most people take some time to plan (accommodation on the route is not plentiful and I am NOT taking a tent) and to train. But, oh not we. We are going to be setting off just one week later.

So this blog is for all of you who are googling C2C in the hope of finding out how hard it really is. I did this numerous times in the week before we set off, but is one person's definition of  "a relatively tough climb" another person's (mine) definition of  "tantrum inducing and marriage threatening sheer agony"? What exactly is their frame of reference?

My frame of reference is: I walk the dogs most days for 45 mins to an hour, I don't go to the gym, I don't run and in August, whilst on holiday I went for three 20-30km bike rides. Other than that the only training I did was three 5-10km rides between the 1st and 8th September up and down hills.

We took the train from Newcastle to Whitehaven. You can not book bikes on this route and I understood only 2 bikes were allowed on each train "at the guard's discretion". However, worry not, it was no problem. There were at least 5 bikes on the stretch between Carlisle and Whitehaven. As we arrived about 3.30pm we had decided to do only 20 miles that afternoon to our first stop.

The first job was to find the start and dip our rear wheels in the Irish Sea, as tradition dictates. After that it was a 2 hour pedal to Lorton and a very luxurious B+B - they even have a spa in the garden. http://www.newhouse-farm.com/ The comfiest bed I have ever slept in and lovely food.

Don't be fooled by all the blogs telling you that the first section is the easy bit. Ok, harder is to come but don't forget this is the Lake District...there are hills. That said it wasn't too bad. There is a long gentle climb out of Whitehaven, along an old railway path. I felt confident I could manage this as there is only so much gradient a train can cope with (I've read Thomas the Tank Engine). It was quite manageable, if a little boring. The second hour was along winding hilly country lanes. A couple of these had me in the lowest gear but none of them were too big. What Sustrans are very good at is keeping you off the busy roads, so this section was enjoyable as for every uphill there was a "wheeeeeee" downhill. I would advise putting your companion in front of you, there are a lot of bends and if there is a car coming its probably best that they hit it not you, as long as the life insurance is in place.

So here ends Part One...more to follow