C2C advice

Pyrosyard said:

Hiya

Bit of a newbie to this forum, looking for a bit of
advice.

I'm contemplating doing the C2C sometime this summer,
probably over 2 days (depends on time off work, really)
and was wondering:

Is it better to do it west-east or east-west? Is it really
feasible to do it solo, camping (haven't got the lightest
kit, but reckon I can carry what I need) ? Anyone know of
a decent campsite about halfway along the route?

Also: (since I'm an MTB'er by tradition) is it worth
riding the off-road sections or are they extra effort for
not a lot of fun?

Cheers

Carrick - Pyro's Yard

West to East is the most used route I think, they say its
because the hills are less steep from the West. Both times
I've done have been west to east. I have done it in three
days both times which makes for a leisurely ride with lots
of time for socialising (Drinking). We camped at a small
campsite in Troutbeck and then stayed at the Miners Arms in
Nenthead. Two days is certainly doable even with kit on
board. The offroad sections are worth it, not too severe
generally, one bit up to Hartside was not worth it IHMO,
more yomping that riding. Be sure to check out c2c-c2c-Open ↗
guide.co.uk/ my story in on there.

MSeries said:

West to East is the most used route I think, they say its
because the hills are less steep from the West. Both times
I've done have been west to east. I have done it in three
days both times which makes for a leisurely ride with lots
of time for socialising (Drinking). We camped at a small
campsite in Troutbeck and then stayed at the Miners Arms
in Nenthead. Two days is certainly doable even with kit on
board. The offroad sections are worth it, not too severe
generally, one bit up to Hartside was not worth it IHMO,
more yomping that riding. Be sure to check out c2c-c2c-Open ↗
guide.co.uk/ my story in on there.

Also you're more likely to get a tailwind (the same reason
people do Land's End to John O'Groats but rarely the other
way round).

Two people where I work did the (off road) C2C in one day,
with a 5am start and a 9.30pm finish. Only possible in June!

Quoted message said:

I'm contemplating doing the C2C sometime this summer, probably over 2
days (depends on time off work, really) and was wondering:

Quoted message said:

Is it better to do it west-east or east-west? Is it really
feasible to do it solo, camping (haven't got the lightest
kit, but reckon I can carry what I need) ? Anyone know of
a decent campsite about halfway along the route?

Easily doable in two days. I did it on a 12 speed Raleigh
Equipe road bike and had two nights under canvas. One at
Ousby and one at Beamish -only 16 or so miles from the East
coast. Had I had an early morning start from Whitehaven
instead of a 12:00 - 1:00 start, I'd have completed in two
days. The campsite at Ousby is ideal as it is behind a pub
serving rather good beer you might get further than this
with an early morning start fromWhitehaven.. The west -East
Route is by convention the route to take and i believe that
the prevailing wind will be in your favour. My kit and body
(20+stone) was not the lightest, the bike was not ideal with
its 700 x 25 wheels and only 12 gears, I'd only been cycling
again for four months after a 25+ year lay off so you should
feel optimistic of your ability to complete it in your
projected time scale.

My account is on the C2C website under the name Vernon
Lacy....I really ought to get the name and typos in the tale
corrected..

Go for it. You should find it a breeze.

Quoted message said:

Also: (since I'm an MTB'er by tradition) is it worth
riding the off-road sections or are they extra effort for
not a lot of fun?

I chose not to do any of the off road sections apart from
pushing my bike over the off-road short cut up Hartside -
not really worth it. I don'y know what the other sections
were like first hand though a pal of mine rated the old
coach road section.

Vernon