Coast to Coast attempt in a day

Re: Coast to Coast - in a day. Advice?

I've put in a few rides this week as I start to give the C2C some more thought. I've made a couple more decisions - my main one is that I'm convinced the road bike is the right choice for me. It's superlight and fast of course, but I also find it genuinely comfortable while I've always struggled with sit bone pain I really feel I've got the angles just right with the current setup. (I ride a size that's probably a fraction smaller than I should which probably puts me a little more upright than a normal racing position.) I am definitely going to stick a wider ratio cassette on it though given the route and the distance so will be swapping out the 11-28 for an 11-32.
 
Re: Coast to Coast - in a day. Advice?

Right, this might actually be happening, sooner than I thought over the bank holiday weekend as I'm going to be up north with the family next week. Weather permitting, but currently looks like it might be just the right conditions (dry but not too warm, hopefully with a friendly westerly). If if it's still looking fair close to the time I'll study the forecast and pick what looks to be the most favourable day weather-wise.

Preparations are otherwise going ok. The road bike is going really nicely right now - I've swapped out the cassette for an 11-32 XT and though looking at the elevation profile I'm starting to think I might have been better off with 34/36! Got a 6-litre saddle bag which should be just about right to take fairly minimal kit but plenty of provisions.

I've been doing some strength work on the legs and getting out regularly for shortish rides but I've resigned myself to never having the opportunity to get any seriously long training in (life with a young family and work tend to get in the way), or find any hills comparable to the four on the route that are around or upwards of 1000ft. But it's a casual attempt for the enjoyment of it, and it doesn't really matter if I don't make it. My initial aim is to get to the top of Killhope cross alive, which is 75 miles in. If I make it there then there's a good 14 miles of downhill and I can see if there's anything left in the tank for Crawleyside. I can either get repatriated from there as it's close to the in-laws', or if I can make it up Crawleyside I'll have a good chance of completing it as it's mostly downhill to the coast then.

I'm planning to go from Workington (shorter route than starting at Whitehaven) and finish up at Seaham. I'm not too bothered about doing an 'official' route. The gpx of the route as it's planned at the moment should be visible on Strava if you're interested or have any advice on improvements: https://www.strava.com/routes/12739852
 
Re: Coast to Coast in a day (it's happening!)

Another update - the weather for the bank holiday weekend is looking fine and dry for the north of England, so I'm going to give this a go [gulp] :!: Only problem is that it's looking breezy, and despite all the C2C wisdom of 'prevailing westerlies', the wind is looking like it will be *exactly* in the wrong direction. No chance of me setting off on a very hilly 130 miles with a stiff wind in my face the entire way so I'm going to have to reverse it, starting on the east coast and probably ending up (at least in the best case scenario...) in Whitehaven.
 

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Re:

Good luck with this ride buddy.

From what you say about the in laws position, going east sounds preferable. Hope the wind changes direction for you.
Biggest piece of advice from me, eat and drink regularly. I have a computer or watch when I'm doing long rides, and tend to have a drink every 10 minutes and food every 20.

Good luck, and above all, enjoy the ride,

Mike
 
Re: Coast to Coast attempt in a day (it's happening!)

Cheers, I'm all set for Sunday - and thanks to all for the advice since I first posted on this. As it approaches I'm realising that me making the full distance is probably unlikely given the profile of the route (fair chance of me needing to be repatriated from somewhere in the Lake District!), but even in the worst case scenario it's going to be a lovely day for a good ride, so I'm going to try and enjoy as many of the miles as I can with some parts of the country I've never cycled in before.
 
Re: Coast to Coast attempt in a day (it's happening!)

Have a good ride, hope you make it all the way - just remember to enjoy yourself :) It's not that hilly up there :LOL:
 
Re: Coast to Coast attempt in a day (it's happening!)

Well, that happened! Big day on the bike, left before 7am and got into Whitehaven about 9:30pm. 129.3 miles, something like 11,000ft elevation. (I'll put the Strava link up soon). It was perfect weather with the wind me most of the way and the body held up far far better than expected to some pretty tough hills. Thanks for the support!
 
Re: Coast to Coast attempt in a day (it's happening!)

Been lurking. Well done that man! An achievement to be proud of. Looking forward to a detailed write-up on here.
 
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