C2C Cicerone: Cycle Coast to Coast
Do you like beautiful scenery, exercise and plenty of fresh air? Enjoy visiting village pubs and cafes? Up for cycling up and down a few hills? If the answer is yes, you'll love riding the C2C.
Jeremy Evans' author of the Cicerone guidebook, C2C Cycle Route is the perfect companion.The Coast to Coast (C2C) is a superb 219km (136 mile) cycle route across northern England that connects the country’s Irish Sea and the North Sea coasts.
It passes through the Lake District and Pennines, which are home to some of Britain’s most dramatic landscapes.
In addition to endless wonderful views across the countryside, the C2C offers a great selection of interesting places to visit. The route is accessible and enjoyable for bike riders from novice to expert, including children of most ages. It is equally enjoyable as a leisurely tour for recreational riders or as a full-energy ride for those who enjoy ‘cycle sportif’.
The C2C first opened as a formal route in 1994. It is a cyclist’s version of Alfred Wainwight’s famous Coast to Coast Walk, but follows a shorter route with considerably fewer hills. The route was designed by Sustrans and is now Britain’s most popular long-distance cycle route. Thousands of cyclists complete the C2C each year, but there is plenty of space and it never feels crowded.
In this guide the route is described over five days - an ideal pace for leisure cyclists and families that allows time for detours to look at places of interest along the way. If you cycle further and faster, it’s possible to ride from sea to sea in four, three or two days - and for the super-fit, even in one day. Shorter itineraries are also included for those who enjoy a challenge. The detailed route information, accompanied by OS maps, offers lots of help with planning and undertaking your C2C adventure.
Excellent signposting makes the route easy to follow with straightforward route planning using a conventional map or GPS.
