C2C
Coast to Coast in a day.
Summary
Being a Yorkshireman. I wanted to challenge myself on my longest single ride yet. Cycling from Morecombe to Bridlington across the country along ‘The way of the roses’ This goes through Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales past some Iconic landmarks.
About the day
I woke at 3 to catch the 5 am train from Skipton to Lancaster. Mum drove me there, and I remember saying bye to her and that I’d see her in Bridlington with my dad. That was a strange feeling to think I would have ridden across the country in a single day. Once I arrived in Lancaster at 6:30 I had to cycle 5 miles to the start which was to Morecambe as a train didn’t go there that early.
The start of the ride is fairly hilly going through the North side of the Forest of Bowland and dropping down into Settle. I couldn't have chosen a better day with sunshine to last the entire day, and it was warm too! I stopped for breakfast in Settle before the big climb out of the town, once past there it is rolling hills through the Yorkshire Dales on quiet narrow country roads. The next big climb was up to the top of Greenhow hill that drops down into Pateley Bridge and onto Ripon and Fountains Abby. Half way!
Most of the hills are done with by this point, so it was just a case of keeping the chain tight and maintaining a good speed on the flat roads. Past York is really easy and enjoyable riding, effortlessly moving, and moving fast! York was too busy to stop for food so the only option is to make a pitstop in a Starbucks just outside of the town. I covered quite a lot of ground on this section of the ride. I was following my Garmin for the majority of the ride but it did get a bit dicey towards the end, mainly tiredness and concentration got the better of me and it was getting dark.
The end sections of the C2C is a strange one. You have no idea where you are, riding on country lanes, the sun is setting and you know you are really close to finishing. It’s like the old saying, so close yet so far! You see so much in one day it’s really hard to take it all in. I finished the ride at 8pm with the smell of fresh sea air and fish and chips. A day to remember!