Can three friends conquer England’s famous Coast to Coast (C2C) Cycle Route in just 2 days? Join Ken, Charles and Alan as we take on the incredible 140-mile journey from Whitehaven to Sunderland on two mountain bikes and one electric mountain bike.
Starting on the west coast in Whitehaven and finishing beside the sea at Roker Beach, Sunderland, we experience everything the C2C has to offer – stunning scenery, challenging Pennine climbs, fast downhill railway paths and an unforgettable adventure across Northern England.
🚴 Day 1
📍 Whitehaven ➜ Alston
✅ 78 miles
⛰️ Plenty of climbing with some tough gradients as we approach the Pennines.
🚴 Day 2
📍 Alston ➜ Roker Beach, Sunderland
✅ 62 miles
⛰️ The first 30 miles are packed with challenging climbs and rolling hills before the route turns into a fantastic mostly downhill ride on cycle paths built along former railway lines all the way towards the east coast.
We followed the excellent Coast to Coast route from cycle.travel, using the downloadable GPS files on our Garmin bike computers. If you’re planning the ride yourself, it’s an excellent resource:
https://cycle.travel/route/c2c
🏠 Where We Stayed
Night Before the Ride
📍 Bob’s Place (Whitehaven)
✔️ Sleeps 3
✔️ Secure bike storage
✔️ Only 1.2 miles from the official start
After Day 1
📍 Temple Croft Bed & Breakfast, Alston
✔️ Spacious bunk room (sleeps up to 8)
✔️ Secure cycle storage
✔️ Perfect overnight stop for C2C riders
After Day 2
📍 Roker Hotel, Sunderland
✔️ Just a short walk from the finish line at Roker Beach
Along the Way…
✅ 140 miles completed
✅ Amazing scenery
✅ Tough Pennine climbs
✅ Fantastic downhill railway paths
✅ No punctures!
😅 Just one minor mishap when my bike toppled over during a break after around 20 miles on Day 1, slightly damaging the derailleur—but thankfully it didn’t stop the ride!
If you’re thinking about tackling the Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge, we hope this video gives you a genuine look at exactly what to expect from start to finish.
It really was an incredible experience, and we all had a fantastic time.
Filmed using DJI Osmo Nano and DJI Action 4
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