# Trans-Pennine Trail - Questions



## sabian92 (11 Dec 2011)

Afternoon All,

I'm looking at doing the Trans Pennine Trail at some point next year for charity, although I have a few questions.

I know it's well signposted (well, from what I've seen of it) but where can you buy a proper map of the thing? The sustrans website doesn't make it that clear and I gave up looking at it. Buying a few maps is fine, I just want to make sure I get the right one! I found this too http://www.cycle-n-sleep.co.uk/rinfo/map trans pennine trail.htm

Secondly - What bike do you need? I understand some of it is paved and smooth as glass, but what about the parts that aren't? I've got 25mm tyres on and they don't do soggy mud that well...  I was looking at doing it in the summer but we all know the UK weather - unpredictable. I've got a hybrid frame that originally had 26x1.75 tyres on which was built with naff components so I took it apart but the frame is fine, and it can take a rear rack so that's good.

Thanks.


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## growingvegetables (11 Dec 2011)

Eeeh - I've only done bits, some on the E-W but mostly on the Leeds-Sheffield branches.

Just a fwiw - for the bits i know, the signposting is at best ......... "hit-and-miss". And on occasion entirely absent . Seems to depend on the local authority that actually did the signage.

From Hadfield through to Penistone - done it with a tandem, a hybrid on 28s, and 2 kids on BSOs.

maps and guides


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## skudupnorth (11 Dec 2011)

Hybrid type will be be more than upto the job.....me and Potsy are always playing on bits of the trail around Warrington to Stockport areas.Some bits are a bit fun but not too much to stop you.I think if you go on the TPT web-site you can purchase the full set of maps.I rode up to Moore the other week from Manchester,nice ride except for the landfill part near Warrington !


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## DCLane (11 Dec 2011)

I'm also planning on doing it next year - May or June (C2C April, then Way of the Roses and TPT May/June). There are three official maps available, but you only need map 1 & 3.

Map 1: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Sea-Y...7774/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323615917&sr=8-3
Map 3: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yorkshire-North-Sea-East-Map/dp/0953227790/ref=pd_sim_b_1

There's also the official accommodation guide, which I've got and is useful for tricky bits:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trans-Pennine-Trail-Official-Accommodation/dp/1901464180/ref=pd_sim_b_2

My plan is to use the Ridgeback Platinum I've got, with 25mm Gatorskin tyres. I'm used to using it on other NCN's so yours should be OK with similar. The trail's been done by touring bikes before, although mostly hybrid/MTB's.


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## skudupnorth (11 Dec 2011)

I ride some parts on my fixie with 23's fitted no problem


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## ufkacbln (11 Dec 2011)

VARied route!
From this near Maghull:






To this over the Moors (Woodhead) the path is actually stepped.






Other areas are simply off road tracks of varied surface:











.. but can be very wet!


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## Danny (11 Dec 2011)

Could this be another sighting of Cunobelin in a helmet?


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## skudupnorth (11 Dec 2011)

Bloody hell ! Bit different to our end of the trail !!!!!


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## DCLane (11 Dec 2011)

That's a surprise Cunobelin. It might mean a re-think although I don't fancy doing the whole route on a MTB. The alternative I guess would be to lug it up some of those routes; the Maghull bit doesn't even look like a track


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## sabian92 (11 Dec 2011)

DCLane said:


> I'm also planning on doing it next year - May or June (C2C April, then Way of the Roses and TPT May/June). There are three official maps available, but you only need map 1 & 3.
> 
> Map 1: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Sea-Y...7774/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323615917&sr=8-3
> Map 3: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yorkshire-North-Sea-East-Map/dp/0953227790/ref=pd_sim_b_1
> ...


 
Cheers for the maps - wasn't sure what I was looking for. I've got a Carrera Virtuoso but I don't think even in the dry it would do on the rougher parts unless I pushed it, and I wouldn't like to chance it on gravel even with my Marathon + tyres on properly pumped up. Might have to build my crap bike back up with reasonable components, it had a triple on it as well which I'll probably need!



Cunobelin said:


> VARied route!
> From this near Maghull:
> 
> 
> ...


 
That looks really awful in some parts. I'll probably be better off walking it the whole way!


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## darth vadar (11 Dec 2011)

I've done Liverpool to South Manchester and yes, the track is variable to say the least!

It looks like somebody had an idea and threw a bit of money at it - but not enough. At this time of year expect deep standing pools of water anywhere and everywhere which remain there for long periods.

I am hoping to do the Way of the Roses next summer and I would be disappointed if the quality is as poor as that stretch of the TPT.


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## growingvegetables (11 Dec 2011)

Cunobelin said:


> VARied route!
> Over the Moors (Woodhead) the path is actually stepped.
> 
> 
> ...


 
Those are bits I hauled tandem, hybrid, and 2 kids on BSOs over - happy memories. 

Aye, and the haul up Woodhead is a walkie. But it's such a short section, it'd be daft to go MTB over the whole route?


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## sabian92 (11 Dec 2011)

darth vadar said:


> I've done Liverpool to South Manchester and yes, the track is variable to say the least!
> 
> It looks like somebody had an idea and threw a bit of money at it - but not enough. At this time of year expect deep standing pools of water anywhere and everywhere which remain there for long periods.
> 
> I am hoping to do the Way of the Roses next summer and I would be disappointed if the quality is as poor as that stretch of the TPT.


 

Sounds like the majority of council projects then... 

I was looking at it in the Summer so hopefully there won't be water or any great amount of it but you can never be sure - When did you do that stretch?



growingvegetables said:


> Those are bits I hauled tandem, hybrid, and 2 kids on BSOs over - happy memories.
> 
> Aye, and the haul up Woodhead is a walkie. But it's such a short section, it'd be daft to go MTB over the whole route?


How much of it is actually ridable on a road bike though - would it be worth at least slicking up my old hybrid frame and using that or would it be OK on a Virtuoso with 25mm M+? I'm not bothered about pushing it, but if i've got to push it any great distance (more than half a mile to a mile) it's a bit of a p!ss take.


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## DCLane (11 Dec 2011)

Way of the Roses is supposed to be better - I'll find that out as well!

I'm still planning to use a road bike, although I've fortunately got a Carrera Virtuoso as a back-up (my current winter commuter for dry/ice-free days).


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## darth vadar (12 Dec 2011)

_*"I was looking at it in the Summer so hopefully there won't be water or any great amount of it but you can never be sure - When did you do that stretch"?*_


I did it in August of last year and it was awful. But, after saying that, there had been lots of rain over that part of the summer, so I could just have been unlucky. 

There was lots of standing water in deep pools all over the place, and it took a long time for my nice, new, clean hybrid at the time to forgive me !!! I spent the following day lovingly trying to restore it to its former glory by using an old toothbrush and bowls of hot, soapy water. 

I still have sleepless nights about it !!!

Good luck.


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## Bodhbh (12 Dec 2011)

Cunobelin said:


> VARied route!....


 
I didn't want to contradict anyone, as it's been a couple of years and my memory but yeah there is a few bits like your more extreme photos. My impression tho, was for the most of the time the surface quality is similar to the photo above.


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## potsy (12 Dec 2011)

Like Skud says, our end of the trail is very good (in parts) but it doesn't take too many days of heavy rain to leave it looking like some of the photos above.
Used it last week to commute the homeward leg and the bike needed cleaning each day 
All the pics below were taken during a period of dry weather but I'll try to get some of it as it is now this week.









View attachment 5501


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## ufkacbln (12 Dec 2011)

Danny said:


> Could this be another sighting of Cunobelin in a helmet?


 
I can neither confirm, nor deny the use of such a piece of equipment


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## growingvegetables (13 Dec 2011)

sabian92 said:


> How much of it is actually ridable on a road bike though - would it be worth at least slicking up my old hybrid frame and using that.


 
Went back and did some memory dredging . We rode from &searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf]Hadfield to &searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf]Dunford Bridge.

First bit - along the TPT, with a wee detour to camp at Crowden, back to the TPT, and rode to the opening for the Woodhead Tunnel. Not a route for a roadie - well, not one *for me* on a roadie, no thank you!

Then - there was the climb from Woodhead and over the top. A couple of miles I wouldn't dream of trying to cycle; the good lord made a few hills just for walking up  And the longer bits that we did cycle? Again, *no way* I'd want to try riding a roadie - no way, definitely not, never. Not ever. Not till ............. well, you get the idea  Hybrid? No bother.


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## Danny (13 Dec 2011)

Cunobelin said:


> I can neither confirm, nor deny the use of such a piece of equipment


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## sabian92 (13 Dec 2011)

growingvegetables said:


> Went back and did some memory dredging . We rode from &searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf]Hadfield to &searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf]Dunford Bridge.
> 
> First bit - along the TPT, with a wee detour to camp at Crowden, back to the TPT, and rode to the opening for the Woodhead Tunnel. Not a route for a roadie - well, not one *for me* on a roadie, no thank you!
> 
> Then - there was the climb from Woodhead and over the top. A couple of miles I wouldn't dream of trying to cycle; the good lord made a few hills just for walking up  And the longer bits that we did cycle? Again, *no way* I'd want to try riding a roadie - no way, definitely not, never. Not ever. Not till ............. well, you get the idea  Hybrid? No bother.


 
I take it it's a bad idea then :P

I'll look at building my old hybrid frame back up then. Don't want to wreck my "good" bike!


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## Andrew Br (13 Dec 2011)

I use the TPT a lot since it passes 500m from where I live in South Manchester.
I've been west on it as far as Southport (and Liverpool on a different trip) and as far east as Penistone. As an aside, you might want to learn the correct pronounciation of Penistone.

Here are a few random observations:-
If the weather has been wet then it's likely that significant parts of the trail will either be muddy or covered in puddles. This is particularly true of the section around Lymm (I went along there on Sunday. See here for a brief report:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10.10935).
Some of the route is very rough; around Warrington, along parts of the Mersey in S. Manchester and the part mentioned earlier up from Woodhead.
For the climb from the Woodhead tunnels, I would actually take the road even though it's quite busy. The track across the top is a nightmare; you would need to be a very competent MTB rider to be able to ride the ramps/steps up from the road. If you're travelling east->west, then the road is good fun; a fast smooth downhill and you can get up to the speed of the trucks so there are very few overtakes by them. Just don't miss the turn............
Signposting around Warrington and in the Broadbottom triangle is rubbish.
Some of the inner-city sections can be covered in glass.
Friends of mine had stones thrown at them as they went around Speke.
The Child of Hale in Hale does good pub food and has reasonable beer. They don't mind if you fix punctures inside (I asked first).
A bit further along, the pub at Fiddler's Ferry also has good beer (better than the Child on my visits) but the food choice is limited (pies and crisps when I've been there).
About a mile off the trail, the Pickering Arms in Thelwall does good food and beer. Pricey though. They have an open fire and they turned the radiators back on for us when we visited; we were trying to dry our clothes.
There is a bridge to cross near Widnes and then a wooden staircase to carry your bike up (travelling west->east). This is extremely tiring, especially if you go back to help carry other bikes.
When I did a weekend ride to/from Liverpool it was very wet and muddy. My 300 mile old brake blocks were gone when I got back. Stopping was achieved by dragging my feet. Two of the others were similarly affected.

IMO, the ideal bike for the TPT has full mudguards, treaded tyres, hub gears and disc brakes. Narrow (drop ?) bars and a rack pack make it easier to get through the (many) bike gates.

Even if it had been dry for weeks, I wouldn't take a skinny tyred road bike unless it had a very supple frame; it would beat you up too much on the rough sections. YMMV.



.


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## Andrew Br (13 Dec 2011)

A couple more ride reports here:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10.4965

and here:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10.msg484401;topicseen#msg484401

.


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## wiggydiggy (13 Dec 2011)

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/transpennine-trail-leeds-to-hornsea-done.89065/

My own experiences there for just Leeds>Hull, as a stopover point the hotel I used was 'The Royal Oak' in Snaith, would be good as a day 2 stop if you were doing the full thing over 3 days. The owner is cycle friendly and is worth calling ahead to book (he does camping and rooms). Someone has already linked to the maps but again this end seems better signposted (or I'm never fast enough to miss them lol)

My bike was a Subway 1 (hybrid) with a 26 X 1.6 at the front and a 26 X 1.75 at the rear, the eastern end of the trail seems a lot less muddy than than the western. It also features a lot of on road but this of the 'back of beyond single lane' type road so very quiet.

Good luck!


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## sabian92 (13 Dec 2011)

I've edited your posts, so don't worry, it's not missing chunks out :P


Andrew Br said:


> You might want to learn the correct pronounciation of Penistone.
> 
> Here are a few random observations:-
> If the weather has been wet then it's likely that significant parts of the trail will either be muddy or covered in puddles. This is particularly true of the section around Lymm (I went along there on Sunday. See here for a brief report:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10.10935).
> ...


Is it Penie-stone? I wouldn't have said Penis-tone but I think the obligatory photo in front of the road sign is on the cards! 

Do you mean rough as in hard going or rough as in full of scallies? I can deal with scallies, they serve as a reason to get fitter and ride faster! I plan on doing it East West (simply because I'm only about 20 miles from Southport). 
The pub at Fiddler's Ferry - is that the 8 towers? I go there often, it does reasonably decent pub food at a good price and cheap beer. My kind of pub! 

I have a front disc on my hybrid frame (or at least the mountings for one) so that should be good - it's pads on the back but at least 1 disc is better than none. 

I'll stick narrow drops on anyway - I like drops over flats and i've only got little panniers (16ltr ones) so that should be OK.



Andrew Br said:


> A couple more ride reports here:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10.4965
> 
> and here:- http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10.msg484401;topicseen#msg484401
> 
> .


Cheers, I'll have a read through now.



wiggydiggy said:


> http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/transpennine-trail-leeds-to-hornsea-done.89065/
> 
> My own experiences there for just Leeds>Hull, as a stopover point the hotel I used was 'The Royal Oak' in Snaith, would be good as a day 2 stop if you were doing the full thing over 3 days. The owner is cycle friendly and is worth calling ahead to book (he does camping and rooms). Someone has already linked to the maps but again this end seems better signposted (or I'm never fast enough to miss them lol)
> My bike was a Subway 1 (hybrid) with a 26 X 1.6 at the front and a 26 X 1.75 at the rear, the eastern end of the trail seems a lot less muddy than than the western. It also features a lot of on road but this of the 'back of beyond single lane' type road so very quiet.
> ...


I'd probably do it over 3, potentially 4 depending on my pace (which is around 10mph average at the moment on a road bike, so probably work out far less on a hybrid on trails even when I'm fitter). Cycle friendly B&Bs are great - i won't be camping and as long as they've got a good bed and a shower I'm a happy camper.


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## Andrew Br (13 Dec 2011)

Some answers in bold below:-



sabian92 said:


> I've edited your posts, so don't worry, it's not missing chunks out :P
> 
> Is it Penie-stone? I wouldn't have said Penis-tone but I think the obligatory photo in front of the road sign is on the cards!
> *Penny stone*
> ...


 
I should be able to recommend some pubs/cafes in the Manchester area if I think about it. I've probably been in most of them.

.


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## wiggydiggy (13 Dec 2011)

sabian92 said:


> .................
> I'd probably do it over 3, potentially 4 depending on my pace (which is around 10mph average at the moment on a road bike, so probably work out far less on a hybrid on trails even when I'm fitter). Cycle friendly B&Bs are great - i won't be camping and as long as they've got a good bed and a shower I'm a happy camper.


 
The Royal Oak was good, I dont know if £45 was good for a single room but the owner was friendly and the full english welcomed nom nom nom!

He's used to the cycle crowd, biggest he'd had was 25+ in 1 group - he had the camp beds out for them _and_ some of them kept him up to 0300 boozing!


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## ufkacbln (13 Dec 2011)

A little known fact is that Hadfield has an alter-ego as Royston Vasey


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