C2C help needed please.....

[RichardWHardwick]

Hello folks

I'm doing the Coast to Coast on 16/17/18 September this year and am rather worried that we haven't done enough training for it. The two fellers I'm doing it with are very similar in fitness (a little bit faster) than me so there are no issues there.

So far this year we have only done one 45 mile ride, the small cyclone (33 miles in two and half hours for me) and quite a few 30 mile rides. None of these had hills of any sort as we live on the North East Coast.

There's only a month to go, which is a bit scary. We're doing the Great North Bike Ride end of August, which should be reasonable training, but again, no hills. I did the GNBR last year quite easy but there was a huge wind behind me. The second day of the coast to coast is the section that I'm expecting to be a real killer. I do struggle on small hills, never mind proper ones.

And so - four weeks to go. Any thoughts about training? I'm hoping to train this Friday on a hill that continues for a couple of miles - it's not really steep but it goes on for a while. Does anyone have a basic four week breakdown? We don't have lots of time but can manage two or three training rides a week. Should I not ride for a good few days before the GNBR? And again with the C2C?

And any advice for the actual C2C would be helpful too...

With thanks - Richard

 

[theloafer]

hi Richard
you doing it on road bikes or mountian bikes ...the later have lower grears which would be of great use there is also bits that are really bad that you can avoid and take a more direct route...you dont have to follow the c2c mile for mile ...its ment to be enjoyable .. have done it twice and enojoyed both times you might find this site helpfull http://c2c.freeforums.org/

larry

 

[Arsen Gere]

I would not worry too much about it. If you can't cycle up the hills, get off and walk. Loads of people do. You are not in a race, enjoy yourself.
I usually rest 2 days before short races and social events, but don't do anything daft in the week before so you don't get injured or sore.
If you are looking for a loop north of Newcastle with a bit of hill in it look at Bothal Bank near Ashington, the road race used to go up there 12 times. There is an exposed long drag from Ashinton to Pegswood in the loop too.

 

[Cush]

You are on the North East Coast. Head for Rothbury then over to Scots Gap and back up to the coast via any of a 1/2 dozen routes, that will gain you enough training to do the C2C but dont forgett Hartside

 

[RichardWHardwick]

Thank you people, for your helpful replies. Two of us have hybrid road bikes, one a mountain bike. We're going along the roads and I probably will have to push on the second day....I'm off to cycle near heddly on the hill in a minute but will try these other routes. next week.