Transpenine Trail Bike advice
- Thread starter shep1980
- Start date
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Hi there, it seems the trail is ok for walkers and those with pushchairs, so not too rough a surface. With your budget as long as you get a bike that fits you and is mechanically sound it should do. Unable to recommend a bike at that price, it all depends on what you can find.
andy_wrx
Über Member
Agreed.
I don't know the whole route, but the bits near me are canal towpath and disused railway line, so are flat and sandy/gravel.
I wouldn't use my carbon racebike, as when wet it all turns into grinding paste, but it's certainly not offroad enough to need a full-suspension MTB and a hybrid with 28-35 tyres will be fine.
At that price, buying secondhand - just get something which is sound and you'll be fine.
I don't know the whole route, but the bits near me are canal towpath and disused railway line, so are flat and sandy/gravel.
I wouldn't use my carbon racebike, as when wet it all turns into grinding paste, but it's certainly not offroad enough to need a full-suspension MTB and a hybrid with 28-35 tyres will be fine.
At that price, buying secondhand - just get something which is sound and you'll be fine.
RedBike
New Member
- Location
- Beside the road
I've rode about 50% of it now. If I can ever get my fitness back I will be doing the coast to coast via the Trans Pennine way.
It's mostly flat (bit hilly over the pennines). For the most part its well surfaced with crushed stone, sandy gravel or tarmac.
However....
There are some short muddy sections
There is sadly a lot of litter / glass in some sections.
As above you don't need a MTB, a hybrid will be fine but make sure you fit a good set of puncture proof tyres that can cope with a bit of mud / wet grass.
It's mostly flat (bit hilly over the pennines). For the most part its well surfaced with crushed stone, sandy gravel or tarmac.
However....
There are some short muddy sections
There is sadly a lot of litter / glass in some sections.
As above you don't need a MTB, a hybrid will be fine but make sure you fit a good set of puncture proof tyres that can cope with a bit of mud / wet grass.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Be prepared, there are bits you'll have to walk if your not a fit cyclist, or have a MTB. A few bits near Tameside which are 'tough', but we are only talking about a mile of trail. Hybrid or MTB will be fine
i did the full trail west to east earlyer in the year and its all good fun we took 3 days and unfortunatly 1 of the 4 didnt manage to finish it all. as for bike choice second hand you could get a stonker i pickd up a lapierre hybrid last year out of my local paper for about 80quid good bike and i did the trail on 28mm tyres however now iv done the full route something with a little tread is realy a must and it is all smoth going with only the odd bit of rough i unfortunatly had a huge malfuntion. but mainly due to over exuberance, and the fact we went from a road doing 25mph ish to well a rough 20m that had full bricks in it but that is one of the only nasty bits averall a loverly route and hard work on woodhead pass, 38mph we clocked coming back down while on the breaks 
Soltydog
Legendary Member
- Location
- near Hornsea
I've done it twice (once each way) on my hybrid & as above posters there's only a small stretch that's really tough going on a hybrid, so you'll be fine. Where abouts are you? There's a lbs in Hull got a 2nd hand Spesh Globe that might be ready for sale soon 
billflat12
Veteran
- Location
- cheshire
http://www.bikes2udi....com/B2735.html looks good value
