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Showing posts from July, 2011

Coast 2 Coast The Main Event

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The Coast 2 Coast route that we chose to ride starts in Whitehaven on the Cumbrian coast and travels east skirting the north end of the Lake district over the Penines down into Newcastle and finishing at Tynemouth. We arrived in Whitehaven bright and early, first stop The Beacon cafe for a breakfast top up. Before the start it is tradition to dip your rear wheels in the Irish Sea, the main harbour slip way was the ideal place for a line up but not all the 35 riders managed to get in the shot. We left Whitehaven at 11.45 am and headed up the cycle track towards the Lakes. It is a climb but a gentle one. The landscape changed from urban to rural and then the mountains of the north Lake District came into view. Our first stop was Loweswater by which time we were nicely warmed up and feeling good. The gradient of the climb from Loweswater increased dramatically and gave a hint of things to come. The visitor centre at Whinlatter Forest was a welcome stop for some, the