FURTHER INFORMATION
Choosing the Right Holiday
At CycleActive we carefully grade our trips according to both the level of fitness you need and, for mountain biking, the level of skill you need. We also offer personal advice to anyone who needs it, by email or on the phone, to ensure that you find a holiday suitable for your abilities and desires.
Fitness grade 2-3. This means you need to be a moderately fit cyclist as the C2C does involve three full days of cycling over hilly terrain. You can take your time as this tour is not guided, so you don’t have to stay at the pace of others, but you do need reasonable stamina. For those who want extra challenges, we have additional off-road options planned too.
Skill grade A-B. The main C2C route follows backroads and well graded tracks so you do not need experience at off-road riding to be able to enjoy it. However, if you want to ride off-road then there are some excellent options – some marked on the official map and some known to us, which we’ll map out for you when you arrive.
Geography & Climate
This is a hilly ride through varied terrain and at different times of the year it can be very warm or very cold. We recommend that you travel with a good variety of cycle clothing to allow for the range of temperatures. A full kit list will be sent to you on booking.
Accommodation & Food
We have made this tour as comfortable as possible so you can enjoy a good place to finish each night, with a hot shower and tasty food. All guesthouses have been carefully selected by us and offer a very high level of service to all of our clients.
Cycling Support
This trip is unsupported and unguided so once you head out on your cycling days you are responsible for your own safety and your own journey from point to point. The route is well signed and there is a detailed map produced by Sustrans specifically for the route, so finding your way should not be a problem. We do give you contact details for our staff and the guesthouses, which you can use in an emergency, but extra transfers to collect you or drop you off may incur additional costs.
Cycle Rental
If you want to use your own bike we recommend either a road bike, mountain bike, a hybrid bike or a sturdy touring road bike. You can complete the ride on regular road bikes but some of the traffic free sections are a bit rough for skinny tyres. You can divert round these section with ease. If you want to rent a bike please contact us to discuss your needs and we
will reserve a bike for you. We use current model Trek mountain bikes, in excellent condition and fitted with fast rolling on/off road suitable tyres.
Clothing and Equipment
On booking, a detailed list of useful and essential items will be sent to you. You must bring your own cycle helmet that must be worn for all cycle rides. All clothing and equipment must be packed in one small to medium-sized bag, either a soft holdall or soft rucksack. This is the maximum luggage allowed as all bags are carried in a minivan across the Pennines and space is limited.
Pre-Travel Information
When you book a more detailed pre-travel pack will be sent to you with information on what to bring, where to go, which maps to buy and so on.