- Overview
- Map & Itinerary
- Essential Info
- Pics & Vids
- Dates & Prices
Highlights
- Conquer this iconic cycling challenge from the West coast to the East coast of England
- Dip your wheels into both the Irish and North Seas
- Cycle through the stunning Lake District and Northumbria National Parks
- Enjoy this bespoke route which follows sections of the historic Hadrian’s Wall
- Triumph over the impressive Hartside Pass with a 7.6km climb of an average gradient of 5%
- Experience this epic, fully supported two wheeled journey across the UK
- Private bubble trips available for groups over 12 people
- New safety and well-being guidelines are in place for this adventure.
Overview
Be inspired by some of the most dramatic scenery UK has to offer on this iconic Coast to Coast cycling challenge from West to East.
Starting from the coast of West Cumbria at Whitehaven, this challenging route covers approximately 145 miles before reaching the welcome sight of the North Sea at Whitley Bay. The stunning route crosses the northern edge of the Lake District, climbs into the dramatic landscapes of the northern Pennines following the ancient fringes of Hadrian’s Wall before descending to the beautiful coastline of Whitley Bay.
You’ll need all your pedal power to tackle challenging ascents and descents as you travel through the beautiful Eden Valley and edges of Kielder Forest Park together with former mining towns and Roman forts. It’s a fantastic cycling challenge to tick off right here in your own backyard.
We really look forward to welcoming you on to this well-renowned two-wheeled journey soon.
Private groups
Private Bubble Trips. If you have a group 9 or more riders, we can tailor your Coast to Coast Cycling Adventure to your requirements. We’re here to make this iconic UK ride a great success for all involved. We offer this challenge between the months of May – September. For more information please contact us at email: info@adventurousewe.co.uk or call 01492 588 069.
Day 1: Friday
Meet and trip briefing
We recommend arriving in Whitehaven the night prior to the trip so you have the chance to meet the team and your fellow cyclists and attend a trip briefing. This is at your own expense allowing you the flexibility to book and have dinner where you wish.
Day 2: Saturday
Whitehaven – Alston
Your cycling challenge starts in the coastal town of Whitehaven, known for its striking Georgian architecture. From the shores of the Irish Sea there’s a customary wheel dipping ceremony before leaving the town and heading east on the start of your cycling journey. You will soon be travelling along a disused railway line heading towards the rolling green landscape of the Lake District. There are some challenging hill climbs this morning with your first real test as you make the long ascent up to the forested pass at Whinlatter. After approximately 25 miles you will have the opportunity to refuel at a checkpoint, before the descent into the market town of Keswick. Soon after you’ll enjoy a well-deserved lunch in the small village of Threkeld.
After lunch, your route takes you through the beautiful rolling countryside of Cumbria, passing through Greystoke, Penrith onto the River Eden and Langwathby. After about an hour and a half the scenery – and the gradient – changes as you start the climb to Hartside Pass. The road zigzags its way up the side of the hill to the summit at 580m (1903ft). Whilst not the steepest hill on this cycling challenge, it is a steady climb up the 3-4 miles to the top to be rewarded with some stunning landscape views. Then it’s a freewheel down towards the picturesque Pennine village of Alston. Here you will have warm welcome in a family run B&B and enjoy a well-earned dinner.
Day 3: Sunday
Alston to Whitely Bay
Following a good night’s rest and fuelled by a full English breakfast, you will set off to Whitley Bay and the North Sea via the historic Hadrian’s Wall. The day begins by heading north through the spectacular Northumberland National Park. You will have a short stop at Chesters Fort, set high up on a dramatic escarpment of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Site. After a quick refuel, you will continue East, circling Newcastle and arriving at the finish point of St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay. This welcome sight gives you the chance to complete this famed cycling challenge by dipping your bikes into the North Sea to cement your achievement. There’s a great sense of achievement as you appreciate that you have just crossed England by your very own pedal power!
You two-wheeled journey ends here. It is a short walk Whitely underground station on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, from where it is a 45-minute journey into central Newcastle and the mainline rail station. Alternately, a return transfer, including bikes, from Whitley Bay to Whitehaven can be organised at an additional cost.
On booking onto the team for the UK Coast to Coast Cycling Weekend, you will receive all the exciting trip info via our free mobile travel app, Vamoos. You’ll have access to your itinerary, training guide, countdowns, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24/7 via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper and the need of carrying around documents with you. The app is free to download and all info is customary to your cycling trip ahead. A’ppy days.
With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service for your UK Coast to Coast Cycle. We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on this adventure and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the challenge and beyond. Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the UK and their love of cycling in order to fully support you in the lead up to your cycling trip.
Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and well-being is our top priority. Our UK Coast to Coast Cycling Adventure is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something great with undertaking this self-powered journey across the UK. Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place. Your safety and well-being is our top priority at all times.
In terms of your UK Coast to Coast Cycling Challenge, there are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:
- You will be cycling mainly on B roads and cycle path. There will be occasions you will be cycling on A roads however this will only be for short a distance
- You should be familiar with the Highway Code for Cycling
- All our Cycling Leaders are first aid trained and carry fully equipped medical kits for serious medical emergencies
- You should be prepared for all weather conditions with adequate clothing.
You will be accompanied by certified Adventurous Ewe Cycling Leader/s, Bike Mechanics and Crew. Our Leaders are first aid qualified and have extensive experience in leading cycling trips throughout the UK. They will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.
Leaders and Crew will carrying full safety equipment and first aid kits with larger first aid kits located in the support vehicles. Please note, these kits are for emergencies only so please come prepared with your own personal first aid items. The Leaders and Crew will also be in constant radio communication with the vehicle drivers throughout your adventure.
The UK Coast to Coast Cycling Trip is a team adventure and not designed to be an individual competitive race. You will receive a GPX file of the route and main turning points will be highlighted with route markers. There will be a Cycling Leader towards the front of the group together with cycling crew dispersed throughout the group. There will be a support vehicle accompanying the group as well and this usually travels at the rear of the pack. We encourage team spirit and support of each other to ensure everyone has the best opportunity to complete the challenge and enjoy the journey along the way too.
These adventures are a fantastic way to meet like-minded people and share an incredible journey whilst being accompanied and supported by friendly and experienced Adventurous Ewe Leaders and Crew.
All luggage, bike spares including spare bikes will be carried in the support vehicle and will be on hand to help with any mechanical problems.
The UK Coast to Coast Cycle is graded as ‘Medium to Tough’ and preparation is key to help you get the most enjoyment and reward from this self-powered journey across the UK. A good level of fitness and endurance is required in order to complete two full days in the saddle tackling undulating terrain with some good hill climbs.
A training programme will be provided and it is strongly recommended that you have some previous road cycling experience and you are aware of the Highway Code for Cycling.
A bespoke cycling training programme will be provided when join the team for the UK Coast to Coast Cycle to help you with your preparations. This includes info, videos and an exclusive discount code for a 28 day kettlebell training programme which is ideal for strength and endurance training. This programme is also perfect for people who are tight on time. The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the challenge.
Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!
A full kit list will be provided when you join the team for the UK Coast to Coast Cycle. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one.
We strongly recommend that you use a road or hybrid bike for this trip. Hire bikes and helmets are available for an additional cost of £125 for the two days including bike delivery, collection and transfers. Rest assured any equipment that we supply will be hygienically cleaned and sanitised and was not used 72 hours before you use it and will not be used for the next 72 hours.
An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers Joe Brown, The Climbers Shop and ashmei athletic apparel on registering for this trip.
To help you get the very best from your Coast to Coast Adventure we will provide you with an exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code to use in independent UK outdoor retailers Joe Brown and ashmei athletic apparel, both online and in store.
Despite this trip being held over the Spring and Summer months, the weather can change rapidly so it is essential that you are prepared for all conditions including rain, wind and heat. In the week leading up to your trip we recommend monitoring the weather forecast and you will also receive weather updates via our mobile travel app, Vamoos.
Please note, the Leader/s reserve the right to change the itinerary at any time should the conditions require it as your safety and wellbeing is our top priority at all times. In these circumstances we will make the best alternative arrangements possible that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.
One night’s accommodation is included as part of this trip on the Saturday evening allowing you the flexibility to arrive and depart as needed according to where you live. Your accommodation is on a twin share basis in a locally owned hotel where a home cooked dinner and breakfast will be served.
If you would prefer a single room please let us know asap and we will make the arrangements for you dependent on availability. There will be an additional cost for this room dependent on the hotel, therefore please get in touch with us for further info at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
You will need to make your own way to Whitehaven either by car or train. There is a train station in Whitehaven.
The crew typically stay at the Premier Inn in Whitehaven which has free parking and you can leave your car in the carpark over the weekend.
One breakfast, two lunches and one dinner are included in your Coast to Coast trip. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know one month prior to your trip. Please note, dinner is not provided on the night of your arrival. Please bring your own water bottles or camelbaks/platypus (or similar) which can be refilled and avoid the need of purchasing plastic water bottles.
The impact of single use plastic is having on our landscape, wildlife and oceans, it is now more important than ever that we all make changes in order to help our planet. We may not be a huge global company but we’re passionate about playing our part and trying to make a huge difference collectively. Together we can dramatically reduce our consumption of single use plastics and support our responsible travel ethos of ‘Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but boot-prints, keep nothing but memories.’
You can make a difference too with taking part in our UK Coast to Coast Cycle and purchasing one of these environmentally friendly reusable alternative bottles compared to single-use plastic water bottles. Grab a Water-to-Go bottle through Adventurous Ewe and receive a 15% discount. Even better, Water-to-Go will donate a further 15% to our charity partner, Cool Earth. For more info please click here or email us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk to buy your Water-To-Go bottle.
Remaining balance of £280 per person is due for payment no later than 5 weeks prior to the trip start date.
If you need to change your booking 60 days or more before the start date you can make flexible date change to another UK challenge, subject to availability, without incurring any admin costs. If you need to cancel your booking, you will be issued with a credit note to the value of your payment that you can use for another event of your choice, subject to availability.
If your adventure needs to be cancelled for any reason, like say a global pandemic, you won’t be left stuck and you’ll be offered plenty of alternative options thanks to our financial protection through our insurance company. What’s more, in the very unlikely event of Adventurous Ewe going under, you’ll get your money back.
All bookings can be made online with Mastercard, Visa and debit card or via BACS. You can also opt to pay via monthly instalments. We use WorldPay to handle all our online payments as it is a payment platform which is a global leader in payment processing offering superior security for both you and us as a company. For any further information or to organise monthly instalment payments, please get in touch with us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
On booking your adventure, you will receive all the exciting trip info via our free mobile travel app. You’ll have access to your itinerary, training guide, countdowns, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24/7 via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper and the need of carrying around documents with you. The app is free to download and all info is customary to your adventure ahead.
Your Adventurous Ewe Leader/s and Crew will have a mobile phones and radios communications in case of emergencies. The team are trained to deal with these situations. Please ensure you listen to your Leader during these times and refrain from putting any posts on social media. Should you find yourself unable to continue with the cycle, your Leader and crew will make the necessary arrangements. Depending on the situation, you will be met by the support vehicle and you will be transferred back to your accommodation or nearby medical facility as required. Your Emergency Contact at Adventurous Ewe HQ is Jim Young on 07747 346 588.
For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, please follow us at:
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We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth. You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2. Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet. Thank-ewe
| Departure & Return | Duration | Availability | Deposit | Total Cost* | (*Total cost includes the deposit) |
| May 03, 2024 May 05, 2024 |
3 Days | Available | £485.00 | £485.00 | Book Now |
What's Included?
Before your trip:
- Personalised event support in the lead up to your challenge from Adventurous Ewe
- Discount on personal kit from Joe Brown and ashmei athletic apparel both in shop and online
- All trip info supplied via our free mobile travel app, Vamoos
- Bespoke training guide and exclusive discount code for a strength & endurance kettlebell training programme
- Public liability insurance
- Risk assessment and emergency management planning.
During your trip:
- Cycle and safety briefing at the start of each day of your trip
- Qualified Cycling Leader and support cycling guide/s
- Bike mechanic and support crew
- Full back-up support including first-aid qualified staff and first-aid supplies
- Inner tubes and basic bike kit available to purchase if required
- Support vehicle
- Luggage transfers
- Checkpoints with drinking water and snacks during your ride
- All logistical and safety management
- 1 night’s accommodation in Alston (twin share basis)
- 1 breakfast
- 2 lunches
- 1 dinner
- All challenge management and hygienic cleaning procedures of equipment before, during and post trip.
What's Not Included?
- Clothing and equipment on your Kit List
- Getting to the start and from the finish of the trip
- Single room supplement
- On completion of the challenge, a transfer from Whitley Bay (finish point) to Whitehaven is available at an additional cost
- Hire bikes are available for this event at a cost of £125 per bike including helmet, delivery and collection transfers
- Any costs incurred with leaving the trip early, ie. change of travel tickets, accommodation, etc.
- Personal spending money.
Thoughtful and Responsible Travel
Adventurous Ewe is committed to delivering adventures in a responsible and ethical manner with sustainability at its core. We respect and aim to operate our trips to benefit local people, their economy and the environment!
Some of the ethical event management features embedded in our UK Coast to Coast Cycling Adventure are:
- Using local crew who are qualified Leaders and who are all extremely knowledgeable and experienced
- Using locally owned accommodation places where possible
- Minimising plastic waste wherever possible as we refill water bottles and flasks
- We remove any route markers if used
- Where possible, our Leaders collect any rubbish
- We operate a ‘leave no trace’ ethos.
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