As this was my first multi day, long distance ride I thought I’d make it easy by staying in hotels overnight, maybe bike camping next time! My first overnight was in the Seacote Hotel, St Bees after driving up from Suffolk. The hotel wasn’t too bad, good shower, slightly tired décor but a good breakfast and in a nice location right next to the beach.

Day 1 – Friday, St Bees to Carlisle

I’d decided to ride to St Bees head from the hotel, just to keep it as “coast to coast” as possible and knew there would be a steep hill at the first turn, but it was a little steeper than I expected and when a tractor roared up behind me I got off, waited for the tractor to pass and pushed the rest of the way up. I got to the lighthouse and St Bees head (you can walk down to the coast path which runs along the cliff top, but not the beach) with a full appreciation of the fact that the bike was about 10kg heavier than normal and I hadn’t done enough training! This part of the route was not on the NCN72 but after a steep descent into Whitehaven I joined the 72 at the harbour. It’s a great route out of Whitehaven along the coast next to railway line for a mile or two, and then mostly cycle paths into and through Workington. After a drizzly start, the sun came out just after Workington and then with a fresh tail wind and mostly on flat, coastal cycle paths I made good speed aiming to get to Silloth for a lunch stop. Through Maryport and the golf course the route was off road but rejoined the road for a short while after Allonby, which was a fairly fast road – slightly disconcerting after all the quiet cycle paths. It was only a mile or two and I was off that road and on to a farm track into Mawbray and then a cycle path up to Beckfoot with an indirect route cross country on quiet roads before turning back to Silloth. I stopped at the Fairy Dust Emporium (discount for bikers and a loo) for a toastie and coffee, note, the public loo on the green needs cash.

The route out of Silloth was on quiet country roads to Abbey Town, Kirkbride and Anthorn where it turned sharply back to the West and into the wind, which had been my friend, but now was payback time. From Cardurnock to Bowness on Solway and onwards the route followed mostly single carriage roads with very little traffic, through RSPB reserves and past Drumburgh Castle (blink and you miss it) and then a long straight road through grazing marshes and a lot of cows and associated cattle grids!

I followed the 72 in the direction of Carlisle and then left it on the outskirts to join the NCN7/10 into Carlisle and on to the Cumbria Park Hotel, my first stop on route. The hotel was good value for money, with a decent breakfast and a place to store the bike inside. There was a nearby chippie, a couple of restaurants and a Sainsburys local, so plenty of choice if not eating in the hotel, which I didn’t.

Day 2 – Saturday, Carlisle to Hexham

It was a damp start and after waiting for the rain showers to pass, they didn’t, most of the morning was spent keeping my head down on the 72 and trying to dodge passing showers on quiet country lanes. As I passed Lanercost priory in the rain I knew the first steep ascent was near, the first one since St Bees … the Swartle up to Banks was certainly a challenge and again I had to get off and push the last 50 metres or so. At the top was my first real sight of Hadrian’s Wall and coincidentally, the point where the rain stopped and the clouds began to thin. From then on it was easy riding to Birdoswald Fort past numerous milecastles. I had a look at the Birdoswald café but decided to carry on down through Gilsland to Walltown Centre café via another very steep hill out of Greenhead. The café was like a step back in time and I must admit the Birdoswald one did have a better menu. I’d originally planned to follow the B6318 rather than the 72 at this point, which ran closer to the wall, but as the road was narrow and fast, I decided the 72 into Haltwhistle was a safer bet. It was an easy cycle on the 72 through Haltwhistle to just past Henshaw and Redburn then back up towards the wall. The 72 took a long and winding route back west so I decided to take a shortcut, which had another very steep hill, and again I got off and pushed. This probably cut a few miles off but did mean I didn’t directly pass Vindolanda, although I did have a good view down over it. Shortly afterwards I came to the summit milestone marker,  after which it was all downhill on the Stanegate. This was the best part of the ride, sunny, no traffic and with a fresh tailwind it was fantastic cycling, and I averaged about 40kph for a good few miles down to the Boatside Inn near Hexham for my overnight. The pub was very nice, the room was great apart from the minor surprise of the Carlisle to Newcastle train line next door, and the bike could stay in the room too. Food and beer were good but a little expensive.

Day 3 – Sunday, Hexham to Tynemouth and back to St Bees

This should have been a relatively short easy day, but .. After a relatively easy ride from Hexham on quiet roads the route into Newcastle was almost all cycle paths and, until the Quayside, what you’d expect for a sunny Sunday in August. The Quayside had a very busy street food fest on which meant pushing the bike or trying to find the diversion. By the time I’d got through that it was clear I’d have to get a move on to get to Tynemouth and back in time for the last train to “St Bees”. Wallsend and North Shields were all very quiet and I got to Tynemouth about 1pm, had a short stop to look at a big wind farm ship arriving and then turned back for the station, my plan to have something to eat and a coffee at Tynemouth would have to wait. I got back to Newcastle station after a steep, push up an empty cobbled street to it via the recommended route with about 15mins to spare, had a coffee and waited for the train to Carlisle. The train was standing room only as it was a busy Sunday and that’s when I found out they can only take 2 bikes (and you can’t book a bike slot..!) there were 6 wanting to get on .. Fortunately, the driver let me stand in one of the empty wheelchair positions after I said I needed to get back to St Bees. At Carlisle station there was a short wait before the train to “St Bees” which also had 4 bikes trying to board, I was in the right place that time and got on first – credit to the staff again who made space for the other 3. I knew the train wasn’t going to St Bees, because of engineering work, and that it was originally intended to go to Whitehaven, only about 5 miles from St Bees, but the day before another change meant that it actually stopped at Workington, 15 miles away from St Bees – and the rail replacement bus wouldn’t take bikes. So .. another ride and after a few wrong turns and nearly running out of water and being very thankful for my emergency energy bars I got to the hotel at just gone quarter past 8, when the kitchen stopped serving food on a Sunday!! I was very grateful that the receptionist persuaded them to do one final scampi and chips, which was sorely needed, with a good pint of IPA.

All in all a great first long-distance ride with a few problems narrowly avoided. I’m already planning the next one and will definitely: 1. Do more training, 2. Carry extra water and emergency snacks, 3. Plan any sections involving public transport more carefully.