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Sorry for the thread necro; do you (or anyone else here) happen to have route recommendations for cycling around the lakes, and particularly for going over Hardknott? Ideally with London-accessible train stations as a starting point and doable within a weekend so I don't have to take leave; doesn't have to be the full C2C!
Have done the C2C before but with a friend who wasn't as keen a cyclist so we took the easier/shorter route, and ever since hearing a friend talk about going over Hardknott I've been dying to experience it for myself (though I doubt I'll make it up without pushing, either).. I am aware of the Fred Whitton but am not the strongest of cyclists so as little climbing/effort prior to Hardknott would be much appreciated!
youClown
@Gustav
I did this recently albeit reversing direction...theres a good reason for people heading west to east as this travels with prevailing winds. That being said traveling east to west worked for me as i wanted to have some time in the Lake District afterwards
I did the trip loaded over a couple of days which was pretty ambitious (for me)
I was expecting (based on other alpine rides) a rise to a peak and then downhill but what you have here is a series of rises and the Western section is pretty up and down other than the final leg into Whitehaven. A very different story if youre doing the traditional route as youre essentially heading along the Tyne River
I was extremely lucky with the weather with sun and barely a cloud in the sky...there were enough public toilets along the route which is a good thing as I was wild camping (relatively straight forward albeit something Im now very comfortable with).
There were plenty of people riding in the other direction, a large proportion presumably doing it supported. There were some really lovely parts on the route on the northern edge of the Lake District which are worth savouring and arent overrun in quite the same way that other parts are.
After finishing the ride, I was keen to check out the Lake District. There was the option of going around Broughton-in-Furness but opted to head over Hardknott Pass. The pass has a deserved reputation as one of the steepest streets in England along with Rosedale Chimney Bank so there was inevitably some pushing involved but also some amazing views.
After the Lake District it was down to the Furness Peninsula, down through Morecambe (Sunderland Peninsula is a particular highlight) over to Lancaster and an overnight trip too Kirky Lonsdale