Day 02 is done

I slept well and enjoyed a nice breakfast of porridge followed by scrambled egg.  Just enough to keep me on the move until lunchtime.

I had a lazy start and left just after 9am. Immediately there was a climb into Alston  town centre and its quaint cobblestones.

It would have been a bustling market town when its lead and coal mines were open but now there is scarce employment. Everyone is working in a shop or on a farm it seems.

Plenty of early climbs towards Nenthead were  not too unpleasant in sunshine and a very strong 25mph wind generally assisting from the west.

Some glorious downhillers followed, the first three hours being taken up by climbing for an eternity at 5mph then doing 40mph on the downers for about 2 minutes, knowing you'd only have to climb back up.

By Rookhope there was an off road 9ml  "shortcut" to Parkhead but after 500 yards I had to give up on it and return to the roads as it was just impassible because of a very poor surface of mud and crushed stones.

I know when I reach Stanhope that there is a killer bank to come. Its called Crawleyside and all you can do is crawl at 2 or 3mph or walk it! It leads to the Stanhope Moors and a lengthy steep climb for around 4 miles.

So only 26 mls covered in the first three hours.

Suddenly in the distance Parkhead Station appears and it is a haven for cyclists. It means you've completed all the hills on a West to East C2C and can relax for a while with food and refreshments knowing the rest of the day will be downhill or flat! What a tonic for tired legs and an acheing body. (It is a disused station, no trains in sight for maybe 50 years).

A lovely bowl of Vegetable broth and a pot of tea hit the spot and nice conversation with other cyclists.

Leaving Parkhead you are on the Waskerley Way which is very fast downhill and you can cover 15 miles easily in 45 mins to catch up on the tough start to the day.

Waskerley leads you into the old steel town of Consett and within minutes onto another old railway, the Derwent Walk taking you all the way into Gateshead at Rowlands Gill.

Feeling elated on reaching Newcastle quayside its then just a 12 mile slog to Tynemouth and the end of the ride.

At 5pm my front tyre was traditionally dipped into the on rushing North Sea. A rainbow welcomed me home.  Mission accomplished. One and a half tough days followed by an afternoon of more relaxed riding.

Very tired now. Photos and stats to follow later if I can get this Blogger to accept posts. Its been very tempramental using a mobile so reports have been sporadic.