Distance 15 miles (24km)
Classification Difficult
Start Castlerigg stone circle, Keswick
Finish Boot and Shoe public house, Greystoke
Duration 4–6 hours
Route NCN route 71
Map NCN Sea to Sea (C2C), OS Explorer OL4, OL5, OS Landranger 90
Route notes
Starting from Castlerigg stone circle, the Old Coach Road is a high, exposed and technical offroad alternative to a section of the Sea to Sea ride (C2C) that will test you – and your equipment – to the limit. A rocky track, it can be inhospitable in bad weather, but on a fine day it is tremendous, with stunning views and a wonderful sense of isolation and adventure.
Terrain and gradients
Unsuitable for road bikes, this route requires stamina, perseverance and the right equipment. You ascend more than 360m on the five-mile offroad section between St John's in the Vale and High Row. Most cyclists have to bite the bullet and get off and push on the long, steep climb to the top level, but for hardened offroaders adept at rocks and very loose stones it is rideable all the way. The track levels out at the top and you're rewarded with a three-mile ride over quiet moorland with brilliant views, with the last section into Greystoke an easy meander. Rocks can be loose and puddles form in the flatter top section after rain. The last section is all on quiet country lanes and mercifully gently undulating terrain.
How to get there/away
Trains run north to Glasgow and south to London from Penrith. You'll have to cycle from Penrith to Greystoke or Keswick, or get a bus at Penrith station and hire a bike in Keswick. You can return by the main C2C route, which both Keswick and Greystoke are on.
What to see
Dating from around 3,000BC, Castlerigg stone circle is one of the earliest of its kind in Britain. The surrounding fells of Helvellyn, Skiddaw and Blencathra are an astounding backdrop. Splendid Greystoke Castle is outside the village, though the interior isn't open to the general public.
Watering holes
The cyclists' barn of Greystoke Cycle Cafe, north of the village, has everything a cyclist could need: spare inner tubes, free juice for drinking bottles, even a homemade light lunch. It's open daily 9.30am to 6pm between Easter and the end of October. The Boot & Shoe pub in the village serves food in front of a log fire. Back in Keswick, there are plenty of pubs serving hearty food and a great pint of the local Jennings. There's also a great chippy, The Old Keswickian in the market square.