C2C Carlisle to Cardiff

Ride leader: Tim

Thanks to Metallica and My Chemical Romance, whose 2026 tours meant their fans seemed to be happy to pay over £250 to stay in a Travelodge. I have decided the tour couldn't start in South Wales and visit Liverpool oe Glasgow.

So instead we are going to be doing a Southbound tour from Carlisle to Cardiff.

We will assemble in Carlisle on Sat 27th June  for a Sunday start.

Day 1  28th June 9.00am Carlisle to Kendal  54 miles, 3,900 feet of climb. This will should include a climb over the iconic Kirkstone Pass. The good news is we will going down the dreaded 'Struggle' into Ambleside.  Finish point is the Market Square.

Day 2  29th June  8.30 Kendal to Preston.  70 miles, 5,900 feet of climb. This will be the toughest day of the tour as we go through the Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland. Finish Point is Preston Market.

Day 3 30th June 9.00am Preston to Chester. An easier day.   55 miles, 2,000 ft of climb. Finish point is Chester Town Hall.

Day 4 1st July 9.30 Chester to Shrewsbury. 50  miles, 1,500 ft of climb. The easiest day of the tour as we cross the Cheshire Plain. Finish point is the Castle Entrance.

Day 5 2nd July 8.30am Shrewsbury to Tewkesbury. 

79 miles, 4,00ft of climb. Mainly following the Severn, going through picturesque Iron Bridge and following some of the National Cycling Network. The finish point is the Canterbury a pub with a beer garden that is close to the Premier Inn and Travelodge hotels.

Day 6 3rd July 8.00am Tewkesbury to Cardiff. 80 miles, 4,000 ft of climbing. A long day to finish but tour fitness will have arrived at this point. Some larger climbs as we go through the Forest of Dean. The finish will be at Cardiff Castle and we will have a group meal in the evening.

All riders will be paying a £50 deposit. If a recce is required this will be used to cover the costs. A decision on the need for a recce will be made when we know the number of riders. As in previous tours we will pay in bulk for a morning coffee stop and for a meal at the end of the tour, so potentially, further payment will be required.

Once you have filled in the registration form below you can go ahead and book your travel and hotels. I have booked Travelodges for most locations, but there are plenty of other hotels available.

When you book train travel, you may find that you cannot book a bike space if you are travelling using more than one train company. I have found that by contacting them using X or Facebook messenger you can get them to book a space for you.

Interesting that the Carlisle Coat of arms looks more Welsh than the Cardiff one