Bikepacking the Trans Pennine Trail - Solo TPT

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I cycled the Trans Pennine Trail from Southport to Hornsea, coast to coast!
It was a great trail, with amazing scenery and history. I followed National Cycle Network Route 62 for most of the way. I didn't camp at all on this trip, but rather stayed at Premier Inns and a mixture of my parents' and my own house on the way to the finish. I planned on surprising my Dad for Father's Day, which didn't go to plan...
Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Strava.
Facebook: / cycling366
Strava: / strava
Instagram: / cycling366
What gear do I use?: www.cycling366.com/
Routes here:
Day 1: www.mapmyride.com/routes/view...
Day 2: www.mapmyride.com/routes/view...
Day 3: www.mapmyride.com/routes/view...
Day 4: www.mapmyride.com/routes/view...
All music licensed with MusicBed
#bikepacking​ #transpenninetrail #c2c
Time stamps:
0:00 - Start of the trail
1:15 - Day 1 - Southport to Manchester
2:52 - Day 2 - Manchester to Sheffield
4:55 - Father's Day Surprise!
5:37 - Day 3 - Sheffield to Selby
7:45 - Day 4 - Selby to Hornsea
10:39 - Route Summary and BTS

[@Biffo1262]

I've always thought I might take it easy over five or even six days. I agree with the Manchester bit and knowing the area as well as I do the actual route isn't the best way of doing it I suppose deviating from it would be considered cheating. I ride the Warrington to Stretford section as part of my regular circular ride around my home in Irlam so from Stretford I take the Bridgwater Way to Abram and thence back to Irlam, about 50 miles in total. The Warrington to Broadheath section is just plain boring after you've done it a couple of times but there is a cracking cafe at the Arches on the canal bank at Broadheath that makes a superb cappuccino. I'm now 76 years old so if I'm going to do it I suppose I'd better get a move on.

[@Cycling366]

Yeah that would have been ideal for me but had to squeeze it over 4 days

[@susanward8490]

Like you I have just moved house and find myself “on the trail” so hmmmm…. Seems like I might start planning. I am brand new to cycling so think I will build my confidence up and gather some friends for this adventure 😊 great video! Thanks so much

[@Cycling366]

Definitely a good trail to get you started! Nice and easy to follow (mostly) and the terrain isn’t too bad even at its worst points. You won’t regret it! Cheers :)

[@capturemylife]

Sorry I wasn't in! Great video!

[@Cycling366]

Thank you! Shame England didn’t even win…

[@fattony6299]

Another outstanding video, Tom. Thank you!

[@Cycling366]

Cheers Colin, just brought out another one too you might like! All the best 👍

[@kylegriffiths6600]

What a fantastic video and thank for all on information

[@Cycling366]

Cheers Kyle! Appreciate it :) thanks for watching

[@jengreatrex7384]

Very helpful guide. Great drone shots. Thank you.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Jen! Appreciate your comment :)

[@julesh4924]

Another great video. Thanks. I live in Australia but when I visit the UK next I’m very tempted to have a go and visit friends at both ends of the route. Thanks for your insights.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Jules! You’re welcome, I’d love to do some bikepacking Down Under at some point! Just as long as I avoid 🐍 🕷 🐊…

[@SwimBikeRunStu]

Great video. Really enjoyed 👌

[@Cycling366]

Thanks very much! 👍

[@Stchristopherofatlantis]

Awesome video that mate.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks very much!

[@alecfrancis2084]

Great film. Hope to do this next year! Also taking advantage of living pretty much on the TPT 👍🏻

[@Cycling366]

Cheers mate! It’s a good route and definitely helps if you can stay at your own place for a night. Good luck!

[@rustyobollox2489]

Awesome video!

[@Cycling366]

Cheers! Plenty more on the way :)

[@grahamhaines9931]

Great ride! I was out there on the Hornsea rail trail in the same week as you. I agree the surface is a bit bumpy, although I was riding unladen that day. I went back to Beverley by road! Thanks for sharing.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Graham! Say hi if we ever cross paths! Yes I headed back to Hull on the road too on the way back to avoid the path.

[@joshuatatts9573]

Awesome video I'm living in Wakefield and always been curious of the pennine trail signs when I've been out riding. Tempted to make this my first bike packing route combining my love of wild camping and cycling. Keep up the great work 👌🏻

[@Cycling366]

Thanks mate! Yeah definitely worth giving it a go. The section in Wakefield is actually one of a couple of North/South spurs on the route so you can extend the route if you wanted to and go back for a break at your place before carrying on 👍

[@christopherhood9241]

great video, yet again the music really sets the tone - love it. As someone who grew up in East Yorkshire one of my regrets before moving south is that I could have cycled more than I did.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Christopher! Can’t beat Yorkshire that’s for sure 😂

[@paulannable3734]

I’m the exact opposite- moved back home to Yorkshire in 2000, some great biking up here but really wish I’d cycled down south - South Downs Way, the Ridgeway, etc etc

[@Bill-uf6os]

Yes, pronounced Lim. Yes, I would avoid going up the steep bit after the Woodhead pass and go on the road for a bit instead.

[@Cycling366]

Cheers!

[@gedheaton1415]

Enjoyed that,good vid, planning on doing this solo in the Autumn,from Warrington as that's where I live,I've worked out that a MTB is better than road bike, tyre on my MTB are "well nobbly"so I'm thinking of putting a more slick tyre on, Good call or Bad call ?, what you think,btw I'm old with dodgy knees/back/hip etc, (why am i doing this sht) 🤣. Again great vid,very well done and thanks for sharing.

[@Cycling366]

Cheers! Yeah you’ll be fine with some slicker MTB tyres. None of the route is soo rough you’d need a MTB set up so you’ll be fine! Enjoy

[@rockandrollfezz]

Wow that was really cool me and me maar watched it and could see Stretford high rise flats when you did a Ariel view from Manchester 🤘🏻 top video pal

[@Cycling366]

Thanks mate!

[@grahampickup9348]

Great video as usual. Re the rough surface I've fitted a red shift suspension stem on my sonder camino ti and can recommend them

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Graham, might look into that at some point! Thanks for watching

[@ascot1049]

Nice one .

[@Cycling366]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@marktupman3368]

I rode the trail at the end of June 22. You appear to have had a similar good time to me. I really enjoyed it as my first solo packing trip. I'd recommend 3 days is a manageable challenge (equates to about 70 per day) Southport - Denton - Snaith - Hornsea. I only used signs and the TPT website's real-time interactive map on my phone. Worked a treat!

[@Cycling366]

Nice! It’s a great route and a great first bikepacking trip choice. Keep it up 👍

[@seanbradley3759]

Can you tell me more about your map/ phone setup as it's going to be my first attempt at a solo challenge

[@danielmelia9989]

What hotels did you stay in mate? Do you have a komoot or strava I can view map on please?

[@marktupman3368]

@@danielmelia9989 stayed Southport Travelodge before starting. Then premier inn at Denton. I then stayed at home with my wife picking me up and dropping me back off at Snaith station. Then got lift home from Hornsea with friends. Map- wise, I just used the TPT website's interactive map. My days were 73, 77, 68 miles. Last day was nice and easy.

[@danielmelia9989]

@@marktupman3368 thanks Mark 👍

[@edenbreckhouse]

I enjoyed the video. I'm looking to get into bikepacking as a change from hiking and as my first ride I'm considering doing the TPT then coming back to the west coast on the Way of the Roses.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks! That would be a good route and a tale of two halves for sure. Stay tuned - on the 1st June I’m bringing out the Way of The Roses film 👍

[@theodoreyoungman2111]

Didn't realize you lived so close. Cool trip.

[@Cycling366]

Cheers!

[@DX7477]

Well done, great video and thanks for the tips. I mentioned on Facebook I'm hoping to do the same route in two weeks 🙂

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Chris! Good luck with it and hope the weather is kind ☀️

[@DX7477]

@@Cycling366 so do l and the navigation skills 🙂

[@frogslips]

Woodhead pass 😬, awful road. I know the stretch you avoided though, hard enough going down it from other direction. Great video, I might do this as I live in Grenoside and the TPT is literally across the road. Probably east to west for me.

[@Cycling366]

Yeah I don’t mind it actually. Not something I’d do regularly but compared to snake pass it’s a breeze! Yeah definitely worth a go seeing how close you are. Thanks for watching :)

[@Poetjanstie]

It would be great to have a bit more commentary perhaps on selected POI, the state of the trail at various points …

[@Cycling366]

Did you watch the BTS at the end of the video? I imagine I cover the details of the route there!

[@C345OFR]

Thank you for plotting the routes and making them available 🙂🖕. There's a TPT collection on Komoot but it's over 7 days - I have whatever the cycling version of ADHD is (my legs are always itching to pedal!), so 4 days seems more appropriate.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks man, no worries. Hoping that emoji was a typo 😬 😂

[@C345OFR]

@@Cycling366 It absolutely was; it looked like a thumbs-up when I selected it! Apologies! That's the last time I'll use emojis on a desktop PC - I'll stick to only using them on my mobile in future!

[@Cycling366]

Haha no worries! Thanks for watching

[@mmiikkee169]

Love the videos, especially this one! We are moving to Sheffield (just South of, and close the Trans Pennine way), so will definitely be doing this route. I see you did it on a gravel bike. Is it doable on a road bike with fatish tyres (30mm)? Keep up the great content!

[@XitUp]

Fatter is better, but you should be fine. The North South spur is quite nice too, as long as it's not too muddy near the canals from flooding.

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Mike, appreciate it! I’d say you’d manage on 30s but whether or not you’d be comfortable is another matter! Definitely would recommend going fat as some sections are loose gravel. Just don’t go mad and you’ll survive 😂

[@Cycling366]

Agreed

[@JeremyLawrence-imajez]

Girlfriend and I have ridden it from South Sheffield to Hull and opposite way to Glossop on 28mm tubeless road tyres no problem. But we ride with sensible low pressures [45psi], so you'll be fine with 30mm tyres. Though Maggot Lane [yes that's a real place name] above Oxspring is a bit crappy as it's a badly maintained farm track. But it's only short. I've also ridden it on my MTB, but felt too much like overkill and would rather have been on my CX bike with skinny tyres.

[@trysomeme21-laurkawchmurka94]

Well done mate! Quick question: do you think its doable with a bike trailer (two-wheel with kid in it) - I mean is the path wide enough? Is there any steps / single tracks / very narrow sections / many gates etc ??

[@Cycling366]

Thanks mate! I would say some sections are fine, but there are some big steps and stiles in Widnes that would be impossible with a trailer, The section from Manchester to Sheffield is mostly suitable, just not the section over Woodhead Pass so probably not ideal for the trailer I’m afraid!

[@paulannable3734]

Great film, but is it still bikepacking when you spend the night in a soft bed?

[@Cycling366]

Thanks! Absolutely! Backpacking with a bike. A-B staying where you can - often cheap places. Nothing cheaper than your parents and your own house 😉 😂

[@mickd6942]

You don’t have to visit Sheffield although I understand why you did but others can just descend from penistone on the wath branch of the former woodhead route skirting Barnsley to Doncaster .

[@Cycling366]

Yes true, there are a few deviations you can make and that’s one of them!

[@angelag5708]

👍

[@Cycling366]

Cheers Angela! 😁

[@AdamBoyes]

Thinking of doing this at Easter. Looking at the official map it doesn't visit Sheffield but I have a friend there I could stay with so I might do the same. Do you mind sharing your route please? Looking for a safe way to get to Sheffield.

[@AdamBoyes]

Should have read the description. Can see the routes there now😂 thanks

[@Cycling366]

Haha no worries. The route has a couple of spurs (one is down to Sheffield and up to Leeds, and another is up to York) so you can follow signs to Sheffield over woodhead pass. It’s a nice route actually. Hope it goes well for you!

[@animacs1]

I’m doing it next week. Still hesitating between the road bike or the hybrid, зinclined to take the latter

[@Cycling366]

Good luck! I’d probably err on the side of the hybrid bike too!

[@animacs1]

@@Cycling366 yeah, I’m taking that. It’s actually between 18-21 May, not this week 😄😆 And we have a support van, don’t carry any luggage 🤣

[@Cycling366]

Sounds ideal! Hope it went well

[@animacs1]

@@Cycling366 it did, thanks. Hybrid was a good idea to take.

[@philtravistravels]

Hi, Just wondering what your thoughts are about the early part of this route. I’ve read several negative comments, particularly about broken glass, debris and the like with someone commenting that if you don’t ride it the day after Council cleaning it’s terrible!

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Phil, to be honest, the first section from Southport to Manchester was the least memorable for me. The surface was ok, but the remainder of the route was the bit I’d recommend more.

[@philtravistravels]

Another question! I’m planning this on my e-bike. Lots of videos suggest some off bike bridges. All doable with an e-bike? Thanks

[@Cycling366]

Thanks Phil; I would say so. Nothing ridiculous but some small obstacles to overcome that should be easy enough on an e-bike

[@philtravistravels]

@@Cycling366 thanks. Trying to build up as much info as possible before the summer attempt!

[@Cycling366]

Good luck!

[@HKommers]

How did you like bikepacking without camping? Certainly seems like a novel approch to atvleast have a go at, save the weight of overnight kit. Did you stll take evening food and stove etc or eat out (well just the first night i suppose)

[@Cycling366]

I enjoy riding my bike so I’ll happily sleep wherever! It’s not the first time I’ve not camped but if there’s free accommodation I’ll take it 😂 keep riding 👍

[@Cycling366]

I took food stuff but mostly picked up hot food out and about to avoid taking gas and stoves etc

[@DavidLee-et2ss]

😀😀😀😀😀😀

[@Cycling366]

Cheers!

[@freespeechoneeach]

do premier inn let you take your bike to the room? thanks

[@Cycling366]

Yes they do. New policy in all hotels

[@Cycling366]

All Premier Inns I mean!