Cycling in the Lake District. Richard Barrett
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WOODROW WILSON ON WHEELS
US President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) who made five visits to the Lake District in the ‘golden age’ of cycling before World War I
There are a few connections between US presidents and Cumbria. The first, George Washington, was a direct descendant of the Strickland family that took its name from Great Strickland; the 12-year-old John Kennedy holidayed with his seven-year-old brother Robert at Killington in the late 1930s when their father was US ambassador to Great Britain; and Hillary Rodham rejected the first proposal of marriage from future husband Bill Clinton in Ennerdale in 1973.
But none was more enduring than that of keen cyclist Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) who was the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921. His mother, Janet, had been born in Carlisle, where her Scots born father, Dr Rev Thomas Woodrow, was a congregational minister from 1819 to 1835, when the family left for North America. Wilson is reputed to have been the first person to own and ride a bicycle in North Carolina.
He first visited Carlisle and the Lake District in 1896 but returned five times over the next 22 years. On his first trip, he disembarked at Glasgow and cycled to Carlisle, then took the train to Keswick and cycled to Grasmere. On his second tour in 1899, he cycled down from Glasgow to Dumfries, took the train to Penrith and then cycled down Ullswater, across to Keswick and on to Grasmere.
He visited the Lake District again in 1903 with his wife and again in 1906 with his daughters. Then in July 1909, he returned alone. After cycling from Lockerbie to Carlisle, he cycled through Penrith to Keswick and Grasmere, and then over to Coniston. He made his way by rail to Drigg, via Broughton in Furness, where he set off on a two-day ride around the Western Lakes, visiting Wasdale and Ennerdale. He stayed at Grasmere throughout the summer before going back to Glasgow on 2 September for the return journey.
By the time he made a last brief visit to Carlisle in 1918, he was the feted President of the United States and arrived on the royal train rather than a bicycle. The city celebrated its illustrious American cousin, but it is doubtful if Wilson enjoyed the experience. He made plans to return to the Lake District in 1921, travelling incognito with his second wife and her brother. However, his deteriorating health meant it never happened.
Weather and when to ride
The majority of tourists visiting the Lake District come by car so the roads can become very busy. Take the following into consideration to achieve an easier journey and a more enjoyable ride:
Avoid national holidays and school holidays particularly those in July and August.
Ride on weekdays rather than weekends when visitor numbers are swelled by day trippers.
Ride early in the day before everyone else has risen or later when they are retiring indoors to eat.
Heading off down Newlands Hause (Stage 3A)
Unless you have an entry to ride, you should also avoid the second Sunday in May when 2000 people test themselves riding 179km (112 miles) over the six big passes in the annual Fred Whitton Challenge.
The best time to go touring in the Lake District is between April and October, when the days are longer and the weather is at its best. But even then, you will undoubtedly get wet and experience blustery days. So be prepared for them. As a general rule always plan your route so that you are riding south to north with the prevailing south westerly winds. However, a circular tour or day ride will inevitably mean riding into the wind at some point and this is taken into account in this guide where the majority of the higher passes are ridden south to north and west to east wherever possible. However, check the weather forecast before you set out each day and be prepared to amend your plans to take account of the weather.
Where to stay
While many hardened cycle tourists prefer to camp, days of repeatedly ascending 1000m or more are unlikely to be pleasurable with a heavy load. This guide makes maximum use of the plethora of hostels and bunkhouses scattered across the region, but if you prefer additional comforts you will find a variety of accommodation to suit most pockets on www.GoLakes.co.uk, Visit England’s official website for the Lake District.
Spiced apple pie with cream – and why not after all that effort?
You may not be able to get the type of accommodation you prefer close to the start or finish of each of the touring routes in this guidebook. Consequently, you may have to curtail your day before the end of a route, ride further into the next route or ride off the route and return the next day. For instance, the touring routes through the northeastern fells end at Troutbeck, where there are some B&Bs and a campsite. But if your preference is for hostels you would need to end your day earlier at Patterdale or Glenridding hostels, ride into the next stage and stay at the hostels at Scales, Keswick or Heskett Newmarket, or perhaps even make a detour to Penrith if everywhere else is full.
There may be lots of hostels, but there are also lots of hostellers, so it pays to book early. Hostels are always busy during the summer months and those in the more popular locations and along the route of the Coast to Coast (C2C) cycleway can be full at weekends, even in the depths of winter. The Youth Hostel Association – www.yha.org.uk – has a number of hostels in the Lake District and there is an increasing number of independent hostels – see www.independenthostelguide.co.uk or similar for lists. There is also a growing number of camping barns, but you would need to carry a three-season sleeping bag as they typically only provide a mattress. Some barns lack cooking facilities and others have no electricity, so it is imperative to check the facilities of every barn before you book.
Many of Visit England’s star-graded B&Bs, guest houses and hotels have enrolled with ‘Cyclists Welcome’ scheme and these are worth seeking out. Properties with the accreditation have drying facilities and bike storage and offer other services. Whatever you choose, if you want to arrive early to drop off your bike and go sightseeing or anticipate arriving later due to an unforeseen delay, it is only courteous to ring ahead and let them know. You should also remember that accommodation is in short supply and in the peak season even campsites can get full, so it is advisable to make a reservation as far ahead as possible. See Appendix B for a list of accommodation options.
What type of bike?
Both touring routes and day rides can be ridden on any type of bicycle as there are no off-road sections that require a mountain bike. Routes follow quieter, secondary roads wherever possible. But as the region has a limited road network, main roads are used occasionally and you do need to be confident cycling alongside moving traffic.
Without wanting to offend the fans of tandems, tricycles, and folding and recumbent cycles, there are broadly three types of bike and all are suitable for the routes in this book. However, there are some things that you can do to make your rides more comfortable.
Road bikes
Touring bikes are usually made out of steel and have a longer frame than a normal road bike. This makes them springy and allows you to stretch out more. But there is nothing wrong with using a road bike for touring and all you really need to do is add a rack and fit the widest tyres that your wheel rims and frame clearance will allow. Most ‘roadies’ ride on 23mm tyres but moving up 25mm or 28mm tyres will give that extra bit of comfort and leave you less prone to punctures.
If your bike does not have threaded braze-ons, you will need to use a rack that clamps on to an alloy seat post. This is entirely adequate for lightweight ‘credit card’ touring. But if you are riding