I've been an avid cyclist for many years, so I want to share some of my routes and get a few in return. There arent too many sites around for the north east. I guess we see if anyone but me cycles, but here we go. I'm omitting trips to and from my front door, so all routes will start at Metrocentre Transport Interchange, for instance sake.


#1 (Road/Path) (45.6 Miles - 4h 25m) Metrocentre - Scotswood Bridge - Lemington - Newburn - Prudhoe - A695 - Stocksfield - Riding Mill (Pub) - A68 - Whitenstall - Ebchester - Shotley Bridge - Blackhill - Derwent Walk - Tanfield Railway Path - Metrocentre

The main roads are safe, the only places to watch is the A68, for which you will need to keep a decent speed. Everywhere else is safe because it's all open road. Whitenstall bank is a real killer, so is Blackhill. The Derwent Walk back is all down hill and takes just 45 minutes. Loved this one!


#2 (Road/Path) (29.1 miles - 3h 20m) Metrocentre - Tanfield Railway Path - Sunniside - C2C - Whickham Golf Course Derwent Walk - Rowlands Gill - Derwent Walk - Blackhill - Consett - Dipton - Harelaw - Catchgate - Annfield Plain - Greencroft Industrial Estate - Maiden Law - Lanchester - A691 - Delves Lane - Consett - Blackhill - Derwent Walk - Blaydon - Metrocentre

This one is a big loop, enjoyable if you are brave enough to endure the 691 uphill for 5 miles. Love going through Lanchester and Derwentside, though.


#3 (Road) (55.5 miles - 5h 0m)
Metrocentre - Teams - Swing Bridge - Dean street - Roundabout over Central Motorway with metro radio thing - Quayside - St. Peter's Basin - Tyne Met - New York - North Tynside Hospital - Whitely Bay - Coast to Tynemouth - North Shields - Ferry (Passenger Tunnels are off until 2018, have to pay for this ferry!) - South Sheilds - Whiteleas - The Boldens - Primrose - Wardley - High Heworth - Wrekenton Bank - Team Valley - Dunston - Metrocentre

This one is a cracker on a sunny day, especially going down the coast. Not many hills, either. Will be my favourite when the public cycle tunnels open again!


#4 (Road/Path) (46.2 miles) Metrocentre - Tanfield Railway Path - Sunniside - C2C - Whickham Golf Club - Derwent Walk - Blackhill - Consett - Dipton - Flint Hill - Catchgate - Annfield Plain - Stanley - South Stanley - Craghead - Sacriston - CLS - Penshaw Monument (break on the hill at monument) - Fence houses - Shiney Row - Sunderland - South Shields - Whiteleas - The Boldens - Primrose - Wardley - High Heworth - Wrekenton Bank - Team Valley - Dunston - Metrocentre

Great trip around Derwentside and across all of south Tyne and Wear. Great views from Penshaw.


#5 (Road/Path) (31.1 miles) Metrocentre - Tanfield Railway Path - Sunniside - C2C - Whickham Golf Club - Derwent Walk - Blackhill - Consett - Dipton - Flint Hill - Catchgate - Annfield Plain - Stanley - South Stanley - Craghead - Sacriston - CLS - A167 - Angel of the North - Wrekenton - Gateshead - Bensham Bank - Dunston - Metrocentre

This one is a decent one, but I only use this as a variation route.

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Depending what you are in to, there's loads of little off-road sections around Penshaw and Fatfield alongside the river. A big chunk forms the C2C. Obviously you have the C2C stuff from Washington that sticks with the old railway lines towards Consett and beyond too.

(09 Dec 2016, 11:15 am)Andreos1 wrote Depending what you are in to, there's loads of little off-road sections around Penshaw and Fatfield alongside the river. A big chunk forms the C2C. Obviously you have the C2C stuff from Washington that sticks with the old railway lines towards Consett and beyond too.

I have a hybrid bike that I use on both path and road. I do prefer the roads though, even though it is a big bike. It's not that dangerous so long as you are always checking. Incidients such as James Cox and the bus make me think twice. If there is a HGV and it's a country road, I simply pull over to the side. The places you have to be careful are where it's a country lane which bends because drivers can't forward plan from a distance. The cycle paths aren't well maintained outside of cities, so I only use them to cut out a sizeable amount of time off - or to cut off dangerous sections of roads. A cycle is a road vehicle, you are entitled to a full lane so I find perference to be on the tarmac. The paths near consett are also trash, and I'd recommend against their usage.

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Me! My last cycle was a holiday to. Done a 6 day tour in 3 days of Yorkshire. Now that was some climbing to.

I swore at a few roads and fell off on a gradient of 33%. Mind some fantastic downhill sprints to - including one at 55mph.

I tend to go 4 times a week if work permits. Unfortunately I'm ridiculously busy in December.

When is this cycle lane on John Dobson Street supposed to be opening? Is the one on High St West in Gateshead fully operational yet?

Given the cost of these infrastructure projects, for what seems to be such a short stretch of road at a time, do cyclists feel that they make a difference?

(09 Dec 2016, 6:28 pm)Adrian wrote When is this cycle lane on John Dobson Street supposed to be opening? Is the one on High St West in Gateshead fully operational yet?

Given the cost of these infrastructure projects, for what seems to be such a short stretch of road at a time, do cyclists feel that they make a difference?

I don't cycle through that area because it doesnt go anywhere useful for me.

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Thing is will the cycling infrastructure be worth while? Most of it isnt in this country.

(09 Dec 2016, 9:56 pm)idiot wrote Thing is will the cycling infrastructure be worth while? Most of it isnt in this country.

Most of the roads are decent enough, and the odd path. You can get most places here on roads which aren't excessively busy.

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#6 (Road) (13.2 Miles - 2h 05m)
Metrocentre - Teams - Riverside - Swing Bridge - Quayside - St. Peter's Basin - Byker - Wallsend - Percy Main - Middle Engine Lane - Wallsend (Main Street) - Byker (North) - Newcastle (Civic Centre) - Quayside - Swing Bridge - Riverside - Teams - Metrocentre

A shorter one which can be done. Personally, I cycled up Dunston, then up Dunston Bank in one go, then Whickham - Sunniside - Tanfield Railway Path - Teams - Metrocentre.
I can see how others would want to avoid Dunston Bank, especially after doing a few miles before hand, but it's a challenge I'd like to set all cyclists.
If you manage Dunston Bank a few times, try Whickham Bank. It's less steep, but so much more enduring. If you can get yourself up Whickham Bank in one go after doing 15 miles beforehand, you can cycle on literally any road or path.

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Just posted this in tender thread a few moments ago.

Tfl are actively trying to reduce incidents with pedestrians and cyclists.

Positive measures?

http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...p?tid=1919&pid=219071#pid219071

Interesting read.

Unfortunately until pedestrians and cyclists are given priority over vehicles it will never be completely save.

(16 Jul 2018, 9:10 am)idiot wrote Interesting read.

Unfortunately until pedestrians and cyclists are given priority over vehicles it will never be completely save.

I agree with you. It's that level of risk and potential for harm thing that H&S people always bang on about.
Unless you remove the risk, there is always the potential for harm.

I think MurdnunoC is a fan of 60's brutalist architecture and where it is prevelant in city centres, there always seems to be a clear deliniation between car and pedestrian (granted they didn't build too many cycle lanes back then).
Some of the areas in Newcastle are clearly no-go areas for pedestrians, but there are walkways nearby that keep them well away from the traffic.

I'm not proposing we start building everything out of concrete again, but I do wonder if the deliniation they used needs looking at again.

Last years strava stats for me weren't too good. But I had a few health issues (mainly physical and not mental) which prevented me commuting.

Next week I'm teaching Bikeability at Silksworth Primary so will be cycling from Stadium of Light there. The route is road bike friendly and mainly off road to.