Is there any smooth tarmac in Northumberland?
Norm Peterson
Posts: 2
My road rides take me as far north as Otterburn, as far south as Alston, as far east as Ponteland and as far west as Haltwhistle.
Of this approximately 800m2 of countryside I'd estimate that 5% of the lanes are smooth tarmac.
The appalling condition of most of the roads has lead me to change from riding 700 x 23's at 100 p.s.i. to 25's at 80 p.s.i.and I've put gel pads under phat tape and wear B.G. glove with gel pads all to obviate the relentless jarring and vibration of scarred and potholed roads.
I've had smoother rides on the rock strewn singletrack of Hexhamshire common.
There must be some smooth tarmac out there somewhere. Maybe there is some further north. I once overheard a bloke in my LBS say he was heading up to Scotland because he'd heard that there was some smooth tarmac up there.
I'll even stick my bike in my car and drive there.
So, anyone any ideas?
Of this approximately 800m2 of countryside I'd estimate that 5% of the lanes are smooth tarmac.
The appalling condition of most of the roads has lead me to change from riding 700 x 23's at 100 p.s.i. to 25's at 80 p.s.i.and I've put gel pads under phat tape and wear B.G. glove with gel pads all to obviate the relentless jarring and vibration of scarred and potholed roads.
I've had smoother rides on the rock strewn singletrack of Hexhamshire common.
There must be some smooth tarmac out there somewhere. Maybe there is some further north. I once overheard a bloke in my LBS say he was heading up to Scotland because he'd heard that there was some smooth tarmac up there.
I'll even stick my bike in my car and drive there.
So, anyone any ideas?
0
Comments
-
Well don't bother looking around the Blyth, Ashington, Bedlington and Morpeth areas because there isn't any around here either.
Oh there's the odd bit maybe a couple of hunderd yards long scattered about here and there where the roads have become so bad that a 4x4 would be having a rough time of it, but nothing that you would be able to build a route from.
I forgot about the new Pegswood-Morpeth bypass which of which you have about a mile of nice new smoot road, there's even a smoother bit of cycle path that runs along side it
All of this adds up to the reason I got a cyclo-cross bike rather than a road bike, I didn't want to get back from a ride feeling as though I'd done a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson :?0 -
Theres some smooth road near where I live, but it's about a mile long so is over within minutes."A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
Lincolnshire is not too bad, but I do know what you mean, the blessed relief of getting some smooth asphalt after a spell of rutted rubbish.
COVEC0 -
Don't come looking for it round Heaton, Byker, Wallsend, Walker or Killingworth. I think it must all have been nicked! I also ride 25s at 80-90 psi and seem to be forever truing wheels.
All i can say is be glad you don't live in Sheffield. Roads there are truly horrendous. I've seen better in South American jungles."The grass is always greener on the other side - unless Jens Voigt has been riding on the other side in which case it's white with the salty, dried tears of all the riders whose souls he has crushed."0 -
theres 30 yards here in Cheshire
Your welcome to try it in between the 2000 cars !!!0 -
No.0
-
-
-
It's the crappy spray on resurfacing that the useless Highway Departments allow themselves to be conned into by contractors who make fortunes doing it.
And then when, as it inevitably must, it starts to break up we get the open, uneven horror that make UK minor roads a comprehensive disgrace.
I guess only cyclists experience it up close but my god it's bloody unpleasant.Where the neon madmen climb0 -
The roads around Northumberland are quite bad in places but at least when you hit the country roads there isn't much traffic.Im in Ashington area and go up the coast(north)or west toward bellingham.
The bike lane from Ashington to Morpeth is quite good if you can dodge the dogs logs :roll:0
