The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread
Comments
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There was still snow up there last week, where it crosses Birklands Lane, seems mostly intact past the Staircase. But that would be on the 'I feel like an extra hill' route, a bit out of the way for Dunston.bennett_346 wrote:
Not sure about the Bowes-Tanfield path, the section around Birtley is still trashed beyond belief.Initialised wrote:
Not sure of Washington to Birtley, maybe the Bowes-Tanfield path, if you're on that come off at Birtley or just after onto Lamesley Lane, follow this to the A1/Team Valley south and take the first exit to Lady Park, Banesley Lane, Coach Road (I'm thinking of setting up a Strava segment there as I ride it a fair bit) for quiet, little traffic or up Kings Way if you want direct, then its over the roundabout (A1/TeamValley North) and onto Norwood Road or the Teams Cycleway (if you go through the Valley) to Dunston.daveyroids wrote:Can anyone suggest a good route from Washington to Dunston, avoiding center of Gateshead. Been using Northumberalnd way and Sunderland Road to get to Gateshead then through Gateshead center to Bensham bank and turning off to the Teams. Must be a better route than this.I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
I'm talking about the bit down from wrekenton, that's really bad compared to kibblesworth.Initialised wrote:
There was still snow up there last week, where it crosses Birklands Lane, seems mostly intact past the Staircase. But that would be on the 'I feel like an extra hill' route, a bit out of the way for Dunston.bennett_346 wrote:
Not sure about the Bowes-Tanfield path, the section around Birtley is still trashed beyond belief.Initialised wrote:
Not sure of Washington to Birtley, maybe the Bowes-Tanfield path, if you're on that come off at Birtley or just after onto Lamesley Lane, follow this to the A1/Team Valley south and take the first exit to Lady Park, Banesley Lane, Coach Road (I'm thinking of setting up a Strava segment there as I ride it a fair bit) for quiet, little traffic or up Kings Way if you want direct, then its over the roundabout (A1/TeamValley North) and onto Norwood Road or the Teams Cycleway (if you go through the Valley) to Dunston.daveyroids wrote:Can anyone suggest a good route from Washington to Dunston, avoiding center of Gateshead. Been using Northumberalnd way and Sunderland Road to get to Gateshead then through Gateshead center to Bensham bank and turning off to the Teams. Must be a better route than this.0 -
Hi folks,
Long time no post - nowhere to commute to
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Planning to make a return this week, armed with a new bike
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Didn't think it could get much worse than the Kibblesworth Staircase. Will have to check it out tomorrow.
@Daveyroids: Banesley Lane and Coach Road (over 1/3 of the route) are country roads and probably flatter with fewer traffic lights but they can turn into rat-runs when the A1 clogs up. Whether it makes sense for you probably depends whereabouts in Washington you are as you'd need to cross the A1 between the Bowes-Tanfield path and Vigo Lane.
Anyway here's a rough routeI used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
I'll post some photos of what it was like the first time it broke. They repaired it badly and its back to being broken.
It's nowhere near this bad now but it's starting to get like this again, there are several 6ft deep gullies and it's mostly all loose jagged rock.
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Wow, that's totally destroyed MTB only teritory, shame I'm back on slicks!
@Twostage: See you on the Scotswood Road Pelotoon?I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
Initialised wrote:Didn't think it could get much worse than the Kibblesworth Staircase. Will have to check it out tomorrow.
@Daveyroids: Banesley Lane and Coach Road (over 1/3 of the route) are country roads and probably flatter with fewer traffic lights but they can turn into rat-runs when the A1 clogs up. Whether it makes sense for you probably depends whereabouts in Washington you are as you'd need to cross the A1 between the Bowes-Tanfield path and Vigo Lane.
Anyway here's a rough route
I ride Sunderland road and through Gateshead town center on a Sunday morning with the club but this route adds quite a bit of time on to my commute. Been doing a few shifts in Blaydon and wanted a faster way to get to Dunston en route. Tried the previous suggestion which seemed to take 10 minutes off my commute and got there within the hour. After work headed back via team valley, Lamseley, Birtley and C to C route home. That only took 1 hour 10 minutes and actually enjoyed the ride back, very little traffic.
I live in Barmston, I will probably try Bansley lane on my return route and not pushed for time. Forgot about that road, used to use it all the time for a previous commute to Lobley Hill. I seem to remember that there is a footpath over the A1 past the Lobley Hill junction and think I know the way from there. I can avoid the A1 by just going up the C to C track and heading towards Birtley, Lamsley and Lady Park as suggested. Bit longer but a couple of extra mile in isn't bad. Problem with Gateshead and Wrekenton is the volume of traffic at times.0 -
Just looked for footbridge on Google and realised that if I stay on the same side of the A1 go along a foot path path the footbridge then turn from Chiltern Gardens round to Maple Avenue and onto Cypress Cresent to lead to Ellison road.
Cracked it.
That to me looks like a good route. Will try that Friday Morning on my way to see the Bicycle Repair Man on Prudhoe.0 -
not happy on my way home
first puncture in my Swalbe Marathon Plus after about 2000 miles, but I'm not surprised considering the size of the bit of metal, no idea what it was, looked like a bent rusty nail, but half of it was flat. Picked it up on follingsby lane, roughly half way home. Pleased to report 1 cyclist came past, and he stopped to offer help so thank you who ever you were 8) had already rang for a lift. I was carrying a spare tube and pump, but wasn't sure if it was for my 23mm tyres or the 28mm ones i had on, so thought i'd play it safe and wait for the lift.0 -
Bad luck anth. I have come across 3 people these last 2 days with punctures. Feel like im way overdue one!0
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daveyroids wrote:Yes bad luck. 2000 miles isn't bad though.
Yea I know it's not bad at all. I'm not sure whether I should use this as a reason to put my fulcrum racing 5s on with gp4000s. We shpuld be through the worst of the winter now.0 -
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The boulevard of broken glass section along the river cycle path is shocking atm....
No flatties as yet this week, only a matter of time.0 -
I've not had a puncture since last November, major plus point for Snow Studs. On Duranos now so hopefully they'll be reasonably resiliant.
I did lose my speedo today. Some where on this ride please PM me if you find it and I'll take you for a pint, it's a Cateye Strada Cadence, like this:
@Daveyroids, you said you were heading that way tomorrow, keep your eye's peeled?I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
Initialised wrote:I've not had a puncture since last November, major plus point for Snow Studs. On Duranos now so hopefully they'll be reasonably resiliant.
I did lose my speedo today. Some where on this ride please PM me if you find it and I'll take you for a pint, it's a Cateye Strada Cadence, like this:
@Daveyroids, you said you were heading that way tomorrow, keep your eye's peeled?
Just had a look at your route: that's some commute! And I moan about going up Station Road in Wallsend! Do you do that route every day?Cannondale Trail 6 - crap brakes!
Cannondale CAAD80 -
byke68 wrote:Just had a look at your route: that's some commute! And I moan about going up Station Road in Wallsend! Do you do that route every day?
i very much doubt that is his normal commute, crossing the tyne 3 times... Maybe an extended ride home.
Just been out to get lunch and noticed some very fine snow flakes in the air. I've heard its snowing in Darlington, and it is forecast to hit Newcastle later today, not happy. :evil:0 -
anthdci wrote:byke68 wrote:Just had a look at your route: that's some commute! And I moan about going up Station Road in Wallsend! Do you do that route every day?
i very much doubt that is his normal commute, crossing the tyne 3 times... Maybe an extended ride home.
Just been out to get lunch and noticed some very fine snow flakes in the air. I've heard its snowing in Darlington, and it is forecast to hit Newcastle later today, not happy. :evil:
I'm hoping it stays clear.....road bike ride planned for the weekend, looking at the forcast Sunday looks best.0 -
No, not my commute, it's 3-4 times longer than my normal routes, so yeah, extended ride home. Shouldn't have bothered crossing the Tyne at Wylam, ended up lost in Clara Vale.
Was snowing in pretty much all day but just dust, not going to settle, bitterly cold tonight though.
Hoping to get a 40 miler in sometime over the weekend, maybe Hexham via Military road.I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
Initialised wrote:Wow, that's totally destroyed MTB only teritory, shame I'm back on slicks!
@Twostage: See you on the Scotswood Road Pelotoon?
Yep, back on the Scotswood road, just to the business park though. It was great to be back commuting apart from having problems with both front and back lights. Rear light battery ran out (fortunately just past the shell garage at blaydon so I just bought a set there). Front light cycled through high, medium, low every time I went over a bump.
Being back commuting made me smile though. 0 -
Well i wasn't expecting this snow
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bennett_346 wrote:Well i wasn't expecting this snow
Yeah, can't see that 40 miler happening now.I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
No snow here on the coast, we had a little flurry this morning but nothing substantial.
I went up to Shields Rd, Byker, and it was a different world. Must have been 4 inches of the stuff, and it's only about 10 miles away0 -
out on the road in the morning so hope the roads stay clear overnight. I think its Park Head tomorrow. If anyone wants to join in, meeting at Shiney Row 9am.0
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Initialised wrote:bennett_346 wrote:Well i wasn't expecting this snow
Yeah, can't see that 40 miler happening now.
Same here, I was lying in bed contemplating a nice long ride and then looked out of the window :?0 -
at least it was all gone from the roads this morning. It was a lovely ride in, next to no wind.0
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the roads were ok if filthy and a bit slushy in places but the waggonways and bike paths were still iced and slippy in North Tyneside and along the river. Lots more snow inland compared to the coast.0
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saw this on road.cc:
http://road.cc/content/news/76937-witne ... broken-arm
Anyone heard / seen anything about it?0 -
Captain Slackbladder wrote:The boulevard of broken glass section along the river cycle path is shocking atm....
No flatties as yet this week, only a matter of time.
As if by magic at 7am this morning.... :evil:0 -
Captain Slackbladder wrote:Captain Slackbladder wrote:The boulevard of broken glass section along the river cycle path is shocking atm....
No flatties as yet this week, only a matter of time.
As if by magic at 7am this morning.... :evil:
yep, the local chavas have had a smashing time. Literally.
I bypass it by dropping down welbeck or neptune road, riding along White st / wincomblee rd and rejoining the path at Malaya Drive after which it's mostly just dog sh*t you have to avoid. The road isn't all that busy, a few white vans and lorries and so on but no through traffic.
PS. I'm touched to see my strava segment name being used to describe the bit you're talking about
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