The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

jefflad

Jarrow/Hebburn to Doxford Park basically tracking the cycle paths/minor roads each side of the A19. The steel horse is an old Halfords Mountain Bike with numerous upgrades.

Weekends either on a Golf Course or the many cycle routes around the region but did get lost today and cycled through Percy Main, quickly made a mental note to avoid that area at all costs in the future :oops:

king_jeffers

jefflad wrote:

did get lost today and cycled through Percy Main, quickly made a mental note to avoid that area at all costs in the future :oops:

When I do my weekend coast run I usually clip the outskirts, really helps keep the averages up... need a strava segment running through it. Prob get the best times in the country.

jefflad

King Jeffers wrote:

jefflad wrote:

did get lost today and cycled through Percy Main, quickly made a mental note to avoid that area at all costs in the future :oops:

When I do my weekend coast run I usually clip the outskirts, really helps keep the averages up... need a strava segment running through it. Prob get the best times in the country.

Yes, quite agree!

Met a beefcake having an early morning fag who had his eyes fixated on me, I could feel his mind ticking over; Giant Bike, GPS, iPhone, Cash... looks lost, kerrching! I even tried my friendly 'Alreet Mate' to which he replied, well he didn't and just kept his unnerving gaze on me

byke68

At last, a thread for people not living in London.
It's a 19 mile round trip for me when I can be bothered, to Wallsend-on-Sewer.
No Embankment up here but there is Station Road! Crap road surface and idiots who don't know how to rounabouts!
As for the women - why are they allowed on the roads when they can't tell the difference between the clutch and a door!

Initialised

jefflad wrote:

King Jeffers wrote:

jefflad wrote:

did get lost today and cycled through Percy Main, quickly made a mental note to avoid that area at all costs in the future :oops:

When I do my weekend coast run I usually clip the outskirts, really helps keep the averages up... need a strava segment running through it. Prob get the best times in the country.

Yes, quite agree!

Met a beefcake having an early morning fag who had his eyes fixated on me, I could feel his mind ticking over; Giant Bike, GPS, iPhone, Cash... looks lost, kerrching! I even tried my friendly 'Alreet Mate' to which he replied, well he didn't and just kept his unnerving gaze on me

Never get off the bike! F*cking charva! Never get off the bike!...

byke68

So, erm....................................not many commuters up here then?

Initialised

Just a hand full as most of us can't afford computers let alone decent bikes up in't grim north.

byke68

Initialised wrote:

Just a hand full as most of us can't afford computers let alone decent bikes up in't grim north.

As you can see from my bikes, nothing really decent there but they get me from A to B. Grim up North? Rather live here than London and that's coming from someone from the Essex/Suffolk border area!

Initialised

Like wise, reforemed Londoner.

Madproforg

I just fit in the "and Wear" - with a bit of blurred vision anyway.
Live in Ferryhill work at Bracknell Hill Business Park (Peterlee) - normal route is 13.5miles mainly road with a couple of bridleways and 1 farmyard.

Twostage

Initialised wrote:

14 runs up the Derwent River from the mouth (where it joins Keelman's Way) towards Consett, Lanchester and Durham.

@ The Strava segments: not on my usual route (I cross the Redheugh) so I might have to divert

Looked up 14 on my Newcastle OS map, looks like a good ride and I'd like to do it. Did my back in last week and found today's commutes a bit painful so in the car tomorrow. If the weather is better than the forecast then Friday is a possibility.

Initialised

Twostage wrote:

Initialised wrote:

14 runs up the Derwent River from the mouth (where it joins Keelman's Way) towards Consett, Lanchester and Durham.

@ The Strava segments: not on my usual route (I cross the Redheugh) so I might have to divert

Looked up 14 on my Newcastle OS map, looks like a good ride and I'd like to do it. Did my back in last week and found today's commutes a bit painful so in the car tomorrow. If the weather is better than the forecast then Friday is a possibility.

It is a nice ride. I can't do Thursday so Friday sounds good, so long as it's not too wet, it gets a bit muddy and I'll be on slicks also have a sore ankle from getting beaten up by my kids at the park last week so wont be fast either.

PM me and we'll sort a meeting point/time also if the others who expressed an interest earlier in this thread are up for it PM me and Twostage.

jomoj

would like to join you but am doing the C2C this weekend so will be leaving on the friday night. Have a good one if you go.


On a different topic, i drove in today along the coast road and passed a guy cycling on the dual carriageway (not side path) on the approach to the bottom of Chillingham rd. Now I know he's perfectly entitled to do so, but the thoughts that went through my head were "why would you want to do that? Are you that desperate to cut a few minutes off your commute by mixing it with dozy morning drivers on a 70mph (and 50mph) road?" and could imagine the number of people thinking "stupid bloody cyclist, what's he doing here?". He had all the gear and was going a decent pace and most people were changing lane to pass him, which was good but just made me wonder how bad the coast road bike path must be!

chrishumes

chaps, sorry, dont check threads much.....and its hard to catch up with people on here......I would be interested in the rides, will pm you.....

of if theres a better way email me on chrishumes1978 at aol dot com

woud be good to get a small group together

cheers

Long_Time_Lurker

jomoj wrote:

On a different topic, i drove in today along the coast road and passed a guy cycling on the dual carriageway.....just made me wonder how bad the coast road bike path must be!

1. Is that bloke an 'older gentlemen'? If it is, I see him frequently. I have thought about asking him, but I wouldn't be able to keep up with him to ask him - he seems to be quite an accomplished rider (albeit a little stupid).

2. The coast road path is decent. No reason why anyone wouldn't take it if they are commuting between the coast and town.

Initialised

Long Time Lurker wrote:

jomoj wrote:

On a different topic, i drove in today along the coast road and passed a guy cycling on the dual carriageway.....just made me wonder how bad the coast road bike path must be!

1. Is that bloke an 'older gentlemen'? If it is, I see him frequently. I have thought about asking him, but I wouldn't be able to keep up with him to ask him - he seems to be quite an accomplished rider (albeit a little stupid).

2. The coast road path is decent. No reason why anyone wouldn't take it if they are commuting between the coast and town.

I used to do the Coast Road, both ways, on the road, around 10 years ago mind, it's not that the paths are that bad, the surface is nowhere near as smooth,it's more that you have to stop, slow for pedestrians and stop at every junction. It all adds up.

Ended up bailing tonight, to cold tired and wet for it to have been much fun, we'll have to reschedule for some day when the weather's more conducive.

tuktuk

Im a coast road path user I was shocked at the condition of the path the first time i was on it, a fee gravely sections and loads of sections where the roots of the trees/bushes have made it really bumpy. Still id rather be on there than the actual road itself, especially the bits where cars are joining/leaving at full chat! The worst part imo is alongside the college, there are 2 small sections where i feel like im going to come off at anything about 10mph which is a shame on the way in to newcastle as its a steady descent for a bit.

I also think its quite narrow in places, its not often i pass cyclists going the other way but when i do its a bit awkward in places due to width.

Anyways i think im on to my 5th or maybes even 6th week of full time cycling. I do 8 miles or so from Beach rd up to near the quayside. I started taking 50 mins, have it down to just under 35 atm and getting quicker! Id like to think i could make sub 30 mins if i got a clear run!

anthdci

sunderland - newcastle and back each day here. I thought the "please say it gets easier" thread by tuktuk was going to be renamed but I suppose a new one will do.
Starting to recognize the regulars on my route
http://runkeeper.com/user/anthdci/activity/91533743.

Initialised

You see that third lane up both sides of the Coast Road? The filter lane as it is now. Get rid of it and dedicate it to bikes for a nice long uninterrupted city-to-coast bike highway. Or take a look at how the best bits of Scotswood Road are laid out for cycling and copy it as far as possible.

king_jeffers

Initialised wrote:

You see that third lane up both sides of the Coast Road? The filter lane as it is now. Get rid of it and dedicate it to bikes for a nice long uninterrupted city-to-coast bike highway. Or take a look at how the best bits of Scotswood Road are laid out for cycling and copy it as far as possible.

Write to the council - they usually seem quite receptive to this kind of stuff. Well my local one is... unless its just a way to stop me writing to them :oops:

byke68

tuktuk wrote:

Im a coast road path user I was shocked at the condition of the path the first time i was on it, a fee gravely sections and loads of sections where the roots of the trees/bushes have made it really bumpy. Still id rather be on there than the actual road itself, especially the bits where cars are joining/leaving at full chat! The worst part imo is alongside the college, there are 2 small sections where i feel like im going to come off at anything about 10mph which is a shame on the way in to newcastle as its a steady descent for a bit.

I also think its quite narrow in places, its not often i pass cyclists going the other way but when i do its a bit awkward in places due to width.

Anyways i think im on to my 5th or maybes even 6th week of full time cycling. I do 8 miles or so from Beach rd up to near the quayside. I started taking 50 mins, have it down to just under 35 atm and getting quicker! Id like to think i could make sub 30 mins if i got a clear run!

Why not try the Howdon road and go through Wallsend, Walkerville and Byker? I just go over or under the coast road, never on it.

Initialised

King Jeffers wrote:

Initialised wrote:

You see that third lane up both sides of the Coast Road? The filter lane as it is now. Get rid of it and dedicate it to bikes for a nice long uninterrupted city-to-coast bike highway. Or take a look at how the best bits of Scotswood Road are laid out for cycling and copy it as far as possible.

Write to the council - they usually seem quite receptive to this kind of stuff. Well my local one is... unless its just a way to stop me writing to them :oops:

I don't ride that way any more, last time I wrote to the Cycling lobby (Anne Clarke iirc) I got ignored.

BurnziesBike

Started commuting three weeks ago. Sunderland to Birtley, just under 8 miles each way.

Grindon past Hastings Hill, along to Offerton then down to Cox Green. Foot bridge across the river then join the C2C in james steel park, through Washington and along to Birtley. Final km along Durham Road to work.

First time took 45 minutes, did it in 38 on Friday. Totally addicted, can believe I've waited until my 54th year to start !

See quite a few riding in to Sunderland on a morning, but dont usualy see anyone heading my direction.

Nice site.

Long_Time_Lurker

Morning Burnz...welcome to the fold...

jomoj

I'm with byke68 re: the coast road, I prefer the longer but quieter options.
Bottled out and drove in today, just rode the C2C over the weekend and am feeling a little weary, great trip but the weather was horrendous yesterday afternoon from Stanhope to Gateshead and my bike is still encrusted in clart.

On another topic - anyone riding the Cyclone in 3 weeks time?

king_jeffers

Had my first BIG ride out on the weekend, previously only taken on 17/20 mile runs round North Tyneside. Decided to up the game and go for a 55 mile ride first thing Sunday morning and loved it. Damn hard work and almost wiped out a couple of times on the way back through lack of food (one slice of fruit loaf is not enough!). Rode out from Whitley Bay to Blyth, Morpeth, then up to Scots Gap and back through Ponteland. Loads of cyclists out, everyone really friendly, some clearly do this sort of thing every weekend if not daily... Defo want to try keep it up, although might do a shorter 30 mile route next time :-)

spen666

jomoj wrote:

well you'll be pleased to know that, just like there's a ferry across the mersey, there is also sometimes fog on the Tyne. However Mr Gascoigne's assertion that it is entirely his property is open to debate.

I thought the rightful owner was Alan Hull and Lindisfarne

spen666

byke68 wrote:

tuktuk wrote:

Im a coast road path user I was shocked at the condition of the path the first time i was on it, a fee gravely sections and loads of sections where the roots of the trees/bushes have made it really bumpy. Still id rather be on there than the actual road itself, especially the bits where cars are joining/leaving at full chat! The worst part imo is alongside the college, there are 2 small sections where i feel like im going to come off at anything about 10mph which is a shame on the way in to newcastle as its a steady descent for a bit.

I also think its quite narrow in places, its not often i pass cyclists going the other way but when i do its a bit awkward in places due to width.

Anyways i think im on to my 5th or maybes even 6th week of full time cycling. I do 8 miles or so from Beach rd up to near the quayside. I started taking 50 mins, have it down to just under 35 atm and getting quicker! Id like to think i could make sub 30 mins if i got a clear run!

Why not try the Howdon road and go through Wallsend, Walkerville and Byker? I just go over or under the coast road, never on it.

Up & Down Rosehill Bank

Long_Time_Lurker

jomoj wrote:

On another topic - anyone riding the Cyclone in 3 weeks time?

I'm keeping a work colleague company. He's unfit and hasn't been doing the commuting that he wanted to do, so is really out of practice. As a result we're only down for the 30 miler. :oops:
He's on a roadie, I'm on my mtb, flat pedals with knobbly tyres.
(He had to really twist my arm. I didnt really enjoy it last year - too many people on public roads for my liking.
Felt dangerous at times - people riding 3 abreast on climbs, meaning I couldn't pass for fear of oncoming traffic.)

King Jeffers - you a roadie or a mtber? (if it's the latter, there are some great runs along the coast. Need to swop notes as I'm looking for alternatives.)

byke68

jomoj wrote:

I'm with byke68 re: the coast road, I prefer the longer but quieter options.
Bottled out and drove in today, just rode the C2C over the weekend and am feeling a little weary, great trip but the weather was horrendous yesterday afternoon from Stanhope to Gateshead and my bike is still encrusted in clart.

On another topic - anyone riding the Cyclone in 3 weeks time?

Yep, I'm doing the 33miler. Yes I know, but I'm gonna try to do it under 2 hours. I failed last year by 4 minutes
If it's it nice weather, I'll be on the Bowery
If it's raining, I'll be on the old GT