The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

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  • tuktuk
    tuktuk Posts: 179
    I commuted by bike for the first time in a while today. Cold this morning although it looked nice enough!

    Only seen 1 other cyclist on my whole journey.
    ReefFishForum
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Cold is bloody right. I was out at 6am this morning and it was FREEZING! I warmed up briefly climbing up through Kibblesworth but other than that it was bitter!
  • Madproforg
    Madproforg Posts: 35
    At least it wasn't my trick - checked the wundermap from wunderground then wore the wrong gloves, couldn't feel my fingers by the time I got to train station. Hadn't refreshed it for a few days.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    Not as chilly this morning but still on the cold side at 06-30.....lovely ride into work.
  • Tony Mc
    Tony Mc Posts: 180
    Difficult getting the balance of kit right at the minute with the mornings commute be chilly but the ride home quiet pleasant,
    Gillet, arm and Knee warmers seem better than full blown jacket
    Getting there
  • tuktuk
    tuktuk Posts: 179
    I waited till after 9 to set off today. Nice temp and really quiet roads, not sure why i havent thought of this till now!

    Had a car cheering me all the way down past rake lane hospital on the way home haha. Favourite part of my route home that little stretch.
    ReefFishForum
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Passed 1000 miles for the year today, 1004 actually.
    To put that into context, I did just over 1500 last year. Think I might smash that PB.
    I reckon I should get around 3500 if the weather stays the same this coming winter.

    Also, I'm now doing more miles on the bike than in the car, had to put petrol in at the weekend, the first since 25th February :)
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    I did the Hadrians path from Newcastle to Tynemouth yesterday which was nice as it's all tarmac.

    What about the route West from the Swing Bridge. How far does the tarmac go?
  • jongooligan
    jongooligan Posts: 223
    From hazy memory of when I used to work in Newburn many years ago there is a hard shared path all the way past the Scotswood business park. It was possible to cross Scotswood Road at that point and get on the old railway line but that was an obstacle course around burned out cars and abandoned shopping trolleys. As Scotswood has pretty well disappeared I would imagine a lot has changed and no doubt someone will be along with more up to date info.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    I did the Hadrians path from Newcastle to Tynemouth yesterday which was nice as it's all tarmac.

    What about the route West from the Swing Bridge. How far does the tarmac go?

    South of the river it's tarmac to the Metrocentre, then a bit of hardpack for 200m from the ASDA roundabout to Derwent River then Tarmac to Blaydon, hardpack and gravel to Wylam. You can stay by the riverside rather than going up to the road at Blaydon Burn but the route through the new builds near Ryton keeps changing.

    North of the river it's tarmac to Newburn. Scotswood road is fine TBH there's no need to take the off road section from Whitehouse Road-Scotswood Bridge when heading West, it just means crossing the road a couple of extra times. Same at Newburn Riverside/Lemington roundabout you can either stick to the road to Newburn, go south through Newburn Riverside (floods when wet) or go North along the official route through Lemington. It's a mix of gravel, hardpack and tarmac (mostly tarmac) to Ovingham/Prudhoe where it joins the road until Hexham where it's a choice of hardpack or tarmac through the park. You can bypass the gravel at Newburn by joining the road at Newburn Bridge and going through Blaney Row.

    All of it is fine to ride on slicks unless it's really wet.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Thanks for the info! I like riding in Northumberland but I find getting back from Newburn / Wylam to Chester-le-Street means going through Blaydon, Swallwell and Dunston which is awful for cycling, last time I climbed Ebchester hill just so I didn't have to ride through there. So an alternative route which is on tarmac would be a great thing!
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    You're in luck the A1 western Bypass route has been flagged up for £600,000 funding for cycle infrastructure:£2 Million- RoadCC

    I know what you mean about Dunston-Blaydon, it used to be my commute to Team Valley but I switched to doing Scotswood Road and Bensham Bank, longer, more climbing but almost as fast, see my previous comments on not liking riding through Gateshead much.

    The nicest route east-west from Chester-le-Street would be up to Pelton Fell, Craghead, Tanfield, Tantobie, Burnhopfield, Busty Bank to Rowlands Gill and join route 14 down the the Mouth of the Derwent and cross at Newburn Bridge or head up Spen Lane past Chopwell woods and down the other side to Wylam. Stanley kind of ruins it but it's got a nice steep climb to take your mind off the surroundings and you can always join the 7 there if you fancy heading past Consett and up a Pennine fell or two.

    I like cutting back over Wittonstall to Ebchester from Stocksfield then blasting back down the A694 but it'd be a bit much if you did it then up the other side at Ebchester.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Tony Mc
    Tony Mc Posts: 180
    Beautiful out there looking forward to a longer ride home
    Getting there
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Tony Mc wrote:
    Beautiful out there looking forward to a longer ride home

    8) it does look lovely. Next to no wind too. Base layer from this morning will be in the bag, jersey, bibshorts and fingerless gloves on. Time to start working on the cyclist tan :twisted:
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    sorry guys, I took my mudguards off on Thursday so it rained on Friday. I washed the bike last night and it's miserable this morning. Must be my fault.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    sorry guys, I took my mudguards off on Thursday so it rained on Friday. I washed the bike last night and it's miserable this morning. Must be my fault.

    Was a lovely ride home yesterday in the sun.

    Weathers been cracking so far this year, from a commuting point of view anyway.
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Weather hasn't been all that bad. Mind you I did feel a definite head wind going home yesterday.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    The wnd's all over the place at the minute. There's a wind turbine at work about 100m from our rest area, which I use to check the wind before going home, and it must be changing direction at least twice a day.
    One minute I have a tail wind, the next a headwind :(
  • Tony Mc
    Tony Mc Posts: 180
    Just had the commuting bike back from its annual service and new wheels, felt as if i was faster (even through Strava says NO)

    Will be attacking Scotswood Road tonight to try and get a few PB's
    Getting there
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    I think I must have had a tailwind on the way back from town, two PRs but I was on the clunker with 2.1" knobblies as I had to leave it in town for a bit.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    anthdci wrote:
    sorry guys, I took my mudguards off on Thursday so it rained on Friday. I washed the bike last night and it's miserable this morning. Must be my fault.

    Was a lovely ride home yesterday in the sun.

    Weathers been cracking so far this year, from a commuting point of view anyway.

    The kiss of death... :lol:

    Awful this morning.
  • Tony Mc
    Tony Mc Posts: 180
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    anthdci wrote:
    sorry guys, I took my mudguards off on Thursday so it rained on Friday. I washed the bike last night and it's miserable this morning. Must be my fault.

    Was a lovely ride home yesterday in the sun.

    Weathers been cracking so far this year, from a commuting point of view anyway.

    The kiss of death... :lol:

    Awful this morning.


    I hope you've put them back on this morning :lol:
    Getting there
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Tony Mc wrote:
    I hope you've put them back on this morning :lol:

    No chance. Had a few beers at the local last night, so hazey head this morning mixed with the constant rain meant I got the metro
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    well last night was fun. 1 day this week off the bike and depending on the metro to get home and it is off! 90 minutes on the bus to get home instead. I could have done it in half that on my bike.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    well last night was fun. 1 day this week off the bike and depending on the metro to get home and it is off! 90 minutes on the bus to get home instead. I could have done it in half that on my bike.

    Dry as well for me heading home at 16-40 :D
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Dry as well for me heading home at 16-40 :D

    If i'd know it was only going to be wet on the morning and id be struggling with the metro then I'd have suffered the rain in the morning!
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Dry as well for me heading home at 16-40 :D

    If i'd know it was only going to be wet on the morning and id be struggling with the metro then I'd have suffered the rain in the morning!

    On the odd occasions i take the bus I have a wee cry to myself about it, especially when i see other cyclists out and about.
  • deffler
    deffler Posts: 829
    so who sampled that lovely rain on Thursday morning?, was that really wet stuff :roll:

    8:40-9:15am commute Houghton to Peterlee for me, hands, legs and feet drenched however the gore jacket won the battle with the headwind / driving rain.
    Boardman Hybrid Pro

    Planet X XLS
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Errrrr, me :(
    I ignored what the Met Office website said on Wednesday night, before starting night shift, and took no waterproofs and left the mudguards off.
    I had the added benefit of watching the rain get worse throughout the night, and got thoroughly soaked through on the 30 minute ride home.
    Obviously, by the time I'd dried off and changed to take the dogs out, the rain had stopped
  • Tony Mc
    Tony Mc Posts: 180
    Not to bad this morning setting off from Dunston at 7:30, have gone for Gilet and arm warmers as i think it may be warmer on the return later
    Getting there

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