The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

Initialised

Yeah, sustaining pace was hard and there were times when I didn't think I'd make it, still, I reckon I could get it under 1 hour 30 minutes if I'd taken the mudguards off (I left them on so it didn't rain).

Initialised

Well, I got the call, the job in Cobalt is happening, I start in 10 days!

I probably need to bus it for the first few days until I can arrange somewhere to store clothes and food so I can take what I need for the week on Monday and bring it back Friday as I can't see being "Shirt, Shoes, Tie and Trousers" smart after a 12 mile ride with a big hill at the start.

Going to do a trial run to see what it's like on the A191 (Denton/Kenton/Benton) route. As I recall there's quite a few lights from the A167 to the Freeman turn off, and I can't remember what it's like on the other side of Benton.

I'm not too fussed about the rough surface, I'm more likely to pinch a tube on a rough track than slow down for it (yes, I've done the walk of shame many times). But I can fit 35s so may try marathons if it gets too regular.

andy9964

A BUS??????

You'll never be able to wash the smell out of your skin.........ever

Anyway, congrats
(Adds non existent thumb up smiley)

anthdci

Had my first puncture in 9 months this morning. Found a bit of yellow glass embedded into my gatorhardskin. Seemed to be quite slow as it didn't go down down instantly. I refilled it on follingsby lane and got another mile before feeling the rim hitting the road. It was the first time I have used my CO2 cartridges to refill, SO much easier than the small hand pump.

Initialised

Last time I used CO2 I overinflated and my tyre popped off the rim!

Maybe I should be using 12g instead of 16g

andy9964

I ventured down Follingsby Lane last night on the way home from work, (the entrance just beside Nissan) to see how well my light worked with no street lights.
A little too well it seems.
At least three cars, drivers sitting having a cigarette, and one pedestrian standing nonchalantly beside a gate.......just standing ......doing nothing. All in complete darkness :shock:
I'd only travelled about a quarter of a mile, before my nerves got the better of me and I did a u-turn and back up Washington Road

anthdci

It must have been late for you to be going up there in complete darkness. There is a well known dogging spot on downhill lane so avoid that! My daily commute is along Washington Road, I follow it round and go over the A19 where there is a double roundabout for cars joining/leaving the A19 then join follingsby lane from next to there. If you go over the footbridge then past the air museum it takes you past that spot, which is not somewhere you want to be on your bike in the dark!

So do this
https://goo.gl/maps/gE3zf
rather than this
https://goo.gl/maps/80IZ7

andy9964

That looks about right.
I usually come from over the hill via Bank Top, Boldon. Then over the bridge/A19. If I want to add, or need another mile or so, I'll take the first turn after the bridge. Then when I get to the junction where you would go right, I take the left to head back to Nissan. It's all pretty innocent in daylight hours, but at 11:40PM, very creepy.

I'll have to go in the car next time

Captain Slackbladder

Initialised wrote:

Waskerley Way was pretty busy last Friday, I still managed to grab 2nd place despite taking a call and offering a couple of people help when they looked stuck.

Anyway. I may be starting work in Cobalt Business park shortly.
I live out to the west so my route options are:
15 miles along the river (14-Hadrians Way) then up to Silverlink
Pretty much all off road but long slow and boring with a high chance of glass and dog eggs all over the path
12 miles via Scotswood Road, town and the Coast Road
I don't think I want to ride on the Coast Road like I did back in 2001 as they've knocked it down to 2 lanes.
How good is the path alongside the Coast Road these days?
11 miles through Denton, Kenton and Benton on the A191 - Are traffic lights frequent past Benton?

What do you think of these routes, how is the A191 for cycling between Benton and Silverlink?
Are there any shortcuts I could use?

My morning commute brushes Cobalt into the Quayside via Hadrians Way. Personal opinions but i find it a nicer ride than the coast road. Its not quicker but I get extra km's. You can join the Quayside just off Scotswood Road. From your point of view I guess 15 miles is a fair old trip (mines around 12). I've got marathon plus tyres on and have had one flattie this year along the route.....Edit - kiss of death.

http://app.strava.com/activities/157861461

anthdci

Had my cycle scheme email saying my 12 months has come to an end. I am totally skint but it hasn't half gave me itchy feet for something shiny and new, a thread I saw about the Felt AR5 didn't help either. £90 a month for 18 months 0%apr from Tredz. Must resist more debt!

markhewitt1978

I've been whinging about not living within reasonable commute distance for ages (live in Chester-le-Street work in Stockton-on-Tees), making time in the morning for an hours ride was too difficult, some of my friends have a half hour commute so I've attempted to rearrange my day so I have time for a 30 minute ride most mornings, I think of it as my commute even though when it's done I still have to get into the car and drive to work . Only three mornings into it but it's going ok so far, but it helps that the weather has been good.

mtbcommuter

anthdci wrote:

It must have been late for you to be going up there in complete darkness. There is a well known dogging spot on downhill lane so avoid that! My daily commute is along Washington Road, I follow it round and go over the A19 where there is a double roundabout for cars joining/leaving the A19 then join follingsby lane from next to there. If you go over the footbridge then past the air museum it takes you past that spot, which is not somewhere you want to be on your bike in the dark!

So do this
https://goo.gl/maps/gE3zf
rather than this
https://goo.gl/maps/80IZ7

Cheers for that Anth, I use this route most days, (Gateshead to Sunderland) I'm not bothered about ignoring the doggers (this lane is known locally as "Gobblers Gulch" :shock: ) and they are there most evenings even when heading home around 6pm!
The problem I find is that I arrive at the end of Downhill Lane just as Nissan's night shift kick out and can easily sit for 5 minutes waiting to get across the road to the path which leads to the Air Museum. I'm going to use your alternative route from now & see how that goes.

jomoj

@initialised - your commute is almost exactly mine in reverse. I go from Whitley Bay to Newcastle Biz Park down from Scotswood road and go via the Cobalt.

I have a map I can link you to with the routes I would take... if I can find it. Generally I would avoid the Coast Road bike path. It might be more direct but the surface is crap and it crosses several dodgy slip roads - apart from being noisy and polluted.

Usually I'll follow the river, either on NCN72, Hadrians way or along Walker Road to Wallsend, then cut up north to Battle Hill. From there it's a short ride to Cobalt and you can do nearly all of it on bike paths if you choose - which generally I do because it's just less stressful, even if it's a bit further.

Initialised

Thanks for the tips guys.

I did a recce of the route on Friday and will explore alternatives on the rides home.

They have showers, lockers and secure bike storage so it's on for tomorrow.

anthdci

mtbcommuter wrote:

The problem I find is that I arrive at the end of Downhill Lane just as Nissan's night shift kick out and can easily sit for 5 minutes waiting to get across the road to the path which leads to the Air Museum. I'm going to use your alternative route from now & see how that goes.

yes crossing that road is a nightmare, that is partly why I started using the road route. There is a new path on the westbound side if your that way inclined, but I personally prefer to stick to the road.

mtbcommuter

anthdci wrote:

mtbcommuter wrote:

The problem I find is that I arrive at the end of Downhill Lane just as Nissan's night shift kick out and can easily sit for 5 minutes waiting to get across the road to the path which leads to the Air Museum. I'm going to use your alternative route from now & see how that goes.

yes crossing that road is a nightmare, that is partly why I started using the road route. There is a new path on the westbound side if your that way inclined, but I personally prefer to stick to the road.

Done this morning it adds .2 mi to the journey (10.2 mi now) but nothing to the time & I don't spend 5 mins mumbling obscenities at sleepy drivers, cheers.

That path does look great but I'm with you, I stick to the roads.

anthdci

there is a strava segment there if your feeling particularly energetic one morning.

Initialised

Well that wasn't so bad, two top 10 spots on my first day, in rush hour traffic!

markhewitt1978

Aye but looks like busier roads than I would tackle like.

Initialised

Most of the time I was keeping up with or overtaking traffic on the busier bits, so it's mostly a case of traffic management, stay wide enough to keep the idiots from overtaking unnecessarily and to give yourself plenty of wiggle room if they do.

Long_Time_Lurker

What a day yesterday! Beautiful weather and I has the day off.
What started off as a pootle to the local LBS to buy an inner tube, turned into a 5 hour trip to all of the regional bike shops and a lunch at the Cycle Hub.

The only downside is that I was too tired to cycle in today.

markhewitt1978

My friend introduced me to the joys of cycling on early Sunday mornings, not that I'm any stranger to it, often setting off at 7am but usually up into the Durham hills.

This time we set off at 6am (after having to get up at 5am ), and went from Chester-le-Street through to Seaham, up the coast through the middle of Sunderland to South Sheilds and onto Gateshead and Wylam, very little traffic the entire time, roads which are usually clogged with cars were ours to command, and lovely weather too

markhewitt1978

On that same ride I've discovered with the help of my friend that getting out and back from Northumberland (via Newburn) is so much easier by going across the Swing Bridge and following the cycle path along the North of the Tyne and along the Scotswood Road, with the option of using the cycle path from Newburn to Wylam.

Nicer at least than attempting to do battle with the traffic through Dunston and Swalwell a stretch of road which puts me off venturing off to Northumberland just because it's so unpleasant to ride, both in terms of the traffic and the area!

Captain Slackbladder

markhewitt1978 wrote:

On that same ride I've discovered with the help of my friend that getting out and back from Northumberland (via Newburn) is so much easier by going across the Swing Bridge and following the cycle path along the North of the Tyne and along the Scotswood Road, with the option of using the cycle path from Newburn to Wylam.

Nicer at least than attempting to do battle with the traffic through Dunston and Swalwell a stretch of road which puts me off venturing off to Northumberland just because it's so unpleasant to ride, both in terms of the traffic and the area!

Sunday mornings for me are usually a blast up the coast..North Shields/Tynemouth/Whitley Bay/Blyth, if i have the time i'll venture up to Lynemouth/Cresswell. Roads are very quiet pre 10am....On odd occasions i'll put the bike on the rack and start at Cresswell....great cycling country.

Allez Mark

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Nicer at least than attempting to do battle with the traffic through Dunston and Swalwell a stretch of road which puts me off venturing off to Northumberland just because it's so unpleasant to ride, both in terms of the traffic and the area!

Hey! Watch it. I was born and bred in Swalwell. Don't live there now like.

Initialised

Very narrowly missed a full on drenching this morning.

Which one of you took your mudguards off?

markhewitt1978 wrote:

On that same ride I've discovered with the help of my friend that getting out and back from Northumberland (via Newburn) is so much easier by going across the Swing Bridge and following the cycle path along the North of the Tyne and along the Scotswood Road, with the option of using the cycle path from Newburn to Wylam.

Go a little further next time, the Cafe at Ovingham has very good cake! Almost makes up for the loss of the shop at Wylam.

Allez Mark wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Nicer at least than attempting to do battle with the traffic through Dunston and Swalwell a stretch of road which puts me off venturing off to Northumberland just because it's so unpleasant to ride, both in terms of the traffic and the area!

Hey! Watch it. I was born and bred in Swalwell. Don't live there now like.

Oi, that used to be my commute! It really isn't that bad.

markhewitt1978

Initialised wrote:

Go a little further next time, the Cafe at Ovingham has very good cake! Almost makes up for the loss of the shop at Wylam.

We were going to go along to Ovingham but then I remembered something about the bridge being closed so we did a loop up to Heddon instead.

Swalwell isn't *that* bad, the bit I have issue with is the roundabout at the A694, always crazily busy with traffic as is the road between there and the A1 junction, last thing you want to be dealing with when already on your 70th mile and tired.

Initialised

If the Ovingham bridge is closed you can always cross the river at Hagg Bank, Stocksfield or Corbridge.

I broke my shoulder on there a few years back, oil on the road, taking it too fast on the wrong tyres.

You can bypass the A694 roundabouts on Keelmans way (brings you up near Newburn Bridge) or cut up to Blaydon along the Derwent River to join the B6317.

markhewitt1978

Initialised wrote:

You can bypass the A694 roundabouts on Keelmans way (brings you up near Newburn Bridge) or cut up to Blaydon along the Derwent River to join the B6317.

I think I've been that way before, but it's gravel?

markhewitt1978

For people in the Chester-le-Street area:



One of our club members has had his bike stolen;
"Stolen right infront of me in kyo Stanley of anyone sees it it is my bike 2013 a works venge 105 group keep an eye out!!" "Grabbed it as I was talking and had my back turned I wasn't a foot away from it"