The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

markhewitt1978

Was great riding back from Corbridge into Newcastle yesterday with the wind at my back. I felt like a proper cyclist! . Managed to overtake about 20 riders from Blaydon cycle club. Not so great when I turned South across the Swing bridge and spent the next 7 miles head onto the wind

anthdci

has anyone else gone west to east along lingey lane recently? As you approach the A174 roundabout, the road used to go from a single lane to a double lane. Now the left hand lane has inexplicably been painted with chevrons to keep it a single lane all the way. So now cars struggle to pass cyclists on the best route between newcstle/gateshead and sunderland. What where they thinking!! :evil: :evil:

andy9964

Don't know about that, but if you normally go over the road bridge just up from Nissan, the road closures will be in force till 19th December (for extra lanes and traffic lights). Probably better to use the footbridge beside the air museum
The nice hi-viz men say I can continue up Downhill Lane to Bank Top, but it's very messy. Might consider a longer detour through Hylton Castle etc

y33stu

Yeah @anthdci - I ride that everyday into follingsby park. Its crazy. I feel like writing to the council to ask why they though that was necessary. Absolute hazard to cyclists and just couldn't see an issue there before for cars. Reckon they had spare cash and needed to spend it.

I've taken to just riding across the chevrons. I'm not risking my life by riding in the single road only for a lorry or bus to wipe me out.

anthdci

Andy9964 wrote:

Don't know about that, but if you normally go over the road bridge just up from Nissan, the road closures will be in force till 19th December (for extra lanes and traffic lights). Probably better to use the footbridge beside the air museum
The nice hi-viz men say I can continue up Downhill Lane to Bank Top, but it's very messy. Might consider a longer detour through Hylton Castle etc

I'll have to check that out, not sure they will close the whole thing since it is the main way to get to nissan?

y33stu wrote:

Yeah @anthdci - I ride that everyday into follingsby park. Its crazy. I feel like writing to the council to ask why they though that was necessary. Absolute hazard to cyclists and just couldn't see an issue there before for cars. Reckon they had spare cash and needed to spend it.

I've taken to just riding across the chevrons. I'm not risking my life by riding in the single road only for a lorry or bus to wipe me out.

I had a look on the gateshead council website and they have a tiny notice about the work being complete there. But it says it has been done by the highways agency, so I rang them. Spoke to a lovely gentleman who has registered my request for information to why the work was done, and whether it is temporary or not. They are getting back to me in the next 15 days!

I cant see any point other than wasting excess paint.

markhewitt1978

anthdci wrote:

has anyone else gone west to east along lingey lane recently? As you approach the A174 roundabout, the road used to go from a single lane to a double lane. Now the left hand lane has inexplicably been painted with chevrons to keep it a single lane all the way. So now cars struggle to pass cyclists on the best route between newcstle/gateshead and sunderland. What where they thinking!! :evil: :evil:

http://www.gatesheadcycling.org.uk/

Go onto http://www.gatesheadcycling.org.uk/ and tell them there.

Neil will probably come on and tell you to shut up - as usually.

andy9964

anthdci wrote:

I'll have to check that out, not sure they will close the whole thing since it is the main way to get to nissan?

Up until yesterday, the traffic could come up from Sunderland direction, but not going that down way, this morning it was all closed The roundabout is still in use for traffic coming from the north, to cross the bridge. I assume all Sunderland traffic will be getting re-routed along the A1231.

http://www.tyneandweartravel.info/publi ... s/list.htm

byke68

Nice pea-souper this morning. Got accused of having a death-wish just because I cycled to work by my "supervisor"!
Muppet. He should know by now that I'm HARDCORE! :roll:

andy9964

Urrgh!!! Looks like its going to be a wet one this afternoon

And cold

markhewitt1978

Andy9964 wrote:

Urrgh!!! Looks like its going to be a wet one this afternoon

And cold

11am and it might as well be 11pm it's that dark.

Captain Slackbladder

It's grim like.....the day didn't get of to the best start either. Visit from the puncture fairy when I got the bike from the garage this morning..

andy9964

I had a visit yesterday as I got my bike out. Fixed it quickly enough, but decided to take the car instead.
Doing this enabled me to get the front mudguard bracket off, and grind down the square profile so it would fit into the arched recess in the fork. It's now refitted and has plenty clearance, with no rubbing issues.
Fairy's visitation repair has held out, didn't fancy having to do it again after finishing work at 11:30pm.

1 hour before leaving, and there's no let up with the rain

andy9964

Hello hello hello, is there anybody in there, just nod if you can hear me


Two more inner tube episodes since /\ /\. That's more than I've had in the last two years. Rear wheel is winning 2-1.
I think it's probably related to the roadworks debris

Andy9964 wrote:

Cracked my target of 2.5k miles for the year today. That's 1k up on last year
2514 in total so far, and 75 days left. If we get weather like last year, I'll be very disappointed not to get 3k.
Actually, thinking about it, I'll be disappointed regardless of the weather........3k is the new target

97 miles to go, should crack that this week if I take the long route in every day
Is it considered bad form to quote yourself

Also, gave the bike a good clean and degrease, knowing it'll be up to the t1ts in mud etc by Tuesday

Initialised

Andy9964 wrote:

Hello hello hello, is there anybody in there, just nod if you can hear me


Two more inner tube episodes since /\ /\. That's more than I've had in the last two years. Rear wheel is winning 2-1.
I think it's probably related to the roadworks debris

Andy9964 wrote:

Cracked my target of 2.5k miles for the year today. That's 1k up on last year
2514 in total so far, and 75 days left. If we get weather like last year, I'll be very disappointed not to get 3k.
Actually, thinking about it, I'll be disappointed regardless of the weather........3k is the new target

97 miles to go, should crack that this week if I take the long route in every day
Is it considered bad form to quote yourself

Terribly bad form...

I should make 6000 miles this year: http://www.startfarm.co.uk/aspStats/Default.aspx I've switched to an old MTB for security reasons so that and the weather haven't exactly been inspiring me to take the long way home lately.

Long_Time_Lurker

The mud tyres are back on the bike.
Went sideways and into a stream this morning. Rode home cold and wet with my mates cackling laughter in my ears.

Captain Slackbladder

I'm 125 miles short of 4k for the year, chuffed to bits with that. Hopefully will hit 4k by next Fri.

Almost all commuting miles as well, my almost 1 yearold daughter put paid to any weekend riding this year.

anthdci

Been off the bike for a few months. Trying to get back into it this week, the other half is away on holiday so while the cats away the mice will play.



Out with the turbo and on with Sufferland violator. Felt great but sore now!
Bike is off the trainer and ready for the commute tomorrow, not sure if my legs will be though.

Initialised

I just saw this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30475823

Newcastle upon Tyne is in the top 5 cities that aren't car dependent but Gateshead is in the top 10 most car dependent cities.

So how does it work for people who live one side of the river and work the other?

I don't find it gets fundamentally worse when I cross the river, just a little.

Captain Slackbladder

Initialised wrote:

I just saw this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30475823

Newcastle upon Tyne is in the top 5 cities that aren't car dependent but Gateshead is in the top 10 most car dependent cities.

So how does it work for people who live one side of the river and work the other?

I don't find it gets fundamentally worse when I cross the river, just a little.

Can only think of the additional Metro stations Newcastle has, possibly better bus links. Large areas of Gateshead are cut off from the metro? Having said that Washington is probably worse due to the towns design and with no metro at all.

markhewitt1978

Student population perhaps? Plus I know a lot of people who live in Newcastle who get the Metro to work in the City Centre, as you say. In Gateshead it's not quite so simple, mostly you're stuck with busses, and the Gateshead busses are the reason I bought a car.

Captain Slackbladder

Can we keep this mild weather plase...

Took a couple of days off from the bike last week (weather bomb my arse) Really should have riden instead, so it was a bit breezy :roll:

xbnm

Last week was nasty into work east to west but going home uphill with that wind behind was a doddle.

Living in Washington i can see that its difficult to think about how to get from A to B other than by car but for a lot of places it is quicker to walk/ride if you know how to get there without going all the way round the roads that ring the villages and on a bike you can go through all the bus links.

anthdci

New Year, new drive. Back on the bike tomorrow after months off it, hoping to see loads of other new years resolution cyclists out on their way to work.

y33stu

I was back on the bike today after 2 weeks off over xmas, then most of december off the bike as I've slipped a disc in my back. Was painful to say the least.

There were a lot more cyclists out than I thought there would be, bearing in mind it was cold and frosty, so figured it was new year resolutions/new bike gear for xmas....

markhewitt1978

y33stu wrote:

There were a lot more cyclists out than I thought there would be, bearing in mind it was cold and frosty, so figured it was new year resolutions/new bike gear for xmas....

I noticed that on Sunday, out for a short run around and there were more out and about than I'd see on a summers day.

bennett_346

Anyone know what the proposed works to access to RCR 11 are up at Wrekenton? It has council signs up saying read the planning site but the link doesnt show that particular works.

markhewitt1978

Is that the Bowes Path? And no I don't know what's going on, one of my bugbears that local councils could install a cycle supermega highway and you'd only know if you stumbled across it.

bennett_346

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Is that the Bowes Path? And no I don't know what's going on, one of my bugbears that local councils could install a cycle supermega highway and you'd only know if you stumbled across it.

That's the one, it just says proposed improved access through Wrekenton/Eighton Banks to RCR11. Since i access the route from that point quite regularly i'd love to see some improvement here and have a say on it, but can't find where or how to comment on it!

markhewitt1978

You could try asking here: http://www.gatesheadcycling.org.uk/ but I wouldn't hold your breath for a response, Gateshead Council seem quite hostile.

bennett_346

I'll give it a try thanks!