The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

Initialised

Literally the only way to travel:

Long_Time_Lurker

So how did everyone get on in the Cyclone event?
My 33 miles or so was very uneventful - although I did have to drop in the granny cog up a large hill as there were 3 people on £2000 road bikes who seemed unable to cycle up a hill and had no idea about cycling etiquette.
[/petty jealousy]

tuktuk

How did your mate do ?

I had a little look on friday at the leazes park racing, they were pelting it around!

Long_Time_Lurker

tuktuk wrote:

How did your mate do ?
I had a little look on friday at the leazes park racing, they were pelting it around!

He survived and raised £500 for charity.
Took us just over 2.5 hours, which included a 10 minute refuel stop. The route is pretty good. Easy start, then you get a couple of hills, but at the top of the steepest climb is the refuel stop, then it's downhill to the finish.

Never got the chance to go to Leazes Park - couldn't get away from work in time.

jomoj

Long Time Lurker wrote:

So how did everyone get on in the Cyclone event?
My 33 miles or so was very uneventful - although I did have to drop in the granny cog up a large hill as there were 3 people on £2000 road bikes who seemed unable to cycle up a hill and had no idea about cycling etiquette.
[/petty jealousy]

that's just the way of the sportive, it's a chance for newbie MAMILS to show off their disposable income and provide unwitting entertainment to the rest of us. I saw one such example of the type overshoot a loose corner and embed himself in a hedge while trying to overtake. Had to laugh.

Anyway, I rode 104 miler and **** me it was a lot harder than I anticipated but I made it round in 7hrs 48m. The headwind / crosswind on the middle leg was horrendous coupled with some long climbs. Only bloody mindedness and malt loaf kept me going for the climbs out of Otterburn. Also lost a jacket, glasses and my computer along the way, so not a cheap ride.

I'll probably have another crack at the long one again next year but as an event i think they need to improve the feed stops and make sure they have enough medium sized bloody t-shirts!

On a different note, I discovered yesterday that the floods have made a right mess of parts of my commute.

Long_Time_Lurker

How did you lose so much kit?

I'll go back to the 60 miler next year. I don't have a roadie, so the distance is more than enough to feel as if I've earned my sponsorship money. I would have felt like a fraud if I had asked for money for a 30 miler.

Twostage

jomoj wrote:

Long Time Lurker wrote:

So how did everyone get on in the Cyclone event?
My 33 miles or so was very uneventful - although I did have to drop in the granny cog up a large hill as there were 3 people on £2000 road bikes who seemed unable to cycle up a hill and had no idea about cycling etiquette.
[/petty jealousy]

that's just the way of the sportive, it's a chance for newbie MAMILS to show off their disposable income and provide unwitting entertainment to the rest of us. I saw one such example of the type overshoot a loose corner and embed himself in a hedge while trying to overtake. Had to laugh.

Anyway, I rode 104 miler and **** me it was a lot harder than I anticipated but I made it round in 7hrs 48m. The headwind / crosswind on the middle leg was horrendous coupled with some long climbs. Only bloody mindedness and malt loaf kept me going for the climbs out of Otterburn. Also lost a jacket, glasses and my computer along the way, so not a cheap ride.

I'll probably have another crack at the long one again next year but as an event i think they need to improve the feed stops and make sure they have enough medium sized bloody t-shirts!

On a different note, I discovered yesterday that the floods have made a right mess of parts of my commute.

I think I would have allowed myself a snigger also. I'm guessing the glasses and jacket fell out of your back pocket ? Looks like you need to take a shovel with you to fill in the holes caused by the shower the other night.

itboffin

Initialised wrote:

Literally the only way to travel:

A few points here peeps, firstly look at the buns on the chick at the bus stop phooooor! - Greg get a look at those :roll:

Secondly where in London is Tyne & Wear? is it somewhere Sarf?

jomoj

@itboffin, we did all that 'london' stuff in the first page of the thread but thanks anyway...

Yes, lost various things out of pockets and the computer must have pinged off on a pothole, a bit annoying but I've been looking for an excuse to get a gps unit.

The photo of the bloke looks like chilli road if I'm not mistaken. Heard it was swamped. I'm a bit gutted I didn't have my bike that day, I reckon the ride home would have been a bit of an adventure compared to the usual trudge. Our estate was awash but fortunately our house was ok, others weren't as lucky and there are some streets with skips full of sodden carpets, must be horrible.

Initialised

I like the "Greatest Ever Summer" poster behind her rotund posterir, perfect bit of photo journalism off of The Chronicle. I think it's Jesmond, near the Uni Library.

@ITB yes they all look like that up here, shame it's so grim, otherwise you might move!

Another bit of Chilli Road:



Been meaning to do the Cyclone for a couple of years now. Still haven't had the balls to sign up. Maybe next year.

@jomoj there's a reason I stick to the roads as much as possible...

itboffin

You think it's any better down here in the west country? Six years I've lived here and I can count on one hand practically yeh number of warm dry windless weeks.

jejv

itboffin wrote:

Secondly where in London is Tyne & Wear? is it somewhere Sarf?

I explained that on page 1. Norf East. Geddit ?
You've ad a few beers, and you're mixing it up with Sheffield.
Sheffield is in Sarf Lahndahn.

jomoj

holy crap - some decent weather to cycle in! Beat my overall PB into work today - 18.5 mph over the 12 miles and bagged a couple of Strava KOMs on the way.

However this was partly due to the conditions and also being massively fired up after what was probably the most outrageous left hook I've experienced. Approaching the junction of death at the bottom of Battle Hil drive at about 15mph l I take the lane in order to set myself up for going straight on in about 20m when this idiot woman in a ford galaxy overtakes me on the opposite side of the road then pulls in and turns left right in front of me. She had her windows down so with any luck she caught some of my colourful comments on her driving.

I have to say that on the whole I don't have any major problems with drivers around Newcastle so it kind of sticks out when you cross the path of dangerous one. I don't think she it was deliberate aggression, just incompetence and poor judgement. Still, gave me fuel to kick on over the next few miles, hopefully she got the message.

tuktuk

Good going jomoj I find im just settling in to the roads and someone will pass really close or swing over infront of me and knock all the confidence away.

Speaking of averages i looked at my computer the other day and it was at 15mph from resetting it that morning. Id love to know what i could get on a clear run over the same distance.

Initialised

Dodgy driving must come in three's. I had a run in with a Mondeo yesterday. He didn't seem to think there was any problem passing a ~30mph cyclist at 40+ in a 30 then trying to ram him with his kid in the passenger seat. It's rare but annoying when it happens.

Twostage

The drivers that have to overtake you then force you to slow down because they want to turn left really get on my nerves. I'd say it happens every other day. Nothing you can do apart from take evasive action.
The vast majority of drivers work out there is no point overtaking and are patient though.

Initialised

Probably only the second time owt like that's happened to me this year. Wanted to tear after at kick his doors in but composed my self pretty quickly. Things like that do make helmet camming seem worthwhile.

In other news tonight's impending storm isn't likely to hit before rush hour but way be even worse than last week's in terms of water volume likely to be dumped.

tptvmbircn

Bit off topic so far but looking for some help, Is there any off street parking for eldon square? so i can lock the bike in a car park for example?

jomoj

Several multi storey car parks if that's what you want, you might find something solid to lock up to . The round one near the back of m&s, eldon gardens near St James pk and the one for the gate with the entrance on Stowell st

tptvmbircn

ah thanks, just not comfortable with leaving it in the street nowadays!

tuktuk

This might help a little http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/parking-roa ... le-parking

Im sure i remember the spiral car park on grey street having cycle parking, this leads you right into eldon square too.

tptvmbircn

Brill thanks very much!

Long_Time_Lurker

Went for a ride through Blyth on Saturday morning. A local warned us that the bike route was flooded. We waved her off with a "doesn't matter, I'm wet already". Cycled through the 'puddle' to find that it was so deep, that only the handlebars were above the water
Made for a very cold and wet 10 mile ride home. And I now need a new rear light.

king_jeffers

Anyone doing the http://woolerwheel.com/? Or GNBR (http://www.greatnorthbikeride.com)?

tuktuk

I have to do one of those!

My gran lives in Lesbury so i can stay there the night before and have the gf drop me off.

jomoj

Did the GNBR a couple of years ago and was pretty underwhelmed at parts of the route ( along the spine road from ashington to Blyth?? Come on...) so didn't feel inclined to do it again. Don't know much about the wooler wheel, might look into that.

Long_Time_Lurker

I'm with Jomoj. The GNBR is uninspiring - straight-forward and downright ugly in places.
Coupled with the fact that it is oversubscribed. It was hard getting through the traffic last year - lots of casual cyclists, 3 a breast on public roads.

However the 50K Wooler Wheel looks promising (no way I'll be doing the 100k on an MTB).

jomoj

Today I shall mostly be hoping my kit dries out before I have to put it on to go home. Drenched. If this was November it would be crap weather, let alone bloody July. For the people riding around without mudguards... what are you thinking?

tuktuk

I still havent got musgaurds, just a very wet arse!

Allez Mark

Rode from Sunniside to Team Valley at about 6.30 this morning. Missed the rain for a change.