Two more DIY 200's to keep RRtY number 5 going. Both from home:
10th November - up the coast to South Shields, for the ferry. Midweek so it was running every half hour from 6.45am. Then continuing up the coast to Blyth, where I turned inland past Cramlington and onto the quieter lanes in Northumberland. Busy traffic on parts of this so I was happy to use the cyclepath even though it meant a couple of delays where I had to cross slip roads. Down to Chollerford and then Hexham, again using a nice cyclepath which follows the river into Hexham. My favourite sections of road and path along the River Tyne to Newburn, then mostly urban grot through Chester-le-Street and back home. The ride didn't go entirely to plan, ran out of battery for the garmin but luckily I had a backup.
12th December - unusually mild Saturday night into Sunday so I made a very early start, to do the same route but in the opposite direction. Main target was to get to the ferry before the last one at 6.00pm, although if I was that late I would be outside the time limit anyway. Lovely night ride for the first few hours with just a handful of drivers out and about and once away from the streetlights, pitch black with only my bike light to guide me. No wind so as it gradually became light I could hear a few birds starting to stir. A bit more trafficky for the last stretch with a couple of egregiously stupid drivers in Cramlington and crowded shared paths in North Tyneside meant slow progress. Overall a nice day out and for once everything went according to plan.
