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  • Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnels: 06 September, 2014 - 07 September, 2014

Author Topic: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014  (Read 15125 times)

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #25 on: 27 June, 2014, 11:52:52 pm »
Right.  http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=10126

A lot of my life in September seems to involve gigs in and around Newcastle, so I reckon I might spend it camping around there with my bicycle.  This campsite looks rather pleasant, and I reckon if we wanted to make a weekend of it we could do worse.

What do we think?

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #26 on: 28 June, 2014, 12:06:32 am »
Looks very like a lot of Scout Camp sites I've been to. Very basic, I'm not sure how well the lack of toilets would go down :)

Quote
There aren't toilets but we can provide you with a spade to dig your own and there is water 10 minutes walk away at the farmhouse. This is "camping sauvage" at its best!
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #27 on: 28 June, 2014, 12:07:07 am »
Yeah, I thought that.  It does look nice though.

Also:  it's not the Gateshead Travelodge.

Such a shame they shut the youth hostel in Newcastle.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #28 on: 28 June, 2014, 12:07:47 am »
It does.
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #29 on: 05 July, 2014, 08:34:14 pm »
Any chance of a quick redux, please? Where's the likely start and finish, roughly how far is the ride and which of the two days would it be on?

Cheers.

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #30 on: 05 July, 2014, 08:38:32 pm »
It's an either/or at the moment, Nikki.

The last time we did it, there weren't many miles (I can't remember the number) but it took all day.  Lots of eating ice cream, faffing, getting lost, riding on boats and pointing at 'planes.  We set off at about 9am from the youth hostel, and got back to the car at about 8.30pm (as I recall).

We can be flexible around things like train times if you like.  But if you fancy a weekend's 'wild' camping, you'll have maximum flexibility.

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #31 on: 05 July, 2014, 08:44:31 pm »
Are you looking at train tickets Nikki?

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #32 on: 05 July, 2014, 08:57:42 pm »
Right, unless someone else wants to lead this ride it's off.

Sensibly, my mental health at the moment is not good enough to plan, organise and follow through organising a ride involving other people.

I'm sorry to let people down but better now, before people spend money and make plans, than later on.

Sorry chaps.

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #33 on: 05 July, 2014, 08:58:13 pm »
I'll be deleting this thread in a week or so.

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #34 on: 05 July, 2014, 08:59:52 pm »
I was going to say:

Quote
It comes at the end of a week that's currently earmarked to be kept free of work, so there's possibly an option to get creative with the journey up and then get the train home. Driving might be an option too.

I seem to be quite injury prone at the moment though, and fitness is very low, so it all might be wishful thinking.

So, is it a circular day ride sorta thing?

...but no worries if you don't feel up to it

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #35 on: 05 July, 2014, 09:00:31 pm »
...except, y'know, hope the mental health improves soon...

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #36 on: 05 July, 2014, 09:05:28 pm »
I will probably still holiday in that region, since it is a wonderful part of the world.  Anyone of this parish is welcome to join me for as much of that as they would like.

The fear of letting people down is enough to prevent me leaving the house at all, unfortunately.  Best to do my own thing, and organise group stuff when I'm not ill.

I'll post details of my itinerary nearer the time.

I really am sorry.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #37 on: 06 July, 2014, 01:00:40 pm »
I'm not sure if I'll be on a bike again by September, but I'm happy to try and organise something to keep this going. Give me a day or so to plot something out :)
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #38 on: 07 July, 2014, 08:09:56 pm »
Right, had a quick look.

If we plan to ride from near Newcastle Central Station then we could head out West a bit to meet the Scotswood Road bridge (the one which links C2C and Hadrians) and then turn east, taking in the bridges as we head along the banks on NCN72/NCN14, Possibly stop off in the Bike Hub Cafe along the north quayside then follow the river east a bit to get a look at the Willington Viaduct. Instead of the tunnels we could look at catching the Shields Ferry (round trip from one end of the tunnel to the other using the ferry is a little over 7 miles).

Otherwise we could start a bit further up the Tyne in somewhere like Ovingham (direct train from central) and pick up a few bridges in places like Newburn and the Hagg Bank Bridge (the one on the cycle-path on the night ride) and then turn around near the Bike Hub.

Not sure how long people would like this ride but if you have an idea of what time you would like to get to Newcastle/Get home then I can try and plan round that :)
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #39 on: 10 July, 2014, 05:15:06 pm »
Sorry, I've been out of the loop some time and just resurfaced.

I've got a variety of routes round here between 20 miles and 120 (depends if you want to include the Tees and the Wear as well with visits to Quaking Houses, No Place, Terris Novalis, Stadium of Light, Angel of the North, Penshaw Monument, North Shields Fish Quay etc.). How far do people want to go? If the ride starts from Newcastle Central I would suggest that we head out west a little way first and then head east as far as possible saving all the silly gratuitous crossings in Newcastle (Millenium, High Level, Tyne, Swing bridges etc.) for the way back. These are all within a mkile or so of each other but there is much faffing of changing level to get them all in the right order. If someone is running late for the train you could then miss them and head straight for the station. Last time we went from the old youth hostel (North Bank near Jesmond):
1) along the North bank to Tynemouth Priory and the pier head
2) across the Shields Ferry intending to go to Souter Lighthouse (but never got that far)
3) back along the south side to the cycle tunnel
4) through the cycle tunnel
5) back along the North Bank to Millenium Bridge
6) Crossed Millenium Bridge North to South
8) Crossed Tyne Bridege South to North
9) Crossed High Level Bridge North to South
10) Crossed Swing Bridge South to North

My plans for the Redheugh and Scotswood Bridges got waylaid through lack of time. Basically we took it very easy with lots of stops. We could have taken things more seriously and covered a much greater mileage (but on the day we couldn't be bothered). The 2 landmarks which were on my original route which we can't currently hit are  the cycle tunnel itself (cos it's still closed) and the 'Get Carter' carpark (cos they've pulled it down). Ovingham bridge (to the west) is also out of action at the moment. How far do people want to go? This is a ride on quietish routes through a largely industrial landscape. There's not a lot of climbing unless you take a longer route out to Consett steelworks direction, but it isn't totally flat. I can make either or both days  - if people wanted to stray over the weekend. I could organise a route both days. The other alternative to camping would be to run it from Durham and I could put up to 8 people up for the weekend (have 5 spare bed slots plus lots of floor).

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #40 on: 11 July, 2014, 01:49:36 pm »
How about something like http://cycle.travel/map/journey/8020?

72km, starting and finishing at Central Station taking in Scotswood Bridge to  the East, the bend of Tynemouth Pier on the North Bank and Souter Lighthouse on the South Bank

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #41 on: 11 July, 2014, 04:06:30 pm »
It looks like a great route, that, but we'd need to start early-ish (ie, before lunch).

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #42 on: 18 July, 2014, 05:49:06 pm »
How about something like http://cycle.travel/map/journey/8020?

Ooh! Mappage! That makes a lot more sense to me now!  :thumbsup:


Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #43 on: 19 July, 2014, 12:14:24 pm »
This is all very speculative atm, so treat it as musing aloud rather than an actual plan, but...

I've been weighing up workloads and calendars and I reckon there's a fair chance that I might be able to do a bit of touring from say Wed 3rd, do this ride on Saturday (has a day been officially declared yet?) and then travel back towards Birmingham on Sunday giving me a bit of turnaround time before heading off to work in Bristol.

'Touring' might involve camping in one location within striking distance of the start for this ride and doing some circular rides on the days before, or I might follow the Hadrian's Cycleway or similar across from Carlisle or however far across is easy to get to and within range of my fitness.

Driving up is still an option, as is morphing the Not Yet A Plan to accommodate the usual Modorian accomplices if they're interested in partaking...


Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #44 on: 21 July, 2014, 01:16:52 pm »
Ok - 10am meet at Newcastle on Saturday 6th September. Route approximately as above unless anyone disagrees mightily. I ought to suggest meeting under the portico, but that's currently a building site, so I'll say meet inside the station near the portico (on second thoughts, given the general silliness of this route, perhaps starting in the middle of a building site could be appropriate...).

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #45 on: 21 July, 2014, 01:25:53 pm »
Fine by me (if I can ride a bike by then) :)
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #46 on: 21 July, 2014, 03:02:25 pm »
Fine by me (if I can ride a bike by then) :)
We could always "borrow" the mobile advertising hoarding/quadricycle that we saw at the Miners Gala.  ;D It would be impossible to fall off and if we rigged a sail to it you'd get quite a turn of speed.

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #47 on: 21 July, 2014, 03:48:40 pm »
Ok - 10am meet at Newcastle on Saturday 6th September. Route approximately as above unless anyone disagrees mightily. I ought to suggest meeting under the portico, but that's currently a building site, so I'll say meet inside the station near the portico (on second thoughts, given the general silliness of this route, perhaps starting in the middle of a building site could be appropriate...).

 :thumbsup: Sounds good

We could always "borrow" the mobile advertising hoarding/quadricycle that we saw at the Miners Gala.  ;D

Ooh! Oooh! Ooooh! Can we have one of those banners too, can we, please?

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #48 on: 21 July, 2014, 04:34:42 pm »
Ooh! Oooh! Ooooh! Can we have one of those banners too, can we, please?

You'll be wanting the brass band next  ;D

Ruth

Re: Tyne Tunnels Ride With No Tunnel, September 6/7 2014
« Reply #49 on: 21 July, 2014, 07:27:37 pm »
If we borrow the one with the coffin he could just lie there looking at the sky while he gets pedalled round the Toon  :D

That is if we remember to leave the lid off.