Hello,
Visiting my girlfriend in Newcastle this weekend but it looks like I’ll have saturday all or mostly free and will have my road bike up with me. Anyone got any recommendations for a really good 80-150km ride from Heaton? Preferably one that’s fairly simple to navigate.

Cheers,
Sam

See if you can find a Northern Rock Cyclone route online maybe?

There’s some excellent riding up on and towards the moors if you head west. You can get up there on railway paths if you prefer to avoid the traffic, and then you have some excellent, quiet and open roads with some serious hills, up and down. Etape Pennines is on this weekend I think though, so some of them might be closed…I forget if that’s Saturday or Sunday.

Or head north into Northumberland, which I don’t know so well, but I’m pretty sure there’s some good riding to be had up there too.

Paulosoxo: cheers, they look good so long as I can make it out to Ponteland without dying… I’m thinking somewhere between loops B and C would be great.

I rode up to Simonburn the other week and the tea rooms were wicked.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Heaton&daddr=54.9665875,-1.6773088+to:54.99609,-1.76317+to:55.0011916,-1.8174082+to:55.04305,-1.87951+to:55.0361161,-2.1353938+to:Castle+Ln&hl=en&ll=54.992585,-1.862183&spn=0.23044,0.617294&sll=54.983721,-1.686058&sspn=0.115246,0.308647&geocode=FasORwMdj_Hn_yk9cyzR_HB-SDFCAjwHONEPJg%3BFTu5RgMdBGjm_ykDuOuQnnd-SDEB5E3GL7JYfA%3BFXosRwMdnhjl_yl1i4lZ9Nh9SDFQKwXNnvkMEw%3BFWdARwMdwETk_ylJg8vHctl9SDEB4D7NnvkMEw%3BFerjRwMdKlLj_ylDnYjVc9x9SDFBqj7NnvkMEw%3BFdTIRwMdn2rf_ykjUW_3zcB9SDH5KuF_4fFjxw%3BFUAdSAMdF2Le_w&oq=Heaton&t=h&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4,5&z=11

That’s just a quick google maps thrown together thing, you could probably adapt it to go a bit further?

Cool, that might well be a sensible way to finish the ride. Just found this incidentally, quite a handy way to identify popular riding roads in an area. http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/map.php

Gosforth. Road club ride on sat morn. Always welcome new riders. 6o miles easy pace.

Most other clubs ride out on sat and sun so maybe do some googling?

I’d head north through ponteland to rothbury, then to Elsdon over bilsmore then back over winter’s gibbet through combo and belsay.

Might have some GPS files if you want.

Well Jonba has covered what I was going to suggest as a route, Elsdon has a cracking tearoom to boot.

Elsdon – (Cafe) via gibbet – then bilsmoor east and around up to holystone back bilsmoor heading west back up the gibet – or the big cyclone loop from there website.

Cheers guys. That’s great, looks like some variation on the Rothbury Loop’s a goer and I know the roads reasonably well (I’m good on roads to crags). I’m tempted by the club ride idea but it would be my first and I wouldn’t want to a.) hold people up and/or b.) knock people over…

Thanks for the help all, looks like this might be the plan… http://goo.gl/maps/9TDpG
Lots of potential to Shorten it out if I come over all big girls blouse…

Personally I’d do less on the A68. Head to Wark from Bellingham, cross the river, past Chipchase to Barrasford, then up A6079.
But you MUST go up the Ryals. Compulsory riding 🙂

I’m tempted by the club ride idea but it would be my first and I wouldn’t want to a.) hold people up and/or b.) knock people over…

You won’t be out your depth at the Gosforth … trust me.

ir_bandito: Cheers for that, that looks much better: http://goo.gl/maps/o4x8t

Paul78: Cheers for that, I’ll see how I feel on saturday morning.

I am without bike or would of gladly shown you a decent road ride … a ton of good stuff once you get out side city centre which is only a short ride

MSteel Cycles have a small but friendly road club that goes out on a Saturday morning (meet ready to ride outside of MSteel Cycles for 08.30).

Since this has turned into a locals thread, dont forget the cycle jumble is on tomorrow (Sunday) down at the cycle hub cafe on the quayside.

Rich.

Cheers all, top ride was had. Round rothbury, elsdon, Bellingham and back via Wark & the Ryals Very tired now, beer & pizza time..

STATO: we’re heading down that way tomorrow so will probably drop in. Do you know what time it’s running?

Crikey that sounds like a cracking ride. The gibbet climb out of Elsdon is one of my favourites.

Jumble starts at 10 when the cafe opens but its on till 2ish (tho no-one is really in charge, its just an open table/stall policy so some folks set-up later and some leave early).

Cool, we might well pop in. If you see a tall speccy chap limping round feeling sorry for himself and his girlfriend giving his suffering short shrift, that’ll be us.

I didn’t come out on the gibbett, headed over toward otterburn and over the moor. Save that for next time.