Looking for some decent routes that start close to train stations in Northumberland as I don’t have a car at the moment. Looking for general trail riding, I’m of decent fitness and intermediate skill level should should be fine with most stuff. Any maps or routes that I can run from the iphone would be great too.

Cheers

Tricky due poor rail links.

Alnmouth for costal routes and Hexham for hilly one near to the station.

Sorry got to go to work so can’t be more specific.

Yeh had a little look around on here for routes near Hexham but they all seemed a bit of a trek from the station so any closer by would be great. I know walkworth and alnmouth a little, train up there is fine but not been riding yet is it just costal stuff? Cheers

Where are you travelling from?

Depends how far you want to go. You can play in the woods in Hexham for a couple of hours or it’s 40+ mins from the station to Blanchland or Allendale common. Also it you’re getting the train from Newcastle it’s easier to get a bike on (off peak) on the Tynedale line than on the NE coast line.

I would be going from Newcastle so will bear that in mind for the trains. I would be looking at Sunday rides really so would say early morning to mid afternoon, no real restrictions other than that and the lack of a car 🙂 quite interested in the hexham routes if any one has some

Chopwell is a relatively short distance to ride from Newcastle. I’ve never tried it, but iirc the bus which goes along Hadrian’s Wall has a bike rack.

Chopwell from the quayside is getting on for a 30mile round trip, allowing for a couple of loops. Could be worth looking at http://www.newcastlembc.org/ for other options

Yeh I heard that chopwell was a decent option, I have been riding from Newcastle out towards the coast via shiremoor and Hollywell dene as it’s one of the only routes I know really. Used to live in Leeds with hebden bridge a short train ride away. Typical eh 🙂 would the cx bike be ok round chopwell as it moves a bit quicker on the road for getting out there

Newcastle MTB club head out Thursday eves good to get to know more routes

You can get to the bottom of chopwell via derwent walk and drop down a cheeky footpath to lintzford. We do it on cx bikes it’s not too tech except dh tracks at bottom of woods really

http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm

And plot the bridleways – then go from there.

I know walkworth and alnmouth a little, train up there is fine but not been riding yet is it just costal stuff?

Predominately there’s some riding inland a majority of it is fairly flat. Riding into Alnwick and then areas around there gives you some, I’ll try to give you a rough idea but need some sleep just in.