120 mile, Berwick to Hexham. Off-road.
Anyone done it? Is it worth it from a purely mtbing point of view or just a nice trip?

There have been a few threads on here. Google ‘sandstone way singletrack’

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-new-sandstone-way-in-northumberland

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sandstone-way-northumberland

For starters

Did it last year over the August Bank Holiday. Left the car at Berwick station then did an evening, a full day and a morning back to Berwick. It’s a nice trip rather than brilliant MTB, very little singletrack, it’s mostly estate track and the like with some roads to link it all up, think classic 1980s mountain biking.

The route is better signed N-S but I think the better descents are done S-N. Definitely worth getting the map whichever way you do it as the signs are subtle and easily missed.

Oddly, the first time I tried searching on STW it came up with nowt, hence the thread. Fine now.

Even our local MP has done it 🙂

http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Sandstone%20Way

Nice trip. Better than the C2C but not hard mtbing. Me, and plenty of others by now have done it on CX bikes- short travel XC would be ideal, comfort and speed.

It is still fairly hard. Friend and I thought we’d have no bother doing it in a day but only just made it to Hexham before dark. Easy enough blast back to Newcastle along the roads if you want to simplify logistics. About 30 miles so a couple of hours.

Thinking of doing this myself next year so good to read what others think of it.

Definitely in the nice trip category, especially if you like big scenery and open spaces. One or two bits of mild techy stuff but the route passes nearby some of the more mountain bikey spots in Northumberland if you want to take some time over it. Short travel full suss is definitely the best option comfort wise though if you are doing it in one go / two long days.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’m always interested in long routes like this.

Having completed the NCN72 a week or so ago, then the NCN2 last week I’m now keen on another jaunt.

Cheers.