So my Commute is on...
 

[Closed] So my Commute is one of Britain's Best Bike Rides

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According to The Grauniad:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/may/06/newcastle-tyne-valley-brewery-bike-ride

I live in Wylam and work in Gateshead so that is pretty much my exact commute. Now don't get me wrong - it's a very nice commute: traffic-free and mainly through the country park and along the quayside.

But one of Britain's [u]Best[/u]?? Really??

I think they should have looked a bit harder!


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:12 am
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It is the grim North, however. ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:16 am
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I commute across the Ribble valley.... must be quite high in the 'best commutes by bike' list.


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:26 am
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It is the grim North, however.

Aye. The Grim North with Grim countryside, Grim fresh air, Grim wildlife scampering over Grim tree-shaded trails, and Grim friendly people who cheerfully say a Grim Good Morning as I pass them. ๐Ÿ˜€

Sometimes I let one of my ferrets tow me.


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:32 am
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I Think you missed an important detail. "brewery"


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:42 am
 DezB
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[i]Flat with good surfaces[/i]

I think they must mean its the best route for non-cyclists to cycle.


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:44 am
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I think they must mean its the best route for non-cyclists to cycle.

Looking at the guides in the weekend papers, I think this applies to most of the rides. I suppose they're right to do this, knowing that proper cyclists won't have been waiting round for these guides to make their minds up where to ride.


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:51 am
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Graham, I trust you don't stop at each brewery every commute? just one in two, yeah?

Aye, the northe grim, I was telling myself that on sunday as i cycled over the traffic free Otterburn Ranges, in beautiful dappled sunlight


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:56 am
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I Think you missed an important detail. "brewery"

Grim though, with Grim northern beers that actually have some flavour to them ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:57 am
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Graham, I trust you don't stop at each brewery every commute? just one in two, yeah?

Funnily enough I was there on Sunday past, with the missus on her bike and the little un in a trailer.

Not stopped there on a commute yet, but the beer garden does look quite tempting on a hot day sometimes.


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 11:59 am
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My commute through the 'Grim' north goes through fantastic countryside, Cragg Quarry in the middle of it....

[img] [/img]

then a 3 mile off road descent to finish, with a brewery at the end of it

My life is shit! ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 12:05 pm
 DezB
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Did you photoshop all the Grim factories out of that pic?


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 12:11 pm
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A couple of (ropey cameraphone) pics from my Grim commute along this track:

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 12:18 pm
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Does it take you the 3 hours quoted?


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 12:20 pm
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Does it take you the 3 hours quoted?

My current PB is 52 minutes for half of that loop, plus a bit extra from quayside up into Gateshead. I'm not fast.

If I had the missus with me (as above) then 3 hours for the full thing would be good going, so probably not a bad estimate for newish cyclists if that is who they are aiming for.


 
Posted : 10/05/2012 12:26 pm