Anyone around Durham?

Hi all,

Originally, I was going to Edinburgh, but now it’s Durham!

Hows the riding around there? I doubt I’ll have a car so either need to ride or use public transport.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Cheers,

FM

There’s loads of good riding around Durham, plenty of single track/gravel (some quite technical) and Hamsterley is close but needs transport to get there. Road wise, everything available, flat (ish) 80 milers, hilly challenges and everything in between. Depends what you’re after…

Worth looking at the NCN routes if you’re just after a ride out. Traffic free path up to Consett paths along the Wear to Sunderland (good chips and beach at Roker), go to Seaham for Seaside.

For a day out and if you’re feeling fit you can get a train to Bishop Auckland and ride to Hamsterley (about 10 miles) or get a train to the North York Moors for moorland rides (train to Middlesbrough then get off somewhere between Great Ayton and Whitby). Northern trains are generally easy with bikes, some of the mainline ones less so.

From Durham you could ride up to Beamish woods (cycle path alongside the A167 dual carriageway to Chester and then old railway which runs parallel to the A183). There are a number of trails there. Happy to show you if you give me a shout!

Chopwell also has some trails and these are rideable from Durham albeit further than Beamish.

Alternatively as others have said there is lots of gravel riding both in the valleys on railway lines or up to the top of the moors via the Waskerley Way.

Unfortunately getting to Hamsterley does require a car – when you say you are Durham, is this for uni – I believe they have (or at least had 10 years ago) and active cycling club which may run trips (I was at Newcastle and we did this).

Guisborough is accessible via train to Nunthorpe then a short ride. Alternatively carry on the train to the North York Moors as others have said. Northern are pretty flexible on bikes but apart from a token early morning service don’t serve Durham. You’d need a reservation on LNER, TPE or XC and these are enforced. Alternatively you could ride to Seaham to pick up a direct Northern train to Nunthorpe. Again, if you’re about give me a shout as I regularly ride Guisborough and you really need a guide there if you don’t know it.

I live in Beamish. One neighbour owns part of Pockerley woods (aka beamish wooods) and the Hall owns the other bit. Some really good riding in there. You can take the cycle path along the 167 or ride up through the back of Franklin Prison and along the lanes around plawsworth. When you get the chester le street either continue along the 167 to birtley & join the consett path at the old railway bridge there or head up the 193 for 1/2 a mile and join the path at the Worm. You can get into beamish woods just to the right of the Pub. Pockerley is a bit further along the valley. Willing to show you if you want.

The Sunderland to Middlesbrough / Whitby trains are easy with bikes. Useful for one way exploring. I rode NCN1 from Middlesbrough to Seaham a couple of weeks ago as I’d never got round to it before. A good cycle route mainly on old railway lines and the Tees river path. Interesting link up between the two behind the prison in Stockton and through some run down parts of town.

What sort of riding and are you moving or just visiting?

This is great info, thanks everyone.

I’m there for a couple of months with work.

Bikewise, I’m either gonna run my 29er as a rigid or maybe keep as a HT.

If not, it will be a 27.5+ HT.

I like ST, but anything too technical or ‘gnarly’ doesn’t appeal to me.

Gravel riding sounds perfect.

I’ll check up these recommendations on the map later, thanks!

Gravel check out the Lanchester valley line heading west then onto Waskerley way (for the Dales) or Derwent valley line too (for Newcastle direction including Chopwell). East from durham you can pick up the C2C.

For MTB as mentioned Beamish, Chopwell & Cong Burn on the northern side, not sure about the east / south other than stuff thats pretty gnar.

TBH if you’re in durham with no car then a gravel-suited bike would be the one, you can ride from there easily.

TBH if you’re in durham with no car then a gravel-suited bike would be the one, you can ride from there easily.

This, if I was there for a couple of months and wanting to get out the city. (Lived there for 13 years).