Check this out: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/new-cheviot-hills-cycling-map/

There are loads of options to look at – suggest looking at a 1:25000, starting at Alwinton (sw of Wooler, west of Rothbury) and heading north into the hills from there.  Lots to go at really. Say hello to the wild goats :-).

I have to say I have always had excellent service from their Kevlar pads – a happy medium for what I get up to.

I have been impressed with the Wild bikes here: https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/cycling/bikes/kids-bikes/ which seem to have gone up in price recently. worth a look if you have a Go Outdoors nearby.

I wonder how well they clean it . . . https://www.healthline.com/health/hot-tub-folliculitis#prevention

Sat with tears in my eyes in Bristol airport. I am a soppy git.

Make it go away, my wife and daughter chatting away watching something so painfully vacuous. Or is it just me.

It was a great day out and a great intro to the area, “it is lovely in the summer”. Richard

Yes I will be there – do I need to bring my trunks?

Hodgynd, I am interested. Will square with the family but will hope to be there.

fab, looking forward to it

hodgynd – totally agree, Fenham Fish Bar is the place. Happy that I live not too far away.

Thanks for the replies . It sounds as though I will have to suck it up.

3 in 1?

Not sure which way you are travelling. Gibside is not far from the A1. Wallington and Cragside are just off roads between Newcastle and Edinburgh and both are excellent for kids with loads of space to run around. All now have very good play areas and interesting grounds that you can get lost in. Wallington now has a largely off road cycle route.

Posting the bibs back reminded me of what my old man used to do. He was a bachelor until his early 50’s spending much of his time on the road working for the civil service. He used to send is dirty washing back to his mum by post. An unwelcome delivery I am sure. I don’t think my mrs would be any more appreciative if I tried the same.

top tips appreciated

My wife and I stayed here[/url] in November. Expensive but nice. We were looking for somewhere not too far from Newcastle. We ate in the Red Lion which was great.

Assistant leader here in Newcastle. Come Friday night after a long week it can be hard work. I do it to help kids to get into the outdoors who would not otherwise experience it. When life is stressful it also helps to have a distraction to confirm there is a something other than the immediate challenges that life has on offer all of us.

With a young family it is not always an easy balance, I take my hat off to those who take weeks off to support camps and trips away.

There is also a great variety of training available to match your interests. If you are interested in say mountain biking you can get training and hopefully qualified to take the scouts out.

This might help from a civil engineering side of things:
https://www.ice.org.uk/Careers-and-professional-development/under-16s/what-subjects-should-i-study

I am sure that the other professional engineering institutions will have similar guidance on the ways into industry.

I picked up a Quito in a go-outdoor sale earlier in the year. I am 5ft10, mr average and I picked up a medium in line with their sizing recommendation i seem to remember.

Unsurprisingly the outer material is so soft it hangs slightly differently to having a stiffer jacket. This does make it very comfortable. It is warmer than a normal jacket but you just need to have less on than you would have done previously. I am very happy with it.

It is not skin tight but that is fine with me as I am no racing whippet.

I just picked up a 2013 titanium from these guys:
http://www.silverdalecc.com/
They did what it says on the tin. They drove up with my new car. Took away my old car all with the minimum of fuss. I would use them again. A couple of minor niggles have been sorted with no problems.

They don’t have all the cars in stock. Tell them your budget/age/model and they will do the rest. No money changed hands until I saw the car and checked it over.

My next problem is finding a bike carrier for one.

They did my fox 32 evolution’s the other week, £80 for a service. Friendly, swift and survived the Sandstone way this weekend gone. Thumbs up from me.

Trek stache

I was up there in the snow a couple of weeks ago and it was fairly wild when the snow was coming down. On that occasion I played safe rather than rad, which in all honesty is is par for the course.

To those who have used them what sort of “real” distance can you get out of them, are they able to achieve the line of sight distances they say on the packet?

Thank you. I will have a hunt down in Maplins for starters. I just typed PMR446 into ebay and have found a world of products. Thanks for the pointers.

I can’t afford to go out much these days, the “mental” places are there but also supported by a few more cultured evenings; this one has just started up and seems to be gaining some good support http://www.theboilershopsteamer.com/

Newcastle (with its ugly sibling Gateshead)is a fantastic city, but I for one am grateful that it is a little under appreciated.
The arts are there is that is your bag (http://www.northernstage.co.uk/,
http://www.sagegateshead.com/,
https://www.balticmill.com/
the hills and riding areas are plentiful and under utilised, transport is great (15min from and international airport)with direct quick trains to London and up to Inverness in the other direction.

I moved here in 95 from the South West and although for periods have worked overseas and elsewhere in the UK it is now home (although I am still not a geordie).

This is worth a look at:

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-soloista-p217173

1.64kg for £20. Not much wrong with that.

I

Yorlin, i was in scouts when I was 12, did loads of camping on Dartmoor during my teenage years (Ten tors) and did some more at uni. Scouts as an assistant leader has only been a recent thing(last 3 years.

Thanks for all those suggestions. I saw mention of some precooked for that can be picked up mail order and is on sale in Sainsburys I think also. “Good for you” or something similar . . . .

There are a good few routes on here:
http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_main_page.aspx

Today I have just been through a claim with Budget. I had insured the bike for £1800 specifically. But as it was not locked up at the time of the theft (taken from the back of my car, not fixed with a D-lock to a fixed structure) it was not covered. Not a good day.

Another one here in Fenham. Currently with out bike but will hopefully be sorting that before too long.

The bike was inside the back of my car. They smashed the window and pulled it out. The bike had the front wheel off. Two of them cycled off up the street with me in hot pursuit running in my socks at an inadequate pace.

The window replacement excess was £75 but at least no impact on my no claims.

and

many thanks

bump for the morning crew

Up and over Cross Fell hopefully

Heading onto the Cheviots from Wooler and Alwinton along with Simonside South of Rothbury all worth a look.

In short I would suggest buying a map and joining the dots.

There are a good few routes shown on here: http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_main_page.aspx