Cycling from Newcastle to Longframlington - OK?

[lazlopearlman]

Hi all, I'm thinking about doing a ride from Newcastle to Longframlington next weekend if it's not pelting rain - any tips on this journey? A good route? Places to avoid? Is it a bad idea?

Thanks in advance!

Lazlo

[gaz]

Welcome to the forum.

Cycle.travel is a good start point to help you find a cycle friendly route.

[Annoying Twit]

Cycle.travel finds what looks like my kind of route. Out of Newcastle, then tiny villages and countryside all the way nearly to Longframlington. Then at the end it, suddenly it gets stuck and goes onto the A697 and then the B6344. OK, I haven't ridden on those roads myself. But, if I was taking that route, I'd want reassurance from those that do that those roads aren't too bad for cycling. If it were me riding, and I had no way of confirming the suitability of the roads other than the map, I think I'd do the long detour through Low Hesleyhurst, leaving only a short stint on the B6344 and no A-road.

In terms of me making comments about routes on roads that I've never seen in my life: see username for explanation.

[Mark1978]

There's actually some good cycling that way if you're prepared to plan your route carefully, I did a similar route with the Bike for Bobby sportive all quiet roads quite near busy A-roads.

Something like this https://www.strava.com/routes/6767505

[gbnz]

There's any number of routes you can take, the core points I'd advise on are;

1. Anything between Newcastle and Morpeth and east of the A1 will suffer from very, heavy, traffic. And with South East Northumberland being inhabited by a post industrial population of a low socio economic class, anticipate the worst.
2. East of the A1 it improves greatly north of Morpeth, with huge improvements once you're past the final turn off's for post industrial areas such as Ashington, Haddington, Amble. The core advantage of staying east of the A1, is the fact that the countryside is FLAT, with excellent bakers and the like in Morpeth and other towns! (Nb. I often use it as a fast, quick route to head towards the Tyne valley, Pennines etc).
3. Stay off the A696 and avoid the A697 (They can both be used when required, but do suffer from heavy traffic, particularly HGV's (Though the worst of the agricultural grain carriers seem to have faded off the roads in the last week or so). The roads west of the A1 and between the A696 and A697 are all pretty decent - wide, single carriageways, little traffic, decent countryside. I'd suggest passing via Whalton, Meldon, Netherwhitton as a decent route, the villages in this area all being populated by well to do solicitors or real country folk!
3. A nice back route from Netherwhitton is to head up the back road towards Longhorsley (The reservoir being on the left hand side, about 1.5 mile up the road. Quiet, fantastic views and a road with few potholes.
4. You could use the A697 from Longhorsley onwards, though if your map reading skills are reasonable, I'd choose any of the back roads heading in the same direction; much quieter and decent views.
5. But it's worth bearing in mind that if you're heading in a Northerly direction, the roads become ever more ROLLER COASTER LIKE the further west you go. Head north from Scots Gap or the like and you'll have a journey up and down various river valleys, the roads being notable for steep ascents and descents.

[pete75]

And with South East Northumberland being inhabited by a post industrial population of a low socio economic class, anticipate the worst.

I'd suggest passing via Whalton, Meldon, Netherwhitton as a decent route, the villages in this area all being populated by well to do solicitors........
.

There's new way of planning cycling routes it would seem - snobbery. Ah well it takes all sorts.....

[gbnz]

There's new way of planning cycling routes it would seem - snobbery. Ah well it takes all sorts.....

Given the choice between cycling in a green and pleasant land, free of needles, excrement and vomit, with few or no low life driving past with blown exhausts, throwing up out up out of the window, thumping the children, prior to dumping the mcdonalds bag on the verge, I'd have thought it was a fairly rational choice

[pete75]

There's new way of planning cycling routes it would seem - snobbery. Ah well it takes all sorts.....

Given the choice between cycling in a green and pleasant land, free of needles, excrement and vomit, with few or no low life driving past with blown exhausts, throwing up out up out of the window, thumping the children, prior to dumping the mcdonalds bag on the verge, I'd have thought it was a fairly rational choice

You do seem to have a very poor view of working class folk, may I ask what you do for a living?

Your views confirm what some of the Brexiters say there's a whole group of people in the UK who regard with contempt the type of people who voted out en masse.

Must say I've ridden the entire Northumbrian coast three times through places like Amble, Blyth,Lynemouth, Bedlington etc and didn't find the experience unpleasant nor did I see any of the things you describe.

[Wilberforce]

Hi all, I'm thinking about doing a ride from Newcastle to Longframlington next weekend if it's not pelting rain - any tips on this journey? A good route? Places to avoid? Is it a bad idea?

Thanks in advance!

Lazlo

Hi Lazio,

Did you do the run to Longframlington and which route did you follow?


Just curious.