Cycling UK Forum

Dean wrote:...is the A177, between Sedgefield and Stockton.

Crikey, it's tedious. I cycled along it for the first time today, in the drizzle.

What can I say? It's a dreary dual carriageway, not even drawn above mediocrity by terrifying traffic.

If there was a view, I might have enjoyed it, but the Highways Agency have seen fit to line it with heavy foliage that blocks everything except the occasional tantalising flash of a pylon.

The highlight was when I reached Tesco in Stockton. It was that bad.

A177, j'accuse!

I live 1/4 mile from the A177 road near Tesco and have often cycled this road to Sedgefield and back thru Stillington, Bishopton. Redmarshall, Carlton and back home. I used to love cycling on it in the 1970's, long before Co-op, Savacentre and Tesco came along. Also the A177 was single road that went thru Thorpe Thewles past the corner of the Hamilton Russells Arms, that when it was a proper country pub then.

The last time I cycled the A177 from Sedgefield to Tesco was a few weeks ago when I did the Castle Eden walk-way to the A689 to Sedgefield on a lovely lonely cycle path.

The highlight of the ride is when you descent onto the dual carriage-way towards Thorpe Thewles by-pass and on a clear day, you can get a grand panoramic view of the Cleveland Hills escarpment. Try it again on clear sunny day, it will be amazed by the grand view.

I know the area well. I'm a Sustrans Ranger on that lovely cycle path. I avoid the A177 between Sedgefield and Stockton as it's horrible to ride. If you want really a bad ride try the alleged cycle path beside the A689 from the Durham Gateway bridge to Sedgefield!

Asdace wrote:I live 1/4 mile from the A177...

You have my sympathies

byegad wrote:Why are you going that way? Try the road past the race course, left and left again to Bishopton, then Redmarshall and into Stockton down Bishopton Road West. Not much further and really pretty, there's a Little Owl hunts just before Bishopton, and Lapwings, Sky Larks and lots of other birds to hear on the way!

Good question. Firstly, it was because I hadn't cycled along that stretch of the A177 before, whereas I ride through Bishopton almost weekly - and secondly, Tesco was my destination, hellish place that it is.

Needless to say, lesson learnt.

Edited for the sake of propa grammer

All is now clear!