Post by hodgy on Nov 22, 2014 20:19:25 GMT
Having decided a number of weeks ago that our winter riding would mainly be at trail centres or routes offering reasonable surfaces..here's one that I haven't done since I first started mountain biking and didn't have the confidence to venture out in the hills on my own .
I've done bits of it lots of times ..but the whole route only once .
It starts 5 mins away from the Metrocentre at Swalwell Rugby Club and heads off up Whickham Bank before diverting off right on a bridleway climbing around the edge of Fellside and then over on a track taking us to Sunniside from there we head towards the Tanfield Railway where we use a bridleway heading off towards Kibblesworth before going along the side of Beamish Open Air Museum ..from here it's a case of getting on to the C2C route skirting Stanley and diverting off at Old Kyo down to Harperley ( where once upon a time there used to be a zoo! ) climbing up to join the road and heading towards Flinthill where we drop down to go behind the Plough Inn on a bridleway that links us in to the disused railway line / bridleway now known as the Derwent Walk with a mainly all down hill drop back to the car park at Swalwell
There's nothing at all too technical about this ride ..but one you can't help but enjoy given it's close proximity to urban areas ..but still with the feeling of being "out there "
I've done bits of it lots of times ..but the whole route only once .
It starts 5 mins away from the Metrocentre at Swalwell Rugby Club and heads off up Whickham Bank before diverting off right on a bridleway climbing around the edge of Fellside and then over on a track taking us to Sunniside from there we head towards the Tanfield Railway where we use a bridleway heading off towards Kibblesworth before going along the side of Beamish Open Air Museum ..from here it's a case of getting on to the C2C route skirting Stanley and diverting off at Old Kyo down to Harperley ( where once upon a time there used to be a zoo! ) climbing up to join the road and heading towards Flinthill where we drop down to go behind the Plough Inn on a bridleway that links us in to the disused railway line / bridleway now known as the Derwent Walk with a mainly all down hill drop back to the car park at Swalwell
There's nothing at all too technical about this ride ..but one you can't help but enjoy given it's close proximity to urban areas ..but still with the feeling of being "out there "
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