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Post by hodgy on Jan 4, 2015 21:07:20 GMT
This is a newly formed group put together to promote mountain biking in the North Tyne Valley ..of which I am a part .
We have various plans afoot to do this .. With the aim of promoting the area as a venue for mountain biking and to bring in the tourist dollar !
We already have a vast network of man - made trails at Kielder ..and also the 27 mile multi - user route around Kielder Water ..the Lakeside Way ..
However we are also keen to promote the excellent network of natural trails we have in the area .
The new Sandstone Way route running from Berwick to Hexham ...will pass through Bellingham when it officially opens in the spring ..and to build on this we are keen to add circular loops at various stages of the route to maximise its potential for a better biking experience and also to boost the local economy.
Bellingham being one of the planned stayover points is also my home village and over the years I have shown a number of folks a route which I have called A Tour Of The North Tyne ..
It has now been suggested that this be used as an official route with its own map and route guide ..which as my " baby" ..pleases me no end .
There is however quite a bit of work involved to get it off the ground ...
As a start to this project a few of us are riding the route THIS FRIDAY 9th JANUARY starting in Bellingham at 9.30 am . The aim is to find out the exact distance of the route ( est 25 miles)..and also exactly what work needs to be done by taking photographs.. A large section of bridleway in the forest is overgrown with seedling trees which needs to be brought to the attention of Northumberland County Council to make it completely passable ( it can be ridden ..but unless it is cleared it will be impassable within a couple of years )
If any of you northern based riders would like to join us please post below ..we would be glad to see you ..it is however quite a tough route ...well you wouldn't want it any other way would you ?
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Post by andyr on Jan 5, 2015 12:40:59 GMT
Nice one Neil, if I wasn't at work I'd have joined thee.
I take it this route won't be taking in the cheeky trails then?
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Post by hodgy on Jan 5, 2015 13:01:30 GMT
..correct ..at least for now !
Landowner permission needed ..so for the time being strictly legal ..still mainly off-road ..it does extend things a tad ..while we work on getting permissive right of way
Shame you can't make it ...
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Post by typer on Jan 5, 2015 13:21:47 GMT
Sounds like something good to be part of. I'd have joined you on Friday but I'll also be back to work by then  |
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Post by hodgy on Jan 8, 2015 8:50:00 GMT
Not looking good for this recon trip tomorrow ...having already had rain and strong wind all week ..thats set to intensify from today ...and that rules me out ..
High winds and loose trees do not a perfect match make ..grasshopper !
But we will see.....it's supposed to be sunny in Bellingham right now according to my local forecast ... The reality is that it's pissing down and windy.. !
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Post by duke on Jan 8, 2015 14:36:24 GMT
Not looking good for this recon trip tomorrow ...having already had rain and strong wind all week ..thats set to intensify from today ...and that rules me out .. High winds and loose trees do not a perfect match make ..grasshopper ! But we will see.....it's supposed to be sunny in Bellingham right now according to my local forecast ... The reality is that it's pissing down and windy.. ! Sorry for the random reply mate but this has to be done! "I'm a problem child. I'm a problem child, yes I am. I'm a problem child, and I'm wild" ;-) |
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Post by hodgy on Jan 8, 2015 14:39:33 GMT
Duke ..well done ..and the singer was ...?
No prize though !
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Post by hodgy on Jan 9, 2015 2:25:05 GMT
It's 2.15 am and as I have just been woken by a gust of wind which took my barely open bedroom window off its safety catch as it flew open ...I think it fair to say that the odds of me heading out on my bike later this morning have been reduced to zero !
Wild ....would perfectly sum up the conditions in Bell City at the moment !
...I'm now going to nail the furniture to the floor!!!
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Post by typer on Jan 9, 2015 8:14:08 GMT
Aye, tis a tad windy  |
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Post by duke on Jan 9, 2015 8:59:28 GMT
Duke ..well done ..and the singer was ...? No prize though ! There's only one Bon Scott! Man bands these days have nothing on AC/DC... |
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Post by hodgy on Jan 25, 2015 18:52:47 GMT
Having had a couple of meetings at the Riverdale ..a local hotel in Bellingham some good suggestions have been put forward ..which for now must stay under wraps .
Our scouting trip still has not been completed for our now re- named Tour Of Upper North Tyne ( valley ) ..weather and choosing days to suit everyone being the main reason ..but this is planned to go ahead either Wednesday or Thursday this week ( just waiting to see if Jaco can join us ) ..Wednesday if he can't ..
Again this is weather dependant .
I look forward to the day when I can show some of you around this ....we will even throw in some of the naughty bits which won't be on the " official " route into the mix ...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2015 3:15:22 GMT
All sounds a bit boring to me |
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Post by hodgy on Jan 26, 2015 5:52:40 GMT
All sounds a bit boring to me Surely not ? ...already ... I've got about another 14 pages of this crap to write sometime in the future ...lol |
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Post by hodgy on Jan 26, 2015 10:41:38 GMT
Illness has claimed one of our riders ...postponed again until 4.2.15 ...
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Post by hodgy on Feb 12, 2015 9:21:48 GMT
Well ..4.2.15 ...didn't happen either..but we did get out yesterday ..Yay !! My turn to feel like crap ..with a cold., sore throat & chest..which gave me a real coughing fit on the first climb..but things improved as I " warmed up" Ian Bell & Dave Tasker were the other riders ...Graham who was due to join us hit the snooze button on the alarm when it went off ..still feeling unwell .. The idea of this ride was to check out sections along the route where work might be needed prior to ( hopefully) putting the ride into print... This will be in terms of grading ..a black graded route suitable for fit experienced riders with good bike handling skills ..more due to the length of the ride ( in excess of 30 miles ) and the terrain rather than it's technical challenges...of which there are still a good few... There were in places a good few trees down across fire roads ..which we expect the F.C.to pick up on and clear ..but the main section we wanted to check was a bridleway which was overgrown with seedling trees ..which is the council's responsibility to clear ..not the F.C.'s The going was tough from the get -go with the frozen snowbound ground that I had ridden just 7 days ago ..a waterlogged mud fest ! Dave who hadn't been on a bike since our December trip to Whinlatter was feeling it a bit..not really in terms of fitness ..but more the pain in the contact area between himself and the saddle ( see I didn't say arse) ..and was spending as much time as he could standing on the pedals ! This eventually got too much and when we hit the main valley road at Stannersburn he decided to use this to get back to Bellingham ..which was still 9 miles of pain ! Myself and Ian decided to carry on and having travelled 5km along a forest fire road later that afternoon..decided that it was too boring ..scrubbed that section and travelled back the way we had come to re-route . Having stop started all day to take notes we also had to bail out having covered 24 miles of the " official " route as we had not brought lights ..and darkness was not far away We got to Greenhaugh in darkness and cadged a lift from my Dad to Bellingham to pick up our cars ..then returned for our bikes ..and a well deserved pint in the Hollybush having covered a total of 28 miles in harsh conditions . There is still at least 7 miles of the route to check out ..but this should be trouble free ..hopefully we can get things moving fairly quickly and the route into print ... Here is the main section that needs some work ... Start of the Chirdonhead to Stannersburn bridleway that would be used ...scrubby little seedling trees need removing  Same bridleway a little further on    If the council can't be bothered ..we are hoping to get permission to clear this ourselves ... |
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Post by scott on Feb 12, 2015 18:17:21 GMT
I do enjoy reading your story's for some strange reason...
Good luck on the clearing up side of things, I'm not to far away from your neck of the woods so I do fancy it one time.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2015 18:19:47 GMT
I do enjoy reading your story's for some strange reason... Good luck on the clearing up side of things, I'm not to far away from your neck of the woods so I do fancy it one time. As above always great to read your outing |
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Post by hodgy on Feb 12, 2015 18:27:38 GMT
Thank you lads ..nice of you to say so ....where do I send the cheques to ?
I will make sure you get an invite to the " official " opening
The bridleway in question has already had some ninja trail clearance ..and don't worry it will be cleared one way or another ...
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Post by hodgy on Feb 26, 2015 13:44:09 GMT
Word has it locally that three Ninja trail builders were spotted in the depths of Kielder Forest yesterday ...clearing the full 2 km section of overgrown trail! Apparently they worked like litttle bastards..until they were ready to drop... Having completed the route guide and instructions all that is left before negotiating a print deal is the go-ahead from the Forestry Commission ...who have to put it on their internal "notice board "..for any objections from departments within the organisation ...this takes a couple of months ( snooze ) For some strange reason I also had a long deep sleep last night and my biceps had grown by a full 8" this morning when I woke up... Congratulations to the ninjas whoever you are...  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 17:26:26 GMT
Well done to the mysterious 'Ninjas' |
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Post by andyr on Feb 27, 2015 7:19:55 GMT
Well done Neil & co. Er, I mean the trail ninjas....
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Post by hodgy on Apr 30, 2015 4:04:48 GMT
For those not interested ..apologies in advance.
A couple of more meetings have taken place with a little bit of progress ..although the main reason for my involvement has hit an entangled mess of red tape !
It would appear that the F.C don't want to support our proposed route ( Tour of the upper North Tyne Valley ) ..as they see this as something else that could potentially involve them in terms of maintenance ..if for example a tree fell over and blocked one of the forest roads ..it would put " pressure" on them to clear it !
From my point of view this is total bollocks and a cop out as a good 90 % of what passes on forestry land is on public bridleway ( therefore not there responsibility ) and the part of the route that does use forestry tracks the public are free to roam / use anyway .
If you are unable to use or follow a map then you shouldn't be on this route in the first place..and if you fall unlucky where a tree is blocking your path / or there are forestry operations then there are alternatives to get around this through a little map -craft ..thereby adding to your adventure !
In the most extreme ( and unlikely event ) that you can't get around this then you would just have to turn around and go back the way you came ..but I can't see this ever happening .
This was never intended to be a way -marked route ..more a route for seasoned mountain bikers to follow in much the same way as a route is published in a bike magazine ..although to be fair we had originally hoped to raise some funds through selling copies locally !
Of course there is nothing to stop us putting this out there as a Strava route ..I "dont do Strava" but one of our number does ..and this could well happen in the not too distant future .
I also have a contact at MBR ..who I " gave " the Bolts Law route to more years ago than I care to remember ..and they are always looking for something new ..but I may well involve What Mountain Bike and /or some other publication this time in the interests of being "fair" !
There is nothing illegal about this route ..everyone who has ridden it so far has described it as a " classic " ..it deserves to see the light of day ...and as far as I'm concerned ..it will!
Watch this space ...
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Post by andyr on May 1, 2015 9:52:14 GMT
Cheers for the update Neil.
Volunteering for strava duties, Sah!
I've wanted to do this loop for donkies knowing how much you lot bang on about it.
Good old FC red tape.
Playing devils advocate I guess the FC have to consider the needs of 'the total muppet' who when reaching a felled tree would have no idea you could just walk into the trees togo around it/another route and would attempt to climb over/under/through it and end up impaling themselves up the chocolate starfish. Good old 'elf an safety.
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Post by hodgy on May 1, 2015 10:01:29 GMT
That's you & Graham on Strava duties then ..he is a recent convert ..it will be a Saturday ride sometime soon ..better prep the missus ...
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Post by andyr on May 1, 2015 11:01:41 GMT
Cool. Thinking about it you'd be better making a gpx file for people to download as you can't download routes from Strava unless you're a paying premium user. Easy to do.
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