bit off more than i can chew

[Crankarm]

Well I currently ride 60 miles round trip each day. Currently working 6 days a week. You end up very fit but knackered. Sleep, eat, ride, work, eat, work, eat, ride, sleep, sleep ………. work. This is all you will do. Is the path you ride Washington to Consett part to the Coast to Coast route, as if it is, I rode it in 2002 but from west to east so a downhill for about 30 miles into Newcastle? It wasn't that steep iirc as the cycle path follows the old railway line so gradient is gradual.

 

[goody]

Mmmm 27.5 wheels,are you using an MTB? Try a road bike or hybrid lighter weight and skinny 100 psi tyres might make your journey easier.

 

[classic33]

Set off at 4am, 1 1/2 hours, 23miles each way. Are you nuts lol.

Did 18 1/2 miles each way. five-six days a week. Later did 250 miles to & from work over the course of 4 days a week. Once you get used to it, you'll be okay.

 

[jack smith]

I ride this often as i live inbetween the two and ride into consettt a few times a week (ive probably seen you and not realised) from annfield plain to washington is a lovley ride you can maintain 20mph with ease but it is a slight incline all the way the opposite direction, some of the path isnt suitible for a road bike really for those suggesting that. Personally i think its a mix of having the mcdonalds and not proper food and the incline, its one of those nasty ones than dosent look like much but it works your legs hard

 

[0lonerider]

i ride route 7 to consett as a loop with route 14 to gateshead then up to windynook from time ti time, i join route 7 at washington if yi fancy a potter up sometime, doit a few times over winter n go for it in spring!

 

[Soltydog]

was hoping for three days to start with
i drive a mercedes without a boot, and with 27.5 wheels i have to take both wheels off to fit accross back seat

I drive a Jag with a huge boot, but at 6'5" I also ride huge bikes & I feel your pain, cause I have to take both wheels off & then my bike just squeezes in
Hats off to you for cycling uphill that distance. My commute is 16 miles but its very flat. Maybe it was just an off day? Try it again next weekend & see how you cope beforre tackling it on a work morning with the pressure of having to do it

 

[Ganymede]

coming homes a breeze, but its a long slog like, could drive half way but i have to remove both wheels to get bike in the car and i cant be bothered with the chow on of putting them back on and squeezing it in the car at four am

Just a thought... but since you will have driven halfway home, your bike will already be in the boot with no wheels on from the night before...

True you would still have to put the wheels on at the half way point, and would have to take the wheels off and shove the bike back in at the half way point on the way back.

 

[Soltydog]

Just a thought... but since you will have driven halfway home, your bike will already be in the boot with no wheels on from the night before...

If the car is parked on the street I doubt I'd want to leave my bike on the back seat overnight

 

[albion]

Maybe best to leave it till summer. There's also point along there where ice makes things semi-impossible at that time of the morning. Even 3C in Sunderland can mean ice along up there.

And you can probably get it down to maybe 18 miles if you cut some of the long winded paths out.
Through to/from Consett for me, it is often a quick bit of road at maze just past the Jolly Drovers .

 

[br5968]

Dunno where you are in Sunderland, but the Go North East Lime bus goes up to Consett from Sunderland, and you can take bikes on it. You could take the bus up there (or even just from Washington) on a morning and cycle back (downhill!) of an evening?

 

[chewa]

23 miles each way is a bit of a commitment, especially in winter. My commute was about 13-15 miles each way (depending on the route I took) so less than an hour each way. I used to commute about 25 miles to Uni in the past but I was 30 years younger and there was less traffic, and Hovis was the only bread available......

One other option for using the car is to use a tow bar carrier and park up and ride the bike the last 10 or so miles.

I got one fitted for our trip to France this year. We have a big estate car, but the back is full of two Hungarian Vizslas!

It's not a cheap alternative, we got the Merc specific Westfalia detachable (which you can't tell is fitted when the tow ball is detached) and bought a 4 bike Altera carrier. Takes no time to load bikes on and off and is very secure (locks to bar) and I see some cars on my old commute route left all day with the carrier attached.

 

[Tom B]

I would build up to the commute, coming into winter some roof racks (i know you need something other than a RR) can be a snip. I bought Thule feet, insets, rack, and four cycle carriers for £200 c/w three lock sets on Ebay. I sold the three fixing kits and locks I didnt need for £100 and bought myself a fixing kit for my car for £18. I could still sell the two cycle carriers for the bars I dont use. Once you get used to and get it set up, putting the bike on/off takes about 60seconds. I dare say the same thing could be done with a boot/towbar mounted set up

That way you can ease yourself into the commute, not doing every day, and then parking further and further away from work.

A full week of my commute used to kill me and I'm downhill to work, up hill home...

stick with it because if you stop and lose condition it'll be harder still!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Well I currently ride 60 miles round trip each day.

Holy moley, that's some going. If I was wearing a hat now I'd tip it at you.


GC

 

[Angry Blonde]

Dunno where you are in Sunderland, but the Go North East Lime bus goes up to Consett from Sunderland, and you can take bikes on it. You could take the bus up there (or even just from Washington) on a morning and cycle back (downhill!) of an evening?

I would do this but i leave for work at five am, but its all down hill on the way home so id lose the achievement haha. Going to give driving half way, bike the rest, then peddle all the way home, then the next morning peddle half way to my car then do the same the next day see how it goes

 

[jack smith]

The 78 is a good backup i suppose it pretty much follows the cycle route up, stopping at chesterlee street ,beamish annfield plain, and greencroft. The earliest bus is quater past 8 from stanley bus station though, they also charge about 4 quid to get to consett and a further 3-4 for the bike. But if youve every totally hit a wall the options there as a saftey net.