I cycle from Boldon to Ashbrooke in Sunderland every day and Addict's route is the one I would use too, except I would avoid the Wheatsheaf roundabout. When you get to the Toyota garage turn right then left
http://goo.gl/maps/6oMYW and go past the Stadium of Light. Follow the road through Sheepfolds and it will bring you out onto the Wearmouth Bridge. From here you can go down John Street then up past Mowbray Park and the Civic Centre to Hendon. There's a lot of construction work going on where Sunderland Bowling used to be and it's all a bit of a mare for the forseeable future.
I usually have a tailwind along past the dogtrack on a morning and ALWAYS have a headwind home, but it's downhill so it's not so bad.
