The Coast
Here’s an obvious one to start with, heading across to Tynemouth, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay to get that sea breeze in. There’s plenty of ways out to the coast, personally I tend to use the cycle tracks that line the edge of the Coast Road. These aren’t the best, but the reward as the sea comes into view is excellent. Either I’ll choose to come in from the north at Whitley Bay, or I’ll pop out near the aquarium. The views from up here are excellent, particularly if the surf is strong on that day, with the waves crashing on the beach below. I can imagine cycling along the beach would also be very fun, but my bike isn’t quite built for that! Once you’ve finished taking in the sea air, it does also open up a few other options, namely the river.
Riverside and Quayside
Leaving Tynemouth and heading into North Shields, you can then join up with Cycle Route 72. This stretches not only to Quayside, but all the way to Carlisle if you really want to, down Hadrian’s Cycleway. The paths seem to effortlessly shift between urban and rural, despite its location. Highlights here include the parks at Royal Quays through Redburn Dean, heading past the beautiful Willington Dene Viaduct, with the Metro rumbling over. Then you reach the patch of woods before St Peter's Basin, where through the trees you can get a great view of the river, with boats coming past as well. Finally, you reach Quayside and watch as the bridges come past you, a sight that’s lovely most of the time, but feels really rewarding after the long cycle in from Tynemouth.
Weetslade and Gosforth Park
Let’s take a trip northwards this time around. Weetslade is one of the many country parks in the area around Newcastle, and while there’s not a huge amount of track to cycle on here, it does offer a big hill to push yourself to climb, before a relaxed decent, with a good look over the lower land around from the top and on the way down. The park itself, like several others, is built on top of an old colliery, making a nature reserve to be enjoyed by all. It’s been one of my favourite places to go for a long time, with the views playing a big part, but also pushing myself up the hill faster and faster. Nearby you also have Gosforth Park, cycling past the racecourse and through the tracks between the golf courses. There’s also a number of smaller trails around to try out. These are also two great places to see some wildlife. Plenty of rabbits are around here, but do be aware that there are some deer in the area. There was one that bolted from the trees to the side of me at one time, forcing an emergency stop!
