E-bike journeys and pictures around the South Tyne Valley

South Tyne on a cloudy June afternoon near Melkridge and Bardon Mill.

This morning near Greenhead.

 

Dont run out of juice miles from nowhere

Dont run out of juice miles from nowhere

Ha ha - no chance. I am sitting on a seat two miles from home, maybe 3, enjoying the sunshine (when it comes out).

Cold Fell near Brampton in the distance.

Its been too long since i visited that area... looks grand.. My old stomping ground (the Middlesbrough warren) is no more i believe..

Its been too long since i visited that area... looks grand.. My old stomping ground (the Middlesbrough warren) is no more i believe..

 

Lots of foreign visitors are about at the moment. I have had conversations with two sets of Netherlander cyclists in the last two days while out on the bike. They catch the ferry to North Shields near Newcastle and ride up here. Incredibly tall people - the Dutch. One absolutely stunning woman I spoke to yesterday. She was touring the Roman Wall sites so I gave her some advice and because she had been to the Vindolanda Museum and site yesterday, she could have a no charge visit to the Roman Army Museum which was literally half a mile from where we were talking using her old Vindolanda ticket. She was very pleased with the information and went off to visit it. I was quite sorry when she left... She was an absolute goddess.

Ha! what is a pleasant diversion for you is what keeps all the locals out of town here. When they arrive in a convoy of coaches starting at 9 am in numbers that fill the streets from side to side, its good for the few remaining shopfronts and cafe's but getting to the dentist is a real pita.. No reason for any animosity but having to navigate groups of 100's+ bored teens all stood in circles looking at their phones with a handful of frantic minders running around shouting, while snakes of adult groups led by old hands cut through with a purpose, makes a trivial task in town a less than attractive option in the summer heat.. especially with the parking or bus fees to get there, at least the bike comes in handy there..

Lots of foreign visitors are about at the moment. I have had conversations with two sets of Netherlander cyclists in the last two days while out on the bike. They catch the ferry to North Shields near Newcastle and ride up here. Incredibly tall people - the Dutch. One absolutely stunning woman I spoke to yesterday. She was touring the Roman Wall sites so I gave her some advice and because she had been to the Vindolanda Museum and site yesterday, she could have a no charge visit to the Roman Army Museum which was literally half a mile from where we were talking using her old Vindolanda ticket. She was very pleased with the information and went off to visit it. I was quite sorry when she left... She was an absolute goddess.

They're always up for it too. You only have to ask. I used to meet many on my motorcycling tours of Scotland - quite handy when it's cold and wet.

Ha! what is a pleasant diversion for you is what keeps all the locals out of town here. When they arrive in a convoy of coaches starting at 9 am in numbers that fill the streets from side to side, its good for the few remaining shopfronts and cafe's but getting to the dentist is a real pita.. No reason for any animosity but having to navigate groups of 100's+ bored teens all stood in circles looking at their phones with a handful of frantic minders running around shouting, while snakes of adult groups led by old hands cut through with a purpose, makes a trivial task in town a less than attractive option in the summer heat.. especially with the parking or bus fees to get there, at least the bike comes in handy there..

 

Yes if it is a real tourist hot spot, I am sure it would be pretty horrible. People come here but not in big numbers like you describe and they are here for outdoors things, not hanging about shops. I have no idea where you are located, but since you mention summer heat, it must be a long way from here. It has been uncommonly cold the last few weeks here, and today which was a nice day by comparison to others managed to reach the uncommon hot temperature of about 16C.... Mid June?? We have had predominantly northerly winds for weeks.

Recently got back from a twenty mile ride at the southern end of Kielder Forest. Absolutely drenched. Pouring with rain and miserable cold wind.

 

 

The edge of the forest is about five or six miles from home. It is huge, about 250 square miles with 150 million trees.

 

Not a place to get lost in. The cycle route 68 goes through it. In fact this photo is on that route.

 

Got home completely cold and knackered. I was soaked through and freezing cold. Some June this is....

Had a really pleasant ride over to Gilsland in Cumbria on the Sustrans Route 72, with my partner. Well.... It is just literally over the border between Northumberland and Cumbria, but only if you go to the western part of it.

 

Superb weather and 21 miles with some steep hill climbing. Stopped at a nice little cafe for some cake and coffee.

 

Now that I have turned down my power in the most used pedal assist levels, I had to work hard to stop my partner catching up and taunting me on her Pendleton Somersby bike. If she is in her highest PAS which she was on hills, the motor runs flat out, while I never went above 250 watts the whole ride and mostly was using about 100.

 

Looking over to Cumbria not far away - just over the other side of the dip.

 

 

 

The oddly named, but excellent House of Meg Tea Rooms where we had a snack. I went there the other day too and had a brilliant bacon and egg sandwich for lunch.

 

Drenching rain today. Spent an hour re-proofing my old Barbour jacket so I could go for a march up the long hill behind the house without getting wet through. I first had to make some more wax dressing. It is pretty successful after various less good home made efforts at making it. I have ended up with the following recipe:

 

1 part pure soy wax or beeswax pellets

1 part Johnson's baby oil

by volume

 

Melt wax and stir in oil. It is a good idea to melt the wax in a tin standing on boiling water. You can stand your tin in a saucepan over some moderate heat. This way, you won't over heat it and start a fire.

 

Apply soft wax to clean wax jacket with a dish washer sponge while playing a hot hair drier onto the cloth and rub it well into the cloth. I did mine as a tepid liquid mix. The hair drier on high heat will cause the mixture to soak into the cloth as you rub it over with a sponge or cloth. This way you don't end up with wax and oil all over your car seats.

 

If possible, once thoroughly coated and rubbed in, place the jacket into a clothes drier on high heat for no more than about four minutes. Only take this step if you know that the jacket lining will stand that degree of heat. Some waxed jackets may have polyester type linings which might melt.

 

Yes - i know you can buy Barbour wax. I like to make my own stuff and to know how to do things for myself.

Drenching rain today. Spent an hour re-proofing my old Barbour jacket so I could go for a march up the long hill behind the house without getting wet through. I first had to make some more wax dressing. It is pretty successful after various less good home made efforts at making it. I have ended up with the following recipe:

 

1 part pure soy wax or beeswax pellets

1 part Johnson's baby oil

by volume

 

Melt wax and stir in oil. It is a good idea to melt the wax in a tin standing on boiling water. You can stand your tin in a saucepan over some moderate heat. This way, you won't over heat it and start a fire.

 

Apply soft wax to clean wax jacket with a dish washer sponge while playing a hot hair drier onto the cloth and rub it well into the cloth. I did mine as a tepid liquid mix. The hair drier on high heat will cause the mixture to soak into the cloth as you rub it over with a sponge or cloth. This way you don't end up with wax and oil all over your car seats.

 

If possible, once thoroughly coated and rubbed in, place the jacket into a clothes drier on high heat for no more than about four minutes. Only take this step if you know that the jacket lining will stand that degree of heat. Some waxed jackets may have polyester type linings which might melt.

 

Yes - i know you can buy Barbour wax. I like to make my own stuff and to know how to do things for myself.

 

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All that stuff is old-fashioned and smelly. I just throw over a cape when it rains. It keeps both me and the bike's electrics dry, and it makes me feel like a real cyclist, not a poacher.

best weatherproofing going when well maintained, I must have spent £1000's over the years on waterproof gear for 2 wheel transport, everything finally leaked at the seams, but when waxed it can be remedied with a spare 1/2 hour..

Thought I'd ride a different bike today than my Bafang powered mid drive conversion, so I dug this one out of the garage and took it for a spin.

 

 

15 Kilowatts certainly makes a difference on the hills.

 

 

The new Royal Enfields are certainly not fast bikes by motor bike standards but it is a MASSIVE nostalgia fest. This one is pretty much brand new. It's a year old but only has 305 miles on it. Lovely blat blatting about on a chunky single cylinder bike on a nice day.

 

The REALLY ridiculous thing is that you can buy one of these brand new for about the same money as a Bosch Ebike. I bought this one last October with 62 miles on it and four months old for £3600 and that price included delivery from the opposite end of the country - about 360 miles away.

Took this photo of the Top of Skidaw in the Lake District four days ago when I was there.

 

 

Then I played about with the digital zoom on the phone camera and got this one of the same scene.

 

Thought I'd ride a different bike today than my Bafang powered mid drive conversion, so I dug this one out of the garage and took it for a spin.

 

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15 Kilowatts certainly makes a difference on the hills.

 

 

The new Royal Enfields are certainly not fast bikes by motor bike standards but it is a MASSIVE nostalgia fest. This one is pretty much brand new. It's a year old but only has 305 miles on it. Lovely blat blatting about on a chunky single cylinder bike on a nice day.

 

The REALLY ridiculous thing is that you can buy one of these brand new for about the same money as a Bosch Ebike. I bought this one last October with 62 miles on it and four months old for £3600 and that price included delivery from the opposite end of the country - about 360 miles away.

I am immensly jealous.. I'd have one in a shot but I don't have a garage and live in a terraced house. Bum:(

I am immensly jealous.. I'd have one in a shot but I don't have a garage and live in a terraced house. Bum:(

I am immensly jealous.. I'd have one in a shot but I don't have a garage and live in a terraced house. Bum:(

 

Have you a secure yard at the back Ben? You could build a shed in it if you have. The biggest issue for any motorcycle fan in terms of storage is security. Theft of bikes is at ridiculous levels. Even without a shed in the yard, if you can secure the entrance, you can use all over covers. Just make sure the yard's door width is enough. You can weadle them in though. I used to keep a motor bike in my kitchen. I used to fiddle one side of the handle bar through the door frame first, and then the other. It can be done.

Unfortunately the only way through to the garden is through the hall,living room and kitchen - not a straight line. Plus, it's a Welsh house, none of the doors are standard width. I just about get away with our bikes.