Longer mainly off road loop from home enjoying the peace n quite

 

Well I was looking forward to a road ride yesterday but the heavens were open nearly all day long. I had the bike and kit ready but it was far too wet. 

So checked todays forecast, well it was a mixed bag to say the least! certainly no sun or heat but I just had to get out out put some miles in. I took the Creo Gravel set up bike for a longer loop from door to door. The sun did try to get out just after 7am but it only lasted a minute or two then it was overcast and cloudy for the rest of the ride. It did try once or twice again to pop through but it was too cloudy. The wind has died down as well which made the ride much more pleasant. As for the temperature the Garmin was hovering around 13 to 15 degrees so back to normal again. 

I headed off the back way to The CArrs / New College / Whitesmocks then over the fields to Baxters Farm to pick up the old railway line to Bishop. There was not that many people out n about at 7.30am on a Saturday morning along this stretch. Then it was through and out of Bishop to pick up the old railway line to Spenny. Through Spenny then the back way to Tudhoe Village / Croxdale / Sunderland Bridge. I then headed through Croxdale estate to come out at Bowburn then to Low Shincliffe, up the Trod then down to Durham. Around the riverside then up to the Kennels / The Sands at Brasside, through Newton Hall n home. What a pleasant ride it was and enjoyed the peace n quite apart from the four illegal quad bikes ripping through Croxdale estate!

All in just under 37 miles in 2hrs 48 mins with only 1700ft of climbing. 

Below are a few cold / damp looking snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon inc a Fresh Goods Sunday blog tomorrow - 

Local loop from Crook taking in two old railway lines

 

I was out at Crook today so todays loop started and finished at Crook, Co Durham. It was a simple loop taking in one road section out of Crook up the hill and down to Willington. Once at the Coop I turned left to pick up the old railway line through to Broompark. Once ta Broompark left again and along the old railway line to Waterhouses then up the climb to Stanley Crook. The last descent took me back to Crook and that was loop done. The lines are still bone dry and dusty in the sections where the sun has dried off yesterdays thunder storms. The shaded sections were still damp'ish. There was quite a few dog walkers out n about and so real ignorant ones as well. Not too worry is it felt really hot for some reason in the very strong wind. The Garmin was reading around 20 degrees for the whole ride. 

All in just under 18 miles with an ave speed of 13.6mph and climbed just under 1000ft. Enjoy a few snaps below from the loop and a short video clip right at the bottom. Hopefully more soon - 

Local mainly gravel loop from Bishop Auckland

 

I was down in Shildon so parked up at Bishop en route back home. It was a simple enough loop from Bishop along he old railway line to Spenny then through Tudhoe Village, Croxdale, under the viaduct and up the hill to the Brawns Den, Brandon. From there its a left and the old railway line all the way back to Bishop. The sun was in and out with the temperature around 17 degrees with no wind. There was some others out and about but some sections were deadly quiet. The lines are running super fast, bone dry and dusty at the mo. All in just under 19.5 miles in 1 hr 25 mins with 750ft of climbing. 

Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon-