Solo Bikepacking in the UK - Hadrian's Wall Cycleway (Amazing!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- A quick 'overnighter' from Carlisle to Newcastle, following National Cycle Route 72 along Hadrian's Wall. Highly recommended!
Stunning scenery, great people, superb camping and fascinating history all along the route. One of the most enjoyable couple of days I've spent on a bike.
I hope you enjoy this video I've cobbled together and let me know if you have any questions about the route/bike/gear etc.
Happy cycling folks!
I rode Length of Britain in 1982 for charity, made it longer in Lake District and Highlands, 1100 miles in 12 days 😊 bike was 56lbs loaded but strong narrow wheels tyres around 30mm 😊
What a cracking ride to do in the 80s! I did JOGLE back in 2019 and still remember how surreal it was rolling into Land's End having got all that way on two wheels!
Enjoying your Hadrians wall 🧱 video, thanks from Chadderton/Oldham guy living in Australia 🇦🇺 cheers 🍻 😊
Thanks, Paul. Glad you're enjoying it!
Really enjoyed this video and being from Tynemouth would be one route I really should do soon .
Your comments on other cyclist not Acknowledging your existence is also something I recently found but at a 50/50 ratio on the Cantii way in Kent , really irked me but hey ho .
Great video thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Geoffrey. Appreciate you checking out the video and leaving a comment - and glad I'm not the only one who laments the grumpy gits who blank their fellow cyclists. Each to their own I suppose. It's a lovely ride if you ever get round to it! Happy cycling!
Did this route from east to west in the late 80s. Living at that time in Cambridge, I was overjoyed at the scarcity of traffic, but raised as a clubman it was the height of bad manners to ignore any other cyclist regardless of their speed/bike/clothing. We need more manners in this world! Thanks for reviving my memories!
I imagine you'd have had long sections without seeing any traffic at all back then. Great stuff! Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
Those big wheels and tyres take some turning over 😊
Do you share your itinerary for this trip anywhere? I'm an American planning to do this ride soon but have had a hard time finding itinerary with distance incorporated.
I set the route to Public on Komoot (link to my Komoot page on my channel and it's called 'Hadrian's Wall Cycle Tour'). The route i did was about 75 miles and the camp spot almost exactly half way. Hope this helps and have a great trip if you do it! 🙂
Great video! It's always interesting to see your local patch through the eyes of a visitor (but don't tell too many people how fantastic Northumberland is - we try to keep it a secret!) I've camped at Windshields farm too many times to remember - and it always gets cold at night (even in a heatwave 🤣 )
Cheers, Andrew and thanks for watching. Yes I'll have to keep Northumberland more on the down low now. What a place to ride a bike! 🙂
Never understood why the Roman always stopped their buildings at waist height…..🤔.
A very enjoyable trip , was the campsite called winshiels ? Just off the old military road . I guess it is just watching the ending now 😂
Indeed it was! Lovely spot. Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
Cool content, great video editing. I just wonder though why not wear a helmet? Like that's just a must isn't it? One tumble and you hit your skull on a solid object, you can be out helpless. Seen and heard many times, set a good example. Stay safe out there!
Not a must, thank goodness. Individual choice. Personally I pedal along at about the same speed as a jogger and no-one suggests they wear a helmet.
Round about the 28 minute mark you mention a lot of road cyclists not nodding/acknowledging you. I live around here and find the same thing, it's because you're on a road bike. If I'm on my MTB or hybrid I'll wave or say hi and probably 70% just ignore me. However it's different if I'm on my Gravel bike then most will nod or wave back. There was one guy a few days ago passed me and I said "hi, nice day" and he totally blanked me. Some people are just plain ignorant. Safe cycling.
Thanks, Drago. Never understood the grumpy guts, ignore everyone cyclists. You're in a great part of the country for cycling, that's for sure!
Just caught up with this 1 as thinking of giving it a go.....
You've sold it 2 me😊 I won't be camping though 2 old for that, 😂.......might even do it on my new emtb!
With a favourable weather window I think it's a cracking route. If you go for it, let us know what you think. 🙂
@onemorecyclist I certainly will yes. Might start from Whitehaven as logistical bit better re train
That long straight road west from Vindolanda to Newbrough is the Stanegate (stone road) - the Roman frontier 40 years BEFORE Hadrian built the Wall.
You took the Bywell road along the Tyne, You crossed the Tyne at Corbidge, you stopped in the car park at Wylam.
Ref cyclists not saying hello , When doing LEJOG I found cycling club/groups the worst & the further North I gig the more sociable people became .
Congrats on LEJOG and that's a great route to notice all the changes as you move steadily up the country. I did JOGLE in 2019 and loved it! I know there's no law against ignoring another cyclist and it's a strange quirk of cycling (we don't wave at other car drivers etc.) but personally I think a) give other cyclists a wave/nod/hello if it's safe to do so and b) if you see another cyclist with a mechanical/possibly broken down always stop and ask them if okay, need anything etc. ... are nice features of cycling that we should all try and preserve.
Found u after watching keep smiling adventure
Glad you found the channel. Keep smiling adventures is brilliant. Happy cycling!
I've not done this route, so thanks for the inspiration! But I have followed a section, I think, when doing the Coast to Coast. And the route we've scenery are fantastic. Thanks for the video, I've subscribed.
Great to have you following along, Paul and thanks for the comment. Yes, I can see there being some overlaps with C2C routes. Before I set off I had no idea the scenery was going to be as good as it turned out to be. Definitely want to get back up to that area again sometime. Happy cycling!
You're right, it doesn't take much to say hello. Hello from NZ, great video.
I too found Hadrians wall an amazing archeological treasure.
Thanks, Jayson. The wall for me started as just a bit of an excuse for a long run/ride but I actually enjoyed stopping at the different sections way more than I thought I would. Like many I think as we get older we start to find history, and the history of our local areas, much more of a fascinating subject. Great to have you following along from the other side of the world! Happy cycling!
In my old age i have got to the point that i hate to ride in the rain and snow.
Hello Martin, all the way from Shaw. New to your channel and on catch up. Really enjoyable. Chapeau!
Hi Ian. Small world indeed! Appreciate you following along. Happy cycling!
Back in 1988 I rode from Newcastle to Vindolanda, stayed at the "Twice Brewed" YHA, then turned south past Haltwhistle towards Alston and Middleton. Wonderful country. Made for a great start of a three-week tour zigzagging down England; Hadrian's Wall, North York Moors, Peak district, the Fens by Cambridge and ending up at Harwich for the ferry home.
Thanks for the comment. What a brilliant trip that must have been! Have you still got the bike from '88?
@@onemorecyclist No, I switched to recumbent touring a few years after that. Then in 2019 we sold our house and moved to an apartment, so I had to pare down my bike stable to just one - a Grasshopper SWB 'bent from HPVelotechnik.
There are some miserable gits on bike up t’north and it’s does often seem like the “pro style cyclists” or so called are the ones to Carry that misery off. I live in the AONB and used it for two years on my bog standard MTB to get ultra distance rides in over many days. This was to get ready for All Points North and the North Cape 4000 events. It was always the “pro look” cyclists that were the most miserable looking bunch. Maybe I wasn’t wearing the latest colours and my bike didn’t match in colour my clothes.
AONB though is a great place to ride and most normal people are very helpful in North Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland & Tyne & Wear.
I've heard of APN but not the North Cape 4000. Just Googled it - yikes, that's quite the trip! Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
@@onemorecyclist it’s quiet in the north too mostly anyway many very quiet roads and the old railway lines get you up high too before heading into Cumbria and north to Scottish Borders
Great video, I really enjoyed it. Your relaxed presentation is a pleasant change to some other TH-camr's that appear to be on speed or something stronger. I walked a lot of this route in 1980. Will add it tommy bucket list.
Appreciate the nice feedback, thank you. Definitely one for the bucket list! 🙂
Here on the Wirral and in Cheshire, you are lucky to get a wave from 20% of roadies - even on cycle paths! Maybe because they have spent thousands on a super duper bike only to realise they will never ride the Tour De France!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧Subbed🇬🇧
Great to have you following along! Thanks and happy cycling (and/or Kayaking!) 🙂
On my to do list. Great vid. 👌
Thanks, it's a cracking route. Happy cycling!
Did you do the whole route from Ravenglass? It looked like you were starting from Carlisle?
Yes, effectively picked up the route going east from Carlisle when I jumped off the train. This worked really well for logistics and time available etc. Have you don the Ravenglass - Carlisle bit?
@@onemorecyclist no I haven't, I was wondering about the logistics of getting down there to the start. I guess there is likely a train down to near Windscale and then ride up to the start at Ravenglass. One to Google.
The reason I asked is I thought 170 miles on a heavily laden MTB over essentially a day and three quarters was some going!!
Haha - I'd love to be fit enough to do all that! There are Northern trains running to Ravenglass (which you might change onto at Carlisle if coming from the North) and they're pretty good with cyclists and bikes - relatively speaking and compared to the otherwise shocking UK standards.
I did part of this the other week but hoping to do it fully from Whitehaven to Newcastle when the weather improves . I live in Carlisle so day one and I can split it in to two days . Great trip nicely filmed atb Dave ps I would give you a wave or a nod , I’m old school 👍
Thanks, Dave and here's to old school smiles and waves! The cycling was fantastic right out of the city - and for the whole route practically - and Carlisle looked like a great base for cycling in general.
Hi Martin, I'm a New sub to your channel. I really enjoyed the video. Thanks for making and best wishes from Australia.🙏🇦🇺
Hey, thanks for the nice feedback. I really enjoyed riding and making this one. Great to have you following along and enjoy the summer down there (cold and rainy season is upon us here in the UK!) :)
Cycling can be very tribal, I confuse plenty by riding a mountain bike but wearing roadie Lycra shorts/tights etc. as they work well. Great video, inspiring that you did it on an MTB, my plan is to do CtoC this year and have been agonising over buying a gravel bike, maybe now I’ll use the hard tail.
All tribes and no tribes welcome on this little channel (except maybe for those grumpy guts cyclists). Thanks for the comment, Arnold. I'm not really a mile cruncher these days but made a point on this trip to try and slow down and 'smell the roses' so to speak, so the MTB worked really well. I can imagine how tempting the new gravel bike is though. Enjoy the C2C planning (and ride!). 🙂
Ah Geordies, at 60% it's a world away from the past they are doing a lot better than they used to. As a cyclist who moved here 25 years ago before the locals took to cycling, (thank Boardman for the start of that), at least the violence and the rain of spit I endured from these people for over a decade has now stopped. Oh and you cycled past my house. Great route isn't it and the Tyne is a surprising stunning river.
Thanks for the comment. Small world seeing your house on the video! Of all the trips I did last year I think I probably enjoyed this one the most and completely agree the Tyne is a belter. Happy cycling!
Wonder when you did this trip? I did Way of the Roses starting 12th August 2023 and had three days of non-stop rain! It cheered up for the last three days of the trip thank goodness.
Loved this film, want to do this route some time 🤗
Thanks for the nice feedback. This was earlier in the week (12 & 13 Sept) and about the only dry and sunny window in an otherwise quite rainy week. It's a few years since I did the Way of the Roses but I remember it being a really enjoyable route (bar that crazy steep climb out of Settle!) - glad you got at least some dry weather on your trip. If you get the chance to do the Hadrains Wall route I'd highly recommend it! Happy cycling!
Hey Martin, really enjoyed your video having ridden this route last summer (although stayed in a B&B in Haltwhistle for a bit of extra comfort) so was a lovely bit of nostalgia and interesting to see what your highlights were from another riders perspective (mine were definitely the scenery and cafe stops)
Thanks, Lou. I think this was my favourite ride of the year. Know what you mean about the scenery and I need to go back and do it again with more café stops :) Happy cycling!
Thanks for sharing....all the way from South Africa
Appreciate you checking out the video, Mike. Very cool to hear where people are watching from, too! Happy cycling over there! 🙂
Nice route and it looked like the weather behaved itself after the unpromising start. I had a couple of years staying near Carlisle 1999-2001 and I have fond memories of the western half of the wall - it looked like you started in Carlisle rather than from Burgh-by-Sands or Bowness.
Even in the 90s there were a few cyclists who are 'too cool to smile/wave/speak' but I think today it's more widespread, or maybe nowadays I just look too unfit and too uncool for people to return a greeting.
Yes, started in Carlisle for this one. Similar to places like the Howgills for walking/MTB I think, being it's an oft overlooked area - as people flood to the Lakes or pass it to go further north up into Scotland. Cracking route and I'd love to go back and do it without all the 'luggage' and with a bit more time to linger at the historic sites! Dunno if of interest/use re your Penrith plan, Gordon, but I changed trains at Bolton and got a TPE rather than Avanti up to Carlisle (which stopped at Penrith etc.).
@@onemorecyclist It's funny - I checked the train for today and for the same time-slot I'd be on TPE from Preston to Penrith. Hypothetical because today's a 12 hr workday for me, but when I do head up there again I'll stick to 'train out / ride home'
Nice video - I stayed at the same campsite last July and echo your comments about the facilities and the owner. I'll definitely use it again if I pass that way in the future.
Ditto. Thanks for the comment and happy cycling.
You could probably get away with a lighter gravel bike for that route.
Indeed you could!
Have you done any think in Lincolnshire before
No, I don't know that area at all really.
Hey Martin 👋 new to your channel - enjoyed that, thank you! 🤙
Thanks, Nigel. Really appreciate you following along. Happy cycling!
Great ride. Do you have a gpx file for this ride.
2024 im thinking of rebellion way
I can rwmeber playing chucky egg on the spectrum
I was so addicted to that little game! I don't have my ride but I have the initial Komoot planer I made - just changed it to public so you should be able to grab a gpx from - www.komoot.com/tour/1302711348?ref=wtd&share_token=aBAULp6CGv2nAxVH55628cDNhqiUXh5I8eew4NRmDxg8saj8IK
@@onemorecyclist after last year's north downs way ride I need no want something flatter. Far too much slogging up forever hills,
Buckled back wheel, being misguided and riding through an army exercise.
It was a great experience though.