My favorite ride here (here being the Coquet valley) is actually a short one (25 miles or so).
Looking east, back up the Coquette valley. The hill is Simonside
It starts at Hepple but you could quite easily start at Rothbury, about 8 miles further east up the valley. From Hepple, you head west for a mile before turning off and out of the valley and head north towards the Cheviot hills. The ride takes you through Holystone, Harbottle and on towards Alwinton. The road is very quiet and gently undulates as it passes through pine woodland and open moorland (and an Alpaca farm at Holystone). Just before Alwinton, you turn right and head up towards Netherton. The climb is a couple of miles but not too steep.
A view from the top of the climb to Netherton looking west towards Scotland
From here, we drop to Netherton village and then turn left and climb up towards Whittingham. At the top of the climb, I normally turn right and head back towards Rothbury but you can keep on to Whitingham (about 6 miles) and then turn right and right again in the village and head back via Callally rejoin the ride just before Thropton.
A view from the top of the climb to Whittingham looking east towards the coast
If you turn off, you have a nice flat/undulating decent back to Snitter and into Thropton. At the T-Junction by the Cross Keys pub in Thropton, you can turn right and head back to Hepple (5 miles) or turn left and head back to Rothbury (about 3 miles).
As I said, the ride is undulating with a couple of climbs so non too strenuous however beware of the wind! It can reach 20 mph quite easily and will be steady. It blows west to east and can turn any ride into a real slog, you have been warned!
Kit used:
I brought one of those new fangled derailleur geared bikes this time, a rather nice Aluminium/Carbon fibre Kinesis. Had it about 5 years now and haven't yet found a nicer riding frame (for the price I hasten to add).
A bike that weighs less than 30 pounds and has more than one gear! Heresy I tell you
As it has Look pedals, I used a pair of Diadora shoes (silver ones, can't remember the model) otherwise my kit is the usual (except for not using the Carradice Barley, instead I have a cheap Altura seat pack).
Photo's taken with a rather nice and rather cheap Fuji AV180
Will post maps when I get back to Bristol as I only have an iPad with me at the moment.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
