Gimme a rideout route...! Please...

Hi guys,

I'm arranging a rideout to Newcastle with the 3 of the lads from work on 13th/14th June. This is the route we'll be taking starting Friday lunchtime.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl...21&ie=UTF8&z=8

Then have a night out in Newcastle, then a rideout finishing back in the Scottish central belt on Saturday dinner time. Perhaps taking in Hartside Cafe, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales (YD too far south?)? Don't want to make it a long slog, keep the distances nice and relaxed so we can stop and take in scenery, not have to hammer along to get round the route and home before dinner time.

Any changes we should make to the route for Friday? Is the A68 a pain with the cameras or do you just need to keep your eyes open? Your suggestions for a route for the Saturday would be .

I also need to find accomodation, B&B with bus service to the city centre, or a Travel Inn type place with secure parking, or if there's a secure car park in the city centre somewhere, we can use any City Centre hotel, trying to keep it to ?30 per person using twin rooms if necessary.

Any suggestions for good pubs in Newcastle would be good too (no sending us to all the local gay bars please! Don't want any unwanted attention )

Any advice appreciated!

Cheers

Left...
... right...
... straight on...
... second exit a the roundabout...
... left after the traffic lights...
... keep on that road...
... left at the T junction...
... come off at the slip road and then take the right over the bridge...
... first exit off the mini-roundabout...
... stay on that road...
... left at the crossroads and you're done.






I'm not helping am I?

Hi Ralph,

I live in Newcastle, but have only lived there a few years...and I'm not a big one for drinking in the city centre......but see how this takes your fancy.

BEER
Get into town, you'll love the "scenery"
Avoid what is know as the Big Market, it is full of teens and the legendary Pig and Whistle pub, that did the e-mail rounds on a powerpoint slide show.
Head to The Lodge (Ant and Dec's bar) and then on to Perdu. http://www.perdubar.com/

HOTELS
There is a Formula 1 (cheap as chips), near the airport - it's not near town, but it's cheap. Maybe something like Hotels.com wold help. Sometimes you can get great deals in very posh city centre hotels.

BIKE PARKING
Not really sure about this, maybe an NCP? I have a brick built garage, so if you were heading here on Friday, and buggering off on Saturday, you could leave the bikes at mine (I'm sure we could fit them in). A taxi to town should be no more than a tenner. I'm sure I could even stretch to giving you a lift!

Actually, re-reading your post, I see there are 4of you, thought you meant a toal of 3. We could probably still get the bikes in at a push though. It's been done before!

Anyway, if this sounds any good, let me know with a PM, and I'll mail you my address etc, so you could look for a hotel on this side of town / town centre.

As for routes, when I get out for a quick blast, it tends to be either Carter Bar or Hartside. But you could always take a run up to the coast. Or you could even stay in Whitley Bay.

I guess it depends which way you are heading on the Saturday.

Once you cross the border there NO scameras on the A68 all the way down to darlo.

The road from Alston to Brampton is soooooooo coooool on a bike if you go from Penrith to Hartside then Alston to Brampton then maybe up to Langholm and take the A7 up towards Jedburgh then A68 down towards Darlo, that is a great route. Only scameras are the A68 Jedburgh to Carter Bar at the border.

Thanks GRH and Camel for the tips, off to Google maps to see where these roads are. K, if we get completely lost in the middle of Newcastle we'll try your directions and see where we end up

Camel, thanks very much for all the advice and the offer of the garage, thats really great.

It's a pointy SV, a ZX9R, a Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 and a BMW R1100GS (panniers will come off). The GS is a towering monster and the Guzzi is a pretty big bike, there is also the chance (albeit remote) that we'll have a fifth bike if the rider gets DAS passed and buys a bike between now and then.

Assuming the fifth guy is not coming, do you reckon you'd get all the bikes in including your own in? Please don't consider leaving your own out in the cold, why should our bikes get a garage if yours is left out?

I'll look for a B&B with a garage first of all, but I'll defo keep you posted and of course there would be a bottle of malt waiting for you in the GS panniers!

What is Newcastle like for bike theft? Would we be safe to park city centre somewhere if chained to something solid?

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

What is Newcastle like for bike theft? Would we be safe to park city centre somewhere if chained to something solid?

Just found this

www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/Attachments/Theft_Survey_2007.pdf

Agree with the stats?

Might struggle to get all the bikes in to be honest, but you could draw straws to put one or two in the back garden. The only way out would be through the car on the drive, blocked in by the car on the road! Plus next door's garage is pretty empty I'm sure!

I'll keep my eyes open, and ask the guys at work if they kow anywhere. There are a good few NCP's in the city centre though, where you could leave your bike safely overnight. Outside of the city, you may struggle.