[Closed] Riding Edinburgh - Newcastle

I really wouldn't fancy riding the A68 al.

the coast an castle's route is on my to-do-list...

Out of Ed via the Granites to Innerleithen, down the Tweed Valley on back roads, down the coast via Bamburgh, Beadnell, Amble etc? That might vaguely be the Coasts and Castles route...

Your a braver man than me if you went on the a68 on a bike! Follow the others advice and stick to the scenic route.. it's a very fast dangerous road.

ive ridden part of the A68, from bishop auckland to corbridge, someone described it to me as 'everything from the scalextric set on one road'
there is a hill somewhere near consett where i was touching 50mph with the brakes on, and it was just as steep going up the other side.
im not trying to put you off, i loved it.
that was in 1995 though.

Depending how direct you could look to pick up the sandstone way once you get to Berwick. +1million for not going on any of the A roads, they're bad enough to drive at times.

Either Coast & Castles route, or follow the LEL route:
Dalkeith, Gorebridge, Innerleithin, Eskdalemuir, Langholm. Then head east: Newcastleton, Kielder, Bellingham, Capheaton, Newcastle

I'd never consider riding on the A68.

NCR 76 is fine all the way to Berwick if you fancy the seaside.

There is the shorter option of the Coast and Castles route, 170 miles.
No way I'd cycle on the A68.

My pal and I are planning on riding the coast and castles route from Edinburgh to Newcastle in April (the 200 mile one via Innerleithen not the 175 mile one via Berwick). It'll be our longest distance in one sitting, looking forward to it! I'd also like to add that I'd avoid the A68, I don't even like driving on it, it's so dangerous hence why it has so many speed cameras on it.

A697 is hideous in places too

When I worked in Lincolnshire u used to love driving to Newcastle down the a68, it's a fast and fun road when you approach the border, hills bends and tons of places to enjoy a car. Nuff said.

tons of places to enjoy a car. Nuff said.

A68 - Death trap

Jamie, it's the "nuff said" bit about enjoying driving a car that I think makes it dangerous to cyclists.
Agreed though!

Ian, that's the route I'm doing in spring, please do post your experience.

if yr not bothered about distance or time why not coast and castle to berwick, then pick up the sandstone way to hexham and come in down the tyne valley n72 and along the river from wylam...

long but scenic

I rode from Edinburgh to Hexham last year.
Granites, Innerleithen, back road to Selkirk, Hawick, Bonchester Bridge, Kielder, Bellingham, Hexham.
It was a really hilly, windy route, and just before I left I decided to take my good summer bike, and it was only when I got to Kielder I realised that my lights were on my winter bike that I had planned to use, so the last 20 miles was a bit sketchy.

Ian
Same as trademark,would be interested in your route and how you get on.

fasthaggis - do you follow me on strava? I've got the LEL and some of my training rides on there. Goes between Edinburgh and Hexham via Innerleithin between them all.

Thanks all. I was only looking at 20m or so on the A68 but if the A697 is as bad (years since I drove it) I'll look at a train to BoT, Tweedbank or Lockerbie or something.

A697 is an awful road.

You could use the back roads to Inners, Kelso, Wooler, Rothbury, Morpeth and then Newcastle. It'll be a lot of miles though.

How about Carlisle Al? A7 to Langholm then up the B709/7007 to Middleton

Or Berwick and return via Duns/Longformacus

I've ridden Alnwick to Lockerbie druid, it's nice but I want something new.

Ridden to Duns a few times too.

Weird how there's only 2 roads through Keilder.

A68 is the main alternative to the A1, but with way more hazards. You could ride short pportions of it, but I wouldn't want to ride any distance.

Coast and Castles route is relatively flat and easy going, considering the area, but not the shortest route, and there's a few off-road bits. LEL route doesn't really go within 20 miles of Newcastle.

I did look into doing a day ride without taking in any busy roads, and it is possible following a fairly direct route. It'll add a bit of climbing, but I don't think it was anything drastic. If I saved the route I mapped, and I can find, you can have it.

Thanks Bandito
I will have a look on Strava,starting to build up the LEL training.

I live by the A68 and ride it out to the A697 quite regularly to do a loop along to Duns and back over the hills. It's not that bad up to that point - mostly straight and wide with good sight lines. The A697 isn't that bad either. I would be less excited riding the whole A68 though. I guess you'd be doing this bit early in the day so it would be fine.

I need to ride to Newcastle in April so I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

A697 through Northumberland isn't a safe road to cycle on, it's very busy with plenty of blind binds. It'll be Ok for short sections but I'd not be keen to use it for its full length.

The A697 isn't that bad either. I would be less excited riding the whole A68 though.

The coastal route is one ive done before over 2 days, as much as I liked the scenery its a terrible route to actually get anywhere.

A route ive done before, also over 2 days, is;
Edin-Inners-Selkirk-Denholm(between Jedburgh and Hawick)-Kielder-Cholleford-Newcastle.

Almost all back roads, good scenery. There may be better alternatives Edin-Kielder but that was the best I could guess, Kielder-Newcastle there are a lot of options but that is the most straightforward and one I use a fair bit.
[url= https://goo.gl/maps/dQpJdicKLzn ]
Rough route[/url]

Thanks again. I need to get down in a day, and be up for a party in the evening.

Shame the trains don't go properly half way.

Shame the trains don't go properly half way

Definitely avoid any of the main A roads A697/A68/A1.
It would be fun on a cycle tourer/gravel bike/Fargo type bike to back roads to borders, over the Cheviots on one of the bridle paths, up the Coquet valley and B roads to the toon

done both as I live near newcastle and my longer rides usually started from home. its about 110 up the a68 and 130 up the coastal route. The a68 is crap on a bike but I didnt have the nightmare some of the replies above seem to indicate you will have. The coastal route (coast & castles, get the map) is great in places, but if you follow the route you will hit some muddy fields just south of berwick and some busy roads on it too.
Id go coastal route and just modify some of it on google maps etc as the cycle path bits can take you the very long way around.
Jas

Well I did it. Timings dictated a short route so I got the train to Tweedbank abs rode A68 then A696.

Roads were OK, only 1 dodgy overtake. Not quiet but not too bad. ****ing hilly, damp cross and headwinds made it pretty miserable.

Dere street..... That would help fill in a lot of the distance...Proper off road mind 😉

No problem, I'll write a diary of the ride, we're riding cross bikes and intend to ride a casual 12.5mph with a cafe/pub meal half way. We're also packing Bivvy bags as we intend to sleep out on the Friday just short of Newcastle probably on the beach with a chippy tea and a bottle of kraken rum. The Saturday night we've booked a suite at the Crowne Plaza with an early check in and late checkout this also includes full access to the sauna, pool etc and a free bar including canopies (for a limited time). We'll probably be asked to leave once they see the state we'll be in and have eaten and drunk all on offer! That teach them to put tantalising cheap offers on! 🙂

Ride it as a 200km DIY audax a fair bit - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7780286/edit

Apart from last week when I bailed riding up the Rigg in horizontal sleet.