Poor forecast for today. Dave Bell phoned to say he was not joining us for a cycle and I dont blame him. We leave about 9 and head for Sunderland. The wet weather gear is on from the start.
We get a lovely send off from Meryl and Eleanor, panniers filled with pork pies, buttered scones and a large bottle apple juice. The cycleway is barely 100m from Jjlian 's house. It is so miserable that there are very few people out with their dogs. Its an uneventful run down to Sunderland where we join the coastal route to South Shields.
We are following route 1 and there are plenty signposts. We get the pedestrian ferry across to North Shields and head to Tynemouth. We turn the corner and are blasted by the NE wind and rain. It is cold and miserable. Oh well, head down and get on with it.
We cycled this route last year and i was intrigued by a road sign on the front at Whitley Bay. It is still there so i thought it should be shared. I don't remember seeing anything in the Highway code about this.
The cyclepath is shared on the pavement and follows the coastal road for a few miles. The sea remains a draw for the eye, in part for the hope of a hint to a change in the weather. We take respite in the lee of a toilet block, have a pork pie then another snack bar or two to fuel the legs and keep the spirits raised. There are a couple of runners and cyclists out, the usual vocal exchange is replaced by a nod of the head, an acknowledgement of the endurance we each suffer being out in these conditions.
We are staying with friends tonight north of Morpeth, thank goodness. This is not camping weather. This is however a lovely part of the country for cycling , with lots of villages and places to rest weary legs. The views are lovely when you get to see them.
We arrive wet and dripping. The bikes get shelter in the shed while we hang wet clothes then sit in the warm kitchen with large mugs of tea.
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