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Whitby to Scarbrough via old railway

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geeka	10 Sep 09:09
Joined: 06 Apr 2010 Posts: 50 Bike: My Profile	has anyone else done this ride, ive seen the route on here but it doesnt go as far as scarborough. im thinking of doing it 1st of october so could do with some more info from anyone who has experience of it. thanks tim

lisaC	20 Sep 07:51
Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	I have seen this as part of the sustrans route 1 - going from Whitby to Scarborough on the old rail line (the whole route 1 is a coastal route norh-south Scotland - England) - check out sustrans website for a map that will include it - I intend to do it in the near future myself - should be quite a gentle ride Lisa

txbnet	20 Sep 13:48
Joined: 29 Jun 2010 Posts: 149 Bike: My Profile	I'm doing Whitley Bay to Scarborough this week and hope to be able to find this old Railway line for the part from Whitby. I've got the Sustrans map at the ready! I'll post here to let you know what its like and how easy to find, navigate etc when I get back after the weekend. By the way, I was driving back from Manchester on Saturday and couldn't help but notice that the National Cycle Route through Middlesborough appears to go down the hugely busy A19 and seems to cross slip roads etc ??? Any one done that? It surely can't be right sending cyclists down one of the busiest link roads from/to the North ? Is it safe? Anyone know of any alternatives?
My Latest Route: Jan 2011 Whitley Bay to Bellingham

txbnet

20 Sep 13:48

Joined: 29 Jun 2010

Posts: 149

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I'm doing Whitley Bay to Scarborough this week and hope to be able to find this old Railway line for the part from Whitby. I've got the Sustrans map at the ready!

I'll post here to let you know what its like and how easy to find, navigate etc when I get back after the weekend.

By the way, I was driving back from Manchester on Saturday and couldn't help but notice that the National Cycle Route through Middlesborough appears to go down the hugely busy A19 and seems to cross slip roads etc ??? Any one done that? It surely can't be right sending cyclists down one of the busiest link roads from/to the North ? Is it safe? Anyone know of any alternatives?

My Latest Route: Jan 2011 Whitley Bay to Bellingham

txbnet	26 Sep 16:10
Joined: 29 Jun 2010 Posts: 149 Bike: My Profile	Hi, I'm back from Whitley Bay to Scarborough in one day, thought I'd mention a few things for any one thinking of doing parts of the North East coast on National Cycle Route 1.... Firstly, there are loads of places where the blue stickers have been destroyed or removed and the metal signage being turned in opposite directions. Not Sustrans fault of course but if you're trying to do your bit by keeping to the route and off the major roads, its very tiring to find you've cycled five miles in the wrong direction when you've still got a huge journey left in front of you. Sometimes you're sent off a main road onto a council estate and end up going round in circles looking for blue signs. Eventually, as time was getting on I just had to hammer a few dozen miles out on the North Yorkshire roads and take my chances with the traffic. Secondly, I wouldn't recommend following it onto the A19, a much better route for me was to drop down from Seaton Carew into Port Clarence (despite more than a bit of an industrial decay on show) and take the transporter bridge across the Tees to Middleborough FC and that new bit of architecture with the hoops! By far the best bit of my ride was Whitby to Scarborough over the old railway line. It isn't hard to find, if you follow the signs into Whitby along the front and drop down the bank out of Whitby to a roundabout where you do a 270 deg turn and up a slight incline to a lovely old railway bridge, where you can join the old line. There's a great old station within five miles with a coffee shop and old rail coaches, a station clock and a platform. Some of the track has broken up a bit with heavy rains and front suspension could have been useful rather than hammering my static carbon forks, but it was a superb end to a long journey with plenty of descents, some easy inclines and plenty of outstanding views. The finish in Scarborough next to Sainsbury was a tad disappointing , but like any old town, it is suffering from graffiti, broken glass and beer tins. Also if its raining when you do it, as it was for me, you'll find a lot of the black from the old cinders up the front and back of your legs! I needed to be hosed down in the garden before I could have a nice hot shower! Hope you enjoy it though, I'd say the Whitby to Scarborough leg seemed a lot longer than the 25 miles advertised elsewhere, perhaps it was because it was at the end of a very long day's journey.
My Latest Route: Jan 2011 Whitley Bay to Bellingham

txbnet

26 Sep 16:10

Joined: 29 Jun 2010

Posts: 149

Bike:

My Profile

Hi, I'm back from Whitley Bay to Scarborough in one day, thought I'd mention a few things for any one thinking of doing parts of the North East coast on National Cycle Route 1....

Firstly, there are loads of places where the blue stickers have been destroyed or removed and the metal signage being turned in opposite directions. Not Sustrans fault of course but if you're trying to do your bit by keeping to the route and off the major roads, its very tiring to find you've cycled five miles in the wrong direction when you've still got a huge journey left in front of you. Sometimes you're sent off a main road onto a council estate and end up going round in circles looking for blue signs. Eventually, as time was getting on I just had to hammer a few dozen miles out on the North Yorkshire roads and take my chances with the traffic.

Secondly, I wouldn't recommend following it onto the A19, a much better route for me was to drop down from Seaton Carew into Port Clarence (despite more than a bit of an industrial decay on show) and take the transporter bridge across the Tees to Middleborough FC and that new bit of architecture with the hoops!

By far the best bit of my ride was Whitby to Scarborough over the old railway line. It isn't hard to find, if you follow the signs into Whitby along the front and drop down the bank out of Whitby to a roundabout where you do a 270 deg turn and up a slight incline to a lovely old railway bridge, where you can join the old line. There's a great old station within five miles with a coffee shop and old rail coaches, a station clock and a platform.

Some of the track has broken up a bit with heavy rains and front suspension could have been useful rather than hammering my static carbon forks, but it was a superb end to a long journey with plenty of descents, some easy inclines and plenty of outstanding views. The finish in Scarborough next to Sainsbury was a tad disappointing , but like any old town, it is suffering from graffiti, broken glass and beer tins.

Also if its raining when you do it, as it was for me, you'll find a lot of the black from the old cinders up the front and back of your legs! I needed to be hosed down in the garden before I could have a nice hot shower! Hope you enjoy it though, I'd say the Whitby to Scarborough leg seemed a lot longer than the 25 miles advertised elsewhere, perhaps it was because it was at the end of a very long day's journey.

My Latest Route: Jan 2011 Whitley Bay to Bellingham

Langsett	22 Oct 02:59
Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 2 Bike:	Hi, I know that groundwork trust have been working for a year with teams to try and improve things on the Cinder Track but it seems a mammoth task? For a touring route my personal preference is for a sealed surface for all year round use, such as the York-Selby, Bristol-Bath and Spen Valley greenways ( to name a few) have Thoughts?

geeka	15 Apr 09:06
Joined: 06 Apr 2010 Posts: 50 Bike: My Profile	im going to do this on weds 27th april now, didnt get chance. how long does it take to cycle from one end to the other?

albion	16 Apr 11:13
Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 99 Bike: My Profile	I'm not sure what the full work itinerary is but they seem to have started with volunteers only last week. Its getting many new signposts along the route with a few drainage repairs. Resurfacing certainly would increase its popularity alongside the expected user increase via awareness. It is 21 miles, I assume from Stakeby Vale and can be done in two hours though the nature of the track means it is far more pleasant to just amble along.
My Latest Route: Feb 2012 Bowes Railway Path Start to End

albion

16 Apr 11:13

Joined: 11 Jul 2010

Posts: 99

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I'm not sure what the full work itinerary is but they seem to have started with volunteers only last week.
Its getting many new signposts along the route with a few drainage repairs.
Resurfacing certainly would increase its popularity alongside the expected user increase via awareness.

It is 21 miles, I assume from Stakeby Vale and can be done in two hours though the nature of the track means it is far more pleasant to just amble along.

My Latest Route: Feb 2012 Bowes Railway Path Start to End

albion	16 Apr 11:17
Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 99 Bike: My Profile	............ And if you are 'up near the Abbey' it can be just as easy to cycle down Hawsker Lane to joining the track at Hawsker Cycle hire/cafe.
My Latest Route: Feb 2012 Bowes Railway Path Start to End

geeka	18 Apr 12:03
Joined: 06 Apr 2010 Posts: 50 Bike: My Profile	anyone know a good cheap campsite near to whitby thats good access?

loafer	20 Apr 14:59
Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 65 Bike: My Profile	hi try this site might help you.. http://www.cycle-route.com/forum/England-Whitby-to-Scarbrough-via-old-railway-Thread-2053.html

loafer	20 Apr 15:01
Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 65 Bike: My Profile	opps wrong link lmaooo try this one http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/townlisting.asp?town=Whitby

geeka	20 Dec 11:09
Joined: 06 Apr 2010 Posts: 50 Bike: My Profile	if anyone fancies doing this in the new year over 2 days (starting in scarborough) let me know. might tie it in with a night out in whitby!

loafer	20 Dec 13:17
Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 65 Bike: My Profile	i forgot about this thread... took the g/f on this in sept they have done loads of work to it and is IMO in great condition .. liked the new bit (well for me its new)that takes you off the main road :-) but as i like to ride along the sea front i was still able to leave the cinder track(its new name) and pick up where you used to come in on the main road A165 turn down scalby mills road then you can ride right along the sea front http://connect.garmin.com/activity/123830145 if you zoom in you will see where we leave the track larry

loafer

20 Dec 13:17

Joined: 23 Jul 2010

Posts: 65

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i forgot about this thread... took the g/f on this in sept they have done loads of work to it and is IMO in great condition .. liked the new bit (well for me its new)that takes you off the main road :-) but as i like to ride along the sea front i was still able to leave the cinder track(its new name) and pick up where you used to come in on the main road A165 turn down scalby mills road then you can ride right along the sea front http://connect.garmin.com/activity/123830145 if you zoom in you will see where we leave the track

larry

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