The title is a little bit misleading – Sunday was the beginning of British Summer Time but the weather gods chose to ignore that. The previous day had featured winds of 30 mph so a relatively gentle 9 mph from the west seemed benign by comparison.
The 6C temperature and frequent showers of heavy rain were a reminder that summer hadn't quite arrived.
The chosen route was north to Newbiggin, coffee and cake at Bertorellis, then return via Cambois, a round trip of about 40 miles.
A few days ago it was the vernal equinox, the first day of Spring, and next weekend the clocks go forward one hour to signal the beginning of British Summer Time.
It's official – winter is over, the days are getting longer and cycling is back on the agenda. More importantly, there are less than nine weeks to go before we do our Cycle Challenge 2015. It's time to get some time in the saddle and miles into our legs.
Sunday morning had a very wintery feel to it with temperatures below zero and frost on the ground. On the plus side the sky was clear and the sun was shining as a small group of Backpedalers set off for a ride to the Cycle Hub. The temperature rose to a comfortable 12C and conditions became ideal for cycling.
The weather forecast earlier in the week promised rain for Sunday but as the days passed, the forecast changed for the better. When the day arrived, the sun was shining and the sky was clear and it seemed like spring was in the air. Cresswell was the chosen destination, a round trip of about 40 miles.
A trip to the Cycle Hub and back has been a regular Sunday favourite for quite a while but, for various reasons, hasn't featured recently. That was put right on Sunday morning when the weather forecast said the temperature would be 10C (reasonable), wind from the West at 14 mph (not bad) gusting to 30 mph (not good). When the wind is westerly the toughest part of the route is the section along the river from Tynemouth to North Shields and can be compared to cycling into a wind tunnel. The rest of the route provides some shelter apart from the occasional exposed section and there is always the expectation that the return journey will be wind-assisted. The total distance is about 32 miles.
Cycling can be a challenge in the winter months. Although the 2014-15 hasn't been particularly bad (so far) there have been some difficult conditions. These always seem to arrive on Sundays which is our regular cycling day. As everyone knows, windy conditions are hated by cyclists and we seem to have had a succession of windy weekends. Nevertheless, a small but determined group of Backpedalers have been meeting outside the Delaval Arms (usually at 9.30 am) to get a few miles into their legs. The last two Sundays they have followed a route which takes them down to Tynemouth, along to North Shields and past Wallsend into the Rising Sun Country Park. The café there (famous for its homemade scones) is an excellent coffee stop. After that, the route goes on to Holystone, up to Killingworth and Backworth then back to Seaton Sluice via Seghill. For those who can't access our Facebook page, here is a selection of photographs from two recent rides.
