Some Final Thoughts

Seaton Sluice Backpedalers big event, the Kielder Kaper, is almost upon us. By now, hopefully, all riders have reached a peak of physical perfection in preparation for what will be a demanding three days of cycling.

Day 1 – Delaval Arms to Bellingham

We’ll be covering over 150 miles over 3 days so it is important that riders follow the correct route and don’t add any extra distance to the total. On Day 1 we we will be following Route 10 (Reivers) from the Delaval Arms to Bellingham.

At Backworth we will stay on the road until we pass the Killingworth turn and then take a sharp left onto the cycle track.

Sustrans have been busy putting up new signs so theoretically there shouldn’t be any problems.



In practice, it may not be that simple. Some of the signs are quite small and could be missed if riders are distracted and not concentrating. Remember – if you miss a turn you may end up doing extra miles and those extra miles are certain to involve going uphill.

The Clock Is Ticking ……..

In two weeks time Cycle Challenge 2016 will be underway. On a ride we have named the Kielder Kaper, 22 Backpedalers will be cycling 150 miles around Northumberland (the easy bit) to raise funds for our chosen charity Daft As A Brush (the hard bit).


Last year we raised the amazing sum of £10 000 which is still the single biggest donation Daft As A Brush has ever recieved. We would dearly like to raise a similar amount this year but in order to do that we need lot of help from our supporters, 

If you would like to help us achieve our target, there are several ways you can donate.

We have an online page with Virgin Moneygiving which offers a number of options for sponsoring us. In addition, Backpedalers have sponsor forms so supporters can sign up and make a donation.

Visitors to the bar at the Delaval Arms will see a large sponsor form displayed and collection tins are positioned on the counter.

As stated above, riding a bike is the easy bit, raising funds for a worthwhile charity can be hard. In previous years we have been lucky enough to have had tremendous support from our supporters and sponsors in the local community and around the region. It will be a big ask to match, or even exceed last year’s total but if we aim high, who knows what could happen?

Kielder Kaper

Planning for the Kielder Kaper, aka Cycle Challenge 2016, is now at an advanced stage. Riders have been recruited and accommodation booked so details of the route can now be revealed.

A major change is that next year’s route will start and finish at the Delaval Arms making organisation much easier. The event will take place over the weekend of May 28-30 2016 and involve cycling approximately 155 miles in the Northumbrian countryside. 

Day 1 – Delaval Arms to Bellingham.

Starting at the Delaval Arms, the route heads south on NCN 1 towards Tynemouth before joining the Reivers Route (NCN 10) at North Shields. We will stay on the Reivers all the way to Bellingham, a distance of 55 miles and climbing 2 355 feet along the way.

Coming Soon!

Coming soon - Cycle Challenge 2016. 

After the tremendous success of Cycle Challenge 2015 which saw Seaton Sluice Backpedalers raise over £10 000 for Daft As A Brush Cancer Patient Care, we are delighted to reveal that planning for Cycle Challenge is well under way. It will take place over the weekend of 28th-30th May 2016, our usual weekend incorporating Spring Bank Holiday Monday.

There are a few changes to our usual arrangements. The route will begin and end at the Delaval Arms. This means we will not need to transport bikes to the starting point. This reduces costs for the riders and has the added bonus of increasing the size of our cycling team. We're so popular that we have a waiting list of potential participants! It also allows us to ride a route which is entirely in Northumberland. Details of the route will be published on this website soon.

We still have a few details to work out. Will we raise money money for charity and if so which charity? We'll be having a meeting soon when those questions will be answered. The decisions may not be too difficult.

Check back for updates.

Ponteland 8th Feb 2015

After an overnight frost, the morning was cool and clear as a small group of Backpedalers set off towards Ponteland along the Reivers Route. The track was an interesting mix of ice and mud (and thorns) but not a problem for experienced cyclists. Weetslade Country Park was reached in good time.

Fish Quay Round

This route takes in parts of the North Sea Cycle Route, Hadrian's Cycleway and the Reivers Regional Cycle Route 10. Most of the route is on cycle paths and bridleways but there are two short sections on road. There is one short but fairly steep ascent and the route is suitable for mountain bikes and hybrids. It begins and ends at the Delaval Arms. The total distance is about 18 miles.

1. Leave the Delaval Arms and head down the hill past the caravan site.

2. Follow the track which runs south past St Mary's Lighthouse, turn right onto the road and carry on up to the cycle path which runs along side The Links. Proceed along the cycle path.

3. Turn left off the cycle path and take the path down to the promenade. This turn is easy to miss. It is after the car park and just before the Briar Dene. It is signed.

4. Proceed along the promenade as far as the Rendezvous Cafe.

5. Just past the cafe turn right and take the uphill path past the skate park and turn left at the top.

6. Head towards the Spanish City and join the cycle path which takes you along Whitley Bay promenade.

A Sunday Morning Bimble

Sunday mornings are still the time set aside for a bike ride - 9.30 am meet at The Delaval Arms - and seven Backpedalers set off on what looked to be a promising day.

The aim was to have a pleasant, gentle ride in convivial company (known as a bimble) so the group started by heading south towards St Mary's Island and on to the promenade at Whitley Bay. A right turn at the Rendezvous Cafe led up Monkseaton Drive then on to the old railway line through Holywell Dene. Once The Avenue was reached, the group turned west, passed through Seaton Delaval then up to Mare's Close and round the north side of Seghill. The track past Jolley's led on to Fisher Road, Backworth Lane and a short stretch of the Reivers Route. From here, the group followed the waggonway through to Killingworth Village. 

The track down past Holystone School led on to a short on-road section until the turn into Rising Sun Country Park was reached.

The Sunday Sun

It seemed like a good idea to plan a 60 mile round trip taking in some of the more demanding sections of the Reivers Route on what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far - and to some people's surprise, that's exactly how it turned out.
Thirteen Backpedalers turned up for the twelfth training ride and set off towards Backworth and Killingworth to join the Reivers Route heading towards Ponteland. The now obligatory visit to the summit in Weetslade Country Park was included in the itinerary.

The route to Ponteland was familiar to most of the riders but beyond that was unknown territory. It passes through Darras Hall along the line of an old railway which ran to Belsay Colliery and then emerges on the west side of Ponteland. A short (but interesting) section then leads to a country lane which heads towards Stamfordham. 
It was here that the group arrived at what turned out to be the highlight of the day - a new coffee stop.

Raggy Heirlooms is right next to the Reivers Route and caters for cyclists in need of a coffee and bacon sandwich.

Six Go Cycling

In stark contrast to Sunday's outing, Tuesday was bright, sunny and warm as six Backpedalers set off to Ponteland along the Reivers Route. 

The path through Holywell Dene still showed signs of the recent heavy rain but once through Wellfield, Earsdon and Backworth and onto the Reivers Route, the journey became a pleasant ride along quiet country tracks. A short uphill diversion in Weetslade Country Park gave the group an opportunity to admire the surrounding countryside.
From there, on to Ponteland and the obligatory stop at Jan's Kitchen for refreshments. Along the way we managed to recruit another member for our cycling group.

Cheaper By The Dozen

Twelve cyclists turned up on a sunny but blustery Sunday morning for the seventh consecutive training ride. The route took the group along Beresford Road, up the Avenue and along the old railway line towards Holywell Dene.

The short ride along to Monkseaton Drive was followed by the now familiar journey through Wellfield, Earsdon and Shiremoor before joining the Reivers Route to head southwards to the Royal Quays and Coble Dene. The Spanish Battery was the next objective but the climb up from the river had to be conquered first.

Go West

Six Backpedalers turned out on Friday morning and were rewarded with bright, clear, but slightly chilly conditions.

The group set off along the old railway line towards Monkseaton Drive then rode through South Wellfield and Shiremoor before joining the Reivers Route at Backworth. Once through Backworth the route travels along a section of the Killingworth Waggonway and then on to the Burradon Waggonway which eventually leads to Weetslade Country Park.

The Country Park is on the site of what was Weetslade Colliery and one of its features is a hill which had previously been the Weetslade Colliery spoil heap.

Leaving the country park and following the Reivers Route, the next section passes by Wideopen and Seaton Burn before heading due west towards Ponteland. An interesting feature of the journey is the road which passes through Prestwick Carr. Subsidence has turned the mile long road into a test of the bike's suspension and the rider's saddle.

Once completed, it is a short trip into Ponteland and Jan's Kitchen.