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| Scary cyclist |
Cycling along Newcastle Quayside
Cycling is great fun especially when it’s a social activity. After my experience with a cycling challenge in Scotland, I was persuaded to take part in Newcastle’s Cycling in the City/ This Girl Can, spooky ride along our beautiful Newcastle quayside. We met up with the group of plucky cycling Halloween ladies, at 6pm, in total dr4akness. The quayside looks gorgeous as always, the Sage music centre is illuminated and the Millennium Bridge shows off its multi coloured lighting display.
Our lady cyclists had dressed for the occasion. Their costumes were excellent. Getting the Halloween look has been made easy with growth of chains like Poundland. A blood stained apron or glow in the dark wig can be purchased for this modest outlay. B&M Home Bargains, where things sometimes cost slightly more than a pound is another go to for outfits. You need ever feel under dressed at this time of year again.
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| Who took our bikes? |
Embracing the Halloween vibe
Jan had a plastic frog peeking out of her pocket, a broom stick tied to the back of her bike and small pumpkin lights adorning the frame. Nina was almost unrecognisable dressed as a pumpkin witch. We all tied glow sticks onto our wonderful wheels in the spirit of the evening.
I was particularly envious of some flashing glow in the dark dreadlocks. The glow sticks on the wheels suffered collateral damage during the excursion, but most made it to the end of the evening. My bike, which was very easy to ride was provided by the lovely Cycle Hub and I even remembered what to do with the gears this time.
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| Flying along for Halloween! |
Our cycling route
We set off in high spirits to ride across the Millennium Bridge from the Newcastle side. We then turn left along the Gateshead side of the mighty Tyne and up to Bill Quay Farm. The farm is a lovely destination to visit in the daytime, when it’s open. Some people were worried that we would wake the farm animals up as we pedalled past shouting ‘bollards!’ (which are a hazzard in the dark) every now and then. I think they will have suffered worse than that living in Gateshead.
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| It’s a Dreadlock Holiday |
The only issue was that now in the UK at 6pm it is very very dark. The quayside itself has some lighting which is fine, but quite a lot of the cycle ways on the opposite side of the river have no lights at all. We have to rely on our own bike lights and the ride leaders bigger, better lights to guide the way. This, along with the wet leaves everywhere added to the very spooky environment.
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| Happy Halloweeners |
It doesn’t help that my night vision is very poor and at some points I couldn’t see a wheel in front of my face. But the ride leaders Yvette and Liz remained calm and steady shouting out ‘bollards!’ at the appropriate moment (there were an awful lot of bollards of all shapes and sizes along the route) and keeping the group together. Mostly.
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| Does anyone know where we are? |
Cycling in the City rides
The concept of a led ride is a great idea You have safety in numbers and the ride leaders know where they are going. They also know where tricky junctions or hazards are. Also, if your chain comes off – this did happen to a couple of people – there is always someone handy to help you reattach it. These ladies only rides are very popular. I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the slight risk factor of not being able to see.
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| Witches on the way! |
Cycling is great exercise but it’s also a really nice social activity when you’ve got others to go pedalling with. We all made it back in one piece and were welcomed back to the Hub café where there were free Halloween cakes and coffee waiting for us. Luckily we were all unscathed and no one had died of fright. For more information about the led rides programme contact Cycling in the City.
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| A welcome cup cake return |
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| Luminous ladies |