Bikepacking & Wild Camping on the Coast and Castles NCN1. Berwick – Newcastle. 135km on an E-Bike?

#CoastandCastles #NCN1 #bikepackinguk
I did this route last year on my old Carrera and enjoyed it. This time life is different for me after having a total knee replacement in January, and I wanted to test myself – and my new knee – to see if I could do it on my e-bike – with no recharging allowed. “Let’s see if I can get home on a full battery”.
The strong headwinds, however, made life pretty tough…

00:00 Intro
00:40 Newcastle Central Station
04:56 Berwick
07:45 Goswick Links Golf
11:14 A beer on the A1 and Storm Clouds..
14:16 A Steep Hill with a Surprise at the Top!
15:03 Scouting out Camp Spots for the night…and a weird man in a car..
16:53 Camping Nirvana! Hidden, Sheltered and Flat
22:51 Morning
25:10 Cycling towards Belford (it’s hilly and we take a wrong turn)
27:34 Running Across the A1
29:46 Riding towards Bamburgh – Castles at last!! (and downhills..)
31:51 Whingeing About the Winds
32:47 A Beer at Embleton and heading towards Dunstanburgh Castle
35:05 The Bust Stop Haven at Boulmer
37:20 Deciding to Call it a Day and then this Happens…
39:20 Reasoning behind North-South and BUY ME A COFFEE Thanks.
42:12 LOOK WHATS HAPPENED NOW!!! (Thanks Sharon X)

Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hello guys. Uh this is us off on an adventure. Check your mics working uh in Newcastle Central Station. Getting the train up to Beric for to recreate something I did on me birthday last year, but I’d uh doing it on Sammy this time. And the difference is I’m older, wiser. I’ve got a bigger red spot on me forehead of the stupid helmet. That’s not a good look. Uh I’ll have to work out something for that. But yeah, uh doing something I did last year obviously uh wiser. I’ve bike packed a lot more since then. Not multi well a couple of multi days but not many. Uh so the thing this time is I’ve got Sammy I’ve got one charge and one charge only and one charge to get me home. Uh so I will not be shy with pushing it up hills. Uh turning the uh the battery off when needs be freewheeling. I’ll certainly not be having it in turbo mode or anything that uh eco off most of the time. Uh so we’ll see how we get on. So yep trains in about an hour. Got to town faster than I expected. Uh the things I worry about is cycling through town and stuff, which is stupid really. Uh I think that’s about it. Uh I they’re going to try and camp at some different places. Uh but if not, then I will use the the two I had last time. I think I’ll make better time uh this time. Uh and we’ll just we’ll we’ll enjoy it. Last time I seem to just not rush it, but it was just mission in me head. Mission get home. Get home. This time I want to uh take a bit more time. Stop if needs be. Have a cuper and have a beer at a pub if needs be. If needs be. Needs will always be. Uh right. So I do it a bit differently this time. I’ve got the drone. I’ve got the bike packed differently. Uh I’ll show you. It’s just my usual setup, but it’s not the setup I had when I did this last year. Uh and obviously I know this setup works. Everything’s easy access. Uh oh, look at that. There’s the pigeons in. That is Newcastle Central Station. There is Sammy. Uh, got a hat just in case. Beautiful central station. The train now approaching platform 2 does not stop here. Please stand well clear of the exit. Platform two. So that’s about that. Uh I always have a little ner on the train. Train is due in I say like an hour to a really good time getting here. And I worry about pedaling through town. It’s it’s literally you got to get off at Jasmine. You can’t take your bikes on the underground part of the Newcastle Metro. 10 minutes max. Uh right in a bit. Oh, one other thing. There’s going to be massive headwinds. Massive. really uh massive man. Massive headwinds. Uh steady 20s. It’s reckoning. Oh, I forgot me anometer. Damn it. Uh steady 20s, gusting 30 to 40s. Uh winds coming in southwesterly. Uh behind me be right in me face. Uh and I will explain why I haven’t done the trip the other way around for to have those winds at me back. Uh that holds no interest for me doing it uh north to south to north. going to hold no interest but I’ll I’ll chat to you about that later. All right then. In a bit, guys. Doodles and Ashington and Edinburgh wave. The fox has arrived into Edinburgh at my name. The woman is not always [Music] Hey Guys, that is uh the first the first uh the first 20 minutes done navigating the streets of Beric. Uh already had two mish hops as you do. I bring lightweight aluminum uh water bottle. Yeah, reusable. Better for the planet than plastic. Even though I do reuse the heck out of those smart water bottles. And what happened? It fell out, bounced awkwardly, punctured, believe it or not. jets of water squirting out like a broken uh can of beer. Oh, thankfully there was a trespass just across the street. So, I bobbed in there, got me a new aluminum uh water bottle. Uh and then I was crossing the road and me crappy mud guard fell off. So, I fixed that. Uh this is where we are. Obviously, not some type of time lord, am I? So, that’s the first hill pushed up. And I’ll catch you in a bit. Oh, I’ve got uh bike said I’ve got 82 miles. Uh and then 2 minutes later I said I’ve got 78. So, it is a battle of the battle of the battery. This one should be interesting. Hey, there’s a good angle for you. Read up read up the nose. Uh that’s us up to cockle burn already. Bike’s gone up to 78. I will show you the uh the purion uh uh display for the uh the Bosch bike. Uh and it it does it it sort of recalibrates itself every quarter of a mile. And if you do a hill and put it into the turbo and the uh the the sport modes, it chews the battery up. Heat. Heat. [Music] Tell you what, that golf course there, some nice level grass there for camping on, isn’t it? Especially where they’ve got them flags in the little hole. Nice grass coming on. About the pegs going in nice there. Right, we’ll try a different uh camera angle. I’ve got the selfie stick attached to the frame of the bike on a clamp. Chi’s over there looking quite moody. Old Lincoln skies looking moody. Uh it did say we’re going to be getting showers around about 4 5:00. Uh I’m all right with that. Uh doing good at times so far. I think I’ve done about 9 miles in an hour and a half, which is good. Uh this has been a lot easier on the ebike than it was on the Carrera, obviously. Yeah, but you’ve still got to pedal. And I am watching my battery like a hawk. That is the battery there. So that’s the nug in. So trim I’ve done 10 m. Sorry it’s tool on the bike. So obviously watching that leg blink. I’ll fix that in a minute. It’s not very exciting. I’ll show you more more of that later. Uh, right. Literally not far off the course Holy Island. In my head, I wanted to get to East Kylo tonight uh and try and pitch in East Kylo or roundabouts there before Detent. We’ll see what happens. Right in a bit. As you can see, there’s ample opportunity for to gather water on the route. Uh I’ll be honest, I’m not even sure if a catadin could sort that out. But again, on a nice hot day, you could just sit there. Yeah. Dangling your feet. A nice little bit of a dip there. Uh and then obviously h get fill up with your water. You’re welcome. Hints and tips. You’re welcome. [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey. Hey. [Music] get in uh in the spirit of solo biker Dave or Dave Border Rambler and when him and Ian are out uh it’s really inspired us to take more advantage of the local uh hostelies. So ah cheers. Ah so yeah right next to the A1 that is the Lindes pub. Oh that’s the first spot to rain. Uh meies might get me up out see how long the rain’s going to last and I could always just hide in the pub. Could I paint? It’s an idea. So, yeah, they’re trying to get near East Kylo tonight or Kylo or somewhere before Dant uh and dip into the woods or, you know, the edge of a farmer’s field and then just set up camp. Oh, that’s nasty looking. That’s coming in, man. Look at that. Look at that nasty and nasty beast. Uh, so that’s about it. Uh, I think what I was going to tell you earlier when I just zoned out was the last time I did this I had a beautiful tailwind and I got literally pushed most of the way home. Uh, unfortunately this time I’ve got a southerntherly wind southwest. Uh, so it’s not ideal, is it? But I’ll be honest, uh, the ebike on eco set has been taking the sting out of that down to 68 miles on it now. U we’ll just see how I go. I’ve got uh two plan B’s. Actually, you could call that a plan B and a plan C, couldn’t you? Yeah. Yeah. Uh I got two two uh two emergency plans, but I can’t see us needing any help until I’m Well, them clouds look rotten. I can’t see us needing any help. I’m sure I’m sure even with with just one charge, I can get that to at least sort of Amble Creswell Bllythe. Uh, right. I got to shut up, get me the get me weather wraps on and see what time this is coming in. Look at it. Look at that. Oh, it does not look good. This bike looks ace. Beer looks even better. Look at that. Eh. Oh, stick me in. Yeah, that’s the holy trinity there. Right there. Right. Uh in a bit peeps, I’m checking a lame met. Right. So that’s the massive hill I’ve come up. Uh literally that is a push. I didn’t want to waste none of me battery there. Then I get this dodgy car comes and stops here. Then this blow hops out. Hello. Come and say hello. How are you getting? All right.
Not so bad. That Mac in the wild. Check out. I’ll put a link down for his YouTube. Uh I just have been sitting having a nice chat. Uh and obviously asked about uh pitching locations up that way. So it seems like it might be all right. But I champion. Yes. How nice was that? I thought I bump into Mac and I literally when I seen the car come up and I’m like, “Oh god, what type of nutter is going to be in there?” Uh but a thoroughly a thoroughly a thoroughly nice nutter. Uh right. So that’s doable. Not feeling the views though. Pretty uh doable. [Music] Oh, breeze is lush. Prop that big hill. Fancy bumping into someone when your face is that red and you’re not looking very athletic. Uh that’s doable. That would be just out of sight of gate. Doesn’t look like anything comes down here. There’s no tracks. Uh, can’t even say dog walkers coming here. Oh, hold on. Speak of the devil. Weird. Right. A little bit peculiar, but he was all right. I’m on pushing mode again. Uh, we’re going to pitch up in here. Oopsies. We’re going to pitch up in here. I just wanted to make sure uh that man was out of the way. Mountain biker been up uh Barrett Mas. So where been uh I don’t want to know where I’m going. in a a hot piece of toddy like this with an expensive uh an expensive bike out in the wilds by herself. Girls got to look after herself. Stealth. So, we’ll find somewhere here. Uh I will squash myself on uh damn right snow two ways about that. Follow me. [Music] This is how wild campers rock. Oh, look at that. Nirvana. Right. That’s the mind of a wild camper. Uh, you’re stopping knowing that somewhere looks interesting or having scouted on a map and then going investigating in real life. investigating when you’re near a tell you what this one’s worked out doozy. Uh that road’s just there. Nothing will be able to see me tucked back there. Uh I’ll be honest, I fancy a view. So I’m going to go to the top of the hill. Uh see if I can be stealth. Well, I will just do it. See if I can be stealth. Well, leave the bike here. Uh and then we’ll take it from there. But day one done. Uh, and I think when I Google mapped this and plotted the route, I think it was close to 20 miles. Uh, I do in kilometers because it always sounds more badass in kilometers. That’s true though, doesn’t it? Right. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, right guys, that is uh the end of day one. Uh it’s been a thoroughly nice day. Reckon I’ve done 35 kilometers. See, it sounds better than 20 miles, doesn’t it? I reckon I’ve done 35k. Uh, and obviously the bike when I put it onto the trip uh to tell you the the length of the the trip, it’s not going to tell us that uh the right number because I turn the motor off uh a lot of the time when I’m freewheing down for to save battery. Uh and I just it’s not going to tell uh the the right trip length. So I’ve had a couple of red stripe been nice just nice and relaxing been sat watching rabbits in the field then I go and you have the little rabbits as he has go and then just for to see how good that that yarn is. Nice little games. At least I don’t shoot them after. Uh and I want to say hello to Ian. Ian Ian. All right there Ian. Uh Ian, who I uh met at the Rising Sun Country Park the other day uh when I was crashing into a hawthornne bush on the bike. Oh man, how to meet people. He was like, I bet you wish I got that one on camera. I thought that’s a we had thing to say, but I was Yeah. Yeah. Then when he started talking and saying how you been out lately, I was like, oh, hold on. You must watch the videos. So lovely to meet you, Ian. Yes, I’m all right. They’re bruised as an old person would be. Uh but uh survi survived okay because yeah that cop like a blinking come up uh really swollen and bleeding almost had a hawthorn straight in me uh me wrist and back out again. Oh so uh be reviews uh for people tomorrow not for tonight cuz we’ve had this one. It’s blinking delicious. When I’ve had this I should be going to peeps. It is about uh oh gosh it’s 10 to 10. I’ll have me alarm set for quart 8. Uh and I want to do at least 30 miles tomorrow which will be no bother and then that leave me for about 30 miles for to do on Saturday. Uh but whether I do 30 or four look at me talking in miles. I would like to do about uh 60k tomorrow. I don’t know what 30 mess is. Probably 50 50k. So yeah, I want to bust out 50k the next couple of days on my little bike. Uh just see how far that battery can take us or how far I can conserve that battery for. There’s a few uh nasty uphill sections coming. Uh but after a nasty uphill section, what what happens? We get a glorious downhill section. I’ve chined some beers tonight, so the bait will be later for tomorrow. Uh I don’t get much. We’ll just see what happens. It’s all a learning curve for me as well. Anyway, guys, uh just tuning in for to say toodles. Uh and I will catch you I will catch you tomorrow. Morning guys. Yes, still in the same clothes. Uh I change tonight. Tonight’s the change of clothes night. Uh can I just say h it goes without saying that Nick has changed every day. And can I also say I am doing this incredible feat without padded cycling shorts on. Yes, I’ve got a Brook saddle, but I’ve covered the Brook saddle uh with the uh one of those Aldi special foam foam bike seats. Seems to be working out all right so far. Oh, uh decent night. All right. out special tent on a bit of a slant and then the mim mat which I suspected was going down a little bit last time uh it’s going down a little bit so I had to pump that up before bed and then I was getting a really bad back couldn’t understand why I had to side sleep uh and then obviously when it got near the morning I thought how long it’s gone down that’s why me back so I’m on grass that’s one time’s been plowed looks like it’s been left follow at the minute that is the state of play everything is out of the tent I don’t do breakfasts. I’ve not even bothered with a coffee this morning. So, I will have all of that packed up in 10 minutes. Nice and tidy, man. All of that packed up in 10 minutes. H been a lovely little spot. This apart from the one moment last night where the it was the farm because I’d had the drone up. Uh, so when I looked at the drone footage, and I only got like 30 seconds of drone footage, uh, you could see the silver uh, like Land Rover with a trailer behind. So, he must have been feeding sheep or something or that was him just toodling up. Uh, but either he saw us and wasn’t forced cuz you can see it’s a tidy camp uh, or he didn’t see us. U, which means I brought the right tent. Stealthy. Stealth. That tent. That’s your cuyu mountain store. I’ll write it down here. 1.4 4 kg. They’re packed out tiny. Uh, obviously it’s not bike packing specific because the pools are are a regular length and with your bike packing tents, they do compact the pools so they can fit on your handlebars. Nice. Right. Absolute font of knowledge. Uh, right. I’ll get me jolly little self off, get stuff, packed up, and I will catch you down the road a bit. Just for to say happy Friday. [Music] You can 51ish miles. Uh, but that’s the main thing. I’ve still got a just about a full battery. Uh, that will be sneaking down probably to there today. Let’s have it. See you up the road. [Music] That’s the hill in the Belfa done. Must be mostly pushing. H not the best angle. What the hell? M Spielberg. I think I am sometimes. See, I’ll be just looking forward to getting back across the A1. I hate this part of the the NC1. Why they can’t make a track over the other side of the A1 through fields and stuff. Uh it’s beyond me. There’s nothing pleasurable apart from last night’s camp. about this side of the day one. It’s just a a hilly mess on. That’s all it is. No need for it. Okay, then morning or rant have finished. Uh that’s obviously the way ahead cuz I’m pointing the camera forward and I’ll see you in a bit. Glorious. Glorious downhill. Hey. Hey. Hello cyclists. Matching tops. [Music] just screwed up there. It’s a flipping A1. I didn’t see the sign for the NC1 uh before turning off before Belfad. It was probably right near where I did that bit of video wing about having to come through Belfad. Apparently, you don’t. When I got me little map out, uh it’s just before you hit the town center of Belfad. It’s uh it’s like a left hand turn, Clive. Oh, wow. Bouncy shots there, man. Uh right, but I did this road last time and this actually meets up with the NC1 soon. Oh, it’s not fun having to run your bike across the A1, is it? Uh especially when they’ve got a blinking uh you’ve got a total knee replacement that’s just been popped in in January. Jesus staff running quite a while. The operation was a huge success. Hey All right. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Hey, Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] No chance. Oh, senior. Let’s push. It’s vertical. Help us. Help us. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Tell you what, what a bloody wind man right in faced net officer saying 18s to 20s gusting higher gusting 30s to 40s I’ve not had 30 or 40s but I’d certainly agree with it steady high teens over higher well really takes it out of you it’s starting to chew the battery a bit but the battery is still doing Okay. Like in eco mode on this bike has just taken the nip out of it. Christ. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] That is the stunning Dunston bra castle. That’s probably my favorite of the North Umbrean castles and there’s not nothing to it. Uh but for me it it’s just an absolute stunner. Uh, straight out of Game of Thrones. That bad boy, isn’t it? There’s a nice golf club down there. Again, really good pitching on some of those greens. Look at the sky. Oh, man. You probably can’t for the freaking rent bringing clothes up. It’s not good. Met office is saying that nearly 20 nearly 20s now. I would agree with that. I am 16 miles I think off. Uh we’re heading to Amble. Uh get some some supplies and some treats and then head to Jurid. Got to love the summer, haven’t you? Eh, look at that. Lush way to spend a week off. Thankfully, it’s only 3 days of me week off. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hey, world’s trumpest camp kitchen took that bloody wind and I got myself the brew and then I got to knock the pasta up there. I love that little saw. It’s absolutely It’s killed me today has uh where am I boomer? Listen the bloody wind, man. Watch there’s bush shelter sign moving. bush is going. That’s that. I’m actually thinking about uh calling this one. It’s It’s Stop being fun. Oh man. Uh I’m going to get the walkth. I will. I’ll get the Walkworth uh from Boomer Almouth Warworth Amble. Uh I’ll see what happens. It’s just a blinking winds, man. Straight me face. Uh I’m doing all right with battery. It’s saying I’ve got 32 miles left. I’ve still got two bars of battery left, I think. Three. But uh it’s just no fun. Ah, right. That’s dinner. I’ll get this down and see if that chips us up a little bit. At the minute, I’m feeling a little bit deflated. Uh, and the only one that’s going to defeat us is myself, and I don’t like that. That’s windy. If the bus stop sign is moving like that, that’s windy. Right. Dinner time. The blinking bird is trying to fly in. You had to get out the wind. I seen me in that. God damn it. And I back out. Yeah. Hey, guess what? I’m bailing. Uh, not often I do stuff like this. Divine Providence. Uh, I’ve just had a pile of main messages uh saying if I needed help. She’s up at sea houses. You know what? Uh, what’s the point of battling through that through and I can I’ll stick the the screenshot of what the uh the Met Office says the winds are. Yeah, I quite believe that. I’ve been battling uh easy 20s with the some of the winds that that’s stopping you. Uh there’s times when I’ve been having to pedal to go downhill. Where’s the fun in that? For me, it’s about going out having fun. Uh it’s not about enduring it. I say that quite often. It’s first and foremost about enjoying it, not enduring it and having fun. H. So, I got as far as Boomer. Uh, it’s where I am now. I’m in the bus stop at Boomer and my pal’s coming for us from Sea Houses. And we’re hoping we can get the bike in. Uh, oh man. H. And I will be home in a couple of hours. There’s that bird. Oh, no. It’s flew off. And I’ll be home in a couple of hours. Uh, have I enjoyed it? Yes, I have. Uh, but I wouldn’t be enjoying it anymore if I carried on. Uh so that’s it. They’re done as uh stupid. Don’t ask stupid attempt at the coast and castles doing it north to south when there’s a fullon southerntherly headwind. putting and I’ll just crack on here for another two minutes. The reason I didn’t want to do it north to south is that get really confused. The reason I didn’t want to do it from Newcastle up to Beric. Yeah, that’s south to north, isn’t it? Uh is because it just holds absolutely no interest for me. Uh even with the wind at me back and it it’s it’s got it’s it’s there’s not an end for us. If I start at Beric, I’ve got the end. And that’s that’s getting home. It’s getting back to Newcastle, getting Pat Donna’s house. Uh if I start at Newcastle, where’s the end? Just getting to Beric. Uh that’s quite an empty an empty reward for me. And you know, no fault of barracks, but then I’ve just got to jump on a train and come home. It just seems a bit pointless. Uh so for me that it just doesn’t work that way. Uh, I’ll do this again because I think I I think I could have did this on the the one charge on Sammy. Uh, I I honestly do. I’ve been really good with uh consuming the battery. Um, I’ve still got 30 odd miles on it. Not in this wind. I wouldn’t. So, yeah, that’s it. Thanks very much for watching. I haven’t even said a big thanks for uh the people that’s gave us coffees lately. uh goes straight into TFM fund. Mike makes Mike’s been on hike. Uh Mike man there. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Uh you just keep supporting the channel and and for that I am eternally grateful. I got Angela. Uh that was a mild amount of coffees. Uh it’s going straight into the TFM fund. We’re getting there. I’m looking at trying to get a refurb site. They do sell them, but it’s not often they come up. So I am looking at that. Uh then we’ve got Paul. Uh Paul, you are more than welcome uh to point point your your youngans in the right direction for somewhere to pitch up. H didn’t have to do that, but thank you very much for the coffees. Oh, and who else was I going to say hello to? Ian. Uh Ian, who saw us crash into the Hawthorne bush when I was out uh training on me bike. Oh man, the blinking bruise on me arm. I don’t know if you can see it. Don’t know if you can see that bruise. That’s where I went into the hawthornne bush. Yeah, you guys. Thank you as always uh for for for for popping on. Oh, and can I just say thanks to Mac Mark in the wild for stopping and offering to pick us some beer so we can bring him up to camp when I was already all right for red strike. So thanks Mark. Obviously my pal Sharon. Thank you Sharon for coming to pick us up. And you guys that’s turned into an Oscar speech. You guys thanks ever so much for tuning in. I’m sorry it ended here but I’m not. I’m happy it’s ended here. Uh it’s not oft not quit stuff. Uh but no, for me it’s all about the fun. Right. We’ll have fun on the next one. E toodles. Oh man, look what’s happened now. The bike fell in the back of the car. Legend. Absolute legend. Yes. My most favorite person.
Divine intervention has gone. I was I was up at sea houses at me. Saw our message. I thought I’ll rescue my pal.
Look at that. It even fits in there. But don’t tell her husband. Right. And shut that back door very carefully. Bye guys. Bye. Bye.