Moving from Au to Newcastle UK - advise

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hi all, I am looking to move to newcastle in the UK in a month or so for work(2+ yrs). Now apart from the 43deg c days here and i hear the very cold there :eek: my next challange is getting a bike.

I have a Giant ocr 1 here, and not sure if i will take it with me, or buy a new bike over there.

Here in Au i guess giant is a value for money bike, may not be the best but they give good cost Vs what you get.

Is this the same in the Uk? or is brands like Gitane better value?
I am looking at a tcr 1, Gitane mach 2300, level spec bike

carbon frame, ultegra '05+ group set.

that aside, is it wet windy and cold up north? eg not rider friendly? (coming from the summer in oz i think its going to be a shock, the cost of renting apartments almost put me into shock)

cheers
Ben

is it going to be wet and cold?

lol... you have no idea what your letting yourself in for...
get yourself a coat.. a big one ..


actualy in the summer it does stop raining some days.. then it could almost be decribed as nice.

ohhh great :) now I just can’t wait!!!!



doesn't sound like its road bike friendly?? (I have never ridden in the rain... because we just don’t get it much here, 40+ C deg again here tomorrow)



looking at photos etc it looks like a nice country, and since brewing is a hobby/design for work, the UK area sounds great in that aspect



maybe I will invest my bike money in some coats :)



Euro I thought was big on the road bikes, but if it’s so cold and wet, how do people ride, and do you wear different clothing to what I am accustom to (eg bike top - short sleave and bike shorts )



cheers

Ben

brewing? are we talking beer or tea here?


Europe is big on road cycling... England isnt apart of europe.(well if you ask a politician maybe) Hardly any road cyclist on this little island (thats why there are no brits in the tour de france)

however on the plus note.. from reading the aussie forum i think you will find our car drivers have much better manors.

Talking beer brewing, I have a nano brewery here (only 120Lt batches) and the Aus beer is (mainstream) is crap! (the private/craftbrewerys is good)

We pay $5-$9 for english etc beers here per stubbie

On the bikes, sorry i forget euro is not uk etc its much the same to me as i have never been there, "long way away and much colder" is about all i know :)

Having just made the reverse journey I wouldn't comnsider riding on UK roads compared to Melbourne. The North east is cold, windy, wet and worst of all if you have a decent bike you better make sure its locked up well or you won't have it for long. The Northeast of England is a hard gritty working class area.


Good Luck you'll certainly miss Melbourne.

dam, not what i wanted to hear :mad:

oh well if thats the way it is, then thats the way it is....

I wonder what on earth people do there then :) no riding?!?! ... oh thats right pubs :)

There is area's like this is melbourne though, frankston, footscray, springvale etc

Is there nice areas to ride in/near Newcastle that are not rough? and in summer is it rider friendly?

I guess i would be riding to and from work so the bike would be locked up in apartment/work, however If its wet and rainy i wouldn't ride and i will most likly need to use a car with work, so that may not happen as often as i like

Looks like i will come home with a fat beer belly :o

The Geordies are probably the friendliest people in the UK. Geordie girls are famous for it.. and for wearing no clothes even in subzero temperatures.

You wont be able to understand a word what they are saying mind. The city is cool, a great blend of old and new.

Crimewise its not too bad, stay away from gateshead,sunderland and middlesbrough you'll be arlight. Unless you actually enjoy fighting of course, then just out for a drink on a friday/saturday night and you can have your pick of local meatheads.



As for beer .. well I hope you like Newcastle brown ale or fosters.

you have no idea what your letting yourself in for...
get yourself a coat.. a big one ..

you wont be able to find one this big in Aus, better wait till you get here and get yourself down to local outdoor shop. There you'll find an array of sealskin, reindeer skin and buffallo skin coats with extra sheep lining.

Stick your goretex on top and you'll hadly feel the cold during the summer.

cycling is limited from 28 June till 7 Aug....and make sure your bike has got mudgards.

Its a great city, very lively and friendly. Great football too. Great beer...the odd dick-head.

As for beer .. well I hope you like Newcastle brown ale or fosters.
Fosters - yucko, think i will look far and wide to find some real beer....somewhere

"cycling is limited from 28 June till 7 Aug....and make sure your bike has got mudgards"

thats very limited, :( i gather the weather is the limit?
would be hard to stay fit enough to complete long rides... I guess there wont be much point saving for a tcr comp. like i planned to, all the weight saving would not be worth it (adding mud gards etc) and it may sit around gathering more dust that anything else... might just take the OCR with me

Thanks for the help guys, i will give you a update when i get there expected about march

cheers

I am from Newcastle and there is a great cycling setup there.

Some good quality bike shops in the city and some very strong clubs which meet every weekend.

The contryside around Newcastle is tremendous and will make Australia look dull.Head into Northumberland and take a camera with you if you can.The weather isn't as bad as you think and most cyclists manage to get out the whole year round.Summers here usually hit 28-30 celsius.

Here is an example of the countryside you can expect:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68259253@N00/71516834/in/set-1742617/

wow thats great news i was getting a bit down about it all

I am not a strong rider, rather just like to keep fit and love the feel of flying along on a nice bike and ride. (makes it feel ok to have a beer after work then)

about the biggest rides i do is 50Km however i might build up further as i am finding that easer now

It looks like i will be moving as my contract is signed. I was thinking of taking my OCR1 over but its a nice excuse to get another bike :) wanting a TCR1 comp. but dont like the paints this last 2 yrs (like the gloss on carbon look) (04 was black and yellow i liked that, maybe i will e-bay for one)

that pic looks like magic!
However dont be fooled into thinking AU is not nice, maybe 75% is barron but the beaches hills tropics etc are very nice, just hotter and dryer i guess, we had a stint of 45 deg days last week (about as good to ride in as the wet cold)

cant wait to get there and have a look for myself (i will be in the city as thats where work is) but i will get out on the weekends i am sure

thanks again for making it sound far less doom and gloom, and your photos are VERY good.. some of the best i have seen WOW:eek:

Nice pics there, fearby. I've never seen it quite like that - I guess you have to get up in the morning! :o

Ben, as you're a brewer you'll no doubt be wanting to check out the CAMRA (http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.ASP?WCI=ShowCat&CatID=1) web site (they do a good book too!) which details all the best 'real ale' pubs in the UK. Plenty of cycling to do from one to the next!!:D

hi all, I am looking to move to newcastle in the UK in a month or so for work(2+ yrs). Now apart from the 43deg c days here and i hear the very cold there :eek: my next challange is getting a bike.

I have a Giant ocr 1 here, and not sure if i will take it with me, or buy a new bike over there.

Here in Au i guess giant is a value for money bike, may not be the best but they give good cost Vs what you get.

Is this the same in the Uk? or is brands like Gitane better value?
I am looking at a tcr 1, Gitane mach 2300, level spec bike

carbon frame, ultegra '05+ group set.

that aside, is it wet windy and cold up north? eg not rider friendly? (coming from the summer in oz i think its going to be a shock, the cost of renting apartments almost put me into shock)

cheers
Ben

which newcastle is it , newcastle under lyme or newcastle upon tyne??

Ben, as you're a brewer you'll no doubt be wanting to check out the CAMRA (http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.ASP?WCI=ShowCat&CatID=1) web site (they do a good book too!) which details all the best 'real ale' pubs in the UK. Plenty of cycling to do from one to the next!!:D
yep got the books :) and just waiting to get stuck into the real ales... hopfully find a beer engine over there also for the home brewery

dunno if drinking , clipless peddels and the road mix well though :) i sometimes find standing a challange lol

Also its newcastle upon tyne.

yep got the books :) and just waiting to get stuck into the real ales... hopfully find a beer engine over there also for the home brewery

dunno if drinking , clipless peddels and the road mix well though :) i sometimes find standing a challange lol

Also its newcastle upon tyne.
gosh! do you know what you are letting yourself in for moving to there? lol
Geordies as people from Newcastle upon Tyne are known as have possibly the worst accent of all British people, lol and are extremely hard to understand

good luck

gosh! do you know what you are letting yourself in for moving to there? lol
Geordies as people from Newcastle upon Tyne are known as have possibly the worst accent of all British people, lol and are extremely hard to understand

good luck
So i have been told :) not exactly how i will go with that, however i doubt i would make much sence after a night at the pub :)

I gather there is still a high percentage of "british" speaking (eg without the heavy accent) in these area's?

After doing some reading on the geordies (as i had no idea what it was) and i am more confused than ever with the way they speak, i guess time will tell :)

So i have been told :) not exactly how i will go with that, however i doubt i would make much sence after a night at the pub :)

I gather there is still a high percentage of "british" speaking (eg without the heavy accent) in these area's?

After doing some reading on the geordies (as i had no idea what it was) and i am more confused than ever with the way they speak, i guess time will tell :)Don't listen to all of the doom mongers . . . you haven't lived until you get caught out in driving sleet with gusts of wind so strong that they all but blow your wheels out from under you.
Does your contract include you working with a team of Geordies?
If so you are likely to have the time of your life on nights out . . . you'll have to leave that big coat at home, though, it's shirtsleeves only even in December !
Your Aus$ will only go half as far over here so you may need to fork out more than you thought for any nice bike . . . but the upside to that is 2 years of earning £ will buy you any bike you like when you return to Oz - depending how many nights a week you party in the Bigg Market, of course.
There's some fabulous countryside in Northumberland so the previous comments regarding strong clubs with regular rideouts doesn't surprise me at all.
Oh, and women will ask you what the current storyline is in Neighbours, and will be genuinely surprised if you don't know !
Enjoy !

thanks,
I now intend to take my bike with me, i will insure it so if the airline smash some carbon its covered.

The other almost good thing?!?! is Australia is so expencive that the UK (bike wise) is even, your beer i hear is cheaper and we are only cheaper with living costs eg rent, fuel, and meats.

otherwise i think you supply V demand is better and it works out even. If i can save i will come home in front but even if i come home about even i just cant wait to see what its like.

My last day at work in melbourne scored me some books on Euro and one on English pubs.... looks and reads like my heavan exect the cold that i will need to get used to!!!

short sleves .... my god! over 23+ deg maybe but do you really in winter eg jan where i see on the net its about 3deg?

crazy people :)

i will have to practise my "english" such as bollocks and geezer? hahaha

i will have to practise my "english" such as bollocks and geezer? hahaha[/QUOTE]

. . . and you'll need to learn 'The Blaydon Races' if you fancy singing your heart out on the Gallowgate End for the Toon . . . just the 1st verse and the chorus will do you, everyone mumbles the rest anyway.