About the site
First and foremost, my
name is Dean Grindle. Like many a cyclist, I cut my
long-haul teeth on the brilliant C2C which I try to
ride every year. However, living very close to the Reivers
Cycle Route (RCR), I became quite intrigued by this
mysterious sister of the C2C and started riding sections
of it quite regularly.
The
webmaster
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The Inspiration
When I decided to plan
a full ride of the Reivers route I thought it would
be similar to planning the C2C. Planning the C2C these
days is a relative breeze thanks, in the main, to Dik
Stoddart's excellent C2C-Guide.
Does anyone really do the C2C these days without even
a casual glance at that website? The contrast with the
Reivers was stark. Sure, there are some books available
and there was some web stuff around but it
was very disparate and surfing from site to site was
a drag.
So the idea for a comprehensive website for the RCR was
born and, spurred by a New Year's resolution, the website
design commenced in earnest in January 2005. Since then
the site has continued to expand. Rome wasn't built in
a day and my intention is to grow the site largely through
the contributions of the real experts - those of you who
have ridden the route or who intend to ride it in the
future.
I am perplexed by the lack of awareness of the RCR.
There is a remote beauty about the Reivers that captivates
many people that ride it. The route is also of huge
historical interest so it does provide you with an opportunity
not only to ride but to learn.
Perhaps the Reivers basks in the shadow of its better-known
sibling the C2C. However, it is a great route in its
own right and when combined with the C2C then you have
a fantastic circular challenge route of immense variety
and contrast.
So, with a bit of luck this website might just encourage
more of you to cycle the route and savour its pleasures.
I live in hope....
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The Webmaster
Living in Ovingham in Northumberland provides access
to some fantastic bike riding both of the road and all-terrain
variety. So my interest in cycling is understandable.
I split my time fairly equally between road and mountain
biking. My 'Sunday Best' mountain bike is a very tasty
Scott Genius MC-30 with full suspension and a carbon
frame. My 'Winter' bike is a Giant NRS full-suspension
bike which is in dire need of some TLC after a hard
Winter's pounding. I have a very lovely Trek Madone
carbon-fibre bike a la Lance Armstrong. I have a race
licence and compete in road races.
The
webmaster demonstrating his expertise in back
garden MTB-ing
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Where do I cycle? Well, on the road bike it's straight
out of the front gate and onto the fantastic Northumberland
roads. You can ride for hours and hardly see a car.
I'm a regular at the iconic Capheaton Tea Rooms - a
real roadie's paradise.
My main MTB riding is done locally with the lads from
the Clara
Vale MTB Club bless them. There's a plethora of
technical woodland trails in and around the Tyne Valley
which keeps us occupied. It also appears to keep the
local hospitals occupied given the appalling number
of serious falls this year. It's perhaps God's way of
saying we should be in pipe and slippers at our age.
Further afield, I like to get across to the Lake District,
the Cheviots and the 7 Stanes in Scotland.
In 2006 I cycled in Peru
to raise money for Macmillan
Cancer Support. It was extremely tough as the cycling
was at altitudes up to 14,200ft where you feel as if
you have only one lung under your shirt. In 2008 I am
riding in the Himalayas for St Oswalds Hospice in Newcastle.
My other great love is fell walking. With a couple
of mates we are seeking to walk all 214 Wainwright Fells
in the Lake District. Check out my website at Three
Men & A Hip Flask
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