Route Direction

Related pages: | Planning a Ride | Bike choice | Ride options | Getting there | Duration & stop-over points |

Clearly this is one of the most fundamental questions you will need to ask yourself.

Bear in mind the prevailing wind direction when choosing your start point and time of year

Most people cycle the route east to west (Tynemouth to Whitehaven). A major reason for this is that the Reivers is often used as a return route for the C2C and given that the latter is almost always cycled West-to-East it makes sense for the Reivers to start at Tynemouth.

The official Reivers map also assumes an east to west direction, which is as good a reason as any to do it that way as you will find it easier to navigate. Also the inclines are marginally in your favour in this direction. Those who have cycled the route both ways will probably tell you that the waymarking is better from east to west. The downside of this direction (and it is a big one) is that you will be cycling against the prevailing winds which can be exhausting in the windier months. So the choice is yours.

Time of Year

The Reivers is commonly referred to as a Summer route. This isn't really the case but it does come into its own then and by far the majority of rides take place in the Summer.

The Reivers is perfectly feasible all-year round but outside the Summer months the winds will be much stronger which will slow you dramatically if you cycle east to west. So allow for this when calculating your daily mileage.

Be especially cautious when cycling the Reivers during the Winter months!

Out of season, the rain/snow will also make some of the terrain very claggy especially around Kielder/Newcastleton. This again will slow you up but also may influence your bike choice. Remember, in the colder months you will need to carry much more in the way of clothing to cope with the cold and wetness which will further slow you down.