Rides in Wigan

wheelbuckler

Hi,

I'm looking for routes in the Wigan area, I haven't got much time due to heavy work commitments so I need it to be local. I already ride the canal but i'm looking for something different!

wheelbuckler

Sorry, forgot to say, I'm looking for rides that would suit a total beginner that would help improve my fitness and my riding skills

monkeychild

What about playing in the woods of Haigh Hall?? Or around Ashurst Beacon??

wheelbuckler

I never thought about ashurst beacon, will have a look there. With Haigh Hall I'm a bit wary because of the amount of people that stroll around the area, because of work commitments most of my riding would take place at a time when Haigh Hall is probably at its busiest, is there places off the beaten track so to speak?

dave_hill

I know it's not in your immediate area, but how about Rivington, near Bolton? It's within easy reach of Wigan by car, there's plenty of trails to explore, loads of parking, and a cafe to boot at the Top Barn.

Johnclimber

Give us a shout

http://www.thewoollybacks.co.uk/index.html

We ride every Thursday night locally, which include Wigan, Parbold, Rivington, Billinge, Runcorn etc

Newbie rides every other Sunday and full club rides every other Sunday. See ride list and forum

Newbies very welcome.

gjp112n

wheelbuckler wrote:

Hi,

I'm looking for routes in the Wigan area, I haven't got much time due to heavy work commitments so I need it to be local. I already ride the canal but i'm looking for something different!

Hi Wheelbuckler - I'm in the same position as you were a few months ago

Did you find anywhere useful at the end of the day ? how about any part of the canal where there isn't a steel gate every quarter of a mile ?

How about the Three Sisters and Bryn Gates Lane (runs from Landgate to the new police station at Bamfurlong)

wheelbuckler

gjp112n wrote:

wheelbuckler wrote:

Hi,

I'm looking for routes in the Wigan area, I haven't got much time due to heavy work commitments so I need it to be local. I already ride the canal but i'm looking for something different!

Hi Wheelbuckler - I'm in the same position as you were a few months ago

Did you find anywhere useful at the end of the day ? how about any part of the canal where there isn't a steel gate every quarter of a mile ?

How about the Three Sisters and Bryn Gates Lane (runs from Landgate to the new police station at Bamfurlong)

Unfortunatley there wasn't much about really, when i'm riding local I tend to either make my way up to Haigh Hall and scoot round the plantations or I tend to go around the flashes.

Access to both area can be had from the canals, the gates are a bit annoying but there isn't much else you can do. There are some good little loops around but they tend to be quite flat. You can try around ashurst beacon, I haven't been up there yet but it could be good, as could parbold area if you can get to it. When I was younger there used to be some good riding in the woods around winstanley and highfield but I haven't been up there for a while so I'm not sure how they are now. You could try asking in your local bike shop, I'm not sure which that will be for you but Charnock Richard cycles could be a good place to ask.

I've used a website called geodistance that allows me to use google earth type maps and satellite pics to plot routes so if you know the area you can try using that for your routes. If I remember later on tonight (Don't count on it though, I have a terrible memory for these things) I will PM you with a couple of links for the routes I have come up with, They can be a bit dull sometimes but if you just want somewhere local you can get out to stretch your legs and try to improve your general riding ability they'll do.

If you want to do anything with decent climbs and good downhill runs you'll nee to look further afield, From Wigan you can be at Llandegla in about an hour and Grizedale in about an hour and half. Rivington can be good but I find the number of walkers around the area at the times I can get there tend to put me off a bit.

gjp112n

Thanks very much
I've take up cycling for the first time at the age of 49+ - This is the first bike I've had, and I'm more concerned about going round corners without falling off than going up and down hill - thats why i'm particularly interested in being able to go some distance without 'hazards', of the motorised or any other variety

Is there much cycling at Haigh Hall without cycling up the drive - I once ran up the drive on a 5k fun run, I don't think i'd fancy pedalling it ....... yet

I actually live in Winstanley - I can't see you doing much bicycling around Highfield, but I do know this area http://tinyurl.com/5ay6qg very well - it's basically an old slag heap with trees on it which might well appeal to those of an MTB persuasion

gjp112n

Wheelbuckler - sorry about this, but as a walker I am almost certainly one of those people who get in your way at Rivington, and I can tell you from the days when I used to live at the bottom of Beech Hill and regularly walked the canal evenings and weekends, that most cyclists coming canal paths make b****r all noise, so walkers just dont know they are there - but you have a bell, you are one of the converted !

wheelbuckler

gjp112n wrote:

Wheelbuckler - sorry about this, but as a walker I am almost certainly one of those people who get in your way at Rivington, and I can tell you from the days when I used to live at the bottom of Beech Hill and regularly walked the canal evenings and weekends, that most cyclists coming canal paths make b****r all noise, so walkers just dont know they are there - but you have a bell, you are one of the converted !

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe I have a given right to use the tracks over anyone else. If its just general riding you are after then the canals are good round the flashes, plenty of tracks round there. You can do a good loop of all the flashes and 3 sisters. Officially to cycle on canal towpaths you need a british waterways permit, you can download it free off the website, I can't ever actually see you needing it but you are bound to get a smart arse one day and it would be funny to shoot him down when he asks to see it.

Haigh hall can be ridden on the canal, from the Girobank/Alliance and Leicster building if you head up towards Ince then onto top lock, follow the canal left when you get to top lock, it will take you into the middle of the plantations, you'll still have to do about half of the drive but at least its not all of it. There is also a track off the canal at Ince which is signposted to haigh hall, this path takes you through scholes and then whelly - I think it used to be a railway line, it can get very muddy though as you get close to haigh hall. Alternatively you could drive to Haigh Hall and park in the car park and ride round the woods. Living in Winstanley though, Ashurst beacon is not to far away, and you could have a look near orrell resevoirs, I know there is a track that runs out of there, near the bridge end of the top water but I don't know where it leads.

I am from winstanley originally although I live in Ince now, the woods I meant were the ones that are behind ravenswood avenue, they run down to pony dick colliery which I kind of class as highfield (ish) thats the area I meant. But you can ride around there and also on the open land off Foundry Lane although how much is still accessible due to the road I do not know. The top end of Winstanley past the school used to have some good woods but they have built a lot of houses up there and I haven't been up there for about 10 years so again, not sure whats left

gjp112n

wheelbuckler wrote:

but they have built a lot of houses up there

I know - I live in one of them. Not a lot of open land left, Holmes House Ave and Tan House Drive are creeping round in a big pincer movement and will join up sooner or later

wheelbuckler

Sounds nice. I have sent myself an email to my home address (I'm at work now, obviously very busy) so I should remember to PM you the links to those routes

beccalily

I ride up rivi. Usually a couple of times a week. 8)