nice route - south manchester to north bolton

thrope

Going to a wedding this weekend and might leave the car, so thinking it would make a nice ride to go and pick it up...

Does anyway know a nice way to get from south manchester (Didsbury) to Bolton (halfway between Bromley Cross and Egerton)?

Google maps says 21miles by road, so I'm figuring 30 on the bike, but perhaps that's a bit optimistic? Don't often get out other than my commute so my idea of figures compared to motorway might be way off...

redddraggon

I don't really know the roads north of Manchester.....

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 85278&z=10

I've been on those roads a couple of times on clubruns and they weren't that bad.

fossyant

I'd run wide...i.e. go for the sticks, or if South into Mcr - go up Parrs wood Rd from Didsbury, then go for A34 at Mosley Road Levenshulme...... not sure out North from the city.....

Keep off Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road anytime - too many buses and stupid students.....

thrope

Yep - I was hoping to keep out of the city since I cycle there often enough commuting (go up yew tree road as a rule to avoid oxford/wilmslow road etc.)

redddraggon

fossyant wrote:

too many buses and stupid students.....

Oxford Road is ace.....just ask Willhub....really fast.....

avoidingmyphd

it'll basically be 60-70% getting across and out of built up manchester, then 30-40% nice rural riding.

so i'd choose the quickest/easiest way across manc, however dull, then the nicest way once you get out.

so i suggest straight through manc, up bury old road to whitefield, straight through to bury, then north along the edge of the west pennine moors through tottington, and a sneaky detour loop through edgeworth into bromley cross.

still less than your 30 miles, so there's some scope for lengthening it (loop round green arms road from edgeworth maybe, you'll see on the map below?)

something like this: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/manch ... 2742624743

mattybain

avoidingmyphd wrote:

it'll basically be 60-70% getting across and out of built up manchester, then 30-40% nice rural riding.

so i'd choose the quickest/easiest way across manc, however dull, then the nicest way once you get out.

so i suggest straight through manc, up bury old road to whitefield, straight through to bury, then north along the edge of the west pennine moors through tottington, and a sneaky detour loop through edgeworth into bromley cross.

still less than your 30 miles, so there's some scope for lengthening it (loop round green arms road from edgeworth maybe, you'll see on the map below?)

something like this: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/manch ... 2742624743

If you got this route then just watch out around Cheetham Hill, the people there have no road sense, cars double parked, pedestrians all over the road and awful traffic even on a Weekend.

Other than that it is a nice ride, roads a bit rough around Radcliffe but I guess that is true of most roads nowadays.

gb155

redddraggon wrote:

fossyant wrote:

too many buses and stupid students.....

Oxford Road is ace.....just ask Willhub....really fast.....

I went donw there for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, I SHAT myself BIG TIME

Hey Jax

gb155 wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

fossyant wrote:

too many buses and stupid students.....

Oxford Road is ace.....just ask Willhub....really fast.....

I went donw there for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, I SHAT myself BIG TIME

yes its a bit crazy. way too many buses, roadworks and not to mention the quality of the road surface. the best bit is the off road cycle lane from the uni, and then thru the park. you usually take out a few dopey pedestrians though, if you're not careful!

edhornby

do you want to do all road ???? if not there is sustrans route 6... you would need an mtb for it tho

I'd choose bury old rd past heaton park rather than new rd - but yeah, cheetham hill is crazy..

thekickingmule

avoidingmyphd wrote:

it'll basically be 60-70% getting across and out of built up manchester, then 30-40% nice rural riding.

so i'd choose the quickest/easiest way across manc, however dull, then the nicest way once you get out.

so i suggest straight through manc, up bury old road to whitefield, straight through to bury, then north along the edge of the west pennine moors through tottington, and a sneaky detour loop through edgeworth into bromley cross.

still less than your 30 miles, so there's some scope for lengthening it (loop round green arms road from edgeworth maybe, you'll see on the map below?)

something like this: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/manch ... 2742624743

That's a good route, but i would change it slightly. At point 15 on the map, the route takes you up Tottington Rd, I would go up Walshaw Rd (to the left) and then when you get to Walshaw Cross (you can't miss it) Turn Right, then stick to that road (Bradshaw Rd) It'll bring you out at point 19, but includes a great hill, bit of a nice long gentle climb, but a great long downhill too
Used to ride there in my teenage years, though at the time I would get completely lost and have to ask for directions in nearby post offices as how to get home

thrope

Thanks for the pointers... went fine yesterday... Unfortunately I was a bit hungover and doing whiskey burps most of the way there... by the time I got out of the city I was a bit knackered to enjoy it really... Also I forgot that hills really slow you down!

It was fun though,

thanks again