Flat TT courses near Manchester?

Bhima

Any Mancunians know of any good roads for practicing Time Trials?

Must have:

- No traffic Lights
- No turning on to busy roads where you'll probably have to stop/give way to traffic.
- Lack of Traffic

I'm interested in hearing about any roads, they don't have to be that long, as long as they fit the above criteria - i'm really struggling to find any!

These are the best roads i've found:

[5.00 miles] www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6357 - usually no traffic at all!
[5.00 miles] http://tinyurl.com/chp9yd - bit lumpy, but a good one!
[4.51 miles] http://tinyurl.com/dz7c8j - couple of miles over rough gravel though.

I often time myself up the Cat & Fiddle but climbing technique is a lot different to TT technique.

Anyone know of good roads like these? I've been looking for about half an hour for something over 5 miles but there's nothing! There's a few good smooth A roads up north but they're full of traffic lights!

SBezza

Look at the link below, these are proper TT courses in the Manchester area and will give you a good idea, normally and out and back or a circuit, though they might use some major roads.

http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Def ... 8__gvfl0=8

or more local info.

http://www.manchesterctt.org.uk/gordon.html

In fact the first one you have listed below is probably ideal, as it would be 10 miles out and back.

Bhima

Cheers!

...although, even when the major roads have no traffic lights, you still have to slow down slightly at junctions just in case...

Nevertheless, i'll try some of those ones out...

a_n_t

Irlam bypass. start at the lights nr Makro, and come back when you get to the roundabout at the end. 8 miles, no lights.

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6389


you go over 3 mini roundabouts so you could always doubleback on one to find another 2 miles.

Bhima

That's Fantastic! I'ts just round the corner from me too!

Always skeptical of bypasses though, as the road surfaces seem to always look nicer than they actually are...! :?

I'll give it a go tomorrow!

Anonymous

Bhima, fancy doing the TT course sometime when I can come too? I dont want to see how far I can go, just see if I can hold onto your back wheel first.

Bhima

Yeah, sure.

Haven't tried that bypass yet, but I was doing a dodgy alley-cat race round the city yesterday and have found that you can just skip the lights around 7pm in the city centre's main roads, as there are no cars about and the visibility at junctions is great!

Been talking to some fixed-gear riders today and they're up for a team-time-trial so we might have to make an afternoon of it on one of those stretches of road.

Don't be fooled by their fixed gear bikes - they are FAST! :shock:

Anonymous

Yea fixed gear cyclists are fast, they where doing like 26mph so I overtook them doing 32

That was on oxford road going into the city.

Make sure you notifiy me when yer all meeting up and I'll come along, maybe have to be in jeans and that though

Bhima

Oxford Road is a good one for sprinting down - but because of the busses, it's supposed to have had the most cycling deaths out of every road in EUROPE! :shock:

Forgot to mention - theres a good traffic-free route called the fallowfield loop which starts in Chorlton but it has barriers which force you to slow down every now and then. They used to open the barriers up some mornings, to let the streetsweeper/grass cutters through, but I can't remember which morning that is... :?

NFMC

I live nearish there and regularly cycle this route. Not fast though...I'm more of a plodder and use it to get to the quietish lanes in Cheshire.

If you carry on and go over Warburton Bridge you can get to some very quiet and pretty clear roads. If you were to turn left after the bridge and make your way back through Partington I can't think of any traffic lights for about 4/5 miles. There are a few junctions but not too many. Partington itself is the only place that would deserve a bit of caution.

You can then keep going through Flixton and get back over the canal at Irlam locks. By road you'd have to go a good 10 miles or so more to get over Barton swing bridge and to then make your way back to Makro.

Bhima

I did that first TT course mentioned in the original post today and Sunday.

Sunday was a headwind (both ways...! :shock:???) so I only mananged 21.11mph average but I smashed it today (still in a slight headwind though) doing 23.56mph average.

Definately my favourite course - I recommend it highly!

freehub

Bhima, when are you next doing a ride around a TT course? I'll come around with you and see what I can get.

Bhima

Tomorrow - about 6am, so probably too short notice...

How's Friday? About 2pm? I'm going to do that one near Hale both ways with a 15 minute rest inbetween. It's 9.8 miles there from my house so it should almost be 30 miles total by the time I get home. Not much, but I intend to exhaust myself completely. 8)

a_n_t

why dont you just do a wheelers 10? Ride out, sign on, go!!

redddraggon

a_n_t wrote:

why dont you just do a wheelers 10? Ride out, sign on, go!!

It wouldn't meet his pseudoscientific methods.

Bhima

Thought you had to be a member! Looked on the website - couldn't see anything about TTs...?

a_n_t

you dont have to be a wheelers member, not sure wether you need to be a member of another club?

http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/eve ... /index.htm

Bhima

Right.

Not a member of any club, although i've been meaning to get out with the wheelers for ages now.

Just downloaded the entry form and there's nothing on there asking you about if you're in a club or anything...

I'll send em' an email just to make sure.

SBezza

For club events, you just put yourself down as a private entrant, you don't need to be a club member for club events, only open events.

freehub

Bhima, maybe next week I'll come some time.