Northwest Newbie

FraMac

Howdey- I've just joined the forum (and I recognise a few folk from various car forums) so apologies for immediately asking questions, rather than providing answers.

I live in Cheadle, Cheshire and we've just acquired an office in Bollington. We're getting a shower fitted at the office with the intention of a couple of us cycling to work, and I'm after a shedload of advice.

I'm not aware of any "good" road route (I have a Giant TCR T-Mobile rep) so can anyone suggest one, or a good off road route? If I cycle to Marple I can pick up the canal towpath and cycle all the way along the canal (my office is canalside). All help gratefully accepted.

I'd thought about getting shot of my road bike and getting a mountain bike or hybrid instead - any thoughts at all? I guess it'll be influenced by the route I take, but I read the commuting beginners guide, and maybe I just need to change handlebars and tyres / tyres and wheels. I'm nearing 50, reasonably fit (half an hour at the gym six days a week) and a recreational cyclist only.

My thanks in anticipation. Depending on the feedback here I'll flog my Giant TCR (a shame as its great!).

Cheers,

Fraser

ps - mods, if I've posted this in a wrong section, sorry!

Tonymufc

Hi, if you're going to ride to Marple, then you could take the Middlewood way. Its at the bottom of Railway Rd, off Marple rd, and goes all the way to Bollington. Not sure if the road bike would be suitable though as its a bridleway, Hope this helps, Tony.

lfcquin

Hi Fraser,

Welcome to the forum.

The first peice of advice I have is to avoid Bodis Hall Lane (Woodford trough to Macclesfield) if you are going by road. I sometimes use this commuting home from Manchester and it is a bit of a rat run. It's not very wide, so the cars push close or end up queuing behind and get frustrated.

If heading over to Marple is an option you have then it might be worth considering. The lanes round the back of Higher Poynton are pretty nice, so offer an alternative to the canal towpath if you only have a road bike.

If anyone can offer you a better route then I would be very interested in it myself!

In terms of bike then I think you would struggle on canal paths with the Giant. You should be able to put some wider tyres on, but you will be restriced by the frame clearance. I often use a Cyclocross bike on the trails and canal paths around Macclesfield and while it is possible to ride with wide knobbly tyres, it certainly isn't comfortable without suspension. Often the path disappears and its just muddy or rutted hard mud and the arms start to hurt a fair bit.

I'd suggest you go and check it out before making a decision. Quality of canal paths can vary.

Hope that helps a little.

Eau Rouge

You don't need a MTB or hybrid. Maybe you can use the TCR.
Do you need to carry some stuff (change of clothes, laptop) with you? The best way to do that is in panniers, which the TCR might not be ideal for (does it have eyelets?) If you can leave clothes at work though, your fine.

Whats the towpath like? Is it concrete/tarmc or gravel or muddy? If it's reasonably clean concrete/tarmac then some decent tyres could see the TCR being fine. If it's not really suitable for road tyres though you might find the TCR won't let you go all that wide, and almost certainly won't take anything knobbly if it's a muddy path.
If that's the case, you need to either go to the Dark Side, get a cape and look at a nice CX (cyclo-cross) bike, or look at a Touring bike, both of which will allow you to put appropriate tyres on. Many of them will happily take panniers too if you need them to.

Unless this towpath is a rutted bridelway I doubt the MTB would be needed and it would be a bit of a backward step on the road, you might not enjoy the experience having acquired a taste for a road bike. It's a very rare set of circumstances indeed that ever make a hybrid the ideal choice.

fossyant

Middlewood way gets pretty boggy when wet....

From Cheadle I'd head up towards Woodford, Adlington or Poynton, then a choice of Macc road, or hit the lanes between Adlington/Bollington (Higher Poynton area) - bit lumpy mind....

FraMac

Thankyou all - that's really helpful and food for thought.

I'll go for a wander over the routes and have a shufti. Currently I'm driving over there (A34 from the gym at Parrs Wood, then A555) and as soon as you get over towards Mottram / Prestbury the roads are fast (for cars) and quite narrow. Possibly Its a bit of a confidence thing - I used to cycle to work in London - tons of bus lanes giving you a sense of security.

Eau Rouge - I haven't been along all the towpath, but a couple of miles of it is metalled (tarmac if I remember correctly - walked it in the snow in Jan when my car got stranded). No need to carry a great deal of kit with me. The TCR doesn't have eyelets, but it runs on shimano wheels (and group set etc) so it can cope with a bit of weight. I'll look at CX - new to me, I'm afraid.

Thanks also Tonymufc and lfcquin - lfc, sounds like the woodley / macc road you mention is the one I'm driving in the car, and Tony, someone else has mentioned Middlewood way.

Thanks again for the advice, info and the welcome. I'll try and have a look this coming weekend and report back. (Can't see the plumbers sorting the shower this side of April )

Fraser

cjcp

Welcome to the forum! Hope they get that shower fitted asap - I take it your gym isn;t near work.

FraMac

cjcp wrote:

Welcome to the forum! Hope they get that shower fitted asap - I take it your gym isn;t near work.

Cheers thanks for the welcome - 'fraid the gym not near office - got a gym as near as I could to home - one less excuse not to drag myself down there that way :roll:

They've gone off to do plans and stuff for the shower - should hear back this week.

SmellTheGlove

Don't forget the SC Stats "Born in the 60s" league. Broad shouldered me - I can easily prop up a few more ahead of me.
But above all good luck with the prep and plumbers, and enjoy the lengthening days.

Kieran_Burns

Welcome to the forum (right one btw!)

You'll need to keep as much as you can at work to make the trip easier. I keep my suit, shoes and shower stuff at work; only taking a shirt, tie, undercrackers and towel with me.

I opted for a CX bike so I could combine near road speeds with light off road use - fitted full mudguards and a rack to it. Best choice for my old commute which is similar to the one you're looking at.

Oh, like yourself I was looking at a hybrid of some description until someone mentioned CX which is a real step up (IMHO) so I would go look at a couple and see what you think.

Oh, at first I would strip off the commuting bits at a weekend and use the CX for weekend road rides, but I eventually succumbed and got myself a full roadie, but really the CX is fine as long as you don't mind the (slightly) extra weight.