Philips Park Manchester

frankspencer1979

Can anyone confirm if these trails are actually open? A post on Greatrock's website mentions riding there, but there's not much up to date info elsewhere. If it is open, what's there and is is it decent!?

mcnultycop

There was a race there at weekend, so something is open. I've never ridden there though.

TheJohnClimber

The trails are open and at the moment very, dry and fast.

It's definatly worth going, have a look for GPS loop of the Hit the North route. Plus there are other bits near the free car park.

If you want a couple of hours riding you'll have to do 2 or 3 loops

Muttly1981

TheJohnClimber wrote:

The trails are open and at the moment very, dry and fast.

It's definatly worth going, have a look for GPS loop of the Hit the North route. Plus there are other bits near the free car park.

If you want a couple of hours riding you'll have to do 2 or 3 loops

Phillips has become a bit of a training ground for a few of us lately, we do a lap of the north & south loop then link it in with the blue down by the river Irwell then onto Clifton Park, then back for another loop of Phillps with a bit of a jump line session. We've got it to around 18ish km, if you want to push the boat out you can also link it up with Cycle Route 6 and go upto Peel Monument at Holcome Hill which is about a 50km ride

DodgeT

This is only 10miles from me, don't know why i've not seen it before.
Might have a pop up there this sat, is the skills stuff all open?

Muttly1981

DodgeT wrote:

This is only 10miles from me, don't know why i've not seen it before.
Might have a pop up there this sat, is the skills stuff all open?

No skills area but the loops are pretty short so easy to session the jump sections, take it easy on the first couple of runs though as there are some loose sections where they put down new stone as sections had washed away so it's still being run in yet. Racing at Caersws this weekend but will probably head over the week after to get a few miles in the legs, we've found a few potential natural lines/hips/jumps inbetween Phillips and Clifton Park that we are gonna clear in the next few weeks.

DodgeT

Just got back from a couple of hours up there, it is really good fun! The first couple of red runs from the car park are so quick and the swoops are great. Amazing how such a simple bit of trail is such good fun. The guys who've done that have made a cracking job.

mcnultycop

I'm going to give that a crack next week then; where is best to park?

DodgeT

There's a car park at the start of the trails M45 7QJ

mcnultycop

Cool, cheers. This is on my way home from work at the moment too, might try getting an hour in on the way home in summer.

stubs

Is there enough riding to justify travelling from Southport, would need to be about 3 hours riding to make it worthwhile and is there a caff or burger van on site.

Proutster

stubs wrote:

Is there enough riding to justify travelling from Southport, would need to be about 3 hours riding to make it worthwhile and is there a caff or burger van on site.

Was up there on Tues with DodgeT & Tudj, it was the first time there for all of us - we all loved it.

We did the anticlockwise red, then branched off onto the blue - messed about down there for a while (including the few, small, red bits), then did the clockwise bit of the red. Then we did both bits of red, one after the other. Then finished with 2 laps of the anticlockwise red (as that was the bit we enjoyed the most).

In total we did just under 11 miles and it took about 1.5 hours.

So, I think you'd struggle to fill 3 hours but it is great fun - sort of like a mini, mini Llandegla! There's no caff or burger van on site, but there must be some just up the Bury Old Road.

And as all of the Peak District - and all of the nearby trail centres - are full of snow, it might be your only option this weekend.

stubs

Cheers Proutster the snow is why I was asking I got stuck in a snowdrift last sunday so looking for something different where I dont need snowshoes and Polar Bear repellant. Might give it a spin on Friday.

piker

Are the trails waymaked?

jscl

Proutster wrote:

stubs wrote:

Is there enough riding to justify travelling from Southport, would need to be about 3 hours riding to make it worthwhile and is there a caff or burger van on site.

Was up there on Tues with DodgeT & Tudj, it was the first time there for all of us - we all loved it.

We did the anticlockwise red, then branched off onto the blue - messed about down there for a while (including the few, small, red bits), then did the clockwise bit of the red. Then we did both bits of red, one after the other. Then finished with 2 laps of the anticlockwise red (as that was the bit we enjoyed the most).

In total we did just under 11 miles and it took about 1.5 hours.

So, I think you'd struggle to fill 3 hours but it is great fun - sort of like a mini, mini Llandegla! There's no caff or burger van on site, but there must be some just up the Bury Old Road.

And as all of the Peak District - and all of the nearby trail centres - are full of snow, it might be your only option this weekend.

Cafe in the National Cycling Centre itself, where the free car park is.

Are the trails waymaked?

Not yet. The trails aren't finished and don't open until early May 'officially'.

compo

JSCL wrote:

Cafe in the National Cycling Centre itself, where the free car park is.

There seems to be some confusion here.

There are two Philips Parks in Manchester...

The one I think the guys are talking about here is near Prestwich/Whitefield


However,there is some trails under construction in Clayton Vale, East Manchester, near the National Cycling Centre. These are also named Philips Park

DodgeT

Your right compo, were on about the ones just by J17 Whitefield.

We only found out last week about the other soon to be opened Philips Park the other side of Manchester which is the one JSCL is on about.

compo

They should have called it something different to be honest.

frankspencer1979

Yeah they should, I can't even remember which trail I was asking about in the first place! :roll: