Wilmslow, Cheshire!

HSimmonds95

Just wondering if anybody had any good routes for a beginner cyclist out of Wilmslow Cheshire? So far I have just been up and down the bypass on the cycle lane next to it a few times, which has been fun, not too confident about tackling the lanes yet, even though most of them look amazing for cycling.

Also, anybody in the area that would be interested in meeting up or knows any local clubs/groups? Have had a look at the Maccelsfield Wheelers online, they have a few easy rides starting from Wilmslow, just wondering if there was anybody even closer.

Cheers!

fenix

Have you joined strava ? You can do a flyby thing there so any other riders that pass you as you're out recording you can see their routes - that will give you a clue.

I've ridden through Wilmslow a few times on various sportives - lots of good cyling out there - get into the lanes once you're comfortable.

I'll basically ride anywhere except busy A roads and motorways.

HSimmonds95

I have looked into that, looks good! But I'm rocking a little cheap nokia right now, only have my iphone for wifi use, so assuming it won't be able to record data whilst I'm out on the road? May just join up and have a look at the routes from home if that's possible?

Can't wait to get to that point confidence and ability wise, when I've driven down most of the roads by car there are so many twists and turns, slight hills, seems like a great area to have a bike!

jscl

There's many good routes out of Wilmslow. I'll try and map you some on mapmyride and ping them over to you in a PM.

But a good one to consider for a nice loop is head out of Wilmslow on Altrincham Road (A538) and then go through the airport tunnels (there's bike paths on either side) and then turn along Mill Lane until you get to Ashley. Go straight on through Ashley and follow that road to Tatton Park. Come through the park and out at Kuntsford and then come back through Mobberly and Morley Green back in to Wilmslow. It's an easy to remember loop, you'd struggle to get lost.

It just depends how far you want to go really. The only issue with the above is that is follows the roads, which you suggest you might not be too comfortable with. What type of bike are you on?

There's plenty of beautiful riding you can be doing, it'll just take time to get the confidence in doing it.

HSimmonds95

Cheers Jason, that would be amazing!

Actually that was one of the ways I was thinking, that bit of road before you get to the tunnels seems great, with the long curved descent, don't know if I could get that far at the moment though, did around 12 miles last night as my first "proper" ride (had a quick spin around Wilmslow on Sunday afternoon), and I wouldn't say I was tired, but feeling a bit of burn and gassed quite hard on a short hill, so could maybe push myself to do 20 miles at the moment.

I think after a few more rides, I will feel better on the bike, pretty much fell straight into the gears and clipping/unclipping the pedals.

I'm on a specialized allez elite, the 2016 charcoal one, picked it up from Evans on Saturday just gone. very happy with it so far, only been on it just over an hour but it's a whole different ball game to any other mountain bikes I have had a spin on before.

ugo.santalucia

Towards Alderley Edge, then either up Swiss Hill (cobbled climb, like the Flemmish ones ) or up the main road to Macclesfield (The Wizard)... either way, down to Macclesfield and from there either up the Cat and Fiddle or back via a different route

HSimmonds95

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Towards Alderley Edge, then either up Swiss Hill (cobbled climb, like the Flemmish ones ) or up the main road to Macclesfield (The Wizard)... either way, down to Macclesfield and from there either up the Cat and Fiddle or back via a different route

I'll check that one out, thanks! yes Cat and Fiddle is 100 percent a more long term goal, driven to Buxton once and that whole stretch of road was just out of this world!

ugo.santalucia

HSimmonds95 wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Towards Alderley Edge, then either up Swiss Hill (cobbled climb, like the Flemmish ones ) or up the main road to Macclesfield (The Wizard)... either way, down to Macclesfield and from there either up the Cat and Fiddle or back via a different route

I'll check that one out, thanks! yes Cat and Fiddle is 100 percent a more long term goal, driven to Buxton once and that whole stretch of road was just out of this world!

Don't over estimate it, it's not a hard climb... I used to do the top half on the 53 ring when the wind was blowing in the right direction

HSimmonds95

ugo.santalucia wrote:

HSimmonds95 wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Towards Alderley Edge, then either up Swiss Hill (cobbled climb, like the Flemmish ones ) or up the main road to Macclesfield (The Wizard)... either way, down to Macclesfield and from there either up the Cat and Fiddle or back via a different route

I'll check that one out, thanks! yes Cat and Fiddle is 100 percent a more long term goal, driven to Buxton once and that whole stretch of road was just out of this world!

Don't over estimate it, it's not a hard climb... I used to do the top half on the 53 ring when the wind was blowing in the right direction

I think my issue being such a beginner is I can hit a 100 meter hill, too hard a gear, struggle for a second or two, then really struggle to recover, did it last night on the hill near the church in Wilmslow. Really gassed half way up and by the time it flattened out again I was struggling to get back into a nice rhythm. practice practice!

fenix

Swiss Hill is a bit of a mean one to send a novice up.... I'd check it out first before trying it.

Iphone is fine for Strava. You do need it on to record in GPS mode and then upload the data over the wifi. I used mine all over Europe before getting a dedicated GPS.

Don't start recording until you have a good signal though - my wife starts hers too early sometimes and it gives a very wobbly recording. Once its locked on its as good as any other GPS for recording.

HSimmonds95

Fenix wrote:

Swiss Hill is a bit of a mean one to send a novice up.... I'd check it out first before trying it.

Iphone is fine for Strava. You do need it on to record in GPS mode and then upload the data over the wifi. I used mine all over Europe before getting a dedicated GPS.

Don't start recording until you have a good signal though - my wife starts hers too early sometimes and it gives a very wobbly recording. Once its locked on its as good as any other GPS for recording.

I did actually youtube Swiss Hill and it does look pretty scary considering the level I'm at!!! Maybe in a month or two, or a year!

Ok I'll check it out for sure, really appreciate the help, cheers!

ugo.santalucia

stay on the main road then... the Wizard is a nice climb for a beginner. Problem with the flat part of Cheshire around Tatton Park is that it's really not that interesting... lanes and trimmed hedges... that's about it

fatdaz

I'd second Ugo's comment re Cat & Fiddle. So long as you're pacing yourself suitably and you're in an appropriate (for you) gear it's not a difficult climb and you'll feel great st the top. I really like Cat & Fisdle for some reason

glubbuk

JSCL wrote:

a good one to consider for a nice loop is head out of Wilmslow on Altrincham Road (A538) and then go through the airport tunnels (there's bike paths on either side) and then turn along Mill Lane until you get to Ashley. Go straight on through Ashley and follow that road to Tatton Park. Come through the park and out at Kuntsford and then come back through Mobberly and Morley Green back in to Wilmslow.

Agree that one is a nice route... pretty much as flat as a stamp really. I do that in a loop from Macclesfield having ridden over into Cheshire from Leek when I fancy a ride without hills. Trouble is I nearly fall off watching the planes landing and taking off!

Bullet1

Some decent routes on the flat too - head out past Wilmslow golf club, down Seven Sisters Lane and beyond to Byley, turn left past Cranage, Twemlow, Goostrey, towards Marton and Gawsworth before looping back to Redesmere and Chelford.

https://www.strava.com/activities/668628823/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-GB&v=1470644629

jscl

PM'd this to you, but I'll post it here too as it might be helpful to others looking through the thread.

Doing 'laps' of the same circuit you're comfortable with is a good place to start, especially in the lanes. Then you can build up to some decent length out/back routes.

--

Hey,

I just spent some time this evening mapping out a few routes of varying lengths.

What I find near where I am is that I prefer to do multiple laps of the same loop, it's a good way to judge yourself. Just do one lap similar to this first linked one if it's your longest ride and then set your next challenge after a few times to do two laps.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1234532407

Then once you're comfortable at doing two laps of that, which is roughly 30 miles. Try doing one lap of something like this:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1234543162

Then again, you can build up. The next step would be one of those 25 mile loops, PLUS one of the smaller 15mi loops.

You'll soon find yourself being able to manage 25-30mi rides after only a short time of getting used to being in the saddle.

If you know the lanes, you'll know where to go riding. Some people prefer to ride on the quieter lanes... but I find them to be a bit more dangerous because you can't see what's coming and they can't see you. I prefer the bigger roads for riding on and once you're comfortable in holding your position on the road, you'll find it to be safer too. There's always one idiot whether you're in the lanes on a main road.

Enjoy the riding.

JS

cycleclinic

Go explore and be prepared to get a bit lost. When lost stop and ask people. go out with the intention of thinking where does that road go and then ride down it. That is how I know all the roads in my aera.

de_sisti

The Manchester 100, normally 1st Sunday in September) uses some of the lanes mentioned upthread.

HSimmonds95

Cheers everybody!

Cat and Fiddle hundred percent going to do in the next month! Hopefully with a friend of mine.
That route out towards the airport sounds great as well will be doing that one also.

Really appreciate that Jason cheers!

The getting lost thing also sounds like a good idea, will be doing that on a weekend when Ive got some time on my hands to just explore!

thanks again!

pilot_pete

Lots of great riding - hills one way, flat the other. That's what makes Cheshire/ Derbyshire so fantastic for cycling.

For a little inspiration, get yourself down to Congleton on Tuesday 6th September (ride out via Lindow End, David Lewis Centre, Marthall, Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington and Hulme Walfield). Get there early to watch Stage 3 of this year's Tour of Britain roll out of town including Bradley Wiggins, Owain Doull and Mark Cavendish and many more of the world's top pro cyclists.

Grab a bacon buttie and a coffee, enjoy the atmosphere and be part of a huge cycling extravaganza with thousands of your fellow amateur cyclists. Then take a gentle spin back to Tatton Park via Swettenham, Twemlow Green, Goostrey, Lower Peover, over the M6 and first right to parrallel the M6 past Tabley Mere and Knutsford Services, into Knutsford/ Tatton Park. Why? Because if you ride fast enough you will see them pass through Tatton Park for the first time or you can watch them finish the stage there when they come back for the second time and soak up the atmosphere and watch yourself on ITV4 in the highlights program when you get home!!!

Seriously, it is going to be a fantastic day. My wife is THE ONLY Town Councillor (out of 20) who has taken on the task of making Congleton a fantastic start town as the others just don't get it - "a bike race, who's interested in a bike race?" they said when I pitched the idea of bidding for a pro bike race in town. She has been snowed under for 6 months organising everything with Sweetspot the race organisers.They are going to be blown away when they see the crowds on the 6th. Can't wait. ;-)

We've got food outlets, an Ale Avenue with 8 brewers showcasing their beers, unicyclists, bands, Silk FM and hooters (no, not the restaurant waitresses!) and puppets for the kids. The town has been bedecked for Britain in Bloom and 40 odd orange bikes have been strategically placed around the town - one on a church spire! 250 primary school kids are going to ride out after the peloton....!

So grab a mate (or bring the family) and make a day of it.

Enjoy your cycling in Cheshire, it is a great place to be based.

PP

HSimmonds95

Pete, I can safely say you have sold it to me!

Did have a look online when I saw the news Owain would be riding. Will be swinging by for sure now, worth booking a day off work for.

Cheers!

pilot_pete

Excellent! ;-)

And I should have mentioned bike parking! Bring your own lock though...

PP