how to get out of Manchester

stephenlittle
stephenlittle Posts: 6
edited September 2007 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
During the week I live near the center of Manchester (Rusholme)and during these long summer evenings I thought I could ride out to the hills of an evening.

Problem is the best route I've found so far is straight down the A6 which isn't really ideal.

Does anyone have a better Manchester escape plan?

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Bit of a pain from Rusholme I think. I lived in Chorlton for a while and found the best way was through Stretford and Urmston. That wasn't ideal either. I did think of getting a train out to Hale/ Ashley/ Alderly Edge Macclesfield or wherever it was I fancied riding but never bothered in the end.
  • stephenlittle
    stephenlittle Posts: 6
    Thanks. I've thought about the train but I would have to be too organised. I want to be able to just go when I have a spare hour or so
  • Tako
    Tako Posts: 209
    Get the free mcr cycle maps from central library or local council. Shows you the quiet roads out.
  • paulbricey
    paulbricey Posts: 84
    I live 15 minutes ride from hills, but often ride to Manc/Preston (so have opposite problem). Best route I would see would bring you Fallowfield - Didsbury - Cheadle (via waterside inn & Alex Hosp) - cheadle Hulme (via Wilmslow Rd) - Bramhall - Poynton- Hills....

    Otherwise A6 is only really bad through Stockport & Hazel Grove though....

    Briceyinstockport
    Briceyinstockport
  • cacbyname
    cacbyname Posts: 285
    You could also go Fallowfield - Didsbury - Northenden - Heald Green - Styal - Wilmslow - Alderley Edge and get to the hills that way.
  • Buster49
    Buster49 Posts: 42
    You could also head east along Ashton Old Road and get into the hills in Saddlewoth. I live there and work in Old Trafford and regularly ride that road. From Saddleworth you can get to Holmfirth, Holme Moss, Glossop or further north to Littleborough ... the world is your lobster as a former colleague once said.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Buster49</i>

    the world is your lobster as a former colleague once said.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Or was (s)he just quoting Arthur Daly? Alternatively, as Paul Weller once sang the world is your oyster, your future's a clam
  • blackryan789
    blackryan789 Posts: 506
    I would second Cacbyname's suggestion. Once you hang a left in Northenden (towards Styal)things improve greatly. Also you might want to have a look at Manchester Wheelers as they start off fairly centrally and may have some decent routes for you.
  • ColinJ
    ColinJ Posts: 2,218
    "Does anyone have a better Manchester escape plan?"


    I had a foolproof plan. When I graduated, I moved to Hebden Bridge!
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    I thought people wanted to escape from London, nor Mcr...
  • AidanG
    AidanG Posts: 104
    cacbyname wrote:
    You could also go Fallowfield - Didsbury - Northenden - Heald Green - Styal - Wilmslow - Alderley Edge and get to the hills that way.

    Yep, I commute (well rarely now with 8 week old twins) from Chorlton to Alderley that way - down Palatine Road onto Longley Lane in Northenden and out the Styal road into Wilmslow. Its not a bad route, especially once you get away from the cabs on the way to the airport.

    I did a great route one day last summer, cycled to work as usual and then home via Macc, Cat & Fiddle into Buxton, onto the A5004 to Whaley Bridge, up Whaley Lane past the train station, onto the A6 and back to Parrs Wood. 70km.

    Anyone want to look after 2 babies for an afternoon? :D
  • NFMC
    NFMC Posts: 232
    Have you looked at the rides organised by the Bicycle Doctor? They do guided bike rides and normally meet at the shop on Sunday mornings. Never done one myself but they look/sound pretty good. Don't know if Edinburgh Bike Co-op will be doing something similar now they've opened.

    Or, you could get to the Manchester Cycleway in Fallowfield? Pretty flat but an OK bike ride.

    Where I live (Monton, so a good 30 mins from you) there's the Worsley Loop Line which is an old railway line which gets you out to Bolton and the hills around there traffic-free in about 40 minutes.
  • stewartcarson
    stewartcarson Posts: 47
    Tell me more about the worsley loop line. I live in Bolton but commute to Trafford park. I usually go up to Horwish and then straight down the A6 to Walken througth Worsley and Eccles if I want to stretch it to 22 miles.
    stewart
  • NFMC
    NFMC Posts: 232
    It's the old railway that linked Bolton to Monton and is now a pathway that's used by walkers, dog walkers and cyclists. It takes you through Worsley Woods and (from Monton) takes you to either Tyldesley or Walkden and then onto Bolton.

    There's a bit of info here http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stat ... ndex.shtml or I know it's featured in one the books that the Manchester Evening News has done showing local walks but I can't seem to find it on-line.

    The Tyldesley loop also links up with the Bridgewater canal so that makes a nice ride. The canal also end up in Trafford Park. That might help your commute?

    It starts in Monton just near that little hump-back bridge (if you know the area) and runs alongside Worsley golf course, through Worsley Woods, underneath the M60 and the East Lancs and then splits to go left to Tyldesley and right to Bolton. Not sure exactly where it finishes as there are literally dozens of access points so if I'm riding it I just exit on one and then 'see where I am'.

    One thing though, it's very dense with trees so sunlight doesn't get through and it gets well used so it stays very muddy. I bet it's terrible at the moment with the weather we've had. There was talk last year of Salford Council doing improvement work to it but I don't think it's been done yet.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,193
    Going South out of Manchester there are five basic routes that we use a lot:

    1. Northenden - Sharston - Styal
    2. Northenden - Sharston - Heald Green - Handforth
    3. Cheadle - Cheadle Hulme - Bramhall - Woodford - Dean Row
    4. Cheadle - Cheadle Hulme - Bramhall - Poynton
    5. Cheadle - Cheadle Hulme - Hazel Grove

    All of these will get you out to the hills pretty quickly. If you need any more detailed instructions, let me know.
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    Aim for Sadlleworth I'd say.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • stephec
    stephec Posts: 795
    stewartcarson wrote:
    Tell me more about the worsley loop line. I live in Bolton but commute to Trafford park. I usually go up to Horwish and then straight down the A6 to Walken througth Worsley and Eccles if I want to stretch it to 22 miles.

    The loopline passes close to my house in Walkden, it's suitable for mtb's or hybrids, but it's a bit too rough for road bikes. It's a slight downhill to Salford, but it's so slight that you don't really notice the uphill on the way back. Every half mile or so from Little Hulton to Monton there's gates (meant to stop motorbikes by the look of it) which mean you have to stop and dismount to negoiate them. On weekend mornings it can get quite busy as well with dog walkers and joggers, not sure what it's like during the week though.

    Hope this helps.

    Colin

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