UKC

Sustrans, cycling out of Manchester

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 Phil1919 14 Nov 2015

Is anyone familiar with route 6. I'm wanting to cycle from Manchester Piccadilly to Reddish Vale Country Park, and then onto Charlesworth and then down towards Derby. Hoping to get to Hartington Hostel in a day. Thanks. Is the route ok to follow etc.
Post edited at 15:17
 Joez 14 Nov 2015
In reply to Phil1919:

No experience of route 6. Personally I'd spend as little time in Manchester as possible. The A6 isn't all that bad, lots of bus lane between Manchester and Stockport, just need to keep your wits about you in Longsite and Levenshulme.

I'd ride as far as New Mills on the A6 then jump on route 68 which passes close to Harrington. I've ridden along the 68 all the way from New Mills and Derby in a day, so easily doable over 2 including a Manchester start.

There is a small section of the 68 before Buxton which is not suitable for road bikes, you can have a 5 min push or dodge round on long hill. between Buxton and Ashbourne you're on the old railway line which is hard packed dirt and gravel so it can get messy when wet, but fine with mudguards.
 Stig 14 Nov 2015
In reply to Phil1919:

Can you ride on tracks (bit muddy/gravelly)? - that gives you a lot more non-busy roads options
OP Phil1919 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Stig:

Thanks both. I'm on an old style mountain bike, ie no suspension, with mudguards so I can manage some off road. I take the point about using the A6 to cover ground out of Manchester efficiently. I was trying to see if there is a sustrans route that works without loosing too much time. I'll check out the road route however. It may be good just after the rush hour? It will be in January so I have about 7/8 hours of daylight.
 AlisonSmiles 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Phil1919:
It's sort of my commute, ish. I ride from the Manchester Velodrome out to New Mills. Sometimes I go via Reddish Country Park if I'm feeling meandery.

Personally, what I'd do, provided it's at a time of day when the canal tow path isn't going to be inhabited by weirdly menacing teenagers is from Piccadilly Station head north, get onto the Ashton Canal towpath and ride past the velodrome. Look out for a sign on the right to pick up Route 60 - the Fallowfield Loop. Follow that entirely off road, entirely do-able on a road bike if you felt like it, until you join the Route 6 just before it goes into the Country Park.

Your planned route does work, kind of, but it mixes you up with traffic and some of the signage is a bit misleading. I tried it a couple of times but ended up relying on googlemaps on the phone to get me to my destination.

From the country park route 62 is a wiggly wriggly route, and I've never had much success with following it on signage alone. If you check out www.cyclestreets.net and plonk start and finish destinations into some kind of GPS device that works better. If you don't have such a thing available ... take a map!!!
Post edited at 16:54
 AlisonSmiles 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Phil1919:

If you do decide to do the Manchester to New Mills route then that genuinely is my commute on a cyclocross bike (no suspension). Both doing it on the A6 or doing it on the canals takes about 90 minutes. Canals may add ten mins if there is mud, but the good news is, it's simple, Ashton Canal, turn right onto Peak Forest Canal at the bridge at Ashton and keep going, up the Marple locks and onwards. I live on route 68 in New Mills and can offer a route from canal to 68 if you need it?
 Stig 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Phil1919:

I would do exactly what Alison suggests. You can get onto the High Peak Canal near Reddish if you head straight there (as she says, if I understand correctly). I think this would be much simpler and quicker than sticking only on the canal - it is so much shorter and it is really muddy in parts on the first part of the HPC, but gets better near Reddish.

Only thing to watch out for is that they have been upgrading the towpath on the Ashton recently (?) and so it will be either really good or there will be diversions (not sure what the current state of play is?). I also ride it on a cross bike so should be fine on an MTB.
OP Phil1919 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Stig:
Thanks.

Heading straight to Reddish you mean take the A6 to Leverhulme from Piccadilly, turn left to Reddish, then take route 6 to the canal?
Post edited at 18:07
 Stig 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Phil1919: take te canal, I have t personally done it but I suspect it will be adequately signposted now as they've been upgrading routes etc. fallow field loop is well surfaced. Good luck

OP Phil1919 15 Nov 2015
In reply to Stig:

Thanks. Jan 22nd. I'll report back!

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