Not for me, for a friend.
She has an eBike, is the kind of 'not a cyclist, just a person on a bike' that more people should be, and is commuting a couple of times from Disley into the centre of town. Literally the centre, the Town Hall. She's been weighing up a few different route options (that aren't straight down the A6, because, well, why would you) that provide a reasonably direct route whilst minimising the odds of being run down by a bus/taxi/schoolrun.
Anyway, I said I'd ask on here for any ideas/recommendations, as some of you are bound to do something similar. So, any ideas?
one for @crazy-legs but it gets complex. Canal goes all the way but it's quite circuitous. Canal to Marple / Chadkirk, Dark Lane to Bredbury, through Reddish Vale and into town?
I can't think of a direct route, and I think at some point you need to get onto a main road.
Its going to be canal for some of the way but its a long way round.
Not a trip I'd want to do twice a day, lots of the A6 does have a bus lane.
You can get this route but seems a long way round.
http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinksCycle/manchester-to-stockport-cycle-route
Sorry, should have said, it doesn't have to avoid main roads, just trying to find the best overall option (which, I know, can be defined in many ways...)
I'm guessing the council may do travel loans if that's where they work
https://www.systemonetravel.co.uk/travelcard-finder/
Yearly pass at about £3.67 a day seems a whole lot safer and I think it ends at Disley.
I don't think that will ever be much of a fun commute.
I'd suggest looking at a 1:50 OS Map and linking as many yellow and orange roads together as possible. At least the A6 might keep some traffic off these smaller side roads. Canals might be ok for part of the route but it will end up being a long ride I reckon.
I used to just bomb down the A6 most of the way - not pleasant but it got the job done and I rarely had any issues. However I was on a fast road bike, minimal weight, lycra etc and could usually keep pace with the traffic, I'm happy with filtering etc so it was decent enough.
Honestly, the amount of stopping, turning, crossing, onto bike lane, back onto road etc round the back ways just takes forever, is not intuitive and is frequently interrupted by stretches of A-road anyway.
Classic example being the nice 2-way segregated cycle lane up from Stockport to Lancashire Hill Roundabout [url= https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?x=389489&y=391138&z=115&sv=389489,391138&st=4&ar=Y,y&mapp=map&searchp=ids&dn=524&ax=389489&ay=391138&lm=0 ]this road here[/url] which then...just stops and chucks you into a 5-arm roundabout.
From Longsight (an absolute shithole) I turn left down the A5184 then cut through the University buildings onto Oxford Road which is fine, has a good segregated lane right into town.
You can do canal the whole way - from Disley down onto Peak Forest Canal then up through Marple, Romiley, through the Woodley Tunnel (you will need a good front light!!), Hyde, Ashton Canal Basin.
Turn left and follow it ALL the way in past the velodrome and into town.
Closer to town it becomes quite congested in places and (depending on time of day) there are frequently scallies and druggies around. I found it fine going in in the mornings but would often refuse to use it in the evenings. It took longer as well, 90 mins into the centre on the CX bike compared to sub-60 mins on the road bike up the main drag.
Canal is nice in summer and if it's frozen solid. In most of winter it'll be a dark, muddy/gritty trudge.
A good option would be to do a test ride on a weekend when the roads are marginally quieter. Happy to come along as a guide, drop me a PM on here.
I would cycle up the A555 cycle lane and then through Gatley,Northenden and down Palatine Rd/ Oxford Road.
It's longer but safer than the A6 and on good surfaces.
I would avoid cycle lanes when it's icy as cycle lanes don't get gritted.
Sorry, I'm a straight down the A6 kind of a person. These days I work in Wilmslow so I get to depart the A6 at the A555 and go down there or down Dean Lane.
When I was in central Manchester, I had a couple of back road routes to get me off the A6 but they only take you away from it for short periods. Because turning right off the A6 is horrific, I had one taking me into work and another home which at least give you a break from the horror.
On the way into town, at Hazel Grove (you'll need a map) - left down the side of Norbury Church, follow the Allotment path, straight across Chester Road, near Hazel Grove Station, along Davenport Road, across Green Lane Park, dog leg right then left, through Stepping Hill hospital grounds out onto Ripley Avenue, make it up as you go along a little from there but basically parallel to A6 and rejoin it again near the Grammar School. It isn't great there if you're commuting at school drop off time though.
A6 all the way then - the other routes to get you across the M60 all involve a roundabout, none of which are very nice. At some point you do get a bus lane to ride in. I've only seen one person left hooked on that ...
On the way home all I've got is the turn as though you're going into Sainsburys but take the right onto Peter Street, and you pick up blue cycling signs (which saves me describing the convoluted route) taking you through Torkington Park and back onto the A6. It's just a short stretch until you can turn right (at a crossing) onto what was the A6 not so long ago.
I used to do the canal sometimes in the summer. It can get muddy, and it feels isolated, and is unlit a lot of the way. It used to add 20 mins to my hour journey, and it's not a good place to change a puncture. I didn't feel very safe travelling there solo, it was creepy, the surface and the width of the towpath was unpredictable and it wouldn't have taken much for someone to send me into the water. Also, take a light for the tunnel.
Cheers all, I'll pass this all on
Tricky one as you say she's not a super keen cyclist.
A6 is terrible, I used to do it (Bredbury to Manchester), but switched.
On the road I'd do Bredbury, Hyde, Denton, Windmill Lane, North Reddish, Fallowfield Loop, then she can come off at Fallowfield - I carried onto Alex Park and into Hulme from there.
Off road, in summer I do Peak Canal and Ashton into town - it's OK, Peak can be muddy. Winter Route for me is Woodley, cut through to Bredbury Industrial Estate, Stuart Road, over M60, Brinny, Reddish Vale, North Reddish Park, Fallowfield Loop, Alex Park.
For her, slightly off road, Middlewood to Marple, Alan Newton to Bredbury, cross over towards the Mill, follow TPT under M60 and up to Brinny Tunnel, then drop into Reddish Vale.
If she want's to stick with roads, she needs to try and get over towards Parrs Wood (Manchester Road from Cheadle is OK) and head up Parrs Wood Road towards Fallowfield and either take the main road in or the parallel roads in.
It's not the nicest of commutes for a non-serious cyclist.
A6 has claimed a broken arm and snapped bike, A34 Anson Road, broken ribs, and Reddish North, a broken spine.
Never had any issues on the canal, but it's not quick. Adds 20 minutes and 3 miles to my commute. The route I'm doing through brinny/Reddish Vale/floop is mostly paved, but I'm doing it on a 26" MTB equipped with panniers, and studded tyres for winter. The floop can be dodgy during the day - seems OK at rush hour. My strava says' I'd been up and down it something like 1000 times.
For her, slightly off road, Middlewood to Marple, Alan Newton to Bredbury, cross over towards the Mill, follow TPT under M60 and up to Brinny Tunnel, then drop into Reddish Vale.
I've done the basics of that route a few times as well. Canal to Romiley, up and over the hill then thread through to Bredbury Hall.
It's not an easy one to find but you turn off along Welkin Road into a (fairly run down) industrial estate and out the back of that is a gravel trail up to Brinnington Tunnel and you can then go north through Reddish Vale. Brings you out at the country park itself. For me, riding into the very eastern edge of Manchester that was fine. For going to the city centre I'd say it's too far east to be the most direct route.
I've done a variety of routes, but if they can get to Cheadle, say via A555 and cutting through then Manchester Road, Parrs Wood, Parrs Wood Road (runs parallel to A34) then back of Rusholme (cut through Man Uni Student Accomodation), past the College then onto Oxford road is a decent route, and it's one we recommend people use at the Uni's.
The route I've got now is mostly off road and dead on 10 miles, canal 13. Keeps the Mrs happy as I've been victim to too many stupid drivers. Been driving last few weeks as chest recovering from Covid, and daughter needs a lift with train strikes. Taking over an hour in the car each way. It's 40-45 mins on the bike.
I don't know the area too well but my office is in central Manchester and I have a friend in Disley so have driven the M60 > A6 > Disley road a few times as well as training it to/from Manchester as well.
Can't say I've ever driven the A6 and thought I'd like to ride down it. Loads and loads of traffic lights, junctions, potholes, parked cars, bus lanes, turning lanes etc.
As much as I hate to say it but unless you can find a glorious route away from the A6, I'd hop on the train (and I know how awful trains are around there!).
As much as I hate to say it but unless you can find a glorious route away from the A6, I’d hop on the train (and I know how awful trains are around there!).
It's not so much that they're awful - the rolling stock is vastly better than it used to be - it's that it's SO expensive.
