[Closed] CX routes near Macclesfield?

Loads and loads.
How long?
How much offroad?
How technical?

I just ride the same places I ride my mountain bike. Admittedly, it can be punishing but picking my way through the rockier stuff adds new challenges. I link Mac forest and Fernilee reservoir for a decent day out.

My favourite place to take the Cross bike is Sherwood pines.

Just go round the forest? plenty of fireroad to go at. Even Charity lane has a smoother grass run at the side now so you just do a big loop round there.

@AlexSimon...happy for it to be 50/50 road and offroad - no need to be techinal but can be - my aim is to ride from centre of Macc and get some good fitness. Length wise - anything up to 100km roues. Cheers for any routes.

I guess if it gets too techinal I just think I may as well be riding my MTB.

@Jekyl - ridden there alot and hoping to explore other areas that I wouldn't go with my MTB.

What about down to Gradbach and roaches? none of that is particularly technical. Loop down to Leek and Rudyard?

I guess if it gets too techinal I just think I may as well be riding my MTB

I was like that at first but ended up finding different, albeit slower, lines. just became a different challenge. Have had to true the wheels a couple of times!

Possibly my favourite bike.

@phunkmaster - bought a CX bike only a few weeks ago and already it's my go to bike. Can't see myself on the mtb for a while.

@jekly - any chance of more details on those suggestions? I'm stil pretty new to Cheshire.

Get on the cobbles mate - Bradford La, Beaston brow, Swiss hill both ways, the corkscrew off hooleyhey lane. Link them up easy on the cross bike.

Swiss hill in particular is classic - very hard climb to put a sustained dig into.

I'm at work at the mo so can't really put together a gpx. 100km is plenty though. If you follow the wildboarclough road down there's a walled bw to Burntcliff top or take the Cut thorn hill road with gates down to Gradbach. If you have an OS map there's a carpark, follow that road up past the scout camp and just keep going up there for an explore round Wincle. You can't really get lost, just keep going til you get to a road. I'm sure someone will suggest some more.

ok - Some good bits to piece together in any order you like.

Climb to the bench in macc forest - then continue around to Standing Stone:
https://www.strava.com/segments/3275547

Opposite side of the forest (although Charity Lane might be a bit much as a CX descent - I do it as a climb.):
https://www.strava.com/segments/9713711

Hacked way (a bit loose and rocky, but fine done slowly):
https://www.strava.com/segments/3872341

Saddlers Way
https://www.strava.com/segments/7224742

Windyways (up or down)
https://www.strava.com/segments/3605505

Bottom of Kerridge Ridge (good both ways)
https://www.strava.com/segments/8695522

Oakenbank Lane between Bollington and Rainow
https://www.strava.com/segments/1423020

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Around the reservoirs in the Goyt (self explanatory)

Around Lyme Park

There are literally hundreds.
Basically any called [url= https://www.strava.com/activities/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&activity_type=All&keywords=cx%20mix&%5Bcity%5D=Bollington&%5Bstate%5D=Cheshire%20East&%5Bcountry%5D=United%20Kingdom&%5Blat_lng%5D=53.2967%2C-2.096652&gsf=1 ]CX Mix on my strava[/url] have some good ones:

Some you'd rather be on your MTB, but the CX lets you link them in better ways (i.e. the road isn't as awful 🙂

This one's got some good bits in (mix it with any of the other ones above)
https://www.strava.com/activities/487980570

Cbeers all for the suggestions and thanks Alexsimon for the links. Some good stuff to crack on with.

Hello Macclesfield CX'ers

I am working in Congleton on monday and tuesday next week and was thinking about getting the train to Macclesfield and riding back off road. Is there a decent off road / quiet back road route. I don't fancy the major roads and I cant find anything on Strava. Or should I drive/train to near Macclesfield and do part of the routes suggested here and drive/train back to Congleton

Thanks

Nearest thing to an off road route would be the canal towpath I think.

Not a significant amount of stuff between Macc and Congo as far as I know, although obv you can always bimble the quite roads. The one time I rode that stretch of canal there had been a lot of rain and it was hard graft in places, so that's not necessarily a pleasant spin of the pedals.
Think you'd get better riding heading away from either of those towns, not trying to link them together.
What about that large hill to the S of Congleton - around Mow cop? I've never ridden there, but it looks like there's plenty to go at. The Mow Cop climb is meant to be a sickener.

Tough one this.
What distance would you like to do?
If it's long, then there is plenty to loop around on.
Either from Congleton or from Macc to Congleton.

If it's short, then it's a little more limited.
Plenty of quiet roads, although a map is needed so that you don't accidentally end up on the A-road as it's truly horrific on a bike.

Thanks for your responses 3hr riding time so 30 ish miles

Plenty of time to get in the hills then.

One idea:

From Macc.
Up through Macc Forest on fire road.
Down to Wildboarclough (over the saddle next to Shutlingsloe if you like a footpath steep option)
Up hill to Cut Thorn (either via Cumberland if you like a rough steel challenge), or road.
Down to Three Shire Heads for a scenic break.
Round the back of the Dane (below Turn Edge) Turns into a double-track.
Road down to Gradbach Mill Cross Dane on wooden bridge instead of ford.
Up bridleway past Lud's Church to top (almost hangingstone fm)
Quiet roads back to Congleton.

That's a pretty mountain-bikingy ride though. If you prefer canal towpaths/disused railways/etc on the CX it's not for you.

I've never created routes, so don't know how easy it is, but some of that ride is in reverse on here:
https://www.strava.com/activities/306222964

The bit from 3-shires to danebridge

As with everything its all subject to your interpretation of what's easy and what's not.

Easy riding and easy to navigate would be - Middle Wood Way to Marple, Drop into the Roman Lakes, Upto Mellor Cross (now a T), Over to and up past Aspenshaw Hall, Left at the top, keep right and pick up the Pennine Bridleway back over Lantern Pike, into Birch Vale, Up Moorland Road, along Ollersett Moor and all the way over to Over Hill Road, Right and then Left down Laneside, Left at Brown Hill Farm, Pick up the Canal at Gowhole and head to Disley and come off at Red Bank Lane/Hollinwood Road, From Disley go up Red/Green Lane all the way up to Midhurst lane, Right and then Right again up th lane opposite the school, Over Bowstones on the Gritstone Trail to Bakestonedale Road, Right to Pott Shrigley then Right again at the end of the road, First Left onto Nabb Lane ans into the woods on the Right for some jumpy fun, Right at the end, Left and Left again back onto the Middle Wood Way and back to Macc

Or head up through Macc and onto Windmill Street, Blakelow Road, Stoney Fold Lane, Right then Left, Right on Buxton Old Road, Left into back Eddisbury Road, first Rightto take you to Teggs Nose, Down Saddlers Way staying on the track down past Teggsnose Reservoir, Right across the Dam to Clarke Lane, keep Left at the Smithy Pub then Left again up the Forest Bridleway to meet Hacked Way Lane, Right down Charity and Oven Lane, Up to The Cat and Fiddle, Descend to Derbyshire Bridge, Over to Burbage, up Gladley lane past the Golf Course, Left at the top and right past the Pursuits Centre, Right at Wythen Lache, Left and round Ladder Hill, Over to Taxal via Shallcross Hall Farm, Left on Whiteleas Road, Left the the junction and follow to Fernilee reservoir, pick up the Fire Road to the Street and head off along the Goyt, Right at Derbyshire Bridge, At The Cat & Fiddle take Danebower Hollow, Right at the end and if your feeling tough Cumberland Clough, if not just pussy it and Road it back to Clough House Carpark, Head off up to Standing Stone Carpark and take the Left onto the Forest Fire Road, round to the Smithy and then its just roads back home.

Hope that's given you a bit of food for thought and both can easily be made longer, you'll just need to explore a bit with a map whilst out. If you want these as GPX's, let me know and I'll find time to map them out.

Macc to Mongleton - Forest, Cat and Fiddle, Derbyshire Bridge, Axe Edge, 3 Shires, Cut Thorn, Gated Road, Gradbach, Back Forest, Dane Bridge, mix of Lanes to the A54 and more lanes from Rudyard , Biddulph Moor back into Mongleton

Carlos

thanks again all - I am now going to try and plot a course using your references with Ride with GPS. I will then follow this ride on monday and publish the actual course for you all to have a laugh at how lost I got!

thank you all again - brilliant local knowledge.

Hello again

My first time with Ride With GPS so not really sure what I am doing but i tried to pick up some of the land marks mentioned.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/23805158

Please feel free to edit - if that is possible

If you like offroad, then I'd do a different start.
Cat & Fiddle is a roadie slog (which you might like, so I'm not knocking it, but...)
The offroad alternative is Macc to Langley, then to the Leather's Smithy. Turn immediately right through the gateway to go on a track. Follow that around Ridgegate reservoir and up a fire road all the way to the park bench at the top of the forest (like the first half of this ride - https://www.strava.com/activities/61234170/).

Then you can rejoin your route by going down to Wildboarclough and then up this segment: https://www.strava.com/activities/252982305#12138933274

thanks all who assisted in plotting my route. Unfortunately I could not open AlexSimon's first strava link so the eventual route ended something like this

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1904897123#.WYqdbieomCk.email

far too much road for my liking but compared with southern roads these were actually very quiet and I almost managed to break my 50mph duck on the A53.

I will definitely take my bike to Congleton again, Mac Forest is absolutely beautiful and the hills are very impressive. I could see some gravel roads from my route so need to spend a bit more time planning for the next trip which unfortunately will not be for 3 weeks so I suspect proper night riding by then.

Thanks all and if anyone fancies being guide to a slow old fat bloke one monday night it would be a pleasure to meet you.

thanks again

Sorry you couldn't find the tracks. I'll create a proper route next time on that tool that someone shared the other day. Seemed easy enough.