[Closed] Gravel routes - from Manchester?

Head South to the Mersey. Follow that through stockport, out via Vernon Park to the Goyt, pick up the Peak Forest Canal to Marple head out via the Lakes. Someone will be along shortly to remind you to keep it local 😉

In which case keep looping the castlefield basin 🙂

Head NW following the River Irwell and there's a fair few tracks in and around Drinkwater Park and Philips Park. Nothing of particular gnar and there isn't really a .gpx loop I could give you it's just a case of following tracks around, doubling back on yourself etc.

There's a second Philips Park by the velodrome and Clayton Vale which has a set of man-made, off-road trails. Most are easily doable on a CX. You can get out there via the Ashton Canal from the city centre, just follow it to the big Asda on your right/velodrome on your left.

If you carry on along Ashton Canal to Ashton Basin where the canal splits, the right hand one is Peak Forest Canal which takes you down to Romiley, Marple (for trails around Roman Lakesand access onto Middlewood Way old railway line) and New Mills. From New Mills you can pick up the Sett Valley Trail, another old railway line, out to Hayfield and there are various options over Chinley Churn to the south and Lantern Pike to the north.

There's an off-road trail alongside most of the River Mersey too - head south out of town via Old Trafford to Sale/Chorlton Water Parks and onto the Mersey. You can follow that to Stockport then up through Reddish Vale Country Park, through the old railway tunnel at Brinnington, cross under the motorway at J26 and up through Woodbank Park. That also leads to the canal at Romiley eventually.

None of it is particularly tech - it's all bits of railway, canal, a few bits of "cycle path" of varying quality, some roads and a lot of weaving around through estates to find certain paths. Once you know it, you can string bits together fairly well but a lot of it is just exploring. Oh and take a front light. Some of the tunnels along the canal towpath do not have lighting!

Shout up if you fancy a guide - especially this week as I'm off work otherwise it'll be evening or weekend stuff. I'm only down the canal a bit, I used to commute into town along it.

Also the Rapha store in Manchester does gravel routes and they've got a decent selection of options drawn on maps in the store. Obviously they're closed now cos of lockdown but worth a visit when they reopen.

Thanks both for the suggestions it's really appreciated.
One of the reasons why I ask for gpx files - other being a lil bit lazy - is that although I moved to Manchester a while ago I've never done much exploring and don't really know the areas outside city centre/Salford quays/fallowfield.
Nevertheless, i'll start with some googling and put a path together following th advice above, cheers!

I saw that the Manchester Rapha CC is putting together a good list of rides including gravel, the only two things stopping me from joining are the fitness level of the group (I'm a total beginner) and the requirement to be fully kitted in Rapha gear (£££).
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that's a requirement to join the RCC?

Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe that’s a requirement to join the RCC?

Not at all, they're very welcoming. I know there's a whole "all the gear no idea" perception and snobbery about the brand (and that goes for a lot of premium brands) but actually they're quite happy for anyone to join. There's groups from total beginners to advanced, it's just a case of finding the right one. At the moment, with group riding not an option they've just been posting routes on the RCC app to give people ideas, encourage everyone to get out.

You could pick up the Trans Pennine Trail and either head out towards the east or west for as long as you want, turn around, and come back again.

There's a lot of gravel type riding SW of Manchester on the Cheshire plain - plenty of bridleways. It's also flat, so maybe a good area to aim at whilst you build fitness?

Hitting the Peak district proper from central Manchester takes more fitness, esp for off-road stuff, as you're talking quite a lot of miles and climbing. The Peak due East of Manchester is also not a great area for gravel riding - although the TPT as nickc just mentioned is nice to get out into the park, there's a large expanse N and S of it where there's v little to go at on a gravel bike.

The rochdale canal will take you NE and onto the pennine bridleway, pointing towards stuff like the Mary Townley loop and the Dales, eventually. But you're talking big miles - you could use the Hebden bridge train to help explore this direction in the future.

Thanks I'll check those out!

I have no experience whatsoever cycling (other than being able to ride a bike!). Running-wise I can comfortably do a 10-15k at decent speed but I have no idea how that translates on a bike.
I guess there's only one way to find out! 🙂

As other have said, exploring is a big factor in fiding 'gravel' shortcuts and off-road sections. If you head out towards Marple & Roman Lakes there isn't much to worry about on a gravel bike but you'll almost certainly get sprayed with horse muck.

I've not ridden it yet but this is a route I pinched off someone else on Komoot and goes right through the city centre.

Slowdude.

Laureens Ride is what you need. I've posted about it a few times. Two minor road/ bridleway loops between Manc airport and south of Knutsford area. Do you have lights?

Here you go...
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/south-manchester-mtb-suggestion-nfncng/

I don't know Manchester at all, but i do know that the GBDuro route passes through the middle of it so you could do an out and back either north or south.

https://www.gbdivide.net/

I don’t know Manchester at all, but i do know that the GBDuro route passes through the middle of it so you could do an out and back either north or south.

It just uses the Bridgewater Canal coming in from the south.

Heading out north is a mix of roads and then through Drinkwater Park which I mentioned ^^. Outwood Trail takes you across the motorway.

Eventually, via a rather circuitous route it picks up Rooley Moor Road which is one of the longest surviving packhorse trails in the UK, Rochdale to Waterfoot.

No gravel (yet) experience however to expand on what an earlier poster mentioned.

If you were to come over towards Clayton Vale MTB trails (the blue would be easily doable of a gravel bike I’d have thought).
From Clayton Vale though you can head up Millstream Lane which becomes Medlock Road and will bring you out at Daisy Nook. Through the Nook over to Park Bridge then up Alt Hill Rd (two options here. The first fork is tarmac but carry on over the cobbles and take the second climb instead and that’s ‘off road’).

Long climb up to Hartshead Pike.
From there you can drop into Mossley and the Peaks or head over and through Greenfield and hit the South Pennines.

It’s all pretty obvious route from Clayton on a map but if you wanted anything more just ask.

Was generally my plan when I was riding the mtb.
Really tempted to get a gravel bike.

I would recommend heading for Werneth low via Reddish Vale. You can be in Reddish vale in about 35 mins from town and from there you pick up the tracks, and old railway line and unmade roads all the way out. I would think 2 or 3 hours for a there and back. You could follow the canals out of town but I would think it better to just get out of town on the road - some of the canal sections are as rough as it gets.

OP, you on facebook?

There is a group called (imaginatively) Manchester Gravel Bike Group. Join that and there are lots of suggestions.

Thank you everyone for the tips!
So many options, I can't wait to go out and start exploring