[Closed] Philips Park in NW Manchester shocker. HTN

They're both Philips Park. Leads to a bit of confusion!
I believe that technically at the Velodrome only the pump track bit is inside Philips Park, the main bit is Clayton Vale.
The Prestwich/Whitefield one is the 'real' Philips PArk 😉

Anyway... if you've never been before, it's a winch to the top up a shared path and then you have a choice of 2 routes down: Fast, swoopy & muddy or longer with (optional) jumps and rock gardens.

Whichever bike you feel like :p

Also at the bottom of both loops you go onto the big flat part but there’s some decent blue and red XC trails too. Nothing at all hard but good for practice. Free parking there. I really like that you can keep doing the two main loops and know them really well after a couple of loops.
Also there’s a few bits that Andrew mee showed me that are pretty lethal if you go off piste.
Good place is Phillips and you don’t worry there’s some scroats about to jump you. Gutted I’m working, bloody railway.

I’ve ridden at Clayton Vale loads over the years it’s good for a quick power hour.

Never had a puncture from glass, never been jumped by a scroat.

There’s a lot of snobbery about the place, but that suits those of us who ride there because it’s generally nice and quiet.

Personally I think the trails at the Vale are better than Phillips Park, but you need more fitness and riding skill to really make them flow well.

The red trail is OK the orange jump line is great for a session.

Wouldn’t recommend an enduro rig at either really. I’ve ridden Phillips on my gravel bike on the way home from work - great fun.

A couple of laps of the Vale is a better workout if that’s your thing.

Personally I think the trails at the Vale are better than Phillips Park, but you need more fitness and riding skill to really make them flow well.

Yeah don't have to skip too much to ride it on the gravel bike 😉 Just skip the jump line, now I've worked out you can do the run back from the Etihad on the big wide walking track it makes it mroe appealing than running through the homeless village on the canal - also the strava segment over the bridge from the training stadium to the main one is quite fun

I'm starting to feel like the kid that goes back to school a day early after the holidays.

Note to self.
Must communicate better.

Just remembered what I wanted to ask.
If I cycle to the race in the pissing rain, and bring spares, food etc in a rucksack, will there be anywhere good to leave the bag where it won't get nicked?
Cheers

I quiet enjoyed Clayton vale when I went with my boys in the autumn. The youngest didn't get on with the surfaces which were greasy with wet leaves.

It was a Sunday and we met an East European family of 20 in full national dress singing folk songs with 3 accordians you don't get that at llandegla.

You can leave it in my car if you want.
Look out for the short, fat, hairy bloke in a silver Fiat Doblo. 🙂

for the most part, ignore first two replies as they're just talking about the "trail centre" aspect of Philips; tomorrow will be a somewhat different beast with it being a race and Jase tends to not use too much of the trail centre-y stuff in favour of off piste and little used/known but horrible routes for the race course!
Parking- I'm going to park in/near the rugby club outside the park then ride over as it's going to be packed and probably super muddy down in the park itself.
I'll be riding my only working MTB, which is highly inappropriate for a race like this but then again i'm not exactly in anywhere near race condition myself so who cares, i'm just treating it as a laugh!

See you tomorrow RustyPete, it's been a while...

Last time i did a HtN i rode a nukeproof mega, it was highly inappropriate.

Just remembered what I wanted to ask.
If I cycle to the race in the pissing rain, and bring spares, food etc in a rucksack, will there be anywhere good to leave the bag where it won’t get nicked?
Cheers

You could always leave it at sign on.

I'll be on my XC FS with wholly inappropriate tyres trying to stay upright, simply as I haven't got the time to put the mud treads on

Hiya Andy. 🙂

I'm signed up to race but will probably be marshalling tbh.
Pub after?

pub will depend on how cold etc i am, and whether the rest of my clan come over or not! I'll look out for you Pete.

OP, I'll be riding my SS 29er rather than the full susser tomorrow. Definately err on the side of a fast bike, there's nothing terribly technical there. May also be looking for bag stashage, as I'm planning on parking near Our Ed's after the limited parking warning.

I was going to Marshall, instead of me and Rusty having our normal tussle for last place, but its Binnerette number ones birthday.

Wheres everyone going for beers afterwards? The Church? Might well pop in for a quick one with the girls.

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Oh... and Clayton Vale is great for a quick scoot round with the kids. Here's Binnerette number 2 through the berms:

[img] [/img]

Entered, but not racing. Will Marshall instead.

I think everyone's going to be riding round for giggles unless you're one of the half a dozen at the pointy elbows end of the race, more so than usual because of the impending rain 🙂 see you all there

Riding with a cold

Medical experts recommend the church after for liquid rejuvenation

Will be there tomorrow riding about for 2 hrs, stooge with very worn out tyres
Aiming to only get lapped twice or less

i'm just aiming to not die! i genuinely do not care how many times the fast lot lap me. it's going to be enough for me to actually have gone out on my bike, i'm hoping it rekindles my love for the grimness of MTB in the north of england...

Well at least the weather's looking good....

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Definately err on the side of a fast bike, there’s nothing terribly technical there.

Thanks..

Will take the Anthem. TBH it's mainly the tyres I'm concerned about. The anthem ones are pants. But they're also tubeless and I've not the slightest idea how to swap them over.

Slipslidingaway

It's not the tyres you need to worry about, it's making sure your wheels can still turn 🙂

Sticky stuff that Prestwich mud.

I’m riding, on my hardtail with mud tyres. Based on past experience you don’t want a big heavy bike if you can avoid it. It’ll be clogged with mud in 5 minutes! Just hoping not to be last!

I'll be on my intense.... n probably last

Accident on M66 near Bury.
Stuck in the queue.

Lots of standing water.

Be careful out there, see you as soon as.

Nice day for it, eh?

How's the sunburn Tom?

That was bloody excellent. Damn.
Many thanks to replies that said to take the light bike. I'd have been even slower on the big bike. Though on the plus side those little but evil descents wouldn't have been quite so scary. Back brake pads wore through completely.

Quite a full on day TBH, got back at about 2pm having done just under 70km. The last 5 miles along the Bridgewater canal soaking wet into a headwind was character building. Just polished off two packs of bacon with help from the kids, lit the fire and going to slob around before going for meal and cinema this evening.

Bloody marvellous.

On the plus side it didn't actually rain for most of the race itself. It pissed it down on the way there, and the way back, but was mercifully dry for an hour and a half of the actual race.

Just polished off two packs of bacon with help from the kids, lit the fire and going to slob around before going for meal and cinema this evenin

Excellent 🙂

i'm off to pizza hut with the family now. might fall asleep in my tea.

I'm sat in my snug with the Wood burner on....

Top day out

Cheers Jason