[Closed] Stockport rides?

Can you narrow it down a bit. I can think of dozens of options.

By the sound of the three options you mention, it looks like you're looking for soft road rather than off road. Is that correct?

For example, the Monsal Trail is much beloved of parents with very young kids getting them cycling for the first time. We did it endlessly with trailer, balance bike and little bikes. It was great for that purpose but if that's the type of thing you're after then there's little point in me suggesting you put your bike on the Edale train and do the Hollins Cross Cavedale route....

Help us home in a bit on what you want

DOH, just seen the bit about no major hills. That does indeed narrow it down a lot.

Hmmm

Along the Mersey river to Sale. Very flat

Thanks @thegeneralist
I'm looking for an easy day/halfday just pootling along tbh. My fitness is all running based so I'd be easily knackered by a trip up/down Cavedale. I want to be moving rather than pushing bike uphill as just want to enjoy the sun. I don't fancy something that'd be over quickly though so not sure if Monsal and it's like would be suitable?

Thanks again.

You could do a circular TPT, out to Sale, Bridgewater canal to Manchester, Ashton Canal, then Peak Canal to Marple, then Alan Newton Way back to Stockport. It's 40-50 miles.

I think the general answer to "flattish, easier, non gnarr " peak routes is the loop round the top of Froggat from Vertibrate Graphics book.

But the problem is that I don't think it's accessible by train...
Hopefully NBT/BH or one of the [ex?] Marple riders will be along in a bit with some suggestions from that direction. Again the Vertibrate book has some good stuff from Strines but when I cycled to the start from Stockport Station it was hellish road traffic. Must be a better way...

Another option to consider is Loreen's ride
https://northcheshireriders.webs.com/laureensride.htm
BUT It does include lots of road riding, but generally very quiet roads. I did it as a pleasant day out at the start of lockdown. Very few hills, no gnarr and quite pleasant. Don't go overbiked though or it will be a slog.
It's nearly all signposted, but not quite, so you will need a map or something.

Use the link above or a post I did months back to find the map of both loops and see which bit is closest to Stockport. Or alternatively get the train from Stockport to Knutsford, Ashley, Mobberly and start from there.

Direct train to Delamere Forest, the station is in the forest. Choice of cafes now ?

Lots of options when you get there .

Good call from binman. It's totally perverse going westwards from Stockport to go mountain biking, but if one of your stipulations is few hills then it starts to make some sense.

I was going to suggest getting the train to Whaley Bridge then following the canal to Marple, then to Bollington, back quiet country lanes to Higher Poynton, into the Middlewood Way back to Marple, then you can train it back to Stockport (or the Alan Newton Way as suggested above, which I confess is a new one on me)

Thanks again for the suggestions. If I remember I'll report back on whichever one I tried! Cheers

If you go to Roman lakes at marple and bob into the cafe they sell a mtb routes book for about £2 where all of the routes start from that cafe.

All manner of flat routes in my backyard of Chorlton. I've just ridden 22km this morning with a total of 60m ascent. The paths all around the Mersey, up to Carrington, bit of canal towpath etc go on for miles and miles and in every direction. You can join bits up via short road sections if need be, or go all bushcraft and thrash down some narrower paths. Most of it is on the OS map.

For a more 'dog free' experience aim to be out earlier in the morning. I dropped my daughter at school at 9am and went straight out today, nice and quiet.

Plenty of free parking at Sale Water Park just off the M60 which is pretty much in the middle of it all.

a couple of little trails around if you know where to look as well! Kenworthy woods etc

I did a bit of the transpennine trail at the weekend. Along the Mersey to the stockport pyramid. Then up to the cash and carry, up the hill,  past the back of B&Q and over the A6 then through the houses and flats down to the TPT to Reddish vale. Then followed the route out to near godley before turning back to retrace it.

no big hills. But you do get to see some that you could carry on towards.

Just a couple of ideas with varying length and elevation assuming you have easy access to the Portwood end of Stockport -

Pear Hill Mill, Alan Newton way, Rose Hill Station, Middlewood Way to Higher Poynton, Cut up through Lyme Park via Hase Bank Wood to The Cage, Drop to the ticket office and head up Red Lane to Disley, Drop onto Strines Road via the Paper Mill, up towards Strines Station, Left along the track to The Roman Lakes, pick up Canal in Marple and follow to Chadkirk Chapel and then pick up Alan Newton Way back to Pear Hill Mill. 35km, 550m. Some cafes and pubs along the way to suit where you want to stop

Alan Newton Way to Chadkirk Chapel, pick up Canal and follow to Marple, Drop into The Roman Lakes and head to Strines Station, Pick up Strines Road to Hague Bar, Drop into Mousley Bottom Woods and head to Millennium Walkway at New Mills, Take FP106 up onto the Canal, Follow to Whaley Bridge and get train back. 21km, 400m. Whaley Bakery is worth a visit

Car or train to Whaley Bridge, seek out the Cromford and High Peak Railway and follow it to the South end of Fernilee reservoir in The Goyt, Cut across the dam and take the Fire Road back down the West side to Taxal, Wind back through Whaley Bridge past the Dam. Car or train back. 14km, 300m

If you go to Roman lakes at marple and bob into the cafe they sell a mtb routes book for about £2 where all of the routes start from that cafe

Nice suggestion. Some fun routes that include Roman lakes. They do include hills if I remember correctly. Their walking route booklet is a handy one. Used that a lot when our children were small and a full Peak adventure was not on the cards.