Some occasional cyclist friends want to ride Doncaster to Stockport, Stockport to Southport, 2 days riding, I’ll go along for the ride. Wanting to gauge how big a ride it’s going to be based on the trail conditions. I’ve ridden from Penistone to the East coast but never west of Penistone. What’s it like?

I went out for a ride Doncaster to Old Moor last Sunday and was surprised to find this new surface between Sprotborough Boat Inn and Mexborough Pastures.

New wheel size for gravel?

Can’t beat the National Cycle Network though.

If i am not mistaken the bottom photo is in my village (Bolton on Dearne).

The hilliest and roughest section is heading west from Dunford bridge for about 10 miles. I would say the rest is pretty easy going. You can avoid this section by using the road over woodhead pass but its a bit grim traffic wise.

Bit from Altrincham to Warrington is blaze. Ok when slightly damp. Huge puddles when wet, dusty when dry (or so I’m told (only ridden it these last 11 years so no personal experience))

The bit from Buxton to Bakewell is mainly surfaced with dogshit

The Liverpool section can be covered in glass in parts. After that towards Southport is old Railway, bit mucky and puddly after rain.

Bottom of Bolton is exactly right, on that daft crossing with about ten lights, five buttons, separate horse, bike and maintenance entrances. Could have tarmacked ten miles of the trail for the cost of that.

Oh and my saddle is wonky.

As above, the section over the Woodhead from Dunford Bridge to Hadfield is on not very nice gravel tracks, it’s the Longdendale trail along the old railway line. If it’s been wet the surface can be horrible.

I would choose to do the ‘Way of the Roses’ coast to coast rather than the TPT. The scenery is better and you don’t pass through any dodgy areas. The first half (west to east) are quite tough though.

How **** awful. Ruined by tarmac 🙁

From southport to woodvale, bouncy tarmac shared use path, from woodvale to Aintree, muddy and waterlogged in places, from Aintree to Hunts x, tarmac burnt out wheelie bins and some glass, from Hunts x to Warrington, tarmac except at Halewood, JLR underpass, like a bomb site, then lots of steps at Widnes, Pickerings Pasture.

I really enjoyed Way of the Roses, but the idea of this one is we live in Donny, ride to Stockport, stay over at my mates’ sisters place, then ride on from there with sister and husband in tow the next day, train back to Stockport after, so pretty location specific.

As for the tarmac, it’s miles better than unmaintained muddy gravel of before, no joy in riding that on any bike.

And for shredding the gnar, directly over the river is Steetley’s quarry, home to generations of MBUK and Dirt photoshoots.

Midlife, whats the surface life from Penistone to Hornsea? Its on my list to do this year, as we’ll be staying over there. Seems a good way of spending a day less in a shitty caravan.

chevychase – Member

How **** awful. Ruined by tarmac

Depends what you want it for, I could use part of the TPT for my commute, but use the Barnsley canal instead as the surface is much better on that particular almost parallel part.

From southport to woodvale, bouncy tarmac shared use path, from woodvale to Aintree, muddy and waterlogged in places, from Aintree to Hunts x, tarmac burnt out wheelie bins and some glass, from Hunts x to Warrington, tarmac except at Halewood, JLR underpass, like a bomb site, then lots of steps at Widnes, Pickerings Pasture.

And don’t forget all the biketraps every quarter mile or so along significant parts of it.

Sorry, not traps, ‘cycle accessible gateways’ that are only passable with a bike if your handlebars are less than 35cm wide.

4 of us did the TransPennine last summer from Southport to Hornsea. Although it’s classed as an easy long distance ride I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. signage is dreadful for the 1st half, as is access due to those awful access points. The bit over Woodhead itself is quite interesting provided you don’t kill yourself crossing the road but there is also quite a bit of road along with poorly maintained railway tracks.

The east side is the better part of the ride.

Liverpool & Hull were both dogturd minefields.

It was an interesting experience but never again.

And don’t forget all the biketraps every quarter mile or so along significant parts of it.
Sorry, not traps, ‘cycle accessible gateways’ that are only passable with a bike if your handlebars are less than 35cm wide.

Sustrans are currently removing a lot of these ass are the TPT organisisation who look after and allocate funding for the trail.

http://road.cc/content/news/213420-sustrans-works-make-cycle-paths-more-accessible-removal-motorcycle-barriers

I use the TPT to commute to work and appreciate the tarmac surface.

I’ve just remembered using part of the TPT around Sale water park to get to a school in Northenden last year.

Mainly decentish paths etc but one part right next to the River Mersey was like a tractor had gone down and the path was on the ruts. Would be fine if dry, but was awful in the mud.

From Penistone to Hornsea:

Penistone to Mexborough pastures, occasional B roads and quiet lanes, but mostly typical gravelly mud converted railway.

Mexborough to Sprotbouough the new lovely tarmac

Sprotborough to Moss converted rails followed by farm tracks, broken concrete and B roads, then canal path in gravel

Moss to Selby, B roads, fieldside paths, horrible 1940s broken concrete round the airfield, B roads again then decent canal towpath.

Selby to Hull, broken concrete, lumpy gravel, headwinds, pain

Hull onward, not too bad really, converted railway track.

tl;dr
Way of the Roses instead

Edit, or even Hadrian’s Cycleway

OP that last pic should be tweeted to bollocksinfra. They like that sort of thing!