After 3 months of cycling to work through the busy streets of south Manchester, dodging boy racers and careless school-runners, I decided to try and find a more scenic route for nice evening rides home.
Anyway, I now cycle 7 miles in every morning and home every night through one of the busiest areas in the north west, and it is 90% off-road. I mostly see only other bikers and joggers, and the occasional fisher. My route takes me down a half mile brick-lane downhill, some bits of flowing singletrack in Reddish Vale, old railway lines,the tree-lined banks of the river Tame and Mersey, and finishes with a short sharp blast up some cobbles next to an old clay mine before spewing me out about 100m from home.
It has even inspired me to get a canoe, and I am now taking the kids down the river whenever we can. They are loving it.
And I’ve just discovered 28dayslater, which is tempting me to expand my explorations. Who’d have though all this adventure was right on my doorstep…
28dayslater – River Mersey exploration
Cheesy to say, but my new found route means I now start and finish every work day with a massive grin.
Any hidden gems on your morning commute?