Does anyone work centralish Manchester and head out east towards the moors for evening rides? Looking for ideas on what works here - the river medlock or Ashton canal seem obv candidates for ways out.
Wonder how far you would get before it turned into a substantial ride - it seems like the real hills would mean a good few hours there and back. Is there a good area to aim for that's more amenable for shorter, evening rides (Daisy Nook, Higher Hartshead maybe?)
Cheers for any suggestions - I know S Manc and beyond OK, but done little to the east.
as you say Harsthead pike has some good trails at the back of it .
Probably too far to ride out, and then get home again, depending on where home is.
Get the train out to Greenfield or to Mossley and you're right in it.
I'm in the Heatons S Manc, so I guess it does sound like a bit of a trek for evening stuff. Although ride out and train back might be OK just to do some exploration.
Be nice if the Stalybridge-Stockport train was in operation.
Nothing in Daisy Nook imo that is worth the aggro of the many other users, always treat it as just a pass through.
Some bits just through Daisy Nook however around Park Bridge. There's a 4x style track in the woods and plenty of lines around the woods as well.
Closer to Manchester and you've got the new 'trail centre' in Clayton Vale which is due to finish mid May and skills area opening up in Philips Park (the one opposite the velodrome not the htn one).
Personally I can get a couple of hours in playing in the Vale then over to Daisy Nook up to Hartshead then back down through Park Bridge and a retrace back to the Vale.
works out around 18+ miles and pretty varied.
Drop me an email if you want any info.
I've rode down Ashton canal to Stalybridge then the moors before, I don't remember it taking too long, may be possible.
Rochdale canal..get off around Smithy Bridge / Littleborough and head behind Hollingworth Lake and take your pick. Bit on a distance on the canal (approx 17 miles?) so you could always jump on the train back (from Smithy Bridge / Littleborough).
I ride out along the canal then through Reddish Vale, Brinnington towards Marple. Once you reach Reddish Vale there's a couple of different ways you can go.
Has to be said, bits of it are not the nicest areas ever...
A mate and I rode out from the velodrome to Edale a couple of weeks ago (on CX bikes so probably a fair bit quicker than on MTBs) and it took us a bit over 2hrs. Almost all off-road apart from the last bit where we took the road up Rushup Edge.