I’ve just moved house and if I commute by bike one option is canal path the entire way, 18 miles (Littleborough to Manchester city centre). Does anyone have any experience with that stretch at sort of commute times? I’m just wondering how busy it gets – I’d like to maintain a sensible speed, I’ve also heard reports that it goes through some interesting bits of Rochdale.

Alternatively, anyone have any idea of a road route that would work and not put me on dual carriageway? I can’t see one that makes sense.

Get a bell if you do the towpath commute. But I’d take that option everyday.

I’d be tempted to give it a shot, but if it’s anything like Edinburgh canal tow paths it will still be busy, and the various narrowings caused by bridges/locks etc. mean you’ll be slowing down/speeding up a lot. Could be slow going.

Can you take the towpath to the outskirts before it gets busy, then join a cyclepath or something?

I join that canal near Mills Hill Station so cover 60% the same route as you. It’s not that busy but I do recommend a bell for the occasional dog walker.

I like to think of it as two separate sections. Middleton to Failsworth and Failsworth to Manchester. Middleton to Failsworth is fairly flat and you can pick up some decent speed. The return journey is a little disconcerting as there’s a water runoff point that unsavoury sorts hang out at.

Failsworth to Manchester features 5-10 locks plus 3 sets of stairs and 1 cobbled ramp with speed bump bits. There are also geese on the path. It’s faster heading to Manchester since the locks, stairs etc. take you downhill. I’d consider taking Oldham Road for the return journey and then turning off to take the towpath from Failsworth onwards. Oldham Road is better on the way in than the way out due to bus and cycle lanes.

Suspension would be welcome for Failsworth to Manchester but isn’t necessary. There are just plenty of cobbled sections or tarmacced bits with tree roots messing up the surface.

Canal towpaths have always been murderously slow going for me, I’d hate to have to do it on the way to work. Not got experience with that particular canal though.

I could cycle along a tow path for a good chunk of my commute and it is a very pleasant pootle. But it is slow, so I ride on the road instead.

What do you mean by sensible speed? If you want to get your head down and cadence up then they aren’t for you. It’s a place for a pleasant, traffic free pootle. Still may be quicker if it is direct, just ride sensibily

Definitely worth trying, I can manage 15mph on mine, but it varies massively.
You do have to ride differently, lookaround more, take it all in, enjoy being on your bike not in s car.
90 mins I recon it will take.
I use a gravel type bike, with 37mm tyres tubeless and 40psi. The path I use is bumpy.

I ride that exact section nearly everyday. 42c, 50psi or so Cracking route, No ‘dodgy’ bits near rochdale at all.

Only thing is, if you are going for speed, there are a couple of sections that are slightly faster on the road, as said above.

Also, Timber Bell. They are great for early warnings and less stops.

Thank you all, all good advice. Useful to help me weigh up versus train. cdoc how long does it take you?

I also have a bell and I don’t really do head down riding. I’ll be topping out at 15mph anyway as I’ll be on an ebike and lack the ability to push faster, obviously that doesn’t mean I’ll be trying to hammer 15mph everywhere :).

My old commute was either 15 miles on road or 20 miles on 80% towpath. The longer route only took about about 10 minutes more than the shorter one as it was just straight through, no traffic, no junctions etc.

Was better in the morning as most of the people using the path were commuting too. Summer evenings or when there was a fishing contest spread out along a stretch of the path could slow things down a bit but not enough to make me choose to get back on the road.

[edit] Should add that this was an urban canal so pretty well surfaced all the way and was a quick surface to ride on.

Depends where I am going in Manky-chester, but about thirty mins to Slattocks roundabout, hour and a quarter to Failsworth and about hour and a half to the centre.

Most days I come off early at Slattocks and cut through mid towards Crumpsall or Salford

Used to commute Reading to Newbury, had a choice of doing the whole lot on the A4, the whole lot on the Kennet tow path or half and half, the fully road route was about 20-25 mins faster than the tow path. The tow path was a much nicer ride, if you had the time, half and half was a reasonable compromise.

But that is an example where the two run pretty much bang on parallel, tow paths will generally be slower, but it’s not always just about speed.

What do you mean by sensible speed?

The speed isn’t the issue, it’s the constant stopping. Like, ride for 30s stop for 10s. But the one I am thinking of has a lot of single track paths which is the issue.

It’s nice not having to stop and junctions and traffic light on a tow path.

In my experience on a totally different tow path, the viability will depend on the time you plan to set off. Too early and you meet all the people who are walking the dog before they go to work themselves. Too late and you meet kids going to school / parents taking kids to nursery. Both groups are in a wee world of their own and will slow you down. With such a long commute I’d expect it will be almost impossible to miss both groups, and quite possible to meet both!

hardpack/tarmac I average about 13-14 mph

softer verges in summer it’s more like 11.

It makes for a good commute – quiet, peaceful – but mine was 5 miles max, not 18.

I just did that commute this morning, from Todmorden to Manchester (but will take the train back home). I normally ride on the road to Littleborough, then along the canal to Middleton, turning off the canal near the cemetery. The canal route is longer from that point, and – as pointed out above – has many locks along the way and cobbled sections, but is quite pleasant. Instead, I go down Green Lane, Oldham Road, Manchester New Road and Rochdale Road, then onto the less busy Lion Street/Hazelbottom Road, through Queen’s Park and along Collyhurst Road, arriving near Victoria train station.
Takes 1:20 to 1:30 max from Todmorden to Oxford Road area, bell is a great idea for the canal tow path unless walkers wear head phones.
Sven

Thanks again all, really helpful stuff 🙂

I do Urmston to Manchester most days along the canal. Approximately 6 miles. Takes 25mins give or take. Much prefer cycling on the canal, pleasant scenery (bar the odd shopping trolley), no traffic and no pollution. Apart from the occasional dopey jogger with headphones it’s a clear ride. However that bit of canal has a wide, well surfaced towpath which certainly helps. I’d try the canal at the Weekend, see how long it takes, it won’t be much different during the week

I commute on part of that canal. The Rochdale to Middleton stretch is very well maintained and wide.

I think DazH (you’ve met him on MNPR nights) commutes along it from Tod into Manchester too. He’ll have better knowledge if it.

ah bells on the canal path.

I found I got shouted at for using a bell, and shouted at for not using a bell, or ignored if person has earphones in and didn’t hear the bell, or ignored because the person heard the bell but hates cyclists so carries on walking in middle of path so i couldn’t get past anyway.

watch out for dog walkers with extendable leads.