I’m looking for a route to cycle to work and it appears the Bridgewater Canal runs from Sale (Manchester) right past my office near Preston Brook Marina nr Runcorn.

Does anyone have experience of this route in terms of how rideable the tow path is?

A quick scan on google earth suggests the tow path runs the full length and should be ok.

Cheers in advance

PL

Until quite recently cycling was banned on this privately owned canal, but now it’s positively encouraged
Bridgewater Canal

I used to ride under it (through Dunham Massey) and have used it a couple of times to choose a different route back to Didsbury.

I’ve met a guy riding to work whose route was on the road out to Dunham, and then left along the canal to Runcorn. I think he did this in the summer only.

I’ve ridden it in the autumn, and it can get very muddy in places (nearly pitched in the drink in one place), but in the dry it would be ace.

Good choice..! 😀

Ive rode the canal as far as lymm from sale and its not perticually muddy unless its rained a lot, then its not so much muddy as a little soft and puddly. Its a nice ride and very scenic. However, You could shave off a few miles by hopping across from the canal to the transpennine trail at the end of Dairy House lane where it runs parallel before the cananl twists off all over the show where as the trans pennine follows a dead straight route to lymm and onto warington. The canal and the trail join again in lymm and again further up nearer warington where you can jump back on to preston brook. Youll see it on google earth. The trail is dryer and faster and wide enough not to get stuck behind walkers and other cyclists. It would make a pretty nice commute! lucky sod.

My commute is from Castlefield in the centre to Sale. Do it on a rigid singlespeed with slicks and 160mm rotors.

It’s firetrail all the way upto old trafford and then dirt (if you brake you’re going in the canal!) until Stretford. From there it’s tarmac and firetrail again.

Watch out for the geese, they bite!

Edit ignore that… I read “Bridgewater” and thought you mean from Bridgewater hall to Sale