Can the hive mind advise anywhere good and traffic free where we can take the brats (7 & 5) for a run on their bikes tomorrow, within striking distance of Manchester? They’ll probably manage 4-5 miles.

We’d looked at the seafront at St Anne’s but there’s a difference of opinion between Sustrans and Blackpool council how traffic free this is, and the boss isn’t keen to go to Blackpool proper.

its traffic at st annes free but pretty short. couple of miles Backpool is much better [its backpool to fleetwood so you can miss out Blackpool entirely but its ok on that side IME and  worth it- probably would not travel from manc for either

Southport does the same and has a pier with an old penny arcade at the end of it and past it an outside exercise area for them to play on.

Give us an indication of what you want to do and how far you want to travel. There are some off road flat e tramways in Manchester or family friendly off road routes  in Manc and also closer than Lytham

Top of my head

1. Preston Guild wheel – Avenham to tockholes massive play area t tockholes

2, Velodrome and Philips park

3.Route 55 sustrans –  not that interesting but flat and off road and close

4. Rivvy- off road can be as flat or hilly as you want

Probably have GPS /routes of all of those

It’d need to be flat as #2 spawn is embracing the niche and singlespeeding (and #1 hasn’t quite cracked gears either).

We’d probably go up to an hour. Not sure about Rivvy having walked up it before.

Just you and the kids or is there another adult?

The monsal trail is about 8 miles long and all downhill heading towards bakewell, if there’s two of you then you can leave the car at the Buxton end ride down with the family to bakewell for lunch then smash it back up to get the car while they’re having post lunch hot chocolate and pudding (assuming they’ve been good)

Much closer to Manc is the Middlewood way, bregante and I did came back down that the other day, bit muddy but all good. You could just do a tour de sale/chorloCh waterpark though.

Not sure about Rivvy having walked up it before

you stick to the ressies so its flat but likely to be busy with walkers – its all discretionary bridleway

1 and 3 of mine are flat 1 is better and 3 closer

also white coppice flat as did it on balance bikes and a wee park with ducks at the end.

Lap of the airport for added excitement. I’ve not done it though so can’t testify to the suitability for 5yr old.

https://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Manchester_Airport_Orbital_-Cycle-Route-5992.html

Sett Valley Trail from New Mills to Hayfield, and back?

The “sideways bridge”  in The Torrs is fun to ride over.

There are a couple of teashops in Hayfield (Rosie’s, Millie’s) for hot chocolate.

We ended up going to Uppermill. Took a while to find the Delph Donkey but they both managed it though #2 was on the point of tantrum when we got back to the car.

It’s a good path but it peters out a good 100m from the old Delph Station.

For another time – you can get the train to Todmorden and ride to Hebden Bridge, and on to Mytholmroyd (short section of road to push round there). Or get off the train in Mytholmroyd for a short loop off road, written up here: https://30daysofbikingsouthpennines.wordpress.com/?s=Skeleton&submit=Search

Or get off in Mytholmroyd and continue to Sowerby Bridge by bike. I don’t think the bridge to the old speedway track is still there since the floods, but it’s only the last bit that’s on a road. You can then get on a train in Sowerby Bridge and head home if you don’t want to do the full loop back to Mytholmroyd.

https://30daysofbikingsouthpennines.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/recuperating-hannah-day-15/

There’s not really anywhere between Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge for food etc, so take a picnic!