Hello from Astley, Manchester

[Judderz]

Hi Phil.

As he mentioned - 'Skud' has done quite a few of my forum rides recently and always insists on riding here and back as well! You'd be very welcome to come over to join us for one of them.

*******

I'd love to come along...when I'm a little fitter and lighter. I manage 30-40miles on fairly flat roads with ease...just been looking at some of the past forum rides and the ones coming up...not sure I'd make them yet, unless you plan on doing some fairly flat ones for hill cycling beginners

Doing the big rides is something I want to aim for, as I usually ride alone, which is very boring and doesn't motivate me to go out much, I class myself as average fitness, and I'm planning to do the Manchester to Blackpool Charity ride in July, so 2 months to get fitter and lighter.

So if 'Skud' plans on doing a Tatton Park ride in the next 2 months, I'll be up for that - Maybe Dave Guzzi can join us?

 

[Judderz]

Hello!!

Sorry I missed you there Jo....Hello

 

[dan_bo]

Might have a do at that Dan,where do we park the bikes ?

inside!

 

[Hacienda71]

Hi Phil.

As he mentioned - 'Skud' has done quite a few of my forum rides recently and always insists on riding here and back as well! You'd be very welcome to come over to join us for one of them.

*******

I hope you don't mind me going slightly off-topic here, but I saw mention of Tatton Park above... I have a friend who is pretty much a non-cyclist but she does own a bike. She says it is too hilly round here so I said I'd go over to Cheshire with her on the train and do a ride to Tatton Park on our bikes. I've never been there but it sounds nice. I'm assuming that there are woodland trails we can cycle round? If so, are they suitable for a road bike?

We were thinking of getting the train to Manchester Victoria, making our way down Deansgate (she might be a bit nervous in the traffic there, I reckon) and catching another train from Deansgate station to Glazebrook.

It looks as though there is a reasonably quiet route from Glazebrook to Tatton Park, but I'm not familiar with that area so they could be rat-runs for all I know. Any advice on a choice of quiet route?

It would be about 19 miles to and from the park, and maybe 6 meandering about inside it. I think it should make a fun flat 25 mile day ride for her. (She is fit enough to do 10 mile hilly walks without any problems.)

Tatton Park is fine for road bikes there are a few excellent surfaced roads which criss cross the estate, cyclists get free entry into the park although not into the house. There are not any proper trails as such but you can go pretty much anywhere on the estate. It is kept prim and proper. There are no major hills and cars are pretty obliging and generally pootle along at 20ish. Just watch out for the vicious marauding dear You can exit the park at Knutsford which is a quaint village with plenty of cafes and pubs. There are lots of good lanes to cycle on nearby outside the park. I don't know the roads around Glazebrook that well but if they are like the rest of the Cheshire lanes they will be learner friendly as long as you stay of the A roads.

 

[Melonfish]

Oooh astley, do they still hold the steam fair at the colliery?
went to that a few times as a kid on a m8's narrowboat.

 

[potsy]

Tatton Park is my favourite solo ride destiation, I tend to go there Sunday mornings as it does get quite busy later in the day, especially if the weather is good.
Some very Colinj type roads around the area, and like Hacienda says, free admission for cyclists.

Couple of pics from my last visit there 2 weeks ago-





Oh and Welcome Judderz

 

[Judderz]

Oooh astley, do they still hold the steam fair at the colliery?
went to that a few times as a kid on a m8's narrowboat.

They do, not sure when it is though....the Boathouse is my local (strange as I live 2 miles away and there are 3 pubs on the way before I get there)

 

[skudupnorth]

inside!

Top !

 

[400bhp]

Hi Judderz. Are you originally from Astley?

You're about the same age as me and I'm originally from down the road (Swinton)?

 

[skudupnorth]

So mini forum ride round our neck of the woods to Tatton then ??? We could meet Colin at the station then blat over the toll bridge (another freebee for cyclist) towards Rostherne and Tatton and take it from there where we go.Jodrell Bank is not a million miles from there,or the National Trust site at Styal for munchies.

 

[400bhp]

So mini forum ride round our neck of the woods to Tatton then ??? We could meet Colin at the station then blat over the toll bridge (another freebee for cyclist) towards Rostherne and Tatton and take it from there where we go.Jodrell Bank is not a million miles from there,or the National Trust site at Styal for munchies.

Chaps - my club (North Cheshire Clarion), use Dunham Lavender barn as a regular cafe stop, so clearly cycle friendly.

I've never ben despite living only a couple of miles away

 

[ColinJ]

So mini forum ride round our neck of the woods to Tatton then ??? We could meet Colin at the station then blat over the toll bridge (another freebee for cyclist) towards Rostherne and Tatton and take it from there where we go.Jodrell Bank is not a million miles from there,or the National Trust site at Styal for munchies.

Not a forum ride, this one! It will be a mid-week birthday ride for a non-cyclist so it will take about 6 hours for 25 miles with lots of stops!

I've just replayed the route I worked out on Google Streetview and was surprised by how busy some of the stretches of road looked. Mind you, some of the other lanes were very narrow and quiet. I don't know what time the Streetview car was out and about. We will probably try and time our riding to miss the worst of the traffic.

I definitely want to do a weekend forum ride in Cheshire some time but I think it will have to wait until at least the second half of June.

 

[skudupnorth]

Chaps - my club (North Cheshire Clarion), use Dunham Lavender barn as a regular cafe stop, so clearly cycle friendly.

I've never ben despite living only a couple of miles away

It's slowly building up to be a good ride ! Now when ???

 

[potsy]

Not a forum ride, this one! It will be a mid-week birthday ride for a non-cyclist so it will take about 6 hours for 25 miles with lots of stops!

Aww don't put yourself down Colin, I thought you were getting a bit fitter now, I'm sure she'll wait for you to catch up

 

[ColinJ]

Aww don't put yourself down Colin, I thought you were getting a bit fitter now, I'm sure she'll wait for you to catch up

Ha ha. Actually, I can still ride at a reasonable speed! (As long as the road is flat or sloping down ... )