Delamere Forest

[Peter88]

Am going camping for a few days near to Delemere forest next week, Does anyone know if the cycling is any good around there?

 

[deggers]

Am going camping for a few days near to Delemere forest next week, Does anyone know if the cycling is any good around there?

I've only been once with a mate but the cycling seemed excellent. There is a big bike hire place in the forest plus a tea room packed with mtbers (who must have come from somewhere!). There seemed to be lots of trails running round the lake. As for road cycling theres many excellent roads round delamere, knutsford, lymn, holmes chapel, macclesfield etc. You could easily rack up very big (flatish) miles .Fraid I cant help with specific routes but to be honest from what I saw its a case of point your bike where you fancy and you'll have a good days riding.

 

[Peter88]

Thanks Deggers

The wife now says she fancies having a go around there and she is normally a nervous rider so she doesn't do roads.

 

[Hacienda71]

There are quite a few fully marked trails of varying lengths. There is a centre where the main car park is selling refreshments and you can get a map showing all the trails for a couple of quid. It is pretty flat as it is on the plain so nothing taxing for your better half. The only downside is there are lots of walkers and horse riders sharing the trails. There is also a bike hire place if you dont want to take your own bikes.

 

[on the road]

I've often walked in Delamere Forest and I always see lots of cyclists. Some of the paths are quite wide so walkers won't be a problem, and if you go off the beaten track then you might only come across the odd walker. I don't ride through Delamere Forest, I just ride the roads around there, the roads are great and not much traffic, although not perfectly flat but nothing realy to worry about, there's just the odd big-ish hill if you know where to look

 

[Crackle]

Depends what you want. You can cycle anywhere in the forest, plus there are two forest trails, one of 4 miles (blue) and one of 7 (white). These are both suitable for any rider. They are both pleasant and they start and finish at the forest Cafe. As well as the forest cafe there's a cafe at the train station which is nice too.

If you want berms and switchbacks there's no continuous trail but there is what's called a skills area which has some short sections you can mess about on. You get to it off the white path. If you start from the visitors centre the skills area is on the left after you cross the road, identified by some signs and a rather steep, narrow drop down. Alternatively, go slightly past that and take the left forest road down. When it flattens out at the bottom there's a right turn up hill and when you reach the top there's a skills area on the left which is fun. You can also get to it quicker by cycling down Ashton road until you meet where the white path crosses the road and then go right.

If you want road cycling, then it's all good around there. Head down towards Beeston castle and around on the minor roads. You need OS 1:50,000 map No 117 to see the roads properly and any bridleways you may wish to take. On a road bike you can get into Wales quite easily as well.

 

[Silver Fox]

Delamere is a nice place to cycle albeit rather flat. If you'd like a little bit of climbing there's the Old Pale route, turn right out of the cafe and take the left hand fork just after the overflow car park, it's signposted. The route will take you up to a small power station and viewing area, on a clear day you can see for miles.

If you do go cycling round Delamere I'd recommend going early as it can become busy with walkers especially at the weekend. If you fancy something a tad more demanding there's always Llandegla forest not that far away.

http://www.coedllandegla.com/

Either way have a good holiday, fingers crossed for good weather.

 

[al-fresco]

.... Llandegla forest not that far away.

http://www.coedllandegla.com/

I live less than 20 miles from Llandegla and I'd never heard of these trails!

Thanks - I'll be up there next week!

Al

 

[subaqua]

llandegla forest bike centre is great. and just a little further on is Horeshoe pass and its associated open spaces.

back towards Hope and Caergwrle and you can heasd up to Worlds end and do some good off road stuff up there. Guess what i am doing at Easter

 

[Peter88]

Thanks for the replies am going to the campsite this afternoon. Was in North Wales at the weekend and the wife did 22 miles on the NCN5 between Prestatyn and Lladulas without any problem so she fancies the forest and has also pointed out the Whitegate way from Winsford so it looks like we will be doing that aswell