I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
It's been a few years since I did one of these for various reasons but I think we are ready to get back in the saddle and kick off the year with one of my massively popular(?) New Years Day rides around Manchester. 
Nothing too arduous as I understand some people can feel a little delicate on 1st January for some reason? A leisurely start at 10.30am from outside the Manchester Velodrome. For anyone arriving by car there is plenty of free parking at the Velodrome or nearby.
We then travel via a combination of canal towpaths, cycle paths, cycle superhighways (The Fallowfield Loop) and some short stretches of unsurfaced paths over near Sale Waterpark, before arriving at the Indoor skiing venue near the Trafford Centre. Here after covering around 14-15 miles we will have a short break to get hot drinks and/or snacks at either Costa Coffee or the Weatherspoons pub. I've checked with both and while times are not yet confirmed they both expect to be open on the day.
After refreshments we then return via a shorter route straight through the centre of Manchester following the Bridgewater Canal and then exiting the city on the Ashton Canal which takes us past the City football stadium and back to the Velodrome start point.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41589124
A total of 24 miles with hardly any distance on the roads and almost flat. Pace will not be too energetic and will cater for the ability of the group to ensure nobody gets left behind. The cyclepaths and towpaths are generally quite well surfaced although there are some short stretches of cobbles and some gravel paths as previously mentioned. Nothing you can't ride on a road bike, although your best lightweight 23mm racing tyres might not be ideal. Mountain bikes/hybrids/gravel bikes/commuter bikes etc all welcome. To give you an idea of likely pace, if we start at 10.30 I expect us to be at the refreshment stop at around 12-midday and then after the break another hours riding to return to the start. We should be all done and heading home by 2pm.
Not a huge distance, but an interesting way to see parts of Manchester from a different perspective, particularly the 2nd leg travelling back through the city centre where we really do pass through the bowels of the city! A great way to start your 2023 riding with other forum members where you can hopefully catch up with old friends or make some new ones.
If you have any questions then ask them here or PM me. If you want to come along for the ride then post here and I will edit a riders list as we go along....
Rider list
Nothing too arduous as I understand some people can feel a little delicate on 1st January for some reason? A leisurely start at 10.30am from outside the Manchester Velodrome. For anyone arriving by car there is plenty of free parking at the Velodrome or nearby.
We then travel via a combination of canal towpaths, cycle paths, cycle superhighways (The Fallowfield Loop) and some short stretches of unsurfaced paths over near Sale Waterpark, before arriving at the Indoor skiing venue near the Trafford Centre. Here after covering around 14-15 miles we will have a short break to get hot drinks and/or snacks at either Costa Coffee or the Weatherspoons pub. I've checked with both and while times are not yet confirmed they both expect to be open on the day.
After refreshments we then return via a shorter route straight through the centre of Manchester following the Bridgewater Canal and then exiting the city on the Ashton Canal which takes us past the City football stadium and back to the Velodrome start point.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41589124
A total of 24 miles with hardly any distance on the roads and almost flat. Pace will not be too energetic and will cater for the ability of the group to ensure nobody gets left behind. The cyclepaths and towpaths are generally quite well surfaced although there are some short stretches of cobbles and some gravel paths as previously mentioned. Nothing you can't ride on a road bike, although your best lightweight 23mm racing tyres might not be ideal. Mountain bikes/hybrids/gravel bikes/commuter bikes etc all welcome. To give you an idea of likely pace, if we start at 10.30 I expect us to be at the refreshment stop at around 12-midday and then after the break another hours riding to return to the start. We should be all done and heading home by 2pm.
Not a huge distance, but an interesting way to see parts of Manchester from a different perspective, particularly the 2nd leg travelling back through the city centre where we really do pass through the bowels of the city! A great way to start your 2023 riding with other forum members where you can hopefully catch up with old friends or make some new ones.
If you have any questions then ask them here or PM me. If you want to come along for the ride then post here and I will edit a riders list as we go along....
Rider list
- I Like Skol
- I Like Skol Jnr
- Skudupnorth
- Furbo
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