Route Advice: Wilmslow to Salford Quays

[Origamist]

It looks like I will be moving to pastures new after the Easter weekend and I am after a bit of route advice. My new commute will be Wilmslow to Salford Quays. I don’t know Manchester’s roads at all and am therefore unsure of which route to take. My preference is for a more direct journey as I don’t want to spend more than an hour each way cycling, but I don’t mind the odd detour if it avoids rat runs, dozens of traffic lights or difficult junctions etc. Any advice would be appreciated, cheers.

Oh and I'm looking forward to spotting a few of you in the North West!

 

[Hacienda71]

I would probably head through Styal past the womens prison towards Northenden. It is a little bit narrow going up Worms Hill just before Styal but not for long, you could cut out Worms Hill though by taking the back road past The Stannleylands Hotel and Styal Golf Course.
The two main alternatives are either through the airport tunnel (there is a cycle lane) into Hale Barns and then down towards Timperley or in the direction of the A34 both of which are fast roads in part dual carrigeways. @400bhp commutes into the city and I am sure can give you a few pointers of good roads to use past Northenden.

Oh and if you want to get out for a weekend ride there are a few of us who hook up at the weekends and either go hilly in the Pennines or flat across the Cheshire plain. You would be welcome to join us.

 

[gaz]

Shame to see you leave the big smoke, one less super fast cyclist to try and keep up with.
best of luck in the future!

 

[fossyant]

Oh poo, another fast fixed rider on the streets.

You've got some good routes.

Wilmslow, Cheadle, Manchester Road to Parrs Wood, A34 into Manchester, then some ducking and diving through the centre and out to Salford. I'm no good city centre out for routes though.

Wilmslow Styal, Gatley, Northenden, Palatine Road..... and in. Palatine road is a bit chocca and takes some brave filtering !

 

[fossyant]

PS we have real hills if you venture East of Wilmslow.

 

[davefb]

I'd hate to cycle styal road/ worms hill.. I drive it ( i know , i know, but 50+ a day is out of my league) and its not the nicest of roads.. It's busy and narrow.. you get a lot of cyclists staying well to the left in the gutter and lots of traffic...

So yeah, fossy's manchester road out of wilmslow would make sense...

once your closer in, there should be some actual cycle routes, I've dug these out in the past when searching for ncn6.... they're staggeringly variable, from totally useless to 'nice way to avoid traffic'...

seems to be an online version here http://cycling.tfgm.com/maps.htm

 

[Hacienda71]

Poblem with the A34 from Wilmslow is the multi lane junction with the M60 just after the Gatley lights. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that during rush hour, it is bad enough in a car with people trying to barge in cutting across two or three lanes to miss the jam and get onto the M60. To avoid Worms Hill just head down Stannleylands Road and come out in the centre of Styal.

 

[Origamist]

Cheers all. I was thinking about Styal Rd (thanks for the Stannleylands Road tip) towards Gatley and then Northenden, but I was not sure of much past that as the route choices seemed a bit overwhelming.

The airport tunnel/Hale Barns route sounds interesting, I might give this a go too.

The A34 does not look that appealing, but I see it has a cycle path along "bits" of it.

I might well take you up on the kind offer of a jaunt in the Cheshire plains, but I think I'll need a few more base miles before I hit the Peak District...

 

[fossyant]

A34 should only be ridden on the North Side of Parrs Wood, hence the suggestion of using Manchester Road from Cheadle. I use this route often going into the city. Yes it's a 40 mph dual carriageway, but it's wide and I've never had any trouble from Parrs Wood in. The A34 South of Parrs Wood - you'd be mental to ride on it. The A34 gets much trickier when it becomes a single lane, but it's far safer than Oxford Road, and through Rusholme.

I'd also recommend Stannylands Road - I use this on my long commute home - Didsbury, Northenden, Longley Lane, Gatley, out past airport on Styal Road, Staneylands, Dean Row, Woodford Poynton.

 

[400bhp]

Hacienda pointed me towards this thread.

Clearly it depends upon your commute time. If you're getting to Salford Quays for 8am then most ways will be OK. Any later and things become more congested/trickier. It's generally more congested in the evenings regardless of time.

There's lots of good ways to get from Wilmslow to Salford Quays. Generally, don't head into the city centre and back out again as that's pointless (sorry Foss). I'd be wary of the airport tunnel way, simply because although there is a cycle path alongside it, the path is pretty poor after the tunnels end and it's better to go on the road. However, it's a 50 at this point and then there's a tricky set of lights and roundabout to negotiate a bit further on.

I'd initially go for Stanneylands, then past the airport, Thorley Lane to Timperley, get across the A56 somewhere near stretford and go past the Kelloggs factory.

I've drawn a route as much easier to describe it properly:
http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=513691

Note a couple of things:
-I've tried to put you as north along the A56 as much as possible. This road is pretty congested and I tend to avid it as much as possible, but you'll find your own personal tolerance and you might decide to head a more direct route to enter the A56 (all the way down Park Road for example).

-There's a cycle/footbridge at the BBC which you can enter via the Imperial War Museum car park and hence I have stopped the route at this point because clearly I don't know ehere your working.

Here's an alternative way to avoid the A56 altogether:
http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=513692

Also, you can cut through Sale Water Park to get to Chorlton which is a pleasant and quiet (and still fast enough) alternative.

There's also a very good canal path (wide and fast) that runs most of the way from Timperley to Salford Quays. I'm pretty sure (from people's strava rides) that there's a few BBC workers that commute down the canal path to the BBC offices/

Good luck with it and please do ask if needed.

 

[Schneil]

but it's far safer than Oxford Road, and through Rusholme.

Seconded - avoid Wilmslow Road in Rusholme. It's a death trap for cyclists - look up the accident map by levenes solicitors.

On this route - http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=513692
Would going through Chorlton and Old Trafford be a more direct route? I've not done it in the morning though.
I can't imagine Edge Lane in Stretford being any fun at all in the morning. I used to commute that way (by car) 10 yeas ago and it was busy!

 

[400bhp]

1.Seconded - avoid Wilmslow Road in Rusholme. It's a death trap for cyclists - look up the accident map by levenes solicitors.

2. On this route - http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=513692
Would going through Chorlton and Old Trafford be a more direct route? I've not done it in the morning though.
I can't imagine Edge Lane in Stretford being any fun at all in the morning. I used to commute that way (by car) 10 yeas ago and it was busy!

1. is actually fine, if you are getting to work before 8am. It's no fun after that or the way home.

2. A more direct route than what? I don't understand your point. Edge Lane is fine too. It's all busy in Manchester at rush hour.

 

[Schneil]

2. A more direct route than what? I don't understand your point. Edge Lane is fine too. It's all busy in Manchester at rush hour.

My suggestion would be to stay on the B5217 through Chorlton, then use the many back roads through old Trafford, then past the United ground and onto Salford Quays.
From memory there is a signed cycle route.
I've gone that way a couple of times through Chorlton to get to the united ground and it was pretty quick and hassle free.
But it's only a suggestion. I've never done it in rush hour.

 

[dan_bo]

Oh and if you want to get out for a weekend ride there are a few of us who hook up at the weekends and either go hilly in the Pennines or flat across the Cheshire plain. You would be welcome to join us.

Don't say that he's a bit quick that lad!

FWIW I'd go round the back't airport across to timperly and down the A56 meself.

 

[dan_bo]

And, as others have pointed out, don't bother with wilmslow road.