Safe route Gatley to Alderley Edge

[Gatley lass]

Hi everyone
My old commute was 4.5 miles from Gatley to Withington and i had a good safe route.
My workplace has been tranferred, for the next 3 years at least, to Alderley Park.
I'm driving at the moment but really want to get back to cycling.
Can anyone suggest a safe route ( don't really fancy Styal Road ) to travel to Alderley. I'm particularly concerned about the big roundabouts near Wilmslow.
Hoping someone can help.

 

[mjr]

If no locals pop in with suggestions, http://cycle.travel/map and www.cyclestreets.net will suggest some from the maps which might be OK.

 

[400bhp]

You can head to Alderley Edge bypass as this has an excellent cycle path, but unfortunately I think it's pretty hard to avoid Styal Road, albeit as you approach Ringway Road, you can jump on a (not great) cycle path, head through The Carrs, and then through the houses to bring you out at the start of the bypass.

I suppose you could use some of the roads to bring you out on Shadowmoss Road near the airport.

 

[amasidlover]

Out of Gatley I avoid the first section of Styal Road and instead use St Anns Road. To get to Wilmslow I either use Wilmslow Old Road/Manchester Rd, i.e, through Handforth or I cut across Brown Lane to Styal Road and the section south of Heald Green isn't actually bad at all.

Wilmslow will probably just be a case of using the little streets and eventually getting to the cyclepath on the bypass (I don't know Wilmslow itself that well).

The other option would be to do St Ann's Road -> Brown Lane -> Styal Road Cycle Path -> Moss Lane -> Altrincham Rd -> ? Bollin valley trail? -> then through Morley Green towards Alderley. That's very quiet until you hit the A538 the other side of the airport, but I can't 100% remember if you can get all the way through the Bollin Valley by bike - I've done both end bits by bike and I've run the whole thing, but I'm not 100% sure.

Let me know if any of those appeal - I could probably extend my commute a couple of days over the next couple of weeks and have an experiment myself.

 

[Gatley lass]

Thanks for everyones replies.
I'm goping to try cycle streets net.

amsidlover I had thought about Wilmslow Rpad and Manchester Road but at the end there are some horrid roundabouts.
I have used the Styal Road path to the airport in the past and it was great but at the moment that area is a mess because of the roadworks.
Would be great if you had chance to feedback if you have chance to experiment

 

[Siclo]

As others have noted it's pretty hard to avoid Styal Road without a serious diversion around the other side of the airport or through Handforth and @amasidlover has given you the best options there.

The only advantage of Styal Road is it allows you to eliminate Wilmslow entirely, heading south past the prison there's a right turn into a car park (actually there's a segregated cycle way on the opposite side of the road before this, getting at it is a challenge) that allows you to cross the Bollin to the back of the rugby club on Kings Road, then Racecourse Road, Oak Lane, Sth Oak Lane and round the golf course to pick up the bypass cycle path, the terminus of which is a whole new challenge.

It is an awful place to get to.

 

[Siclo]

Thanks for everyones replies.

amsidlover I had thought about Wilmslow Rpad and Manchester Road but at the end there are some horrid roundabouts.

The Lakeland ones? Look for Bradshaw Hall Lane, cross the bypass, turn right on the cycle path, follow it, cross back over the bypass, brings you on Stanley Road, wiggle into Earl Road, follow it round the back of Tesco to Coppice Way and then cut through the cycle link into Hall Road and you're in Handforth without using those blasted roundabouts.

 

[Gatley lass]

Hi Siclo
Thanks for the route to Handforth.
My other issue is the roundabuts once you get to Wilmslow. I think there is an underpass or subway around the roundabout but I'm not sure what it's like?

 

[I like Skol]

Looks like my attempt at a route is coming up with similar to the others.

This would be my preferred route if it were me riding and I had to avoid roundabouts - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26787120
Still one roundabout in Wilmslow at Bedells Lane but not the racetrack madness of some of the others near/on the bypass. I was wondering about crossing the Bollin near Style Prison but Siclo suggests it is possible so that covers my one concern about the route. The worst part will probably be the short sharp climb by Style Prison on the way home? 'Only' around 9 miles each way.

Alternatively, to avoid a lot more of Styal Road - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26787149
A bit more winding at 11-12 miles but only a short stretch of Styal Road and misses out Wilmslow completely. My only concern is the stretch along Rotherwood Road as I have no idea what this is like?

You will have to check out both these routes as they are both plotted just using map info and while I have ridden and driven a lot of the routes, I cannot vouch for all the tracks used and some may well be unrideable, blocked or even not exist!

 

[I like Skol]

That dip on Styal Road over the Bollin is horrible, narrow, very busy and dark through the trees, I'd avoid in either direction.... Maybe use Station Rd / Stanneylands to avoid then hang a right down Lacey Green? Doesn't look much of a diversion.

Like this? https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26787364

An extra half a mile but does avoid that dip in Styal Road.

 

[amasidlover]

@I like Skol 's route no 2 is pretty much what I had in mind.

It does sound like you're looking for an almost completely off-road route though - is that the case?

 

[Gatley lass]

Hi Siclo. I've googled the route around Wilmslow and it looks OK. Thanks

 

[ColinJ]

That dip on Styal Road over the Bollin is horrible, narrow, very busy and dark through the trees, I'd avoid in either direction.... Maybe use Station Rd / Stanneylands to avoid then hang a right down Lacey Green? Doesn't look much of a diversion.

That is the one that caught me out on my first Manchester 100. I went bombing down into the dip in top gear, went round a bend and almost immediately came to a dead stop on the climb back out of it in the woods, causing the driver behind me to panic brake.

I wouldn't fancy commuting on that stretch of road!

 

[Siclo]

Looks like my attempt at a route is coming up with similar to the others.

You will have to check out both these routes as they are both plotted just using map info and while I have ridden and driven a lot of the routes, I cannot vouch for all the tracks used and some may well be unrideable, blocked or even not exist!

In your second route all your tracks exist and are basically rideable although you are into CX territory on Rotherwood, I've ridden it on slicks in the summer but it never really dries out, expect some slippy tree roots and mud most of the year.

 

[400bhp]

As others have noted it's pretty hard to avoid Styal Road without a serious diversion around the other side of the airport or through Handforth and @amasidlover has given you the best options there.

The only advantage of Styal Road is it allows you to eliminate Wilmslow entirely, heading south past the prison there's a right turn into a car park (actually there's a segregated cycle way on the opposite side of the road before this, getting at it is a challenge) that allows you to cross the Bollin to the back of the rugby club on Kings Road, then Racecourse Road, Oak Lane, Sth Oak Lane and round the golf course to pick up the bypass cycle path, the terminus of which is a whole new challenge.

It is an awful place to get to.

Agree with you on the seg cycle path and then onto the rugby club, albeit perhaps not the nicest place for a lone woman to be going if it's in the early hours/late.
@Gatley lass, I'd suggest coming back this way but maybe using Stanneylands on your way out as @I like Skol has pointed out.