I am hoping to complete the Cheshire ring, a 97 mile journey along canals in a day within the next few weeks looking for general advice from experienced cyclist.i have only been able to find one report of a cycling group that have done this a few years back it took them around 12 hours to complete including rest stops.
any advice would be appreciated
As you'll doubtless appreciate, a lot will depend on your experience of and capability with cycling on similar terrain. Have you cycled any significant distance on towpaths before? It can be swift (in urban areas where the towpath has been developed) or excruciatingly slow out in the boondocks where towpaths can be narrow, muddy or incessantly interspersed with tree roots. Type of bike can help or hinder in these matters. Cycling from London to Nottingham along the canal network taught me these lessons the hard way.
I've narrowboated the Cheshire Ring and it's certainly an interesting and varied route. As a cyclist you'll experience that variety and interest in a different way. Around Manchester and its environs, the towpath is generally in reasonable condition, although in the city centre, expect having to do some switching back and forth from bank to bank, and onto and off roads occasionally - this can slow progress. Many of the western sections (Trent & Mersey) and eastern (Macclesfield) are wonderful to pass through, but some stretches of towpath will be ... sticky!
If I were going to do this, I'd probably budget two days ... but then, I am sadly no longer in the flush of youth! Are you in a position to be able to assess whether you're as fit/capable as the cyclists in the group whose adventure you spotted? If you are keen to do it in a single day and think you can manage it in 12 hours, you might also want to consider whether you'll have 12 hours of daylight - canal towpaths in the dark become even more challenging, even with good bike lights.
Finally, you're probably aware of the Canal & River Trust's resources for cyclists, but if not -
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/cycling.
Finally, finally, have a great trip and please do come back and share your adventure.