Wirral cycling.....a couple of questions

[Dave7]

Being based in Warrington..........on my 'to-do' list is to cycle from Seacome to West Kirkby and hopefully beyond (not sure of access/road systems beyond W.K).
When I googled it........it tells me Seacome to West Kirkby is 10 miles(ish).
Now I would have thought it was considerably more than that.
Can any one enlighten me???
And what are the roads like beyond Hoylake?

 

[toeknee]

Google the wirral way, or wirral circular, and see if this is appropriate.

 

[Crackle]

Sounds about right if you're going to follow the coast around, Dave. West Kirby to New Brighton is 9 miles and Seacombe is just a bit further round.

Roads after Hoylake are wide and fine to west Kirby but there is a bike path opposite Hoylake station which takes into the back of West Kirby, handy if you want to link to the Wirral Way.

Are you just thinking of going to West Kirby or further afield?

 

[si_c]

Seacombe to West Kirby can be done on the coastal path, it's concrete slabs most of the way, a bit bumpy but perfectly rideable and very flat, 10 miles sounds about right.

Hoylake to WK you just hit Meols Drive or the footpath, either way it's straight and easy. The Wirral way is a nice path, all the way down to Hooton if you want a longer ride, it can get a bit wet in places, but you don't need a MTB to do it, seen lots of people on road bikes down there.

My plan for this spring is to do this https://www.strava.com/routes/1469126 as my first longer distance ride, not there yet though Most of that is on the coastal path, mersey path or wirral way.

 

[Cp40Carl]

It's 12.74 miles to be precise!

Pick up a free Wirral Circular Route cycle trail map from any Merseyrail station, they're quite good and will show your route options.

If not too windy, I'd recommend sticking to the coastal path from Seacombe Ferry and this will take you all the way to Hoylake (apart from a short road / pavement section at New Brighton near the Floral Pavillion Theatre). After Hoylake you will see the route on the map which can get you to West Kirby. The route from West Kirby to Hootton is great (easy and flat too so you can relax!) although I would recommend my favourite detour to Parkgate for an ice cream on the front. Got to put some calories back.

Here's the map.

http://www.letstravelwise.org/files/1790817088_Wirral Cycle Map.pdf

Enjoy!

 

[Crackle]

Officially if you're looking at that map, the bit from the end of New Brighton prom to Meols is a footpath but most of is actually a maintenance road for the sea defence works and everyone, I mean everyone, cycles it. They also cycle on the prom in Meols right to Hoylake, again it's a footpath but very wide apart from the end where unless you go in from the coast at Hoyle road, you have to have to use the footpath as it's one way. Quite why it's not been made dual use, when other busier section in New Brighton are, I don't know.

And Cp40Carl makes a good point about the wind. It may not feel windy but it will be on that coast, just pray it's blowing the right way!

 

[Cp40Carl]

There has been a lot of debate about the official status of the route from New Brighton to Meols (it is my local route). According to the Sustrans site, the Wirral coastal path is pretty much all open to cyclists and part of it is in fact Sustrans Route N56.

It's a great route for those of you yet to ride it - great open views and hardly a hill anywhere!

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-56

 

[si_c]

It's a great route for those of you yet to ride it - great open views and hardly a hill anywhere!

Somewhat mitigated by the often brutal headwind though

 

[Cp40Carl]

Somewhat mitigated by the often brutal headwind though

Yes, I sometimes get a great workout without actually clocking up too many miles when cycling along the seafront! Last time I was down there it was pretty damn cold too - I lost the feeling in my chin and right hand fingers too (and yes, I was wearing winter cycling gloves!).

I was cycling past Wallasey Town Hall a few weeks back and I was struggling against the headwind so much that a woman actually walked past me with her dog!!! Mind you, I was faster than Brad W on the return route...

 

[si_c]

Yes, I sometimes get a great workout without actually clocking up too many miles when cycling along the seafront! Last time I was down there it was pretty damn cold too - I lost the feeling in my chin and right hand fingers too (and yes, I was wearing winter cycling gloves!).

I was cycling past Wallasey Town Hall a few weeks back and I was struggling against the headwind so much that a woman actually walked past me with her dog!!! Mind you, I was faster than Brad W on the return route...

reminds me of a time I was going along the coast from WK to NB, my friend and I were moaning about the headwind but pleased at the time we were doing. Got to NB only to turn around and find we'd had a monster tail wind....

 

[BikeLiker]

The other things to bear in mind with the sea front route is sand. I rode it Friday and there are areas with 20cm of soft sand which makes handling 'interesting'.

 

[Dave7]

Some great help there..............thanks.
I was actually born & bred in Wallasey.........left there in 1969 and "emigrated" to Warrington.
For 12 months I lived in Egremont and worked at Cadbury's (Leasowe). As I used to cycle to work for a 07.50 start..........summer & winter........I recall those vicious head winds very well.

 

[Crackle]

I did this today at a steady amble. A there and back from West Kirby. All good. A few small sections covered in sand which I chose to walk through. I chose to cut inland on the way back where it goes into the one way system but like I say you can carry on on the prom.

https://www.strava.com/activities/265945026

 

[si_c]

I did this today at a steady amble. A there and back from West Kirby. All good. A few small sections covered in sand which I chose to walk through. I chose to cut inland on the way back where it goes into the one way system but like I say you can carry on on the prom.

https://www.strava.com/activities/265945026

Nice run that, to be honest though I'd have probably cut back up through Bidston and cut across land, I prefer circular routes there and back I get a bit bored. I did this the other week with my Dad, we started late so used Merseyrail to get to the start otherwise I'd have preferred to do the whole loop :P

https://www.strava.com/activities/261661690

 

[Crackle]

Nice run that, to be honest though I'd have probably cut back up through Bidston and cut across land, I prefer circular routes there and back I get a bit bored. I did this the other week with my Dad, we started late so used Merseyrail to get to the start otherwise I'd have preferred to do the whole loop :P

https://www.strava.com/activities/261661690

Yes, may be an idea for a future run, I was just too lazy to look at the route through from bidston and I fancied staying on the coast today.