Sustrans Lejog route advice for south Manchester

[BobSweet]

You follow cycle routes 62, 60 and then 6. Generally the signage is descent rather than good. You may have to look around to find some of them. I am planning to knit some Lejog and Jogle signs to help.

On page 103 on the Sustrans book the text description is sort of right: “At Hardy Farm take a left onto the Manchester cycleway, route 60” Once you take the left you see the Hardy Farm sign, but it is not actually the Manchester Cycleway at this point. The map however is incorrect, showing this as route 6, when it is in fact route 60. The signpost is entitled “Jacksons Boat” and points you left (But not quite at the correct angle) to route 60 and the Manchester cycleway. Please note Jacksons Boat pub is just over the bridge if you need refreshments.

Please be aware that the are no cycleway signs where you turn left onto the cycle path on Barlow Moor road A5145. The right turn into the park is basically at the end of the park, there is a route 60 sign there.

After the park there is a short residential road, Beechwood Road, you come to a junction. The map clearly shows left and right which is the way you should go. However the sign for Manchester Cycleway is pointing the wrong way! This has been reported to the council via FixMyStreet. Should you go the wrong way and find yourself at St Werburgs tram stop, you can go down the stairs or in the lift to re-join the cycleway at track level. But the lift would not take my tandem!

On page 104 of the sustrans book the map is wrong again showing it as route 6 just after St Werburgs tram stop, this is still route 60.

When you do a left and right on Wilbraham Road the is no sign on the left turn, Spring Bridge Road is the correct route.

There are no direction signs in the next park, which is called Alexandra Park. I have reported this to the council. Keep your eye on Princess Road to the right, you need to go nearly parallel to that road.

The correct route is to turn left down Cambridge Street from Hulme Street not far before Manchester Oxford Road station, there is no sign there.

Get Free Manchester cycle maps from Transport for greater Manchester. They can be ordered online or downloaded. https://tfgm.com/cycling/cycle-maps you will need Trafford, Manchester, Salford and Bury.

[Jackanory]

Thanks very much for this, very helpful!

[amaferanga]

Why on earth would you ever choose to cycle through Manchester?

[BobSweet]

We actually Sustrans choose it.

[JoeP89]

There is a bit of a deviation on the Sustrans route in Manchester but I'm pretty sure that it is sign posted and won't cause you any stress in navigating around it. (I recently completed the Sustrans route on the 22nd of September 2019 and made my way through Manchester without a problem.)

[Adamcycles17]

In 2018 I came through Manchester from the Peak District as follows:

New Mills (camped) to Marple along the canal tow path

Marple to Bredbury following route 55.

Tricky bit on road to get to route 6 which is plagued with anti Dalek barriers, but not much choice. Some removal of panniers needed.

Along the Fallowfield Loop to Fallowfield, turning north onto Wilmslow Road (A6010) which has a cycle lane through the University to Oxford Road station.

Turned west onto B6469 (busy) to get to route 6 past the Museum of Science and Technology. Followed this with one error to Salford. In Salford two of the bridges have anti motorbike half circle barrirs, only just passable with panniers.

Then out along route 6 to Prestwich and into Whitefield to visit a friend. Back on to route 6 in Radcliffe and then out of Bury along route 6 to Tottington. We then went north via Edgeworth to Blackburn, which is a yellow C road on the OS map but actually very busy as a commuter route. Next time I'd stay on route 6 via Accrington. But the view from the top of the hill back over Manchester to the Peak District and North Wales was spectacular.

[rareposter]

Why on earth would you ever choose to cycle through Manchester?

It's actually not a bad option - depends of course what overall route you're taking, most people go further west and up via a corridor between about Runcorn and Partington but if you're going for a more easterly option, Manchester isn't a bad shout. Lots of accommodation, food, bike repair possibilities. A big canal network which can be handy if you're doing a more off-road / gravel based route.

If you're following the Sustrans route, that's the way it'll take you although as mentioned some of the signage is poor and some of the actual trails are atrocious in bad weather, more akin to MTB than touring. Some of the canal network turns into a total mudbath after rain as well (some of it is quite nicely gravelled, some is basically just mud with no indication of what it'll be like until you're on it).

The best way out is NW, up through Drinkwater Park, Outwood Country Park, skirt NE of Bolton and get to Belmont and then it's over the moors to Preston. Really nice route that amazingly manages to avoid most of the busy roads.