# Phillips Park, Prestwich MTB trail centre visit 22-2-18



## I like Skol (21 Feb 2018)

Short notice, but if anyone fancies it.....

I will be there in the morning with the oldest lad to give it some stick on the red loops and probably squeeze in a lap of the blue around the Irwell valley floor.

Haven't been for a couple of years now so will be interesting to see what state it is in. If anyone is coming let me know and I will firm up the time, but as it stands I expect to be there around 10-11am


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## dan_bo (21 Feb 2018)

bloody layabouts.


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## I like Skol (21 Feb 2018)

dan_bo said:


> bloody layabouts.




The big shame is that the youngest lad is on a climbing wall course all week so I can't take him along to try his new bike out in the real world


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## I like Skol (22 Feb 2018)

We went, the sun shone, the trails were quiet and I was AWESOME! (maybe that last little bit isn't quite true ).

The tracks are still in pretty good shape, particularly on the R/H side as you look from the carpark towards the Irwell valley. Lefthand side isn't bad, just not as fast and flowing as the fantastic trail down the right. This side really does flow nicely and you can get some real speed, with some lovely troughs that have steep drop-ins and spit you out the other side with max velocity and some great airtime if you get it right and fully commit.
I lost count but did about 6 runs down the R/H track and 1 or 2 less down the left.

No pictures or videos I'm afraid, got the camera out to take a few snaps and found the battery was dead 

We also dropped down to the valley floor for a lap of the blue circuit, but other than clocking up the extra miles really shouldn't have bothered. The tracks are in need of cutting back a bit and the main red section with any height is now unrideable and needs rebuilding. Crossing the little gulley off-shoot of the Irwell is still a tricky little fun challenge 

Bikes are now hosed off and stored away ready for the next adventure.......


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## Nibor (22 Feb 2018)

I keep meaning to try the MTB trails at the cycling centre


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## I like Skol (22 Feb 2018)

Nibor said:


> I keep meaning to try the MTB trails at the cycling centre


This is not the cycling centre trails, although confusingly both are called Philips Park 

The cycling centre trails are better known as Clayton Vale. Both are worth a visit but the Clayton vale tracks are a lot more technical.


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## mythste (7 Mar 2018)

I like Skol said:


> This is not the cycling centre trails, although confusingly both are called Philips Park
> 
> The cycling centre trails are better known as Clayton Vale. Both are worth a visit but the Clayton vale tracks are a lot more technical.



I'm curious to get out an exposed to as much as possible on the MTB side of things @I like Skol , is it worth cycling up from south manchester to have a blast round? I don't drive so it's that or get the train out to Marple or Healey Nab for a couple of runs next week.


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## I like Skol (8 Mar 2018)

Not sure I would go to the effort of cycling there specially, I guess that would be 7-8 miles trip each way depending where you are starting from? I have heard mention recently of some new trails near Marple Bridge/Roman Lakes area which I keep meaning to look into.

http://www.romanlakes.co.uk/mountain_biking.htm

http://www.mbr.co.uk/routes/northern-england/peak_district/goyt-valley-medium-route-354590

www.trailforks.com/region/roman-lakes

A couple of hits there just interrogating Google for a few minutes. Looks like it might be worth a visit to the area once I am back on my bikes again. I know from my days of Land Rover 4x4ing that there are some good rocky trails in the area so even without new purpose built tracks it should be possible to find a good half a days entertainment in the locality.


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## Siclo (8 Mar 2018)

I like Skol said:


> Not sure I would go to the effort of cycling there specially, I guess that would be 7-8 miles trip each way depending where you are starting from? I have heard mention recently of some new trails near Marple Bridge/Roman Lakes area which I keep meaning to look into.
> 
> http://www.romanlakes.co.uk/mountain_biking.htm
> 
> ...



I reckon you'll be disappointed Skolly, probably not challenging enough, that middle route is entirely rideable on slicks in the summer, probably a bit muckier at the minute.

@mythste I take it by Marple you mean Farmer Johns? Now there's some pretty extreme stuff there, too much for me these days, down Jacobs Ladder is the limit of my ability.

Edit: I never realised that Philips Park and Waterdale Meadow were supposed to be an MTB trail, explains why I moan about the surface when on the commuter.


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## dan_bo (8 Mar 2018)

I like Skol said:


> Not sure I would go to the effort of cycling there specially, I guess that would be 7-8 miles trip each way depending where you are starting from? I have heard mention recently of some new trails near Marple Bridge/Roman Lakes area which I keep meaning to look into.
> 
> http://www.romanlakes.co.uk/mountain_biking.htm
> 
> ...


That's interesting. You can ride up the canal to there from Ashton innit.


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