ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
My annual forum ride in Cheshire is fast approaching, taking place this year on Saturday, 20th July. It used to be 200 kms but I have decided to reduce it to just over an imperial century this year.
We chat as we ride along and won't drop anyone, but we do want to get home in daylight (!), so please have a serious think about whether you can ride the distance involved at an overall average speed including stops of (say) 16 kms/hr (10 miles/hr).
It is a pretty flat route though there are a few lumpy bits in the Cheshire loop. Nothing too long and severe though, so I will be riding my trusty singlespeed bike.
The full route is 170 kms (106 miles). This starts and finishes at Walkden railway station. If that is not convenient for you (or you would prefer a shorter ride), we will be riding through Dunham Town (Altrincham) twice so you could meet us there in the morning and leave us there when we get back late afternoon. The Dunham-Dunham loop in Cheshire is 124 km (77 miles).
@Littgull and I aim to arrive at Walkden by train from Todmorden/Littleborough at 08:15 and set off as soon as possible after that. If you are coming in on a different train, please choose an earlier one!
The ride from Walkden station to Dunham is on the Roe Green Loopline (a lovely wooded cycleway with an excellent surface) and the Bridgewater canal towpath (which also has an excellent surface on that stretch). Both are suitable for any bike.
The FLAT outward leg is 23.6 km (14.5 miles). I estimate that we will take about 75 minutes to get to Dunham, so we aim to be setting off from there at 09:30. If meeting us there, please arrive by 09:20. We will meet in front of the famous old Oak tree on School Lane, just before the B5160.
The Cheshire loop will now include 2 cafe stops (@Domus!
). Stop #1 is at Venetian Marina on the Shropshire Union canal near Cholmondeston. That comes at 56 km (35 miles) into the loop. Stop #2 is at Great Budworth ice cream farm [NB That closes at 5:30 pm so we shouldn't have a problem getting there in time]. That comes at 108 km (67 miles). Obviously, if you are starting in Walkden, factor in the extra distance when deciding how much food and drink to carry with you.
The main loop passes though Dunham, Ashley, Mobberley, Ollerton, Lower Peover, Lach Dennis, Davenham, and Moulton, then a short length of possibly slightly rough byway to a footbridge over the River Weaver. From there, we continue through Whitegate, Little Budworth and Wettenhall to cafe stop #1.
After a break hopefully not exceeding 45 minutes or so, we continue to Bunbury, Beeston Castle, Clotton, Kelsall, Delamere Forest, Acton Bridge, and Comberbach to stop #2 at Great Budworth.
The ride back from Great Budworth is via Hoo Green, and Little Bollington to Dunham.
We will be riding back to Walkden by an alternative FLAT route based on a suggestion by @Katherine, though I modified the end of it slightly. Our 22.5 km (14 mile) return leg: Dunham, Carrington, Flixton, Irlam Locks to get over the Ship Canal, then a cycle path beside the A57 to Peel Green, under the M60, then Port Salford Greenway to Patricroft, 1 km on the Bridgewater towpath and then the Loopline back up to Walkden.
I have attached 3 GPX files Walkden-canal-Dunham, Dunham-Marina-Dunham 2019, Dunham-A57-Walkden.
Here is a rough map:
If you are interested, sign up below...
We chat as we ride along and won't drop anyone, but we do want to get home in daylight (!), so please have a serious think about whether you can ride the distance involved at an overall average speed including stops of (say) 16 kms/hr (10 miles/hr).
It is a pretty flat route though there are a few lumpy bits in the Cheshire loop. Nothing too long and severe though, so I will be riding my trusty singlespeed bike.
The full route is 170 kms (106 miles). This starts and finishes at Walkden railway station. If that is not convenient for you (or you would prefer a shorter ride), we will be riding through Dunham Town (Altrincham) twice so you could meet us there in the morning and leave us there when we get back late afternoon. The Dunham-Dunham loop in Cheshire is 124 km (77 miles).
@Littgull and I aim to arrive at Walkden by train from Todmorden/Littleborough at 08:15 and set off as soon as possible after that. If you are coming in on a different train, please choose an earlier one!
The ride from Walkden station to Dunham is on the Roe Green Loopline (a lovely wooded cycleway with an excellent surface) and the Bridgewater canal towpath (which also has an excellent surface on that stretch). Both are suitable for any bike.
The FLAT outward leg is 23.6 km (14.5 miles). I estimate that we will take about 75 minutes to get to Dunham, so we aim to be setting off from there at 09:30. If meeting us there, please arrive by 09:20. We will meet in front of the famous old Oak tree on School Lane, just before the B5160.
The Cheshire loop will now include 2 cafe stops (@Domus!
). Stop #1 is at Venetian Marina on the Shropshire Union canal near Cholmondeston. That comes at 56 km (35 miles) into the loop. Stop #2 is at Great Budworth ice cream farm [NB That closes at 5:30 pm so we shouldn't have a problem getting there in time]. That comes at 108 km (67 miles). Obviously, if you are starting in Walkden, factor in the extra distance when deciding how much food and drink to carry with you.The main loop passes though Dunham, Ashley, Mobberley, Ollerton, Lower Peover, Lach Dennis, Davenham, and Moulton, then a short length of possibly slightly rough byway to a footbridge over the River Weaver. From there, we continue through Whitegate, Little Budworth and Wettenhall to cafe stop #1.
After a break hopefully not exceeding 45 minutes or so, we continue to Bunbury, Beeston Castle, Clotton, Kelsall, Delamere Forest, Acton Bridge, and Comberbach to stop #2 at Great Budworth.
The ride back from Great Budworth is via Hoo Green, and Little Bollington to Dunham.
We will be riding back to Walkden by an alternative FLAT route based on a suggestion by @Katherine, though I modified the end of it slightly. Our 22.5 km (14 mile) return leg: Dunham, Carrington, Flixton, Irlam Locks to get over the Ship Canal, then a cycle path beside the A57 to Peel Green, under the M60, then Port Salford Greenway to Patricroft, 1 km on the Bridgewater towpath and then the Loopline back up to Walkden.
I have attached 3 GPX files Walkden-canal-Dunham, Dunham-Marina-Dunham 2019, Dunham-A57-Walkden.
Here is a rough map:
If you are interested, sign up below...
Last edited:
