Cycling near Manchester, England

[A.L.Breguet]

Does anyone know of the racing/cycling scene there. I know there is a great velodrome there, but what about road racing, crits,...
Also, how's the weather? :banana:

[MarleyMon]

My sister lives in London and the weather there is beautiful this weekend! Her boyfriend is a brit. who is quite a cyclist and hales from around there, I think. I'd be glad to put you in touch with them.
Are you travelling there soon?

[Andreu]

Does anyone know of the racing/cycling scene there. I know there is a great velodrome there, but what about road racing, crits,...
Also, how's the weather? :banana:

Loads of races and lots of clubs - not many crits....usually long circuits (12-20 miles) in the middle of nowhere - frequently with a tough hill thrown into it (1 - 5 km long). Terrain: typically hilly but no long high passes like the Alps or Pyrenees.
Northwest has produced some great amateur cyclists and some good professionals. Scene was and still is very strong. Great roads in North Lancashire, Yorkshire and Peak district and close-by North Wales.

see: http://www.theleagueinternational.com/northwestlatest.htm

and

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/eve/eventsfuture.asp
(you need to select "northwest" and "road racing" to get the list of races for the Manchester area which will be close to most of the places listed).

Britishcycling.org website has lists of clubs too.

Weather variable in spring, pretty good in the summer (expect the odd shower), crap in the winter (like most of anywhere in Europe north of the Loire). Handy for airports for cheap flights for escaping to Southern Europe (1-2 hours away).

[British]

Right now is the hottest April in England in living memory - bloody global warming warning!!! Cool in the morning though.

Manchester - get out of town and to the dales.

[Orin]

Does anyone know of the racing/cycling scene there. I know there is a great velodrome there, but what about road racing, crits,...
Also, how's the weather? :banana:

Plenty of great riding. I come from about 20 miles SE of the center of Manchester, though I didn't do much riding around there. I did more at college in Durham and north London when I worked there.

If you want racing, take a look at www.britishcycling.org.uk - look for events in the North West region in the race calendar - or Yorkshire if you are prepared to travel a little. For time trials, go to www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk - you'd have to join an affiliated club. Look for J courses under Events.

As for clubs, I'd suggest looking at the Macclesfield Wheelers, mainly because it's the closest town to where I grew up, but I have ridden some of their races and given their web site (www.macclesfieldwheelers.org.uk), it seems they are covering all the bases - just their links section should keep you occupied for quite a while and might point to a more suitable club.

Orin.

PS, in Manchester, if you can see the Pennines (hills to the east), it's going to rain. If you can't see the Pennines, it is raining. Or so they say. Weather will be variable. Expect rain, be pleasantly surprised if it's sunny.

[sg8357]

What are good cycling maps for Britain ?
I'm looking at riding from Manchester to Plymouth, probably thru Wales.

Any good bike shops in Manchester ?

Scott G.
Off to look for vowels in Wales.

[BoulderGeek]

I used to ride from Hull to Beverley, in East Yorkshire. It rained a lot on the coast.

But, with a pint of hand-pulled Samuel Smith's Museum Ale in a 300 year old pub awaiting me, it was worth the effort.

Regardless, I think one needs to just head away from town centre and explore.

[A.L.Breguet]

Hilly. Hmm. Sounds good. As for the rain, that's why Gob gave us sealed headsets, hubs, and bottom brackets :D

[Orin]

What are good cycling maps for Britain ?
I'm looking at riding from Manchester to Plymouth, probably thru Wales.

Any good bike shops in Manchester ?

Scott G.
Off to look for vowels in Wales.

Maps... What scale? The 1:50000 Ordnance Survey Landranger maps are wonderful, but you'd need too many. The 1:250000 OS Travel Maps would probably be best for route planning. You can sample the maps online at http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

There is also a growing network of bicycle routes - see http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp though I've seen mixed reviews of them.

Sorry, don't know about bike shops there now.

Orin.

[A.L.Breguet]

Maps... What scale? The 1:50000 Ordnance Survey Landranger maps are wonderful, but you'd need too many. The 1:250000 OS Travel Maps would probably be best for route planning. You can sample the maps online at http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

There is also a growing network of bicycle routes - see http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp though I've seen mixed reviews of them.

Sorry, don't know about bike shops there now.

Orin.
How 'bout 1:1 maps? :D

[edouard]

does dingle have a passport

[Orin]

How 'bout 1:1 maps? :D

A bit hard to carry...

Orin.