Welcome to Manchester
Manchester is a great place to cycle, and now there are even more opportunities to get out and about on your bike in the area.
This year Manchester is hosting a big Sky Ride City event, a series of friendly neighbourhood Sky Ride Local rides, Breeze bike rides for women, and more. They’re all free to join, and it’s easy to register.
Check out the list of forthcoming events on the righthand side, or click the tabs below to find out more about cycling in Manchester.
Join us for a fantastic traffic-free bike ride through Manchester where everyone's invited.
Sky Ride Local rides are free community bike rides that offer a great way of getting out and exploring your local area. British Cycling trained ride leaders guide groups of around eight to sixteen people along a variety of fascinating rural and urban routes. They’re on hand to provide friendly encouragement and guidance, whatever your age or ability.
The Breeze network from British Cycling is all about fun, local bike rides for women, by women – and there’s a whole range of support and training too.
Social Cycling Groups is a new programme that encourages people to get together, find a place to ride and enjoy a bike ride at a level and time that suits you.
The Breeze network from British Cycling is looking for more inspirational Breeze champions. You don't have to be an expert cyclist, just enthusiastic and enjoy riding your bike! Our one day course will provide you with all the leadership skills you need to help get more women on a bike!
Clubs
British Cycling can help you find a club that’s right for you. Use the club finder link to find a club near you. There are some great cycling clubs and groups in Manchester who welcome new and novice cyclists to come along and ride with them, including:
Go-Ride Clubs for under 16s
Eastlands Velo
07740 266109
eastlandsvelo@hotmail.com
Mossley CRT
Kermit_716@hotmail.com
Astley and Tyldesley CSC
m.hack@blueyonder.co.uk
Stockport Community Cycle Club
Contact: Jim Court
0161 487 2387
stockportcycling@ntlworld.com
Facilities
The National Cycling Centre is the home of British Cycling. The National Cycling Centre includes the Manchester Velodrome and the new National Indoor BMX Centre. The velodrome is Britain's first indoor Olympic cycling track and widely regarded as one of the world's finest and fastest board tracks. If you’d like to try track cycling there are regular beginners’ sessions.
Platt Fields Park BMX Track and club is open to all. Young people can 'pay and ride' or group bookings can be taken. Email plattfieldsBMX@manchester.gov.uk for more information.
The Tameside Cycle Circuit is situated in the Richmond Park complex alongside the East Cheshire Harriers athletics club and the Curzon Ashton Football club.
Support
British Cycling works with Manchester City Council to promote a range of opportunities for people to get involved with cycling whatever their age and ability. Find out more about Manchester City Council's commitment to helping more people in Manchester get into cycling.
The CycleGM website helps you to started and join in local cycling events. There’s route information too.
The Love Your Bike campaign is based in Manchester. This group, co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth, promotes cycling to help make it an attractive, accessible and fun way to get around. If you’re a new cycle commuter you’ll find help and support at one of the Bike Friday events in the city.
The Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign is a voluntary group working to make cycling in Greater Manchester quicker, safer, easier and more enjoyable.
Where to ride
There are lots of great cycle routes around Manchester, from traffic-free parks to canal paths and city routes. You can request a Manchester cycling route map here.
The Fallowfield Loop Line is a great way of enjoying largely traffic-free cycling in the city. The Fallowfield Loop is an off-road cycle path, pedestrian and horse riding route from Chorlton through Fallowfield and Levenshulme to Gorton and Fairfield in Manchester. It's part of a national cycle network of routes and paths developed and built by Sustrans.
The Manchester Airport and the Cheshire Cycleway is also a great route, allowing you to cycle from the Cheshire Cycleway route 70 to Manchester Airport, its railway station, and the new Aviation Viewing Park, using dedicated cycle paths plus quiet lanes.
At Heaton Park you can enjoy the beautiful parkland, formal gardens, wildlife and architecture, with plenty of refreshment stops available at the park’s many cafes. At just under three miles, its totally traffic-free cycle route is largely flat, making it perfect for young riders and newcomers to cycling.
Chorlton Water Park is great for cycling but its value to bird life and its status as a Local Nature Reserve reflect that it's managed for wildlife as well as people. There are a good range of well surfaced paths for cycling. The park also links into Sale Water Park which also has cycle paths.
The Medlock Valley, Phillips Park and Clayton Vale are great places to discover by bike. Neighbouring Sportcity is home to National Cycling Centre at Manchester, and the area is also part of the National Cycle Network.
