Index
- Cycling
- SLH rides 2020
- General local cycling information
- Women on Wheels Jan-Mar 2018
- Previous SLH rides in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013
- Walking
- Transport
Cycling
For the latest posts about Cycling, click here.
1.1 SLH rides 2020
Discover some local, quiet cycle routes by joining us on our rides in and around the area. These round-trip, free rides are open to all, and several this year are just short hops across the Heatons, making them suitable for those who want to get back on their bikes and for families. You’ll get exercise and have fun in good company, while our experienced cycle leaders will see no-one is left behind and may even mend any punctures!
CANCELLED: April 5th Sunday. Shaw Rd Market
A short ride across Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor on quiet roads and off-road tracks. We’ll pass by Heaton Mersey common, Thornfield Park and St Andrew’s field to reach Heaton Moor Producers’ Market on Shaw Rd. You’ll have a time to shop, so bring a bag for all those lovely gifts and then we’ll head back.
Meet at 10:30: Car park at the back of The Heaton pub, Didsbury Rd, Heaton Mersey. This car park is just off St John’s Rd.
Distance: 4 miles
Finish time: around 12:30.
CANCELLED: April 25th Saturday. Heaton Mersey Artisan Market
A ride from the George & Dragon, by the Meadows in Heaton Chapel, then along part of the proposed new Heatons Link cycle path, through Heaton Moor to Heaton Mersey. Again there will of course be food, drink and goodies at the market.
Meet at 10:30: George & Dragon pub car park, Heaton Chapel.
Distance: 6 miles
Finish time: around 12:30.
CANCELLED: June 7th Sunday. Abney Hall
We’ll be on some quiet roads but our route is largely off-road including a section of the Trans Pennine Trail down to the Mersey. At Abney there’s the little cafe to enjoy and for those who want, a short game of rounders.
Meet at 10:30: Moor Top pub car park, Heaton Moor
Distance: 6 miles
Finish time: around 12:30.
CANCELLED: June 21st Sunday. TPT Summer Solstice A loop down to the Mersey along the Trans Pennine Trail and back by a different route. The trip there is largely off-road on well-surfaced tracks.
Meet at 10:30: Nursery Inn car park, Heaton Norris
Distance: 5 miles
Finish time: around 12:30.
CANCELLED: July 19th Sunday. Reddish Vale
We’re heading over to one of our popular destinations once more, the Reddish Vale visitor centre with its friendly cafe and small exhibition area. Our route is the Trans Pennine Trail through the green corridor by the river Tame, and is very largely off-road along good trails.
Meet at 10:30: Love Lane park, Heaton Norris
Distance: 6 miles
Finish time: about 12:30
CANCELLED: July 30th Thursday. HandleBards Girls: MacbethThe HandleBards, a troupe of Shakespearean players, will perform on the Fallowfield Loop, at the Quadrants in Levenshulme. These are pay-what-you-can events, doors open at 5:30pm with curtain up at 6:30pm. Bring a rug and a picnic. Our route there is largely off-road and includes Nelstrop Rd North and the Fallowfield Loop.
Meet at 5:00pm: Moor Top pub car park, Heaton Moor
Distance: 6 miles
Finish time: performance ends about 8:30pm.
Date TBA. Whitworth park, for Let’s Ride event.
We’ll be arranging a trip into Manchester to coincide with the 2020 Let’s Ride event when some of the city’s streets will be closed to cars. First we’ll go to The Whitworth with its cafe, with the opportunity to then join in the event.
Meet at time tba: Moor Top pub car park, Heaton Moor
Distance: 10 miles plus “Let’s Ride route”
Finish time: afternoon
CANCELLED: September 13th Sunday. Penny farthing race in Knutsford. POSTPONED UNTIL SOMETIME SEPTEMBER 2021
A much longer ride, for more experienced cyclists only. We’ll be going, mostly on normal bikes, to Knutsford to see the Great Race in which, every 10 years, penny farthing riders see who can travel the furthest in 3 hours. If you don’t feel like cycling there, you could catch the train and still join in the fun.
Meet at 9am: Moor Top pub car park, Heaton Moor
Distance: 36 miles
Finish time: early evening.
For all these rides, numbers are limited, so to book your places or for queries about the rides email cycling@slheatons.org. Just let us know how many adults and children will be coming and on which trips. Bring a roadworthy bike and under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
Looking forward to seeing you!
And don’t forget that on the last Friday of each month, there are morning rides into Manchester leaving Heaton Chapel train station at 7:45 am. These Bike Friday rides are organised by FoE rather than SLH.
1.2 General local cycling information
Cycling is a sustainable, cheap, low-energy way to get about with the added benefit of pleasurable exercise, and usually in good company. A recent extensive survey showed that many more people would cycle if they were aware of quiet routes ….. and to help this Stockport (and Manchester in general) has been improving existing cycle routes and adding others, over recent years.
We are well served here with many quiet residential streets, plus notably the Trans Pennine Trail passing through Heaton Norris & Heaton Mersey; and with Nelstrop Road in Heaton Chapel or Errwood Road, just over Heaton Moor golf course both linking to the Fallowfield Loop Line. These and many more routes can be seen on the set of 10 TfGM cycling maps either online or in paper form. These show that there are some surprisingly quiet, traffic-free, green corridors through the suburbs of Manchester. Even if you don’t have a bike, most of these routes allow pleasant walking too.
To help make people aware of such routes, SLH has organised several bike rides in each of the last few years, all starting within the Heatons and around 4 to 30 miles long. There’s a list of our previous years’ rides in section 4. Whether you’re fairly new to cycling, coming back after a break or more experienced but wanting to discover more routes, these rides could be for you. We go at the pace of the slowest, so no-one is left behind.
Our routes are largely off-road, on well surfaced paths, but sometimes use quiet roads; and to cross busier roads we’re always prepared to dismount and push.
Most rides have a specific destination and allow you time there, for example at a Hall, Art gallery or Museum usually with a cafe to enjoy. Or they may be to an event or activity like pond-dipping or bird watching, or even to see a Shakespearean play!
Descriptions of past rides & routes will be added to these pages at a later date – these should make it easier to ride independently or inform friends about the routes.
TfGM and associated organisations offer training to cyclists of all abilities from those completely new to riding through to those already much more experienced. They also provide various levels of bike maintenance courses at several centres including locally in Stockport. If anyone is interested in helping with our SLH led rides, there are ride leader training courses available too. All these sessions, apart from for example the most advanced wheel-building courses, are free of charge. Across Manchester there are many other cycling clubs and organisations that might be of interest.
1.3 Women on Wheels Jan-March 2018
1.4 Previous SLH rides
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015, 2014, 2013
Walking
- Along the River Mersey from Station Road to the Pyramid
- Circular walk from Sevenoaks Avenue to Burnage Garden Village
- Circular walk from St Thomas Junior School to Highfield Country Park and back
- From Heaton Moor Road to the secret lake and back to Heaton Chapel
- Heaton Mersey Common to the River Mersey and back
Transport
For the latest posts about Transport, click here
The Heatons are well connected to the public transport network. Mainline rail services are available from Heaton Chapel Station located on Heaton Moor Road close to the Heaton Chapel / Moor border. Residents also have the option of connecting to mainline services via East Didsbury Station. East Didsbury Metro Link stop also provides a convenient point to access the Metro Link network. Bus services operate across the neighbourhoods at high frequency, information about routes and service numbers can be obtained from TfGM’s route planning web page. Both of the above rail station provide links to a wide range of local services and short journey times to Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly to allow connections to high speed national services. Heaton Chapel Station has an active friends group. The group made up entirely of volunteers, dedicate much of their free time to improving the appearance of the station by continually updating and improving the garden areas.
Public Transport
We have close links with the Friends of Heaton Chapel Station and have had guest speakers from Transport for Greater Manchester at our monthly meetings. This has included discussion of initiatives to encourage use of public transport as well as updates on developments.