Looking for somewhere to ride?
 We have a number of rides (see right) introducing you to the cycling facilities within the Greater Manchester area. You are free to start and finish these wherever you wish, on a day of your own choosing, with your mates or on your own. You ride at your own risk of course but we follow public roads and cycle paths which are the responsibility of the local authority. We recommend that you have Cycling UK membership which gives you 3rd party insurance as well as their advice and support should you have a mishap.
Looking for someone to ride with?
Join us once a month (see below)
There are plenty of Cycling Clubs in the area who regularly organise club runs, either on a regular weekly basis, or as occasional 'specials'. See lists on the right.
As a Cycling UK Member, you will be welcomed on most of these, knowing that you have 3rd party insurance.
(If you want to ride with any of these groups, you should make contact to find out where and when they meet, and what expectations they will have on you.)
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| Manchester CTC Regular Rides :
meeting once a month (usually a Saturday).
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An exploration of Greater Manchester cycling facilities.All starts can be reached by train
 , and several by
 metrolink, although only folding bikes can be taken on the tram.
The rides are suitable for all sorts of bikes, including skinny-tyred road bikes, and folding bikes, although a gravel bike would be ideal. You can even bring an electric-assist bike provided you check that you have enough charge for the intending distance!
There is no entry fee for these rides, just bring some cash or cards as we'll have a cafe stop or two along the way. All we ask is that you have 3rd party insurance, such as that provided to members of Cycling UK or National Clarion.
Click on the
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what3words
link for our meeting point.
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Saturday
15/02/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Stockport
39 km (24 miles) one-way
230 meters of climbing
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Meet at
Stockport Station
ready for a 10:30 start. Get there early and take advantage of the Gourmet Coffee Bar in the station concourse .Plenty of trains serve Stockport Station. If you arrive by car, note that local car parking can be expensive, but you've got a bike; park somewhere cheaper and ride in! There is free parking at
Woodbank Park
, or at
Reddish Vale Country Park
, both less than 2 miles away.
This is a Stockport circular tour, using the Alan Newton Way, named for a cyclist at the 1952 Olympics. We also ride along the Middlewood Way, a former railway line that ran from Marple to Macclesfield. We'll have at least one cafe stop along the way.
The full ride is about 40km/25 miles but there are opt-outs as we pass stations at Rose Hill (11 km), Poynton (20), and Cheadle Hulme (30).
Bring any bike you happen to have. A gravel bike would be ideal but road bikes, folding bikes or mountain bikes will cope with what we've got in mind. Electric-assist bikes are welcome but make sure you are fully charged.
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Saturday
15/03/2025
Start time:
10:45
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Altrincham
62 km (38 miles) one-way
380 meters of climbing
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Meet at
Altrincham Interchange
ready for a 10:45 start. Note the delayed start time, giving you time to get the 10:10 train from Piccadilly which arrive at 10:36. Get there early and find us in Gran T's Coffee Shop on Stamford New Road.
The plan is to ride up the Bridgewater Canal as far as Barton Swing Bridge. After riding through Eccles we use the Swinton Greenway then Drinkwater Park and Philip's Park and Bury.
We return to Altrincham through Radcliffe, the Outwood Trail, Salford Quays and Old Trafford (United play away that day). The full ride is about 65km/40 miles, but you can cut the ride short by catchning a train at Bury (21 miles, - folding bikes only on the tram) or Salford Crescent (31 miles).
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Saturday
19/04/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Bramhall
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Meet at Bramhall station to visit some of the commemorative gold postboxes from the 2012 London Olympics.
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Saturday
17/05/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Irlam
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Meet at Irlam station to vist more of the gold postboxes from the 2012 London Olympics.
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Saturday
14/06/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Guide Bridge
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Meet at Guide Bridge station to ride through Heaton Park, Bury, Rochdale and Middleton to return to Guide Bridge. Return by train or ride through Ashton
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Saturday
19/07/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Hazel Grove
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Meet at Hazel Grove station to ride via Middlewood Way to Bollington, then Lyme Park to New Mills. Return by train, or ride back through Marple and Stockport to reach Hazel Grove.
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Saturday
16/08/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Altrincham
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Meet at Altrincham Interchange to ride to Styal, Hazel Grove and Cheadle.
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Saturday
27/09/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Irlam
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Meet at Irlam station to vist more of the gold postboxes from the 2012 London Olympics.
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Saturday
18/10/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Rose Hill
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Meet AT Marple Rose Hil station to ride to Hyde and Broadbottom.
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Saturday
15/11/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Guide Bridge
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Meet at Guide Bridge station to ride via Daisy Nook, Rochdale and Milnrow. Return by train or ride through Ashton
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Saturday
20/12/2025
Start time:
10:30
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Glossop
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Continuing our
Station to Station
tour of Manchester.
The ride starts at 10:30am but we'll wait for the 10:03 from Piccadilly which arrives at Glossop at 10:33. The trains are every half hour so if you come earlier, you could meet us in the cafe in the station itself.If you arrive by car you should be able to find parking outside the town centre, a short bike ride from the station.
We'll explore the former Woodhead railway, first as the Longdendale to the Woodhead tunnels, then through the former Gamesley sidings to reach Broadbottom.
If you want to cut it short, we return to Glossop by 30km. After that, we pass Broadbottom Station at about 40km. You can (of course) do the full return to Glossop Station at 48km.
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Manchester CTC
- our Permanent Rides
... rides that you can undertake on any day, at any time, starting and finishing anywhere convenient along the route. Just download the GPX and go
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Going for Gold:
track down the commemorative post boxes in the Greater Manchester area following the 2023 London Olympic Games
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Manchester Sightseer:
a guided tour of some of Manchester's famous sites (and sights), as a 114km Audax ride or a series of stages that you can ride over an extended period.
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mini-Manc Sightseer:
a shorter version of the above, only 63km in total
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Station to Station (inner ring):
a series of rides between Metrolink stations
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Station to Station (outer ring):
as above, but these rides are between main line stations all within the Greater Manchester ticketing area (so free travel if you have your bus pass and have paid the tram supplement)
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Werneth Low Rider:
A 60km Audax ride climbing all seven ascents of Werneth Low, but you can also undertake this as a non-Audax ride, picking and choosing as many (or few) of the climbs as you wish
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Cycling UK
- other local groups
... if you're a member of Cycling UK, you will be welcome to join in the activities of other Cycling UK group
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| Peak Audax
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Formal Audax events that need to be pre-entered. They can be Calendar Events where you ride with others on a set date, or as Permanent Rides ('Perms') which you can ride to your own timetable, on your own or with a group of mates.
They range from 50km to 600km, can be flat (well, flat-ish) or hilly, so do make sure you know what you are taking on before you start!
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| Rochdale
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Club rides start from Rochdale Leisure Centre, Beginners and Medium rides departing at 9:30 on Saturdays. On Sundays, club rides set off at 8:30 (short/medium/Long). The Sunday Chaingang leaves at 9:00. The Vets group has a ride on Thursdays.
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| Oldham & Tameside
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A small group of enthiasastic cyclists who meet every Sunday, whatever the weather. We meet at Deep Cutting Stalybridge, or Apethorn Lane Hyde.
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| South Manchester
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There are 2 rides on Sundays, meeting 9:00 for 9:15 departure. Rides start from Cheadle, Hazel Grove or Whalley Bridge (see runs list for details).
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| West Manchester
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Club runs from Jolly Thresher, Agden at 11am Sundays
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Other cycling groups in the Manchester area
... get in touch to find out what activities they have to offer
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