With Sarah and I having to temporarily to cut back on our cycling, it was good to finally get out again and join Stockport Community Cycling Club‘s Popup Bike 2019 cycle ride.

We met at Cringle Park, Levenshulme. The weather forecast promised to be mixed in the morning and improving later.

We began by joining the Fallowfield Loop, part of NCN Route 60, and making our way towards Gorton.

We crossed the Ashton Canal.

Before crossing Ashton New Road.

It had already started raining, and though it had then stopped, the clouds overhead looked foreboding.

After weaving our way through the streets of Openshaw towards Clayton, we entered Clayton Vale.

Here, we decided to have a go of the Clayton Vale Easy Rider MTB course.

The rain had made conditions a little more tricky, so it was just tricky enough to give some of us a few scary moments.

At the end of the course, a little climb up a hill took us up to local cycle route 86.

This local cycle route took us into Philips Park.

Continuing to follow local cycle route 86, we left the park and briefly rejoined Ashton Canal.

This brought us to the Etihad Complex, the home of Manchester City.

 

Continuing to follow local cycle route 86, we weaved our way through Beswick towards New Islington.

We then made our way through Ancoats.

A little further on we arrived at our coffee stop, Popup Bikes.

We are always given a warm welcome here, and it is a rather unique place to visit.

After the break, we made our way towards Manchester city centre.

We walked the bit through Piccadilly.

Then we headed for St Peter’s Square, and past Manchester City Hall.

Then on to Manchester Central.

And The Bridgewater Hall.

From there, we headed up First Street.

Leaving Deansgate, we next cycled towards the universities.

Then through the campuses.

Our route took us over Princess Road a couple of times.

Before finally arriving at Oxford Road.

After leaving Oxford Road, we navigated our way through the back streets of Rusholme.

Eventually, we arrived back on the Fallowfield Loop.

Finally, we turned back to Cringle Park.

This had been another excellent urban ride into the centre of Manchester. We had cycled nearly 17 miles.

You can view our Popup Bikes 2019 route below: