{"id":6892,"date":"2019-09-08T12:13:13","date_gmt":"2019-09-08T12:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/discerningcyclist.com\/?p=6892"},"modified":"2023-09-20T10:13:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T10:13:35","slug":"cycling-in-manchester-bike-hire-shops-routes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discerningcyclist.com\/cycling-in-manchester-bike-hire-shops-routes\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycling in Manchester: Bike Hire, Cycling Routes + Where to Lock Your Bike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With hundreds of millions of pounds being put into improving cycling infrastructure in Manchester, one of Britain’s best and most beloved cities is becoming an increasingly bike-friendly region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, just what is it like to go cycling through the city, and how safe and simple is it to get around on your bike?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Manchester Cycling Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most big, busy UK cities can be a cyclist’s nightmare due to the lack of accessibility and pleasant cycle paths, but Manchester is certainly a cut above the rest in that regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the study published by Toothpick<\/a> showing the percentage of people in each UK city who cycle at least once a week, for any amount of time. Manchester earned a highly commendable mark of 7.4\/10, based on annual survey data from the Department for Transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Manchester is well-covered with cycle lanes, too<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This was not solely based on how healthy people are in Manchester, but also how easy it is to cycle \u2013 whether there are enough safe cycle paths, how much traffic there is, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, as mentioned earlier, its improvements are in no small part down to the amount of investment being set aside for this; in March, for example, it was announced that almost \u00a3140 million will be spent on cycling and walking projects in Greater Manchester<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a far cry from merely a few years ago, when the city with synonymous with roadworks, one-way systems and collisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cycle Paths in Manchester<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This Ordnance Survey<\/a> map shows you the best cycling routes in Manchester lasting no more than two hours or extending longer than 40 kilometres:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As you can see, there a fair amount of good cycles in the city<\/a> centre, such as the two-hour ride to Lymm from DSSR, or the 109-minute long Fallowfield Loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further away from the main hub of the city, there are plenty of choices, such as the 23.5 km ride from Dunham Massey to Marbury, or a journey of similar distance from Alderley Edge to Mobberley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as well as its most popular cycle paths, such as Rochdale Canal Cycle route, the Manchester Airport Orbital Cycleway or the jaunt from the city centre to the airport, there is plenty more to come soon, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It July 2018, former Olympic cyclist and current Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman, revealed his plans for the city’s \u2018Bee Network’<\/a>, comprising 15 new routes all over the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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