On Target for Manchester Day Parade.

The Giant rider is coming together.



Whilst not completed this weekend, artist Julian Taylor was pleased with our progress.



The giant bike is still in his workshop in Liverpool.

It should make it over this week, and at that point he will need some assistance to finish it off, and get it roadworthy, along with last minute touched to the rider.

The parade is at 2pm on Sunday 2nd of June, email mdp@gmx.co.uk if you would like to take part.

I need 2 people to ride the two sculpture outrider bikes, and others to help push and pull it over speed bumps & round corners.

Locked Gates on the Irwell again

The gates under the Trafford Road bridge were locked all day today.

This was 08:40 this morning



and this was 18:40 this afternoon



Notice that you can access the path on both sides of the gate, so they are doing nothing except pissing off people trying to get to and from work.

Salford City Council should remove these gates all together.


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The Kirklees Trail - Bury to Greenmount

This is possibly the busiest railway path I've seen so far in Greater Manchester, but first you have to find it. It is the old Bury to Holcombe Brook Line, opened in 1882 it is unusual for it's early electrification.

Starting in Bury, this is yet another case where you should not follow the NCN 6 signs, they send you down a pavement, then dump you onto a road with part time cycle lanes!

From Bolton Street, the trick is to head north along Castlecroft Road, and under the bridge towards the fire station.



You go under the ring road, and then turn left where the large rocks block the road.



The path at this stage runs through a park and swings west to join the old railway line at the viaduct over the River Irwell.



The path then crosses Woodhill Road, and then goes steeply up because the old railway cutting has been filled in.



The path emerges into a new housing estate and crosses Brandlesholme Road, where there are crossing lights you can use.



On the other side the path decends steeply to the level of the old track bed again.



After a short while the view opens out to reveal the new viaduct at Woolford, opened by Sustrans in May 2012 at a cost of £650,000, built slightly lower than the original bridge.



As you approach there are some lovely iron sculptures on your right and a bench seat.



The other side the path rises again,



and for a while enters a cutting,



before the view re-emerges to your left.



Past the site of Tottington Station the path goes under Kirklees Street.



The next bridge is Tottington Viaduct,



which carries the line over a small lake.



The path has a local variation on cycle barriers, with these low step-over gates, presumably designed for the horses which use the path. You do have to watch out for horse shit along the way. This is where Shepherd Street crosses.



The path splits in two at the end, horses left, people to the right.



As you emerge at the site of Greenmount Station this bench marks the end of the path by Brandelsholme Road.



To stay on NCN 6, turn right down the hill, then turn left into Vermon Road.




It's only just over 3 miles in lenght, but it's a busy little path with lots of youngsters out in groups on bikes or walking, so it feels safe.


View The Kirklees Trail in a larger map

Additional info from the Railway Ramblers North West Group newsletter.

Help Create a Giant Cyclist for the Manchester Day Parade

Plans are now finally coming together. Our artist/maker, Julian Taylor is building a giant bike in his workshop in Liverpool.

We need help on Sunday 19th May building the rider.

Location:
Unit 4a Manchester Industrial Estate
New Elm Road
Off Water Street
Manchester
M3 4JW

From 11 to 1am and from 2 till 5pm.

For the parade itself there is also the opportunity to take part.

The parade is at 2pm on Sunday 2nd of June, email mdp@gmx.co.uk if you would like to take part.



Photo from last year's event.

Outwood Trail Resurfacing - a sneak preview

The Outwood Trail is due to officially open on 24th May.



However, today the barriers had been pushed back and several people were getting a preview of the work done so far.



The new cycling surface is really smooth and well laid.



There are some strange bits where the cycle path goes off to one side to leave room for a separate horse path.



And some bits of wood lying around...



About two thirds of the route has been laid to tarmac so far.



The tarmac runs out just short of the "Trinity" sculpture.

Trinity is a memorial to the navies that lost their lives during the construction of the railway. The sculpture uses the symbolic language of flowers which was common during the Victorian period when the railway cutting was created. The column has rusted over time making the sculpture part of the natural environment, and a symbolic representation of a tree, at home in the surrounding woodland.

The hardcore also runs out in the last section at the north end and there are pools of water here too.

 

All in all, the work so far looks really promising, and it will be really good when it's finished.

The Lost Stone Feature on Lon Eifion

Back in 1994 when I road the Bike Tours "Journey Across Britain" I saw this lovely stone feature on the Sustrans cycle route, just south of Penygroes.



I was looking foward to seeing it again last week when I rode the full length of the route.

Unfortunately, this section of the path now looks more like this!



Sadly this section of the route has been built over with the re-routing of the A487, and none of the original stone features survived.

The whole section that I had cycled on before has either been replaced by the road or was used as the access road to the quarry durring the road's construction.

The route did gain a wide coveing of tarmac, but it lost its character and what looked like an original comissioned artwork.


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Oxford Road Flashmob

A short and sweet cycling demonstration in Oxford Road this morning showing just how much we care about the future plans for cycling in Oxford Road and the wider Manchester area.

Around 100 riders gathered at 10am sharp to cover the road with people and pedal cycles for just 5 minutes.



There were two bike lifts for the cameras.



And a sociable post event coffee and chat.



TfGM will soon be going out to consultation with their plans for bikes and buses on Oxford Road - expected start date is Monday 13 May.

It seems that GMCA & TfGM have accepted the principle of "Dutch-style" routes, and we must hold out for good quality implementation of this. The recent Greater Manchester Cycling City Ambition Grant document on Oxford Road says that "Dutch-style full segregation of cycle routes will feature prominently along a 4 mile long flat thoroughfare" (page 18)

A video by Anthony Johnson of the event.



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Update

A photo taken from above



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