Route from Oxford Road to Media City?

[kwackers]

Looks like I'll be doing some work at Media City in Manchester, probably get a train from Warrington to Oxford Rd (assume that's the closest) and then potentially cycle to Media City.

Is there a pleasant route or is it the usual thick skin and a grimace that one associates with city cycling?

[mjr]

I've not ridden to Salford but the area around Oxford Road is a bit hairy at times. From www.traintimes.org.uk and http://cycle.travel/map/ it looks like Trafford Park station is on the same line and nearby Moss Road is connected by cycleways to Media City. From cyclestreets, it looks like parts are good http://manchester.cyclestreets.net/location/31881/

[kwackers]

Cheers for that MJR, particularly the links - haven't seen cyclestreets before.

[Pete Owens]

Your other option would be to ride to Newton-le-Willows and get the train to Eccles - that way you would be on the right side of the Ship Canal.

[Ivorcadaver]

Out of station go left down Oxford Rd, 1st left into great Bridgewater St, past the Peveril of the Peak (stop for a swift one if possible), straight over the lights at Bridgewater Hall (a stop off at the Britons Protection is highly recommended- best Victorian pub in Manchester). At the junction with Deansgate (Hilton hotel is on your left) go across the horrible staggered junction onto Liverpool rd all the way down to the traffic lights at Water street (the Ox and The Cask pubs on Liverpool rd are both excellent and your last chance for a drink before Media City). I digress, back to the journey in hand - right onto Water Street, under the bridge and take the first left over Princes Bridge, wiggle down the cycle path (the amount of wiggle depends on the number of my pub recommendations you have taken). Cross the dual carriageway at the lights (there is a dedicated cycle crossing) onto Hampson St and keep goin straight for about a mile (Hampson changes to Middlewood and the Liverpool St). This is the badlands of Salford, dodgy boozers and scrapyards so don't get a puncture. Eventually you come to major junction (car dealerships on every corner) go straight across and take 1st left into Cross Lane, go under the underpasses (cycling is permitted) and follow the signs to Mediacity which is about 1/2 mile away. All told about 2-3 miles about 15-20 mins. Alternatively you can get a tram from Piccadilly.

[Pete Owens]

From cyclestreets, it looks like parts are good http://manchester.cyclestreets.net/location/31881/

Other parths less so:
http://madcyclelanesofmanchester.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/locked-gates-on-irwell-again.html

[mjr]

That's not on the route, is it?

[Postboxer]

Don't think the trams take bikes unless they've changed. Could try going along the Rochdale and Bridgewater Canals but not sure what it's like in the city centre.

[Pete Owens]

That's not on the route, is it?

It is certainly on A route:
http://madcyclelanesofmanchester.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/irwell-rive-park-part-1-river-park.html

You can download Manchester Cycle maps from here:
http://cycling.tfgm.com/Pages/Cycle-Maps.aspx

[kwackers]

Cheers guys. Think I'll use the tram initially and do a bit of exploring. (There's no guarantee I can get my bike on the train - they're pretty busy that time in the morning).

[mjr]

That's not on the route, is it?

It is certainly on A route:
http://madcyclelanesofmanchester.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/irwell-rive-park-part-1-river-park.html

Oh sure, but we could all post whatever obstructions exist from whatever cycle route and it would still be off-topic.

You can download Manchester Cycle maps from here:
http://cycling.tfgm.com/Pages/Cycle-Maps.aspx

...which doesn't show the gates if they're where I think they are. Better to use cycle.travel or OpenStreetMap.org on cycle layer view and there's more chance that someone will have marked such obstructions on the map.

[kwackers]

As an update.
I've bought another bike
Oxford station has a 'cycle hub' which is basically a secure cage which is the bargain price of a tenner a year. (There's also one at media city which is included in the price).

So I cycle to Warrington as before and leave my bike there, get the train to Oxford Rd, get my new bike out of the cage, cycle out of the station and on to Oxford Street and almost immediately hop down the steps onto the Rochdale canal tow path.
Follow that a short distance to Castlefield, over a footbridge and onto the Bridgewater canal tow path which takes me all the way down to Media City, car free and very pleasant.

[GrumpyCyclist]

As an update.
I've bought another bike
Oxford station has a 'cycle hub' which is basically a secure cage which is the bargain price of a tenner a year. (There's also one at media city which is included in the price).

So I cycle to Warrington as before and leave my bike there, get the train to Oxford Rd, get my new bike out of the cage, cycle out of the station and on to Oxford Street and almost immediately hop down the steps onto the Rochdale canal tow path.
Follow that a short distance to Castlefield, over a footbridge and onto the Bridgewater canal tow path which takes me all the way down to Media City, car free and very pleasant.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, you leave your new bike at the cycle hub when coming back? How's that working out with respect to the fact the lockers are supposed to be left empty at the end of the day? Hope you don't come in one morning and find your locker opened and bike gone.

Having said that, if such an opportunity were available for me, I'd probably do the same. No public transport links and no hubs for me unfortunately.

[kwackers]

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, you leave your new bike at the cycle hub when coming back? How's that working out with respect to the fact the lockers are supposed to be left empty at the end of the day? Hope you don't come in one morning and find your locker opened and bike gone.

Having said that, if such an opportunity were available for me, I'd probably do the same. No public transport links and no hubs for me unfortunately.

No that's what I'm doing.

I haven't seen anything that says I can't leave the bike overnight - although in fairness it does seem to be a bit 'grey'.
The FAQ says:-
"City Tower members can leave bikes overnight. Bikes cannot be parked in Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury or Rochdale Hubs overnight and if you do we may remove them."

So one locker is explicitly given permission whilst some others are explicitly denied it. What that means for Oxford Rd is anyone's guess. If it goes for a walk then I expect I'll be able to recover it (you'd hope they'd 'sticker' it first though).

The only thing the T&C's seem to say is:-
"transport for Greater Manchester reserve the right to remove property, including bikes, and dispose of the property after a 3 month period. Cycle Hub members will be notified of such actions."
Which sounds as though if they remove the bike you've got 3 months to claim it back.

<edit> Just spotted you said "lockers" rather than bike stands. I'm not using the lockers so shouldn't be an issue.

[GrumpyCyclist]

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, you leave your new bike at the cycle hub when coming back? How's that working out with respect to the fact the lockers are supposed to be left empty at the end of the day? Hope you don't come in one morning and find your locker opened and bike gone.

Having said that, if such an opportunity were available for me, I'd probably do the same. No public transport links and no hubs for me unfortunately.

No that's what I'm doing.

I haven't seen anything that says I can't leave the bike overnight - although in fairness it does seem to be a bit 'grey'.
The FAQ says:-
"City Tower members can leave bikes overnight. Bikes cannot be parked in Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury or Rochdale Hubs overnight and if you do we may remove them."

So one locker is explicitly given permission whilst some others are explicitly denied it. What that means for Oxford Rd is anyone's guess. If it goes for a walk then I expect I'll be able to recover it (you'd hope they'd 'sticker' it first though).

The only thing the T&C's seem to say is:-
"transport for Greater Manchester reserve the right to remove property, including bikes, and dispose of the property after a 3 month period. Cycle Hub members will be notified of such actions."
Which sounds as though if they remove the bike you've got 3 months to claim it back.

<edit> Just spotted you said "lockers" rather than bike stands. I'm not using the lockers so shouldn't be an issue.

Ah, yeah. My cynical mind was assuming they were bike lockers, not stands. Fair enough then. I like the idea of those hubs, and if I start cycling more I might look into them myself to use if I cycle into Bolton or even - gulp - Manchester.

The City Tower is different because that needs a separate payment. £100-£200/year or you can pay £10 for 10 visits. For some reason it's a posh one.

Looked into doing something similar myself after I posted my last. I'd need to cycle to Radcliffe (30mins minimum), leave the bike at Metrolink, wait for a little bit, catch a tram (1hr 05min journey since I have to go into Manchester, change and come back out) and pay £5/return journey. So a journey that takes me 25 mins by car and costs £25/fortnight would take the best part of two hours each way and double in cost. Shame really, but that's public transport for you I guess.