
Is it possible to cycle round Crewe off road?
15 local cyclists had a go today in glorious sunshine. We left after the Tea and Tinker session at CC Cycles to try to complete a circuit on segregated paths. The first snag we hit was that there are none that connect with the town centre so our first 200 yards were squeezing past parked cars down Broad st to connect with the start of the Leighton Greenway. We went round that then back across Broad st, over the footbridge across the West Coast mainline at the north corner of the cemetery. Why is this pedestrian only, and why is the gate to the cemetery welded shut folk asked. we then went round Sir William Stanier school to find a link with Sydney Road Bridge. Pushing bikes over a bumpy meadow (pictured)we found a narrow rough path to the bridge where we had to cross between the single phase lights and back again to connect with the footpath alongside the rail line to hungerford Surgery. Although we were going extra carefully at this stretch, as it is not yet a designated shared space, we still overtook a train pulling into the station! Going round School Crescent and crossing Hungerford Rd we joined the brand new Macon Meadow path to the Macdonalds Drive Thru. Resisting that challenge we focused on getting past Crewe station. The roundabout is too daunting for novice riders and the clockwise path leads you into the two lane merge, which even in a car is scary, so we opted to cross by the garage and push our bikes past the station to Pedley St where we joined the new path which forms part of the new route to town along Edleston road.
We found that apart from links in the centre of town, a few non cycling paths, and of course, Nantwich Road at Crewe station, it is possible to get round town to work, leisure or shops off road, if you are willing to take long detours and go slowly.
15 local cyclists had a go today in glorious sunshine. We left after the Tea and Tinker session at CC Cycles to try to complete a circuit on segregated paths. The first snag we hit was that there are none that connect with the town centre so our first 200 yards were squeezing past parked cars down Broad st to connect with the start of the Leighton Greenway. We went round that then back across Broad st, over the footbridge across the West Coast mainline at the north corner of the cemetery. Why is this pedestrian only, and why is the gate to the cemetery welded shut folk asked. we then went round Sir William Stanier school to find a link with Sydney Road Bridge. Pushing bikes over a bumpy meadow (pictured)we found a narrow rough path to the bridge where we had to cross between the single phase lights and back again to connect with the footpath alongside the rail line to hungerford Surgery. Although we were going extra carefully at this stretch, as it is not yet a designated shared space, we still overtook a train pulling into the station! Going round School Crescent and crossing Hungerford Rd we joined the brand new Macon Meadow path to the Macdonalds Drive Thru. Resisting that challenge we focused on getting past Crewe station. The roundabout is too daunting for novice riders and the clockwise path leads you into the two lane merge, which even in a car is scary, so we opted to cross by the garage and push our bikes past the station to Pedley St where we joined the new path which forms part of the new route to town along Edleston road.
We found that apart from links in the centre of town, a few non cycling paths, and of course, Nantwich Road at Crewe station, it is possible to get round town to work, leisure or shops off road, if you are willing to take long detours and go slowly.