Cycling

Rochdale, Heywood, Littleborough and Middleton offer some of the most varied cycling in the Greater Manchester area. From gentle rides along the towpath of the Rochdale Canal to exhilarating mountain biking high up in the South Pennine moors, you never have far to travel to enjoy being out in the countryside.

We’re building our network of easy cycle paths as part of the national Connect2 Network and more sections are being added all the time. One of the main routes is the Rochdale Canal towpath which runs from Mills Hill, near Middleton, to Summit, near Littleborough. There’s even a new link path from East Lancashire Railway’s station in Heywood. This is a fairly easy traffic free and family friendly route for all cyclists.

If mountain biking is your thing then head for the hills around Littleborough and Newhey, following the Pennine Bridleway and other link bridleways. Details of a circular 10 mile or 20 mile ride from Summit or Hollingworth Lake can also be found on the Manchester’s Countryside website; look for Ride 2 'The Littleborough Lake to Lake'.