Finally took the plunge

Deep Blue Witch

Just Joined
Jun 16, 2020
2
1
Bought my wife and I a new cube touring 500 Pro. Picking them up at the weekend. Pretty scary price but we are both retired and need to start getting fitter. Any advice on learning where the routes are. Quite roads, cycle tracks, disused railway lines and easy'ish trails. We live in Littleborough North of Rochdale near Hollingworth Lake. I also have the option to upgrade to a kathmandu 500 Pro. Any advice or thoughts appreciated. Panniers?, Tyres? that kind of thing.
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,981
8,565
61
West Sx RH
OS Explorer maps 1:25 000 scale.
Perfect for finding all the bridleways and ex rail line routes,etc.
 

cyclebuddy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 2, 2016
1,640
771
Beds & Norfolk
Quite roads, cycle tracks, disused railway lines and easy'ish trails.
As Nealh said. Plus...
 

LeighPing

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 27, 2016
2,547
1,945
The Red Ditch
Bought my wife and I a new cube touring 500 Pro. Picking them up at the weekend. Pretty scary price but we are both retired and need to start getting fitter. Any advice on learning where the routes are. Quite roads, cycle tracks, disused railway lines and easy'ish trails. We live in Littleborough North of Rochdale near Hollingworth Lake. I also have the option to upgrade to a kathmandu 500 Pro. Any advice or thoughts appreciated. Panniers?, Tyres? that kind of thing.
Have a look at your local area on google earth. It's handy for finding trails. Enjoy your bikes. :)
 

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,851
2,763
Winchester
OS Explorer maps 1:25 000 scale.
Perfect for finding all the bridleways and ex rail line routes,etc.
For your local area you need to buy the map. For further away areas they are also available online at OS itself, and sometimes more conveniently on Bing maps.

Be aware that while bridleways are legal to ride, some are almost impossible. Don't plan a long route that depends on a bridleway you don't know.

There are a lot of specialized cycle route sites. For example https://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/, but many others. Google 'cycle route planning' or similar, and I'm sure other people will post their favourites here.
 

D C

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2013
1,142
577
Try view ranger off playstore, may show you a few good routes.
I used to know your area very well having lived in Rochdale for the first 50 years of my life and used to mountain bike in the Yorkshire dales, only an hour away (in those days).
There are lots of good routes around you especially with electric help for the many hills, but a faded memory for me now having lived elsewhere and now in the Highlands for the last 15 years.
Welcome.
Dave.
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,981
8,565
61
West Sx RH
Use the map to explore routes take it with you and mark the bad or not very passable route son the map in indelible ink as you explore with your new found freedom.
 

Laser Man

Pedelecer
Jul 1, 2018
200
127
Michelmersh SO51
Osmand (free for Android and iPhone) is based on open sourced mapping and has a cycle path overlay.
The overlay shows all the national cycle trails as well as many local ones.
The navigation in cycling mode keeps you off main roads as far as possible. (but so does Google Maps).

For use on the go I prefer Osmand's mapping to OS : there is a bit less detail, but following a route is a easier for that.
For planning at home, nothing beats a paper OS map coupled with Google Earth.
 

jimriley

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2020
603
402
For the OP, the bridleways are all doable on a bike, Pennine Bridleway, Mary Townley Loop etc. I live at Calderbrook, above Littleborough and there are lots of tracks around. The reservoir track from the White House Blackstone Edge is a flat ride, but it then becomes the Pennine Way footpath, which has now been a paved with stone slabs.
I normally have to push the bike up the steep bits and walk down anything too challenging, but it's all good fun. Even pushing should be a doddle with the throttle on slow/walking speed.
 

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
9,822
3,993
Basildon
Ordinary Google Maps and Google Navigation that you get free in any Android phone has all the cycle routes. In the navigation, there is a bicycle symbol. Click it to show and navigate by the cycle routes, etc. I've never used anything else. You can also switch to satellite image to see what's there.
 

D C

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2013
1,142
577
Google maps set to bicycle don't show many off road routes and many existing tracks are completely missing, at least where I live. Free versions of open cycle map and plotaroute set to cycle map (which has some suggested routes) are more useful and have similar mapping to view ranger.
Dave.
 
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vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
9,822
3,993
Basildon
Google maps set to bicycle don't show many off road routes and many existing tracks are completely missing, at least where I live. Free versions of open cycle map and plotaroute set to cycle map (which has some suggested routes) are more useful and have similar mapping to view ranger.
Dave.
Did you zoom in enough? When did you check it? Did you select cycling in both the maps and navigation?
 
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D C

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2013
1,142
577
Did you zoom in enough? When did you check it? Did you select cycling in both the maps and navigation?
Yes,
today,
yes.
Have a look at my suggestions and you'll see the difference:)
 

PP100

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2020
252
149
Google maps set to bicycle don't show many off road routes and many existing tracks are completely missing, at least where I live. Free versions of open cycle map and plotaroute set to cycle map (which has some suggested routes) are more useful and have similar mapping to view ranger.
Dave.
Yes, Google Maps is out of date or not very accurate in my experience. Eg In London area which I know well and it will mark cycling paths in some green space areas where it is actually forbidden! eg: I tried to report one inaccuracy and it was ignored - they never changed it.
 
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