The Mary Towneley Loop

There are whole websites dedicated to this route so lets just say that we are blessed to have this grand day out on our doorstep. This is do-able on hardtails and, with some basic skills to cope with some loose, stoney and rutted tracks, or the odd splashes from puddles, this can be enjoyed without needing full-on Enduro or D/H skills.

We can start the loop from either Rooley Moor or from Wardle. Riding clockwise from Rooley Moor gets the biggest slog up onto the tops over with whilst the legs are fresh.

It is a full day out: this GPS track shows the full 73km circuit with 2350m total ascent. And about 7hours of riding time.

There are shortcuts available to skip some of the more exposed sections out, if weather conditions close in, or if time is constrained.

Ogden Reservoirs Trail

From the all-day extreme of the MTL to this little belter of a 2 hour loop out in the hills under the shadows of the M62. The track shown is 24km with 400m of total ascent. Sections of the climbs are narrow and technical in places – but getting off and walking such bits is always an option…

A Wardle – Norden Circuit

This is a fairly gentle loop around the northern half of Rochdale, climbing up onto the tops around Wardle Moor, dropping down into Healey Dell, then crossing down to the leafy tracks around Norden to Castleton. 40km as shown with 540m ascent.