100/200 greatest climbs - Peak District

[Postmanhat]

Last year I did a loop from Sheffield out to winnats pass,back to Sheffield past Chatsworth house,then up curber gap it's a killer.

Thanks. Did Curbar Edge last weekend. How does it compare to Winnats do you think?

 

[Richard Davis]

I did both last weekend. Curbar Edge took 39 by 31 in the saddle, Winnats 39 by 31 out of saddle.

I'm confused though- the road by Mam Tor is passable only on foot.

 

[ColinJ]

I did both last weekend. Curbar Edge took 39 by 31 in the saddle, Winnats 39 by 31 out of saddle.

I'm confused though- the road by Mam Tor is passable only on foot.

The road up from Edale approaches Mam Tor from the NW rather than the road closed by the landslip which you refer to that comes up from the SE from Casleton.

I really ought to take my bike down there one day and have a go at some of those climbs. I have passed through Hathersage in both directions on long rides from Hebden Bridge to Coventry and back (140+ very hilly miles), but didn't have the time, or energy to do any bonus hills nearby!

 

[Postmanhat]

I did both last weekend. Curbar Edge took 39 by 31 in the saddle, Winnats 39 by 31 out of saddle.

I'm confused though- the road by Mam Tor is passable only on foot.

Thanks. Have got a standard compact 50/34, 12/28 and managed Curbar in the saddle. Looks like Winnats might force me to do some pretend running. Will be saving that till absolutely necessary as out-of-the-saddle efforts leave me empty.

As ColinJ said, will be going from Edale station to Barbers Booth and up Mam Tor from there. Went down it a month ago and it was open then?

 

[NorvernRob]

Thanks. Have got a standard compact 50/34, 12/28 and managed Curbar in the saddle. Looks like Winnats might force me to do some pretend running. Will be saving that till absolutely necessary as out-of-the-saddle efforts leave me empty.

As ColinJ said, will be going from Edale station to Barbers Booth and up Mam Tor from there. Went down it a month ago and it was open then?

Curbar as an average gradient stacks up close to Winnats, but it's much more of a constant 10-12% gradient. Winnats has that sapping 6-7% lead up that looks almost flat, then it hits 20% for several hundred metres. Last time I did Winnats I took it too easy and ended up sprinting around the last left hand bend and up to the second cattle grid. I was pretty fresh and only weigh 68kg so I'm not a bad climber anyway.

The route of the Peak District Epic starting and finishing in Bakewell is an absolute cracker, there are 7 categorised climbs for a total of 7,300ft in 63 miles including Longstone Edge, Pyms chair (the steep way), Goyt Valley, Axe Edge and others. It's almost all on very quiet roads and is well worth a try.

Riber Road has a section that is steeper than anything Winnats has to offer, it's over 20% and is called 'Riber road zig zags' on strava for a reason! It's the only part of any climb that I can remember not riding up in a straight line.

 

[ColinJ]

As ColinJ said, will be going from Edale station to Barbers Booth and up Mam Tor from there. Went down it a month ago and it was open then?

Richard is referring to the old road which was closed in 1979 because of a continuing landslide off Mam Tor which kept breaking it up. LINK.

 

[Peter Richardson]

Thanks. Did Curbar Edge last weekend. How does it compare to Winnats do you think?

Hard to say,when I did winnats we had a 10 to 15 mph tailwind,plus it was only 30 miles into my ride.where as we had ridden 15 miles into the wind,and covered 60miles before approaching curber gap. Found the constant gradient of curber gap harder,but I'm 90kg and no climber.