Is It The Toughest Road??

[ColinJ]

We have lots of roads like that where I used to live and work in Argyll, so much so, an empty truck wouldn't be able to climb it, you had to leave a few tonnes on to get enough traction, even with some of the double drives.

I once saw 2 idiot drivers trying to tow caravans up Mytholm Steeps! They took runs at the steepest section where my bike is parked but then the wheels would start spinning and the caravans would pull the cars back down the hill. I watched them for about 10 minutes before they finally admitted defeat. Fortunately, there is a bridleway at the bottom of that ramp which they were able to reverse onto to turn round.

There are warning signs at the top and bottom now.

About 30 years ago, a tanker delivering Calor Gas lost control descending that road. It ran off the road beyond the foot of the ramp, fortunately missing the terrace of houses below.

A colleague giving me a lift home once drove down the hill too fast and got involved in a multiple pile-up when a car in front did an emergency stop for oncoming traffic.

 

[Slick]

Caravan drivers were usually the worst.

 

[nickyboy]

Are those climbs on the Strines as hard as Winnats @nickyboy?

Also, have you done Holme Moss in both directions, and if so is it much harder going up one side than the other?

No they aren't. Winnats is probably the hardest climb in the area. There are two things about Winnats that kills you. First is that it is a W direction so usually a headwind. The second is the ever increasing gradient. Starts about 8%, over the cattle grid and its 12%, fist salt bin and we're up to 15% and then there is the final 20% stretch near the top. Managing the effort is extremely tough. As I mentioned, Strines S to N has an easy climb, a hard climb and a very hard climb. But even the very hard isn't as hard as Winnats

Done Holme Moss both ways loads of times. Holmefirth to Glossop is much harder than Glossop to Holmfirth. There is the prevailing wind problem again. The other is that if you do Glossop to Holmfirth you have a flattish run into the steep 1.5km so you're fresh. Do the other way and you've done a lot of climbing before you hit the steepest bit near the summit so it feels really tough

 

[nickyboy]

We climbed it from the Holmbridge side. It was a fair old pull, certainly not easy. But I remember careering down the other side to Woodhead and thinking it seemed almost vertical that way. Possibly the cross wind and idiot in a Volvo intensified the descent somewhat!

Not a lot in it regarding max gradient. They're both up to about 14%. The final bit of the descent to Woodhead is pretty terrifying though (currently 50th out of 12,000 )

 

[Pale Rider]

.I had just done an emergency dismount after my legs gave up and I slipped and almost face-planted on the road.

Dismounting on a steep climb can be a problem for a rider with my modest bike handling skills.

The Alfine 11 hub on my Rose ebike found a neutral when I was whirring slowly up an ascent.

No problem, I thought, I shall stop and push.

What I think happened next was I failed to apply a brake firmly enough, allowing the bike to roll backwards with me stood astride it.

The handlebars knocked into my thighs, causing me to topple backwards.

Bike and me ended up in a heap on the road, much to the bemusement of my riding companions.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

That's a great ride. I sometimes do it in the other direction as the prevailing wind is a tailwind on the hardest climb (Holme Moss). 42/21 is ridiculous for that ride. I can manage Ewden Beck but only with 34/27, with its long stretches 15%+

I soon learned for my next few attempts, even back in the early 90s, when you were lucky to find a 40 tooth chainring, I ended up with a MTB cassette for such rides

Not a lot in it regarding max gradient. They're both up to about 14%. The final bit of the descent to Woodhead is pretty terrifying though (currently 50th out of 12,000 )

The dip by the old (route) bridge is a bit of a compression, if you've got enough speed
Plus the suicidal sheep

Like yourself, I've overtaken cars on both sides of the county border

 

[User482]

The toughest ride I've done in the Uk is "Le Terrier", a sportive in the Forest of Bowland.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/323885398
3,800m climbing in 100 miles!

 

[fossyant]

Everyone used to moan when we said we were doing Strines in the club. 42x21 was the biggest I had.

 

[Adam4868]

The toughest ride I've done in the Uk is "Le Terrier", a sportive in the Forest of Bowland.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/323885398
3,800m climbing in 100 miles!

On my doorstep so to speak,usually up around those parts once a week.Beautiful part of the country

 

[Milzy]

It's on Dark Peak sportive with other mentioned climbs. Not easy for overweight riders. Not hard for fit people.

 

[SuperHans123]

The vertical hill by Shepherds shop down the Gower is a right daffodil.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Penistone

>laugh<

It's great fun spelling it over the phone to insurance companies
Near the bottom of Cubley is a road called Harden Close!

 

[Racing roadkill]

It's great fun spelling it over the phone to insurance companies
Near the bottom of Cubley is a road called Harden Close!

I can just imagine it now. "Can you spell that for me", "Yes, it's p-e-n-i-s, as in penis, s-t-o-n-e, as in Rolling magazine"

 

[ColinJ]

I can just imagine it now. "Can you spell that for me", "Yes, it's p-e-n-i-s, as in penis, s-t-o-n-e, as in Rolling magazine"

It would actually be p-e-n-i-s as in penis, and t-o-n-e as in tone, so think of it as a well-toned penis! :laugh

PS It is isn't pronounced penis-tone! (Peni-stone. There is a 'Penistone Hill' in nearby Haworth. We all pronounce it pen-is-ton.)

 

[Venod]

South - north, it's a toughie

@Richard A Thackeray it used to be on a regular Featherstone RC club run route to Castleton, but done N to S I have done it both ways on several occasion I think S to N is harder, but its easier since they resurfaced the road for the tour, the bend at the bottom of Ewden Beck was like a cart track, only ride-able on the wrong side going up.


Out

Royston
Cawthorne
Penistone
Strines
Ladybower
Bamford
A well deseved cafe stop at Castleton

Home

Hathersage
Fox House Inn
Long descent into Sheffield
Grenoside
Birdwell
Wosbrough
Cudworth
Hemsworth