North west hills

[Billy1975]

Hi I live in Manchester. Does anyone know of any decent hills I can test myself and my road bike on. I have ridden Holme Moss so that May give some indication of the level.

 

[fossyant]

Loads.

Winnats Brickworks, Blaze Hill, Windgather, Mellor, Chunal, and the list goes on. Also cat and fiddle and long hill...

 

[KneesUp]

Where are you in Manchester? If you're south, head off towards Derbyshire via Stockport. Once you get to Lyme Park it keep getting lumpier.

If you're north, head off toward Bolton - plenty of hill around the West Pennine Moors as I recall, or around Ramsbottom.

 

[mcshroom]

Look East there's tons of them

 

[NorvernRob]

Snake Pass ascent from Glossop, follow the Snake and turn off onto the Strines road and follow that to the Stocksbridge bypass which means you can do the 25% climb at Ewden Bank as well as plenty of other digs on the way. The only problem after that is the Stocksbridge Bypass/Woodhead traffic, so I'd turn around after the climb and go back on the Strines road the other way, which means you also get the 18% short sharp climb at the other side of Ewden bank and a couple more on the way back to the Snake, as well as the long but steady E-W snake ascent.

Or, go right at the Ladybower traffic lights, follow the road to Bamford and turn left up the surprise climb to Fox House, turn right just before there and go back down to Grindleford, turn right over the bridge at the bottom and head back to Bamford where you turn right back to the Ladybower. You could do it the other way around too and climb from Grindleford then descend the surprise.

 

[fossyant]

Snake Pass ascent from Glossop, follow the Snake and turn off onto the Strines road and follow that to the Stocksbridge bypass which means you can do the 25% climb at Ewden Bank as well as plenty of other digs on the way. The only problem after that is the Stocksbridge Bypass/Woodhead traffic, so I'd turn around after the climb and go back on the Strines road the other way, which means you also get the 18% short sharp climb at the other side of Ewden bank and a couple more on the way back to the Snake, as well as the long but steady E-W snake ascent.

Or, go right at the Ladybower traffic lights, follow the road to Bamford and turn left up the surprise climb to Fox House, turn right just before there and go back down to Grindleford, turn right over the bridge at the bottom and head back to Bamford where you turn right back to the Ladybower. You could do it the other way around too and climb from Grindleford then descend the surprise.

You trying to kill the OP ?

 

[Globalti]

Head up to Clitheroe and do the short but sharp Jeffrey Hill or the Trough of Bowland. There's also Birdy Brow and Waddington Fell.

 

[NorvernRob]

You trying to kill the OP ?

Lol, me and a mate did Sheffield south - Crosspool - full length of Snake - Glossop - Bamford - Grindleford - Fox House - Dore - home a few weeks ago, 65 miles and about 6,000ft of climbing. It nearly killed me but he did ask for climbs

 

[Billy1975]

Thanks for all your response

 

[fossyant]

Swiss Hill in Alderley Edge is good for a laugh in the wet.

 

[nickyboy]

You trying to kill the OP ?

That's the general idea. We lure unsuspecting Mancunians in here, then when they have to get off and walk you can expect to see their nice carbon steed on ebay the next week

 

[alecstilleyedye]

bosley cloud, mow cop, eccles pike...

 

[nickyboy]

Joking aside, there are loads of climbs as hard as Holme Moss around here. Winnats, Mam Nick, Jenkins Chapel, Wessenden Head to name but a few.

The classic loop to do is as follows. If you can manage this then you're in decent shape

Get out of Manchester (I'd take the train to Glossop). Snake Pass, Strines, the road over to Holmfirth that I can never remember the name of - Holme Moss - back to Glossop. 50 miles, 5,500ft of climbing. Have a pint in the pub across the road from Glossop station, take train home. Sell bike on ebay

 

[sdr gb]

Isle of Skye (A635 from Greenfield to Holmfirth). It's around 3 miles long, something to get your teeth into.
Wessenden Head Road from Meltham to the A635.
Mount Road from Marsden up to the A62.

 

[smokeysmoo]

You could do the IMUK COURSE, see review HERE.

The old route was 3 laps but the new route for this year is 2 longer laps. Each lap goes up Sheephouse Lane/Belmont Road at Rivington, and then new for 2014 goes up Hunters Hill in Mawdsley.

FYI each lap will be roughly 50 miles long.