Cat & Fiddle - is it dangerous?

terongi

I am visiting Manchester on business next week. I have a free morning on Wednesday.

I thought I would use the time to ride up the famous Cat & Fiddle climb from Macclesfield to Buxton.

Wikipedia entry for Cat and Fiddle says it is the most dangerous road in the UK. Is that just hype?

I am wondering whether early on a Wednesday morning (say leaving Macclesfield at 8 am) is a sensible or suicidal time to try such a ride.

Does anyone know?

TomF

It has a reputation for being dangerous because of the number of tools in cars and on motorbikes who charge around a twisty road.

I have cycled it (from the Macc direction) every Sunday morning for the last month. I find it to be fine, although TBH, the bikers are the worst - they love to thrash it over there.

I guess the bikers may be less of a problem on a weekday, but you may find it's the lorries which are worse as a cyclist on a weekday morning.

However, it's a nice climb, with several false summits and a great descent into Buxton.

Depending on how much time you have, you could either head over to Castleton (I go via Tideswell) and include Winnats, or you could go back on yourself towards Whaley Bridge and Pott Shrigley/Rainow.

Others with better local knowledge will no doubt give you a better route.

Tom

vermootencp

It's a great climb, ignore what Wikipedia says.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<font size="1">"I'll do what I can to help y'all. But the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple."
</font id="size1">

longers75

the previous posts are correct about the dangerousness of the road. it really does only apply to the motorcyclists.

there's a laminated sign in the bar of the cat n fiddle - "If you ride like a knob - You'll die."

from buxton the descent to whaley bridge down long hill is a good one and then you can turn left at the lights and back to macc through kettleshulme and rainow.

<font size="1"> ~~~~~~~~~~~~</font id="size1">
<font size="1"><i> i always wanted to cycle to work - now i want to live further away </i></font id="size1">

Unknown

I think virtually every corner has had a motorbike go straight on instead of round, but that is over a lot of years and doesn't mean you'll see anything dangerous. I've driven it and ridden it (on a cycle) loads of times and it's fine. I'd ignore Wikipedia. It's a good climb that is long enough for you to get into an alpine style rythym, which is unusual for the UK.

thetrotter

Agree with what others have said. Give it a go. It's one of the classic climbs of British road racing (although frankly not that difficult) and worth doing for that alone. It's not instrinsically a dangerous road - it's not that busy (unlike say Woodhead), it's wide and with good sight lines. What makes it dangerous in a statistical sense is the number of motorbike accidents as they fail to negotiate the bends. That said, I wouldn't do it at 0800 on a weekday since that will put you in the Macclesfield rush hour. Leave it until 0930 and you'll be fine.

Depending on how much time you have there are a couple of other routes you can use. Route 1 is a variant of longers' suggestion. When you get to Kettleshulme turn left and climb up past Windgather Rocks, turn left at the top,to descend to the Goyt Valley keep the reservoir on the left and climb back up to the Cat and Fiddle pub along a very quiet and very scenic road. You can then enjoy the descent back to Macc down the Cat (and see why the motorbikes do it)

Route 2 involves turning right at the T junction on the descent to Buxton. This will take you over Axe Edge (another classic climb of road racing). You can then either turn right at Flash and descend to Gradbach and Allgreave (very quiet and very scenic) and make your way back to Macc from there (if you look on the map you'll see a range of possibilities, all hilly). Alternatively keep on the main road and descend to Blackshaw Moor (this is a very very fast descent believe me), turn right at the pub and go through Meerbrook, climb Gun Hill (another classic climb and one which many people underestimate to their cost), drop into Rushton and make your way back to Macc along the A534.

PS If you are driving to Macc park on the Buxton Road (which is the first part of the climb.

nom de plum

"(this is a very very fast descent believe me)"...........
52MPH!!!!!!!!!!!


some bikes and sheep and stuff:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16682367@N00/

tim000

i agree with thetrotter , drop down to buxton then turn right up axe edge . then flash , gradbach. great ride , must get my mountain leg back and head that way soon . ps tea rooms near the top of C+F ,i dont think are open in the week . shame , great cakes. tim .

TomF

"ps tea rooms near the top of C+F ,i dont think are open in the week . shame , great cakes. tim ."

Thursday to Sunday, only, I think.

All above are good suggestions. Must give Axe Edge a go some time myself!

AidanG

Its not that difficult - I usually die on hills and its fairly tough but as there's no really steep bits its not too bad. I find the old road towards the bottom on the Macc side harder - coming from Arigi Bianchi, where the road tails off to the left, go straight if you can - you join up with the main road further up - but the climb is steeper and tougher.

cougie

Its perfectly safe for cycling on. It may be a bit busy on a morning - but I've only ridden it weekends and it was nice. Be prepared for any weather though. We had sunshine in Macclesfield and then we got thick fog up on top. And this must have been June or July.

Smeggers

Coincidence. Im trying it for the first time this weekend.

<font size="1">Hickory Dickory Dock,
A baby elephant ran up the clock,
The clock is being repaired</font id="size1">

slocoach

...and there's a great new bikeshop half way up the climb!


www.peakcyclesport.com

DaveyL

I've only ridden it a few times but always found it OK. Biggest problem I had was really strong crosswinds blowing me around on the descent into Buxton! The climb itself is quite nice - a bit steep as you leave Macc but OK after that and you can even do a bit of it on the big ring towards the end.

Be warned though - the road from Whaley Bridge back to Macc via Rainow is, in my opinion, tougher than the Cat & Fiddle - very, very "undulating" [:D]

Paul Lavery

The Cat & Fiddle was one of my favourite rides. I'd ride from Stockport to Disley then on to Buxton [via Long Hill] finally climbing up to the Cat. The reason I used to ride it this way is because I loved the down hill leg back into Macc.

I'd sometimes see the odd biker who'd overcooked it on the bends but nothing too serious! If you ride with cofidence and defend your road space, you'll be fine.

________________________________________________

Only ever regret the things you didn't do!

AndySteel

Ive never done Cat and Fiddle, whats it like? Im at Uni in Sheffield and have never made it out there. Have been over Snakes several times and really liked that. Done Holme Moss too, nice to have the countdown markers on the road. Does anyone know if the Holme Moss CC hillclimb is up Holme Moss, or somewhere else? With the roads, just round bends stick bike in middle where they shouldnt overtake you!

Unknown

I am going to Buxton first week in August.
And this is one route I want to do, have I got the direction the right way round though?
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Buxton-Goyt-Valley

also, what would this one be like?
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/46619

dsoutar

Doing the Polka Dot on Sunday. Does the traffic generally avoid it (assuming they're aware of the event) ? Doesn't look like there's too much room for two sets of vehicle AND a load of bikes struggling up it

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." ~ Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"

Miz

Re. Polka Dot Gran Fondo

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by dsoutar</i>

Does the traffic generally avoid it (assuming they're aware of the event) ? Doesn't look like there's too much room for two sets of vehicle AND a load of bikes struggling up it<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I live locally and ride up to the C&F from Macc frequently.

I don't think the majority of people who live in the area are remotely aware of what the Polka Dot GF is and when it's held, bar some who live in the houses on Buxton Road and local keen road cyclists.
I've never seen anything in the local press about it.

The Macclesfield Bikeathon (usually late May) on the other hand gets a fair amount of coverage in the local press.

As mentioned in a previous post, the road is fairly wide and most vehicles have no problems passing single cyclists.

thetrotter

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by powenb</i>

I am going to Buxton first week in August.
And this is one route I want to do, have I got the direction the right way round though?
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Buxton-Goyt-Valley

also, what would this one be like?
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/46619
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I would do the first route the other way round ie climb the Cat and Fiddle from Macclesfield not Buxton - that's the "classic" side to climb.

I'd modify your second route to avoid the road from Bosley to Macc by turning right at the bottom of the drop from Allgreave, ride through Wildboarclough, bear left at the T junction at the pub, straight across to Lamaload, Jenkins Chapel, up Pyms Chair (very steep), straight over the top, then <b>either</b> turn left at the reservoir, up the Incline (the clue's in the name), turn right at the top and back down to Buxton <b>or</b> continue straight up the Goyt Valley (very scenic, quiet and one way) to the Cat and Fiddle, turn left and down to Buxton.

Good luck (and gear low)

Unknown

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
I would do the first route the other way round ie climb the Cat and Fiddle from Macclesfield not Buxton - that's the "classic" side to climb.

I'd modify your second route to avoid the road from Bosley to Macc by turning right at the bottom of the drop from Allgreave, ride through Wildboarclough, bear left at the T junction at the pub, straight across to Lamaload, Jenkins Chapel, up Pyms Chair (very steep), straight over the top, then <b>either</b> turn left at the reservoir, up the Incline (the clue's in the name), turn right at the top and back down to Buxton <b>or</b> continue straight up the Goyt Valley (very scenic, quiet and one way) to the Cat and Fiddle, turn left and down to Buxton.

Good luck (and gear low)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Thanks trotter
Sorry if I'm being a bit dim, but if you say the Goyt Valley is one way, and I swap round route 1, then wont I be going the wrong way?

Also I know it's cheeky but any chance you could map out on bikely route two you mentioned. as I don't come from the area I don't know the names you mention?

thetrotter

Powenb

Sorry it's me being dim and not reading your route 1 correctly! Yes, if you reversed your route, you would be going down the Goyt Valley (which is the wrong way). What you could do is go up Long Hill, drop down into Whalley Bridge and turn left through Kettleshume and pick up your orginal route. I just never like climbing the Cat and Fiddle from Buxton - it's narrow, not very interesting and quite twister and narrow.

Never used bikely route but I'll see what I can do for my other suggested route over the next couple of days.

Bhima

Gonna have a go at this soon.

What's the altitude difference from the start to the finish? i.e. - Which direction is harder & more uphill?

a_n_t

cat from macc.

fluff.

I would not have a go at it just right now Is a fair chance it'll be closed tomorrow with a bunch of snow due to fall Buxton way, the tree covered lower bits are prone to ice as well.

Anonymous

It's a nice climb though, once out of Macc the road surface is delightfully smooth

sicrow

either way up from macc the road is sh***y but once on the tops its great and the drop from the C&F into Buxton then out of Buxton to Whaley Bridge down Long Hill are both great fun - if you go the other way from the C&F the run until the Rainow turn is great as well

always fun and if you pick the right time not too busy

leghurty

Last time I read government figures it was 'only' the 2nd or maybe even 3rd most dangerous in England in deaths/serious injuries per mile. As others indicate, this is kind of meaningless for cyclists.

Being lquite local, all I would add is that there are better/more enjoyable/quieter/more challenging routes from Macc to Buxton than via the C&F - they just don't have the same reputation.

DaveyL

sicrow wrote:

either way up from macc the road is sh***y but once on the tops its great and the drop from the C&F into Buxton then out of Buxton to Whaley Bridge down Long Hill are both great fun - if you go the other way from the C&F the run until the Rainow turn is great as well

always fun and if you pick the right time not too busy

The road from Whaley Bridge back to Macc (Rainow Road) is a killer. And I don't mean in safety terms. The C&F is pretty trivial, but the Rainow Road has steep pitch after steep pitch. Really kills your rhythm.

paulbricey

I ride this lots, mainly via Poynton, Errwood, Derbyshirebridge, C&F top, Macc, alderley...I think the 'dangerous' label applies mainly to motorbikes, some of them are bonkers scratching like it's race track.....on the other hand I had a major 'off' at 30mph+ on hairpin right coming back down into Macc during the summer and landed amongst rocks......ambulance to Macc H where they failed to spot two broken ribs, punctured & bleeding lung .....emergency & surgery at Stepping Hill 8 hours later to put drain in my chest while vital signs started heading South....... :roll: BTW road quality gets really bad ()at speed especially) just before getting into Macc itself

Anonymous

paulbricey wrote:

BTW road quality gets really bad ()at speed especially) just before getting into Macc itself