Cat & Fiddle - is it dangerous?
terongi
Posts: 318
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?
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?
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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
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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.
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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.
52MPH!!!!!!!!!!!
some bikes and sheep and stuff:
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Thursday to Sunday, only, I think.
All above are good suggestions. Must give Axe Edge a go some time myself!
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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]
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.
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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
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<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.
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
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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)
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)
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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?
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.
What's the altitude difference from the start to the finish? i.e. - Which direction is harder & more uphill?
cat from macc.
PB's
10m 20:21 2014
25m 53:18 20:13
50m 1:57:12 2013
100m Yeah right.
always fun and if you pick the right time not too busy
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.
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.