Holme Moss Route

jamieleung

Hey all,

Posted a link about hills around Rochdale a few days ago and wish to pick your brains again.

I want to ride the 'holme moss' on the A6024, but don't want to ride out there I want to drive out and then park the car somewhere and then ride up the climb for the first time, I have added a link to the route which i have found..

Point A on the map seems to show a little car park maybe a pub (maybe I could park the car there?)

Point B is the peak I take it at the mast??
Link

so is this the correct route to go up the climb?

Welcome all answers.
Jamie

fossyant

You can do it that way....

jamieleung

ok, sweet. which way would you recommend going up from the way I have shown or from the other side?

jamieleung

what kind of percentage is the holme moss coming up from holme ?

fossyant

The way you propose is the smoother ascent, but it's generally harder because of the prevailing westerly head winds.

It's some where between 10-12% average... The climb gets hard when you hit the resurfaced bit, and some kind sole has marked every 1/4 mile to the top...from Tour Of Britain I think....

jamieleung

haha brilliant the joys of the wind.

I have just constructed the little route might give it a go if i ain't blown to death from the holme moss, down south we don't have climbs like the holme moss or peak district lol.
Link

I take it you come from the other side up the holme

thank you for your advice

halfwheeler

You could start at the Windmills Cafe (garden centre) which is popular for cyclists. Zoom in on Whitley Road Cumberworth. ( next to the windmills) This would give you a good warm up before the Moss and a coffee at the end.
Woodhead is a pain for the traffic. Cut off towards Dunford bridge. Still gets the climb in but not the traffic. If your feeling Knackered cut across the dam, shown on road as coming out onto Dunford Road. Follow the road up and turn right back to the Windmills.
(or you could have ridden the Brian Robinson Challenge today and suffered with the rest of us!!!) Hope you enjoy, its a great climb!

jamieleung

thanks Halfwheeler, I will keep the route in mind, no I didn't ride the Brian Robinson Challenge today, hope you had a safe and enjoyable ride though.

Many thanks Jamie

Bhima

I've done it both ways and it's got similar gradients both ways - it's almost symmetrical. Going up towards Holmfirth has no gradient signs on the road but climbing out of Holmfirth has a few - so people automatically think it's easier one way than the other.

If you put your routes into this website, it'll show you the elevation data & gradients: http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php

jamieleung

cheers bud

halfwheeler

They are similar gradients but different climbs depending on what you prefer. The climb fom Woodhead is more sheltered and more of a straight grind, where as the climb from Holme is hairpins (if you like alpine type climbs) and can be seen well before you get to it! With the last 3/4 ml straight (and normally into the wind!)
Why not be adventurous, go over and back and do both!!!!!

jamieleung

Sounds like a solid plan halfwheeler:D really looking forward to the climb..what kind of gear ratios u guys running to go around the peaks or specifically up the holme moss??

Jamie

volvicspar

Avoid wood head road if you can its nightmareish for traffic.

suze

Theres some car park along side torside on the B6105. You could ride along from there then about 3/4 mile on the woodhead pass itself before turning up Holme moss to wards Holme.

If you want to ride holmemoss on a circular route riding on the busy woodhead road needs to be done. This way it's ony 3/4-1 mile or so.
We usually come up past torside from Glossop.

volvicspar

Woodhead road scares me to death. I've seen one too many memorials/flowers for cyclist and motorcyclist on there.

nicklouse

volvicspar wrote:

Woodhead road scares me to death. I've seen one too many memorials/flowers for cyclist and motorcyclist on there.

a famous MTber JMC www.jasonmcroy.com is one of them.

Bhima

I rarely see traffic on that road! :shock:

I've never been there at the weekend though - maybe it's ok during the week...?

a_n_t

are you mad???

woodhead is the busiest road round there, they've been campaigning for a by-pass for years!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longdendale_Bypass

Bhima

a_n_t wrote:

are you mad???

Yes, but let's keep on-topic please!

I've done that road about 15 times and it was busy twice - both times during a Monday morning rushour... Most times i've been there around 2pm.

The road that really kills me round there is the A628 just before you turn left on to Woodhead Rd. Turning on to the A628 from the B6105 is also a nightmare and can take up to five minutes to find a gap in the traffic!

Bhima

Actually, just realised that the A628 is Woodhead Road!

This is the stretch I normally do, which is fine. www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6930

I see what you mean now - before it turns left there, it's a nightmare - although I use the B6105 to cut the most part of it out.

a_n_t

Bhima wrote:

Actually, just realised that the A628 is Woodhead Road!

ta-daa!

sufferingpete

I think Woodhead is ok.

Yes it is busy but from the junction with the Home moss road when travelling east it is wide enough for truck to pass pith plenty of room.

cougie

I really dont like Woodhead - like the others - I keep it to a minimum and come in from Glossop past Torside.

suze

cougie wrote:

I really dont like Woodhead - like the others - I keep it to a minimum and come in from Glossop past Torside.

Yep got to agree. Probably the best place to join the woodhead if you're going over holme moss.

It's the way we usually ride up to holme moss, but never on a weekday.