Has anyone cycled Snake Pass?

Kieran_Burns

Couple of mates who cycle in to work (another site) are doing this at the end of May, and asked me to join in.

I'm hopelessly out of shape at the moment, and want to know if this going to be a good idea?

If anyone has done the Snake Pass run - any information you can give would be much appreciated. I'm willing to do this, but am worried my appalling hill climbing ability will let me down.

Oh, and Tricross or Madone?

bigmat

I've done it once from either direction. Its not too bad, quite long by UK standards but not that steep. There are far nastier climbs around the Peak District (try Winnats!). It would be worth keeping an eye on weather and traffic though. It can be pretty exposed up there so wind could make life difficult, and its also a pretty busy road between Yorkshire and Manchester so can get very busy at peak times. The descent heading East is a blast.

Re bike choice, there would be no reason not to use either bike, but I'd guess the Madone would get you up there a bit quicker.

Gussio

Walked across the A57 at the top of the Snake Pass while on the Pennine Way. It can be bleak up there.

cyclopsbiker

It's a very busy road, lots of twists and turns and dangerous places to be on a bike. personally I'd not go near it cycling. I used to live in the Hope Valley and Sheffield so know the road well....there are regular car accidents on the road often because of people overtaking in dangerous places, and a friend of mine crashed his motorbike and sadly died...though that was partly his fault. anyway, it's not a road I would cycle for fun

BenWatson89

Which side are you climbing from? I live in Glossop, so the climb from there starting at the Royal Oak Pub to the very top is about 3.3 miles at ~7% at a fairly constant gradient. Its a nice climb and has been resurfaced and there are no potholes from frost damage. Just take it slow and dont push it too hard at the beginning.

On the other side coming from Ladybower reservoir the climb is much longer and so the average gradient is much lower. There are a few sections of uphill with some flat and slightly downward sections but you will be gaining altitude all the time. The climb starts properly as you pass the Snake Pass Inn (cant tell you the gradient but it feels like the other side) and the last half mile is a little steeper.

Id take the Madone, it will just be easier. Hope this helps

P.s. The decents are great fun just be careful of sheep

Kieran_Burns

BenWatson89 wrote:

Which side are you climbing from? I live in Glossop, so the climb from there starting at the Royal Oak Pub to the very top is about 3.3 miles at ~7% at a fairly constant gradient. Its a nice climb and has been resurfaced and there are no potholes from frost damage. Just take it slow and dont push it too hard at the beginning.

On the other side coming from Ladybower reservoir the climb is much longer and so the average gradient is much lower. There are a few sections of uphill with some flat and slightly downward sections but you will be gaining altitude all the time. The climb starts properly as you pass the Snake Pass Inn (cant tell you the gradient but it feels like the other side) and the last half mile is a little steeper.

Id take the Madone, it will just be easier. Hope this helps

P.s. The decents are great fun just be careful of sheep

The easier one? Thanks for the info

onthefells

cyclopsbiker is correct. I used to live in Edale and have cycled over the Snake in both directions a few times. Not that nice and the only reason to do it is for the length of the ascent. you will get boy racer salesmen shooting past, massive lorries revving behind and motorbikes flying along!!

If you don't 'have' to go over the snake I would advise a different prettier route and that is to cycle along the Edale Valley then up the Mam Nick road to Mam Tor, one of the highest spots in the Peak District. that is a classice ride, great views, steep climb (but not as bad as Winnats). you can then drop down to Chapel en le Frith and cycle over to Hayfield and then to Glossop, much better ride and with a better climb too.

HebdenBiker

Aye - climbed it from the Glossop side. Not too steep and very scenic. Traffic wasn't too bad for me, but then it was in winter I'm not a great climber and even for me it was an enjoyable climb - nothing to worry about.

If you want to experience pain, make your way back via Winnatts Pass, not forgetting Chunal for a warm-down

jimmypippa

onthefells wrote:

cyclopsbiker is correct. I used to live in Edale and have cycled over the Snake in both directions a few times. Not that nice and the only reason to do it is for the length of the ascent. you will get boy racer salesmen shooting past, massive lorries revving behind and motorbikes flying along!!

If you don't 'have' to go over the snake I would advise a different prettier route and that is to cycle along the Edale Valley then up the Mam Nick road to Mam Tor, one of the highest spots in the Peak District. that is a classice ride, great views, steep climb (but not as bad as Winnats). you can then drop down to Chapel en le Frith and cycle over to Hayfield and then to Glossop, much better ride and with a better climb too.

Mam Nick is quite fun, and not very busy. The descent into Chapel is quite fast, and you could turn right at the Chestnut Centre and go along a very quiet road to The Wash and get onto the Glossop Road. Actually, you can climb out of Chinley without going on the A-road, which could be better suited to a scenic route.

(I live in Chapel)

I wouldn't find the Snake Pass fun because of the traffic. I'd rather cycle along the A6. Actually, the A5004 between Whaley Bridge and Buxton is closed to cars until May 14th
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport_roads/roads_traffic/roadworks/road_closures/default.asp

that could be fun, along the Goyt Valley and Long Hill, and round the back of Buxton/Macclesfield (I believe that Bhima cycles there)

sufferingpete

Mam Nick is quite fun, and not very busy.

Descending towards Edale I ended up on the gravel at the edge of one of the bends.
The old timer next to me said “don’t fall off here t’ road rash will be down t’ bone”.
It just stuck in my mind.

Snake pass is ok a long slog. If going from Ladybower to Glossop keep a bit in reserve for the last bit of the climb up to the top. I would avoid bank holiday weekends or mid summer.

supersonic

Done bit of it. Love the roads out there, especially if you head towards the Strines and around all the Sheffield dams.

Manc33

I got a MTB in early July 2010 and rode from the Manchester side to the Sheffield side and back again in late July 2010.

Bear in mind at that time I had done no exercise in 4 years, had smoked for 20 years and ate tinned rubbish all my life. I was fixated on riding 50 miles. I had put on a road cassette with a 12-23T spread, so I had a 22F/23R as my lowest gear, I made it, but I was actually wobbling on the last part of the 9 mile side coming home! At one point I even had to lie down and seriously thought about sleeping there, or getting just some sleep at least, but thought how starving I was (set off in anger and rode for ages lol) and my mum probably getting the cops out to look for me, so I carried on.

The best part was getting to the top, of course... because I could stop pedalling. In the pitch black (5.5 hours of riding, it was about 12AM) and foggy, it was like I was in heaven, rolling down the 3.3 mile side back to Glossop. I even got up the hill from Gun Inn up to the road to the massive roundabout (to Manchester).

Now I have got a road bike with a great setup for me: 30/42/50 front and 11-32T back. This gives me a lowest gear of about 0.93.

I came back up that hill from Gun Inn today to test the gearing for the longer Snake Pass ride I plan to do this week sometime and again found I was in the lowest gear (but it was just about alright).

How the hell "cyclists" actually use a 30F/25R and get up places like Snake Pass is beyond me. Does smoking for 20 years really affect you that much? Its a good job I cycled most of my life I guess.

Well I have been on the ecig for nearly 4 months, its a long haul but I am getting fitter. The ecig is literally a life saver. There should be a stickied thread about ecigs here! Not many cyclists smoke and none that are serious/racers smoke, but some do and have no clue the ecig is the answer. I won't go into why that is, but it is. Even a 60 a day smoker can 100% stop smoking tobacco with the ecig.

optimisticbiker

Manc33 wrote:

...
How the hell "cyclists" actually use a 30F/25R and get up places like Snake Pass is beyond me. Does smoking for 20 years really affect you that much? Its a good job I cycled most of my life I guess.
....

I rode up Holme Moss a few weeks back which is about the same (HM=6.7% v SP=6.1%) on a 34/28 compact... thats the same as a 30/25... it wasn't easy but I did it... could have done with an extra tooth or two on the rear... and I've never smoked... so i guess the answer is yes it does...

fossyant

Love Snake Pass.

Busy - depends when you ride it, much nicer than Woodhead though.

It's a cracking climb to get a good tempo, not difficult gradient wise. The only time it can get very nasty is coming back from Ladybower to Glossop, cresting the top in Winter with 40 mph head winds is quite hard, but most of the time it's fine.

Glossop side is steeper, and is the best descent. Gears wise, 39 x 19/21 is all that's needed if fairly fit - and the 21 only if it's really windy.

fossyant

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Manc33 wrote:

...
How the hell "cyclists" actually use a 30F/25R and get up places like Snake Pass is beyond me. Does smoking for 20 years really affect you that much? Its a good job I cycled most of my life I guess.
....

Training, and you won't need even that gear. 39 x 19 or 21 on that climb.

rick_chasey

As long as you don't mind some arsey motorbikers and car drivers it's a lovely lovely road.

A lot of good cycling coming off snakes pass too.

vermin

cyclopsbiker wrote:

It's a very busy road, lots of twists and turns and dangerous places to be on a bike. personally I'd not go near it cycling. I used to live in the Hope Valley and Sheffield so know the road well....there are regular car accidents on the road often because of people overtaking in dangerous places, and a friend of mine crashed his motorbike and sadly died...though that was partly his fault. anyway, it's not a road I would cycle for fun

This. As a cyclist who races through the centre of the cycling-deaths-capital-of-the-world (according to the Daily Mail and the LCC, probably) most days, there is nothing that would make me want to cycle that road. If you're lucky you will die; if unlucky, you will be maimed for life.

hmbadger

vermin wrote:

cyclopsbiker wrote:

It's a very busy road, lots of twists and turns and dangerous places to be on a bike. personally I'd not go near it cycling. I used to live in the Hope Valley and Sheffield so know the road well....there are regular car accidents on the road often because of people overtaking in dangerous places, and a friend of mine crashed his motorbike and sadly died...though that was partly his fault. anyway, it's not a road I would cycle for fun

This. As a cyclist who races through the centre of the cycling-deaths-capital-of-the-world (according to the Daily Mail and the LCC, probably) most days, there is nothing that would make me want to cycle that road. If you're lucky you will die; if unlucky, you will be maimed for life.

It's not that bad! I live nearby and normally avoid it - have only cycled it once in each direction. As I say I'd avoid it normally but worth cycling once anyway.

Agree with commetns on East to West - on Tour of the Peak this year was about 35mph winds. Fine until near the summit when it gets more exposed and the gradient ramps up....

Manc33

Whenever I go up Snake Pass I get maybe 1 or 2 cars passing me tops in the entire ascent (which for me the 3.2 mile side probably takes 40 minutes at least). I wouldn't go so far as to say avoid Snake Pass entirely, but its all about the timing of it I think, in "rush hour" I wouldn't dare go up there.

Like I said, other times (like Saturdays and Sundays) there's literally no one even driving past me anyway, a few cars, a few motorbikes, a few cyclists in team colours. :roll:

Its the sharp left bends I don't like, or, me just around that bend and a car coming behind, cutting into the corner. Because of that I always put a spurt on to get round the bend and back on the straight enough for a car to swerve if he has to.

When it comes to the descent I am careful, I have no interest in seeing how fast I can go etc etc, I would rather stay alive thanks.

notsoblue

Snake pass is great. As others have said, either bike would be fine, but the Madone will probably be more comfortable. I didn't have a problem with traffic there, drivers in the Peak district seem to be quite considerate in my experience.

BigMat wrote:

There are far nastier climbs around the Peak District (try Winnats!).

Winnats is a nightmare to descend, let alone climb!

sfichele

supersonic wrote:

Done bit of it. Love the roads out there, especially if you head towards the Strines and around all the Sheffield dams.

+1 The roads and hills around the Strines are fantastic.

The snake is all about the traffic and drivers unfortunately. On the whole the drivers in the Peaks are usually very considerate, so if you get a day with light traffic and sensible drivers then it will be an amazing ride. But the snake is the main thoroughfare from Sheff to Manc so it attracts d:cks. I've only ever done it once and it was not a good experience. If you want a safer but comparable climb then do Holme-Moss

jimmypippa

sfichele wrote:

supersonic wrote:

Done bit of it. Love the roads out there, especially if you head towards the Strines and around all the Sheffield dams.

+1 The roads and hills around the Strines are fantastic.

The snake is all about the traffic and drivers unfortunately. On the whole the drivers in the Peaks are usually very considerate, so if you get a day with light traffic and sensible drivers then it will be an amazing ride. But the snake is the main thoroughfare from Sheff to Manc so it attracts d:cks. I've only ever done it once and it was not a good experience. If you want a safer but comparable climb then do Holme-Moss

Yes, it probably isn't as bad as Woodhead, but...

(Disclaimer I've *driven* over both, but never cycled* there - Mam Nick and Winnats are so much quieter and handy to where I live).


*The number of flowers for accident victims means that I don't want to either. If I want to cycle with traffic, I have my commute along the A6.