Benchmarking hills round Manchester/York areas.
freehub
Posts: 4,257
Hi.
Basically I've being thinking, in London, everyone has Box Hill, so what is there around York area and Manchester?
I live near Selby, and wondering what the nearest sort of decent hill there is I could use for a benchmark and try beat my times on. Something similar to box hill, e.g, not too steep or long or a good one that'd push me.
I know near Manchester there is the Cat and Fiddle, but it's abit longer and further away than I'd rather travel to get there, so something abit closer to the city centre.
Thanks.
Basically I've being thinking, in London, everyone has Box Hill, so what is there around York area and Manchester?
I live near Selby, and wondering what the nearest sort of decent hill there is I could use for a benchmark and try beat my times on. Something similar to box hill, e.g, not too steep or long or a good one that'd push me.
I know near Manchester there is the Cat and Fiddle, but it's abit longer and further away than I'd rather travel to get there, so something abit closer to the city centre.
Thanks.
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The wizard.0
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What sort of time you reckon is good time to get up there? I'd like to know of any good times up there from good climbers I could aim to beat.0
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A667 heading east out of Stoneclough. Takes around 8 minutes at pace.
http://bit.ly/aF63Fq
About 6 miles north on Manchester city centre.0 -
Where's the Wizard? Any recommendations on the York/Leeds/Selby side?0
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York/Leeds/Selby area has some great hills, IIRC.
Head out towards Otley, then north towards Pately Bridge. All the hills you could wish for.0 -
ketsbaia wrote:York/Leeds/Selby area has some great hills, IIRC.
Head out towards Otley, then north towards Pately Bridge. All the hills you could wish for.
They're not in the York/Selby area and are more than 30 miles from me.... I was looking for something good within a very short ride....0 -
Having just looked at the O/S map for the area between York and Selby, it looks to me like you're going to need to travel a bit to find some hills.
Maybe head towards the area north east of Pocklington?0 -
how long do you want the hill to be Freehub (and what gradient) ? (I live in Castleford and know pretty much all the hills/areas round about)0
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The Wizard doesn't take long to get up - try in on a 74" fixed....... :shock:0
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PhilofCas wrote:how long do you want the hill to be Freehub (and what gradient) ? (I live in Castleford and know pretty much all the hills/areas round about)
I'm just down the road at Stanley - recently moved here from Northampton - if you know of good routes round here I'd be grateful if you could point me in the right direction!0 -
a_n_t wrote:The wizard.
Well, with all the testing climbs in the region, I think the Wizard is the least testing of all. Of course if one throws in the Swiss Hill variant, then it becomes a bit more interesting.
I guess the Cat & Fiddle is THE Climb in Cheshire, although if one wants it steep, then it's best to look around (Macclesfield forest? Pym Chair?).
I also think the climb that defines Manchester has to be the Snake Pass (followed by Winnats or Mam Tor)left the forum March 20230 -
Will's after benchmarking climbs like Box Hill, for repeated and preferably meaningful comparisons of performance, not steep hills or long hills.
So he's basically after 2-3km at 4.5-5.5%, with as steady a gradient as possible on a British engineered road (!). Longer would be nice, but not essential. Cat and Fiddle is totally inappropriate. It's too long and too variable.
I suspect there's a lot of climbs like the one you seek around Manchester, Will, and probably even around the edges of the Yorkshire wasteland that Selby sits in the middle of. In fact there are so many that everyone will have their own favourite. Box Hill is more unique in its surroundings than the hills round here, hence its fame.
I'd just choose any hill of roughly that length and gradient that you like. I like the climbs out of Bacup towards Todmorden (3K @ 5%), and Burnley towards Bacup (5k @ 4.5%) but they're a bit far North for you. Sheep House Lane over Winter Hill is nice too (3.5k @ 5%), but maybe a bit too variable - the average masks a lot on that one. For anyone who knows these hills and hills further South (or in Yorks!) to compare them to, I think they are what Will has in mind. Ugo might be onto something with Snake Pass.
If you want something that can become collectively exciting, like Box Hill, you'll be frustrated by variety. the reason we lack an iconic equivalent is that there are too many for one to stand out.0 -
Hi BS147
As a fellow Stanleyite of 35 years ...there are lots of good training runs in the area. A nice 2 hour one is Stanley, Castleford, Ledston, Ledsham, Sherburn, Towton, Garforth.
Hills not overly steep but at the right pace you can go into the red zone.
If you want a longer run;
Wakefield, Denby Dale, Langsett, Strines, Rivelin Valley, Sheffield, Worsborough, Barnsley. or
Wakefield, Holmfirth, Holme Moss. then back either via Dunford Bridge or continue over Woodhead.
I'd join you myself but with 3" of dust on the bike these days I wouldn't get far!0 -
Hi Freehub
Rosedale Chimney Bank not enough for you then?....
Try the railway bridge before Bishop Wood...my surprise attack point to win the Selby Road Race back in the 1990's...other than that you're struggling for climbs unless you head out to the Wolds0 -
I like using Artist's lane in Alderley Edge as a benchmark for my (frankly DREADFUL) climbing. It's about 1 mile long of as steady gradient (about 6%) you can get in these parts, is easy to get to and very little traffic...0
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As mentioned above, the climbs through Macc Forrest are great little testers;
Langley to Ridgegate Reservoir, then either up Toot Hill (straight on) to Macclesfield Forrest itself, or right up past Trentabank Reservoir. Either way you can come at Bottom-of-the-Oven, right at the Stanley Arms and climb again up onto the A537 to the Cat and Fiddle. Probably my favourite climb.
However, you could also turn left in Langley up Coalpit Lane, right onto Buxton Old Road and come out at Walker Barn on the A537, which is a great little challenge. You could then continue on up the Cat and Fiddle.
Climbing from Ginclough (near Rainow on the B5470), or from Kettleshulme (again on the B5470) just NE of Macclesfield to the Pym Chair are testers too.
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Well I was up till 1am last night messing about on bikehike trying to find a route that had some hills in.
If I do a 50 mile loop, I can get out near leeds, and lots of short steep bits and I think I'll have to stick with that and just go hard up them. I also tried to plot the most hilly route possible in 50 miles, and it only came to 2000ft ascent.
Today I went to a place near Selby called Brayton Barf, it's got a little short road going through it, hard to go fast up it because the road surface is a nightmare, but pushing hard up that I was breathing pretty hard when I got to the top, only like 0.4 miles tho and it's a bugger to repat that as I'd have to go down, turn right round and back up so it's crap.
Bobh, why did you give up cycling? And I never knew Selby had a road race!!, don't they anymore?
Rosedale Chimney is fun, if I live near it I'd hapilly do hill repeats of it, maybe 3 to start with and build up to 10 reps but it'd be 100 mile round trip I reckon from here
Next time I'm in Manchester, I'll try The Wizard, Artists Lane and Swiss Hill. I do like the climbs in Macc Forest, but only when I'm doing 60-80 mile loops.0 -
Pilot Pete wrote:However, you could also turn left in Langley up Coalpit Lane, right onto Buxton Old Road and come out at Walker Barn on the A537, which is a great little challenge. You could then continue on up the Cat and Fiddle.
PP
When I first started cycling 'properly' 3 yrs ago Coalpit lane was my nemesis! First time I tried it I had to get off 3 times so I didn't explode/fall over!
I did it recently when I was at the peak of my fitness / weight loss and despite being a crap climber I was actually laughing as I rode up it... A good climb.0 -
Holme Moss - From the Holmfirth side is quite a nice climb if steep and you generally have a headwind.
Snake Pass? Its been said before however you can cross reference your times against the Glossop Kinder Velo hill climb results and see you you fair. Past results are here: http://www.glossopkindervelo.co.uk/races.php0 -
From York the closest thing to a hill is here:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=54.0502 ... _w&split=0
Two or three ways up to the Radio mast. From Acklam the Thrussendale Road one hurts the most. Greets Hill is easier - still a nice little climb.
Great view from the top0 -
I know the clostest climbs in regards to going near the Wolds is actually Worsendale Rd, used to Clifton CC hill climb once, comes out just ahead of the decent of Garrowby, but I was hoping there would be some climb closer that I was unaware about, especially on the leeds side.0
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bs147 wrote:PhilofCas wrote:how long do you want the hill to be Freehub (and what gradient) ? (I live in Castleford and know pretty much all the hills/areas round about)
I'm just down the road at Stanley - recently moved here from Northampton - if you know of good routes round here I'd be grateful if you could point me in the right direction!
pm'd you0 -
AndyRubio wrote:A667 heading east out of Stoneclough. Takes around 8 minutes at pace.
http://bit.ly/aF63Fq
About 6 miles north on Manchester city centre.
Haha your joking?
I do this regularly and never thought of it being a long ascent but come to think of it it's all uphill till whitefield.0 -
avoidingmyphd wrote:Sheep House Lane over Winter Hill is nice too (3.5k @ 5%), but maybe a bit too variable - the average masks a lot on that one.
Rivington rd to Belmont?
It's nice route that, coming opposite way is definitely easier.0 -
Will,
From Selby head to Howden. Pick up the lanes via Saltmarshe, Blacktoft & Broomfleet. Then it's North Cave, Hotham & onto Newbald. Here go thru the village & do a right onto Beverley Road. 1km on the left is a long climb. Not overly steep(about 7/8%) but it's over a mile long. Then onto High Gardham over the 1079 to Etton. Right to South Dalton & then onto Mkt Weighton. I would then go via Froggathorpe & Bubwith back to Selby.
There are local hill climbs on the Newbald hill. If you scour the tinternet you will find the times etc.0 -
freehub wrote:Today I went to a place near Selby called Brayton Barf, it's got a little short road going through it, hard to go fast up it because the road surface is a nightmare, but pushing hard up that I was breathing pretty hard when I got to the top, only like 0.4 miles tho and it's a bugger to repat that as I'd have to go down, turn right round and back up so it's crap.
The twin of Brayton Barf is Hambleton Hough - profiles for both roads below.
The highest point in the plain of York is between Escrick and Stillingfleet just south of York and very reachable from where you are. It is actually a remnant of where a glacier once stopped!
Not that big but a few repetitions might give you something of a workout.
Faster than a tent.......0 -
Hambleton Hough tho is all dirt track? There is a road going through but if I remember correctly was not that steep, unless that elevation profile in the first pic is it?
I wonder how those 2 bumps got there? In the middle of total flatness there is these 2 bumps, Barf and Hough.andy162 wrote:Will,
From Selby head to Howden. Pick up the lanes via Saltmarshe, Blacktoft & Broomfleet. Then it's North Cave, Hotham & onto Newbald. Here go thru the village & do a right onto Beverley Road. 1km on the left is a long climb. Not overly steep(about 7/8%) but it's over a mile long. Then onto High Gardham over the 1079 to Etton. Right to South Dalton & then onto Mkt Weighton. I would then go via Froggathorpe & Bubwith back to Selby.
There are local hill climbs on the Newbald hill. If you scour the tinternet you will find the times etc.
Thanks, I'll plot some routes and see what the mileage is.0 -
Mine was through Macc Forrest. First time I made it up with my heart popping out of my throat and then the next three times I tried it I had to stop! Since then I have always dreaded it, but slowed down as I make my way up through Langley before scraping up it! Strange isn't it how just the psychology of a hill can sometimes break you, even though you can climb tougher ones!When I first started cycling 'properly' 3 yrs ago Coalpit lane was my nemesis! First time I tried it I had to get off 3 times so I didn't explode/fall over!
PP0 -
Elevation profile in the first pic is Brayton Barff, the second Hambleton Hough, the third the Escrick Moraine. Barff and Hough are lumps of glacial material left by the glacier. Another
Stillingfleet to Escrick (carries on down at a constant gradient for a bit further to the west) is probably worth a go - the road surface is fine and you can go back and forth all day long if you like!
This is where it is - the minor road between Stillingfleet and Escrick
Faster than a tent.......0
