How hard can it be?

Schoie81

I'm planning to cycle up Holme Moss later this year (near Glossop) if anyone knows it? Strava reckons the climb is about 2miles long at an average of 8%, so i've been looking at hills I've done before to compare. One local to me is an average of 8% (and a pretty constant gradient all the way up), but only for 0.75miles - that beat me the first few times I tried it, but I get up it now, so that gives me some idea of how hard its going to be - its basically that, twice, and then a bit more.....

But so that I can pat myself on the back or tell myself to MTFU - riding up 8% for 0.75miles using a 34-28 gearing - should that be pretty easy? Or is that an achievement I should be happy with? Bearing in mind I'm only 6months in to road biking....

nedmoran

It's gonna differ from one person to another. The more your on the bike the better you'll get and any progress deserves a pat on the back in my book. Theres nothing more satisfying than getting to the top of a hill without stopping that you have tried a number of times before without success. You feel like you've conquered everest.

Schoie81

nedmoran wrote:

It's gonna differ from one person to another.

So what you're saying, albeit very politely, is MTFU!!

rolf_f

It's a satisfying hill - but don't go when the wind is from the East as it is a slog then. The hard bit is where it turns left near the top. The descent into Holmfirth is blinding!

I think it is much better climbed from the West. The climb from the East is OK but doesn't have the epic feel of the opposite ascent - and the descent to the West is a bit dull considering how quickly you are going.

Still, you can bag both sides in one day!

marcusjb

I think we're probably talking about the same thing - just as it is a more north-south road - you are saying it is better climbed from the Woodhead Road to Holmfirth (more from the south)?

That is certainly my favourite way of doing it - the views are just beautiful.

The other way (climbing from Holmfirth) is certainly harder, but the views are not as dramatic and so on.

Schoie81

Hi guys, i'll be doing both climbs on the same day and will be climbing from the Woodhead/Glossop side first, although I wont be going down as far as Holmfirth on the other side (I don't think I will anyway). I know someone who lives at Holme (the little hamlet before you get to Holmfirth) so I'm cycling there and back again. Got some work to do first too as I'll climbing out of the Hope Valley through Bamford to Ladybower Reservoir and then up over the Snake Pass.

madtam

Ah, Holme Moss, that would be my local climb then. Along with the local climb for the Holme Valley Wheelers and the newly formed Holmfirth Cycle Club. Of course I would generally approach it from the Holmfirth side, but not always and anyway if you go over then you have to get back some way.

Somewhere you will spot my times from both sides on Strava, but certainly not on the first few pages (not going up anyway although my weight is an advantage when going down).

A good run out is over Holme Moss and on to Glossop, then over the Snake to Ladybower and return via the Strines (or a reverse of this). It's about 50 miles but doesn't have much level riding on it but might make a circuit for you if you don't want to just go back the same way.

I always reckon that Holme Moss is more easily climbed from the Glossop side and I think it's longer therefore not as steep this way. However it has quite a steep start for a few hundred metres and also steepens just before the top. Basically you head off the Woodhead road (which by the way is an evil road for traffic- particularly HGV's, and best avoided as much as possible) and gently climb on a decently enough surfaced, fairly quiet road that meanders a little. There is then a short dip down and steepish but very short climb out to another gentle descent that curves around to the left as you hit the bottom of the main climb. The left hander at the bottom of a valley rapidly steepens to maybe 14-16% climb and continues at that for a few hundred metres as it wiggles out of the narrow part of the valley. It then levels off quite a bit and you can start to see most of the climb open up in front of you. You now have a chance to get a bit of breath back as you continue for maybe half to three quarters of a Kilometre up a relatively straight and shallow climb that heads for the third section. This is where the road starts to rise again as it heads round to the left and climbs more steeply for a few hundred metres. On the shallower angled mid section there are a couple of gravel car parks on the left that offer some respite and a chance to take a break and grab a drink if you fancy. If the weather is good they give an opportunity to take in the surroundings a bit more as well, which isn't a bad thing as it's a pleasant place to be.
However, back to the climb. The third and slightly steeper part does gradually rise as you approach a right hander that takes you to the top, and has some undulations that spoil the rhythm a bit. Not far before the right hander and the top there is a section of road that has been sliding for a while and therefore the road had quite a distinct 10-15 metre wide dip and nasty lip as it subsided. Over Christmas the road was closed for a week or two to do something about this so I don't know what it's like now (although might be riding this way to Glossop on Sunday). As the road curves to the right it rapidly levels out and the final 100 metres or so allows a sprint to the summit (if you are stupid enough). There is another gravel car park on the left and a sign more or less indicating the summit along with the signs indicating the boundary of Greater Manchester and Kirklees. There is another car park about 3-400 metres down the Holmfirth side on the right hand side which depending on the time of year has an ice cream van parked up. This is a great spot for stopping to admire the view of Holmfirth and Huddersfield away in front of you.
On the descent the top part is fast and sweeping but don't get too carried away as there are a few tight turns to negotiate and you will need to brake quite strongly before them as they tighten a bit. When descending the way you have just come up (ie back towards Glossop) then if you have the bottle it's a no brakes descent, and in fact it's a biggest gear, pedal like a loon descent, yelling at the cars to get out of the way as they go too slowly. Even the final steepest bit can be taken flat out and I have yet to get past 58mph but given a following wind on a good day I am determined to hit 60mph on this bit (or die trying I suppose).
If you stop in Holme then on your return you have the advantage of avoiding the short sharp very steep start out of Holmbridge on the way up to Holme which will save a bit in your legs.
The climb from here also has the added attraction of quarter mile markers starting at one and a quarter miles so that just as you start to feel it in your legs you are really pleased to pass a marker that advises you have another mile and a quarter of climbing to go. There is also the soul destroying final quarter mile marker which forces you to realise that the right hander you were staring at in the vain hope it was the top is obviously not true. However the final 200 and 100 metre markers do at least signify you are just about there.
As mentioned, try and pick a lightish wind day as either side will be a hard climb into a headwind and if going both way on the same day then if it's windy then you will certainly have a headwind for a while in one or the other direction.
Have fun and don't forget the Strava time as I am sure you will want to join the +2500 others that have been that way, besides which you will be back to go faster next time.

ai_1

Schoie81 wrote:

I'm planning to cycle up Holme Moss later this year (near Glossop) if anyone knows it? Strava reckons the climb is about 2miles long at an average of 8%, so i've been looking at hills I've done before to compare. One local to me is an average of 8% (and a pretty constant gradient all the way up), but only for 0.75miles - that beat me the first few times I tried it, but I get up it now, so that gives me some idea of how hard its going to be - its basically that, twice, and then a bit more.....

But so that I can pat myself on the back or tell myself to MTFU - riding up 8% for 0.75miles using a 34-28 gearing - should that be pretty easy? Or is that an achievement I should be happy with? Bearing in mind I'm only 6months in to road biking....

From what others have described it sounds like a testing climb but nothing too extreme. It all depends on your frame of reference. How heavy are you, how fit are you, how fatigued will your legs be when you start the climb?
6 months after I started cycling I went for a spin in the mountains with my much fitter brother and after a 75km route including some ~1km 10-12% gradients I was wrecked. 18 months later I climbed Mt Teide in Tenerife (about 35km with 2200m continuous ascent, avg 6.3% with lots of sections 8%-11%) and was in decent shape at the top.
Weight makes all the difference when you're climbing. If you're a little overweight it will certainly make climbing tougher. I'm 1.78m (5'10") and ~88kg so not exactly lightweight but I used to be more like 96kg. On the plus side, being a bit heavy does give you an extra method to improve performance. If you can lose a little weight as well as improving fitness then performance will gain on both fronts. Ideally I should be more like 76-80kg and the difference is just dead weight so if I manage to get down near that during this year my climbing should dramatically improve.

If you're currently able to do 8% for 750m after 6 months cycling and you've got some local hills to train on then you should certainly be able to tackle an 2 mile 8% hill in a few months. Best of luck.

Schoie81

madtam - thanks for that description, very thorough! I do actually know the road, have driven it many times as its not a million miles from home (no 'L'! ) but I don't know it well enough to be able to produce that kind of description and I've never cycled it before. As for bottle for coming down - unfortunately not - I'm a bit of a nervous Nellie where that's concerned, although if its fairly straight, a dry day, and I can see well in front I may be tempted to go for it - a tad over 40mph is my fastest to date... Not looking forward to the Woodhead road, but at least I'll only be on it for a few 100m and the junction coming off the reservoir I would imagine will be better on a bike than it is in a car.

Ai_1 - you and I sound similar build, you're an inch taller and i've come down from mid-90s kg to a touch over 80kg (before Christmas) in the last 18months. It'll be summer before I tackle Holme Moss so will have 12months under my belt by then, lots more hills climbed and hopefully a few more kgs shed!

rolf_f

That bit of main road isn't worth worrying about. Woodhead itself isn't a very pleasant climb though it is an easy gradient. I did it earlier this year following the TDF Stage 2 route and it seemed to be infested with the sort of lorry drivers who forget that there is a 40ft trailer behind their cab when the overtake you (odd that, you'd think they'd be aware of the trailer...). That was on a weekday - maybe the weekends are better....

marcusjb wrote:

I think we're probably talking about the same thing - just as it is a more north-south road - you are saying it is better climbed from the Woodhead Road to Holmfirth (more from the south)?

That is certainly my favourite way of doing it - the views are just beautiful.

The other way (climbing from Holmfirth) is certainly harder, but the views are not as dramatic and so on.

Well, it's SW-NE really but it is an East-West route overall - West side of the Pennines to East side even if much of the actual climby bit has quite a bit of N - S.

It's funny how perceptions differ. I certainly find it harder from the (South!) West - it is a long drag that does that nasty 'round the corner and the top is much further away than you hoped it would be and you can see those little specs that are the other riders who are nearly there and you have so far still to go' thing! Whereas from the Holmbridge side it's just a short challenge from one hairpin to the next. And then the more straight sloggy bit to the top. I assume you have less height to climb on that side too though I've not checked.