Snake Pass closed to cyclists for their own good

DeVlaeminck
DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
in Road general


Seems more likely nimbys have been moaning about so many cyclists taking advantage of it being closed as a through route to vehicles.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
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Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Yup.

    Jealousy pure and simple
    _
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    or maybe because the blimmin' thing is falling apart and they want to repair it

    https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/transport/latest-photos-show-a57-snake-pass-remains-in-perilous-state-after-landslide-3600750

    ooohhh, theres nothing like a secret "they're to get us!" plot to liven up something quite banal.

    #conspiracy
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    rick_chasey said:

    Yup.

    Jealousy pure and simple

    mega 😂😂😂😂
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,448
    There are reports of groups of cyclists standing on the areas of landslip, whether that’s true or not I don’t know. Last time it was closed though I was descending towards Sheffield, came around a corner and there was a group of 10 or so choppers all spread out across the wrong side of the road! They weren’t the only ones I saw riding like that either. Sometimes we just don’t help ourselves.

    Agreed with the complaints thing as well though, been a lot of comments on social media about it, mainly from people who I’m guessing don’t even use the Snake other than once in a blue moon.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    DerbyshireTimes said:


    (DCC) announced the notorious road was to close for at least four weeks following a landscape

    :D

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    In fairness, we want to be treated with the same respect as motorists, so I don’t see why cyclists should be allowed on a road that is closed for roadworks…
    left the forum March 2023
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    clubbies acting like tw@ts and ruining it for everyone

    who'd a thunk it.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    edited March 2022
    Give it a rest Matt.

    Reports I've had from people that have ridden it since the landslip are that it's much nicer and safer than usual. If there are really large groups of cyclists then riders coming the other way would have look out for that so even if you did think the road was closed to traffic you'd still not be taking a racing line through blind corners.

    The landslip isn't so big that cyclists couldn't be allowed to walk round it - as I'm sure we all do when roads are closed. It'd be easy enough to barrier it off.

    Ugo the point is they've not closed it because they think the landslip is a risk it's because they consider having too many cyclists using it is a risk.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Yes, but it shouldn’t have been opened to cyclists in the first place. It was closed in October to all for roadworks, including cycles, we got dispensation to race up it, only because the race was heavily marshalled and on a Sunday morning, when nobody was working
    left the forum March 2023
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    ugo.santalucia said:

    Yes, but it shouldn’t have been opened to cyclists in the first place. It was closed in October to all for roadworks, including cycles, we got dispensation to race up it, only because the race was heavily marshalled and on a Sunday morning, when nobody was working

    this.

    and De V - no. Inexvusable behaviour cannot ve ignored.

    You may think its ridic and that I'm just being a weapon and arguing but what is now plastered all over the media (and as its on the BBC its national): cyclists being dikks on an already closed road mess it up for everyone, so reinforcing prejudices and people effing jeffing cyclists.

    slow hand clap clubbies. well done.

    just play the game - ie don't ride around in huge bunches ofbellends - and it would have been fine.

    #useyourbrain
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    edited March 2022
    ugo.santalucia said:

    Yes, but it shouldn’t have been opened to cyclists in the first place. It was closed in October to all for roadworks, including cycles, we got dispensation to race up it, only because the race was heavily marshalled and on a Sunday morning, when nobody was working

    From pictures the whole lane isn't even barriered off - I don't know if local traffic is still allowed to pass the landslip but I guess they haven't put barriers right across the road for a reason - and it's a land slip into a slope - there is no prospect of a sudden collapse pitching cyclists into a crevasse.

    In short the land slip itself is irrelevant to the ban on cyclists - they simply consider having a high volume of cyclists on Snake Pass an accident risk. Given the record of vehicular accidents there over the years by that logic it should be shut to all traffic forever.


    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    edited March 2022
    See what I mean - you'd guess Old MacDonald is allowed to tow is sheep trailer along there - which is fine - but it's hardly a reason for stopping cyclists even if they had to dismount and walk on the far verge.


    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • alwaystimetotorque
    alwaystimetotorque Posts: 226
    I rode up it on Saturday. It was pretty quiet to be honest but I honestly believe that the issue is as stated above by a couple of others and that the minority chopper brigade (club rider or not and frankly who cares whether they are or not) have spoilt it for the rest of us.

    What I saw were individual cyclists weaving across both sides of the road for absolutely no reason; it's not that steep by any stretch especially from the Glossop side so no idea why people thought it was necessary. Also, groups riding 4 or 5 abreast and crossing the centre line even though the odd car was coming by.

    The areas that have slipped were easily passable, with a set of two way lights at one point and a few cones at others but with some large cracks that you could easily get your wheel caught in. They have cut part of the road surface away where the lights were but no problem getting passed.

    It would appear that it's very much the selfish riding of some that appear to have left the local authority with no choice but to act and stop all users.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    People riding 4-5 abreast is a reason to ask them not to ride 4-5 abreast - not prevent anyone using it. We don't ban cars because some people speed.

    Cyclists ride on quiet roads all the time - if it's pointed out that the Snake is now a quiet road not a closed road then presumably they'd default to normal quiet road behaviour. People generally do not have a death wish - if people are inadvertantly putting themselves at risk it could be solved by informing them.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    If the road is closed to cars but open to cycles, then it should be open to motor cycles too… and horses and other narrow vehicles. We have to stop this nonsense that bicycles are only vehicles when it is convenient for us… they either are, hence they get the respect and they obey by the rules, or they aren’t, in which case they won’t get the respect either. You can’t pick and choose
    left the forum March 2023
  • masjer
    masjer Posts: 2,663
    ugo.santalucia said:

    If the road is closed to cars but open to cycles, then it should be open to motor cycles too… and horses and other narrow vehicles.

    Not always.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,212
    Are they allowing people to walk up it? Am guessing not.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    First.Aspect said:

    Are they allowing people to walk up it? Am guessing not.

    You are probably allowed to cross it, as some paths and bridles do… equally, some might live At the bottom of the climb, in a closed off section
    left the forum March 2023
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,212
    So probably if you tried to walk past where they are doing the groundwork, someone would object.

    Really no different if you are cycling.

    Aren't there other hills to cycle up?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    First.Aspect said:

    So probably if you tried to walk past where they are doing the groundwork, someone would object.

    Really no different if you are cycling.

    Aren't there other hills to cycle up?

    There is no shortage… but the Snake pass has that constant 6% gradient… one of not so many roadmans climbs… it’s beautiful, if you don’t have to worry about cars… I can see the appeal

    left the forum March 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited March 2022
    The road is absolutely glorious if it wasn't for the cars treating it like the Monte Carlo rally and motorbikes like it's the Isle of Man TT.

    Crazy amounts of close passes. At least, from the Sheffield side.
    _
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,212
    rick_chasey said:

    The road is absolutely glorious if it wasn't for the cars treating it like the Monte Carlo rally and motorbikes like it's the Isle of Man TT.

    Crazy amounts of close passes. At least, from the Sheffield side.

    Driven it, wouldn't cycle it.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    I did cycle up it many times from Glossop, on Sunday mornings, never had a problem with cars…

    left the forum March 2023
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    ugo.santalucia said:

    If the road is closed to cars but open to cycles, then it should be open to motor cycles too… and horses and other narrow vehicles. We have to stop this nonsense that bicycles are only vehicles when it is convenient for us… they either are, hence they get the respect and they obey by the rules, or they aren’t, in which case they won’t get the respect either. You can’t pick and choose

    I'm happy for it to be open to horses and motorcycles - as I own a motorscooter that would suit me. I see no reason for it to be closed to any vehicle that can use it safely.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,212
    We had a landslip near here on a road by a steep slope. Several that I can think of, in fact. On one they just keep slopping tarmac down, on another they just made it single lane alternate rather than fix it, and the one that was fixed people still cycled down for the two years it took.

    I can see thus one both ways to be honest.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    DeVlaeminck said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    If the road is closed to cars but open to cycles, then it should be open to motor cycles too… and horses and other narrow vehicles. We have to stop this nonsense that bicycles are only vehicles when it is convenient for us… they either are, hence they get the respect and they obey by the rules, or they aren’t, in which case they won’t get the respect either. You can’t pick and choose

    I'm happy for it to be open to horses and motorcycles - as I own a motorscooter that would suit me. I see no reason for it to be closed to any vehicle that can use it safely.
    it waa closed because a certain group of roadusers weren't using it safely and were beingdicks and ruined it for all of us.

    all they had to do was use their brains, think about what they doing and all would have been fine.

    but oh, they had to pretend to be bloodyJumbo Visma....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,228
    Snake Pass is approx 30 minutes ride from my mum's house and I have ridden it loads of times, usually from Glossop.

    Never had an issue with cars, for an A road linking two major cities it is far quieter than you might expect. You certainly get much worse traffic (and attitudes) on fairly minor roads down south.

    Can't help thinking there would be no issue were it not for all the twonks posting online that it's a cyclists paradise (probably more so than those actually using it)
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,212
    Not the amount of traffic, but the speed of it that would bother me.

    We all have our own level of tolerance I suppose.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    MattFalle said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    If the road is closed to cars but open to cycles, then it should be open to motor cycles too… and horses and other narrow vehicles. We have to stop this nonsense that bicycles are only vehicles when it is convenient for us… they either are, hence they get the respect and they obey by the rules, or they aren’t, in which case they won’t get the respect either. You can’t pick and choose

    I'm happy for it to be open to horses and motorcycles - as I own a motorscooter that would suit me. I see no reason for it to be closed to any vehicle that can use it safely.
    it waa closed because a certain group of roadusers weren't using it safely and were beingdicks and ruined it for all of us.

    all they had to do was use their brains, think about what they doing and all would have been fine.

    but oh, they had to pretend to be bloodyJumbo Visma....
    But as I say that's not a reason to close it - it's a reason to educate them it's not actually closed to traffic.

    Neither is it - as Ugo says - about selective adherence to rules as the road was open to cyclists - so people cycling it weren't ignoring the closure. It's now about the BS reason they've given for closing it.
    It's about is a council feeling that a high volume of cyclists using a route is if itself a danger.

    If a cyclist thinks it's ok to close a route because it's too popular - which is the actual reason they've given not that people were treating it like a Jumbo Visma training ride - then I despair. And if a few people being reckless is a reason to close it then they'd never allow motorcyclists on it again.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    The people who caused it to be closed can't be reeducated.

    they are the same twonks who ride in matching clothes clogging up the roads instead of splitting into smaller groups and going single file where they need to.

    how much time do you think the Council has to go around reeducating people who should know better who we all know will just carry on doing exactly as before? A bunch of cyclists acting likedicks? just close the road and move onto something more important.

    they did it, they ruined it for everyone and just because you may be in the same club/club mindset you can't defend them.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.

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