Climbs around Buxton - local knowledge please.

[leaner learner]

Hi

Are there any members fairly local to Buxton who can help me?

I'm 38 and I've only been cycling 4 months but it's something I've always wanted to get into - ultimately I have arrived via the triathlon route. The cycling has grabbed my whereas the other bits don't excite. Now, I may have a screw loose because I really want to be able to cycle up and over very big hills :-) - is this normal haha??

For longer training rides I have gone up to Chapel-le-Frith from my home in Chealde via Hazel Grove, Disley & Whally Bridge which after just a few months in the saddle I was pretty pleased with especially as I managed what I consider to be a good average speed (around 18mph including the return trip - 40 miles total, 2hrs 9mins). Now I know for you more experienced guys there isn't probably even a 'climb' in there persay but as I say, I'm a newbie. Recently though I have been eyeing up the much vaunted Cat and Fiddle climb but I'm not sure if I have it in my legs yet so today armed with my new lighter bike - yes I've upgraded already - I bottled riding down to Macc to take it on and instead went up to Whalley Bridge again but this time went straight on to Buxton.

I was taken by surprise lol!! Again you guys might tell me different but I thought that was a 'climb'. However I managed it pretty well and went on to Chapel LF and looped back down to Cheadle - about 43 miles, average speed just over 16.5mph, 2hrs 31mins. I gotta say though, the last 5 miles back down on the flat were hard work for my little legs - definitely 2 drinks bottles next time!

2 questions. How does the road from Whalley Bridge to Buxton compare to the C&F route/climb and if I can do the one can I do the other? And, do you experienced guys think my
performance times/speeds bode well for me?

Any help/advice and maybe even future challenging routes I could try most welcome.


Cheers

 

[RedBike]

Long hill from Whalley Bridge to Buxton is a classic. A nice and easy gradient that goes on forever. The Cat and Fiddle is a very similar climb. Its not steep but it is about 7miles long. The start of the Cat (Macc) is the steepest bit. As you climb up the gradient slackens and its even down hill for a bit at one point. When you leave the cover of the tree line the wind often becomes far more challanging than the gradient so you need to carefully pick your day. Other really good roads to have a go at are the Road from Whalley Bridge to Macc. - A roller coaster of hills. Head towards Hope / Edale and experiance some really steep brutes. The brickworks up from Pott-shigely followed by the climb past Langsett reservoir.

 

[Garz]

When I cycled from Bolton to Chesterfield a few months back the worst climb for me was approaching chesterfield from Stoney Middleton way. It was not steep but it felt like it was about 3-4 miles of pure uphill gradient. After a few hills and fifty miles it was the gut-buster of that ride..

 

[marinyork]

2 questions. How does the road from Whalley Bridge to Buxton compare to the C&F route/climb and if I can do the one can I do the other? And, do you experienced guys think my
performance times/speeds bode well for me?

Your 'performance times/speeds' are exceptionally fast for a newbie, stop kidding yourself. That's not meant in a nasty way, just saying.

 

[marinyork]

If you want a climb I'd head up to Glossop, do the Snake going east and then come back to Buxton via one route or another. There's also Holme Moss if you want to venture further.

 

[rich p]

I enjoy the climb from Edale to the top of Winnats. Mam Nick?

 

[andy_wrx]

Try The Brickworks, Windgather, Goyt Valley, Pym's Chair, Lamaload, Wildboarclough
Details here http://www.cyclechat...269-blaze-hill/

You can also find some nice hills in Macc Forest and Wincle/Danebridge - look for the chevrons on your OS map

 

[leaner learner]

OK, thx guys. I think the Cat & Fiddle will be on my 'to do very soon' list and I have been looking at the maps to check the others out. I quite like the long steady ones but at the moment short steep ones are to be avoided I think (for the time being).

Marinyork - I'm not sure I get your drift, I don't feel like I'm kidding myself. I'm just really into it and want to go everywhere as fast as I can. It's probably not the best way of training or whatever. I mean I hobbled of the bike after that ride the other day and the legs were v tired yesterday, I'm not fit enough to do any more than that distance and at the moment I am always riding at my limit. Maybe you can tell me, is this sensible?

Cheers

 

[blowncherry]

Try www.pedalpeakdistrict.co.uk

There are plenty of routes and information on this site, you can also register and log your miles for keeping track or your mileage.

OK, thx guys. I think the Cat & Fiddle will be on my 'to do very soon' list and I have been looking at the maps to check the others out. I quite like the long steady ones but at the moment short steep ones are to be avoided I think (for the time being).

Marinyork - I'm not sure I get your drift, I don't feel like I'm kidding myself. I'm just really into it and want to go everywhere as fast as I can. It's probably not the best way of training or whatever. I mean I hobbled of the bike after that ride the other day and the legs were v tired yesterday, I'm not fit enough to do any more than that distance and at the moment I am always riding at my limit. Maybe you can tell me, is this sensible?

Cheers

 

[BinBag]

OK, thx guys. I think the Cat & Fiddle will be on my 'to do very soon' list and I have been looking at the maps to check the others out. I quite like the long steady ones but at the moment short steep ones are to be avoided I think (for the time being).

Marinyork - I'm not sure I get your drift, I don't feel like I'm kidding myself. I'm just really into it and want to go everywhere as fast as I can. It's probably not the best way of training or whatever. I mean I hobbled of the bike after that ride the other day and the legs were v tired yesterday, I'm not fit enough to do any more than that distance and at the moment I am always riding at my limit. Maybe you can tell me, is this sensible?

Cheers

I'll be doing the exact same route on Sunday morning (15/08/10) if you fancy a riding partner - I live in Stockport, and was going to go up the A6 through Whaley Bridge, into Buxton then past the C&F toward Macc and back through Poynton. I'm relatively new to the road cycling scene and want to progress.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

When I visit family near Matlock I often take a bike with, the bit of road I always find a chore is the hill from Cromford up to Wirksworth. From there and beyond Ashbourne there's some lovely cycling out on the back roads in the south of The Peaks. Nothing too strenuous but very nice countryside.

 

[Garz]

Do you mean the hill up from Baslow? It's deceptively nasty that one.

Yeah I think that's the one, I was so tempted to just U turn and go back down.. weeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

[Hacienda71]

Pym Chair near the Goyt valley is one of the most testing climbs in the area, so is the climb past Lamaload Reservoir back to the Cat and Fiddle. Bits of these are 1in4 and 1in5 a really hard challenge. Just started cycling these roads a bit more regularly myself after cycling more flat routes. Thoroughly enjoying the hilly rides.

 

[andy_wrx]

Pym Chair ... Lamaload Reservoir

Yep, these are great. See earlier thread in my post above

 

[leaner learner]

Binbag - I may well have seen you on Sunday. I wasn't riding but was in the car with my missus who was up for the weekend from her work Cardiff. Under the guise of a lovely Sunday drive in the Peak District, I cunningly got to see many of the hills and climbs and routes mentioned here :-). We had lunch in Buxton and criss crossed the area for an hour or two.

There were literally hundreds of guys out on their bikes Sunday eh?? I would like to get out up there again soon and if the offer still stands I'd gladly join up with you.

Andy wrx - you realise you've scared me LOL. We dropped down the lane from the the top of Long Hill to Goyt Res and there were 3 guys just reaching the top of that one and blowing but then the killer for me was the one heading down from Pym's Chair in the direction of Macc - absolute beast!! I think that's the one in your picture maybe. When we got to near the bottom some guy had just set off up it and it looked like it was already hurting him. I told the missus "I'm gonna do that soon." - she just laughed at me!!! Haha :-)