Where are the best climbs in the uk?

[Jamie Morton]

My New Year's resolution is to pack my road bike in my car and discover the best climbs around. I live in Peterborough and hate having to cycle the same routes each time. Added to that, there are the Fens, where its just long, flat and straight open roads where the scenery never changes! Having done Box Hill and up around Snowdon, I have discovered an enjoyment of ascending these climbs and want to discover more!

Ideally, they'd be within an hour of Peterborough so I can just get in the car and go, but ones further afield would also be welcome! Please let me know your favourites!

 

[Dilof]

I'm also from Peterborough, small world. I personally find the climbs at peak district quite challenging and fun to do, they're definitely a challenge. I've not really travelled a lot around the UK so that's about the best I can suggest.

 

[googlebike]

In Fort Williams, scotland.

 

[pwarbi]

Seeing as you're from Peterborough, instead of Scotland, maybe Wales might be a bit closer to home for you?

I've done a couple of camping holidays in Wales and taken the bikes. We found a few country roads up through the mountains that you might want to take a look at. The best place is online, and the Welsh tourist board used to have a specific part of the website dedicated to cycling holiday, so that could be worth a look.

 

[Dilof]

Wales is definitely a good option also, very challenging but worth the trek to enjoy the view and get a good ride out of it. I went through the welsh tourist board as well.

 

[swampy1970]

There's always climbs like Holme Moss, Saddleworth Moor and Winnats Pass in the Peak District. Holme Moss and Saddleworth are nice longish climbs more reminiscent of Alpine climbs albeit shorter. The road that goes past Edale and then Barbers Booth heading east makes an epic climb with a stunning view from the top.

My favorite climb when I lived in England was the climb upto the TV mast at Winter Hill that was to the north west of Bolton, Lancashire. Starting at the town of Horwich, climb Chorley Old Road, take a left on Mill Lane and then onto Foxholes Rd which is a brute. Continue up the hill taking the fork for Markland Hill. Once at the top of Markland Hill, take a right at the t-junction and catch about 30 seconds of a breather and the gradient goes from flat to about 6% before making the left turn onto Winter Hill Road. The next part is a long climb (for England) and about 1/3rd of the way up there's a cattle grid and locked gate. Get off the bike, skip around the gate and continue the climb. It keeps a nice 7 to 8% until the road straightens out towards the TV mast. On the way down, just remember where the gate is as there's no run off area to ride around it!

If you want steep there's Rosedale Chimney Bank in Yorkshire or the deadly duo of Hardknott Pass, and then Wrynose Pass in the Lake District. One road, two climbs on after the other. There's a ton of climbs in the Lakes and a lot of good Youth Hostels.

 

[pwarbi]

It's funny you should mention winter hill as I'm from the North West of England, and I've ridden that route and various others around that area many times.

The OP lives a fair distance away from there though, and while you're right, it is a nice ride, I'm not sure it's nice enough to travel that amount of distance to do.

 

[swampy1970]

I used to live in Bolton before moving to northern California and most training rides that required a good 15 minutes plus of hills, took in that climb. On the weekends, Saddleworth and Holme Moss were sometimes taken but the craptacular traffic around Manchester near the old Apollo theater and the A57 junction was a bummer.

In California, there's no shortage of climbs that gain more that 3,000ft. Races like the "Everest Challenge" have a few climbs that go from 4,000ft in the valley to over 10,000ft. Just bonkers I say and yes, I've ridden it a couple of times.

 

[pwarbi]

I know Bolton very well as I used to work there but I'm actually from Burnage in Manchester so I know all the trails up around the areas your talking about.

North California is a bit of a change from Bolton in more ways than just the cycling though I'd expect!

 

[marknamesh]

Wales is definitely a good option also, very challenging but worth the trek to enjoy the view and get a good ride out of it. I went through the welsh tourist board as well.

Definitely. Wales is a perfect choice. I would also suggest the same.

 

[pwarbi]

Definitely. Wales is a perfect choice. I would also suggest the same.

Aswell as the climbs, the advantage of Wales is that a lot of the roads aren't busy, and you can cycle for mile's without seeing another road user, so your effectively riding by yourself.

This might not appeal to some, but to cycle a large distance and use the road to your advantage makes a big difference rather than having to stick to a certain part.

 

[neil16377]

have a look at my post m8,,cycling hills in wales..neil

 

[Balajee2220]

In Fort Williams, scotland.

 

[Cough72]

The Rutland area has some challenging hills if you want to stay within an hour of Peterborough. The Launde Abbey area has some good climbs and Terrace Hill (Wood Lane) in the Vale of Belvoir is No.29 in the Simon Warren's 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs book.Failing that, the Holme Moss Classic sportif nr Rotherham is a killer.

 

[swampy1970]

I know Bolton very well as I used to work there but I'm actually from Burnage in Manchester so I know all the trails up around the areas your talking about.

North California is a bit of a change from Bolton in more ways than just the cycling though I'd expect!

Yes and no.

Plenty of smaller hills where I live, so cycling wise the terrain isn't that much different. The roads are typically a bit wider and out in the country people here definitely are more cycling friendly that Blighty and give you more room. The weather, that's the big difference. Spring and late Autumn are just fantastic. Winter here is like Spring in England: wet and windy. Summer... well, you go ride when the sun comes up otherwise it'll be 40C by 1pm and you'll be a bit toasty on the bike.