Rode the Cat & Fiddle for the 1st time today. Then linked on A5004 & this A57 Snakes Pass. C&F over-rated in my opinion (although great). A57 Snakes Pass was the most fun - good length, pretty decent surface most of the way, variety of corners & scenery. Most importantly - it flows nicely! You dont feel like youre shitting yourself if youre not perfect - you can relax & enjoy, or go for it when you feel capable. Superb, possibly the best road Ive ridden in England, will definitely be back. If youre thinking about this road, just do it, you will be a happy bunny (or you dont like riding/driving).
My favourite local road. Spoiled by the occasional lorry and the fact that there are THREE mobile cameras in close proximity during the Summer weekends around Bamford and Ladybower. Speed up after the first one and the next one will get ya!!
its my local road and i use it quite regularly for work and for fun. lots of wannabe racers on this road losing it on the bends. be careful some bends are sharper than you think. from glossop to sheffield, when you see signs for police cameras, slow down because the moment roads opens there is a tatty green van which you would think has broken down. No it hasn , its coppers. the road has max speed of 50MPH :thumbup:
been up the snake pass on my first bike ride for 20 years,fantastic,great selection of bends,some decent straights,road surface poor in places due to plenty of rain previous night,some dry parts though was able to give it some,had a huge smile on my face most of the time, saw just one mobile speed camera but other motorists give you plenty of warning,miles better than cat and fiddle.
Have ridden this a few times now, and in my opinion, far exceeds the cat and fiddle for two main reasons. Firstly, I never seem to get stuck behind lorries on it, and in general the traffic has been much lighter than on the c & f every time. Secondly, its a better mix of straights and corners. Rode it today, with the sun shining, and loved every second of it. If you aint been on it, make it your next trip!
A very popular road, and rightly so. I prefer the road travelling from Glossop to Sheffield - you can really attack the climb out of Glossop if you get a clear run. Some resurfacing work was done last winter on the worst parts so the potholes have now gone, but you still need to be careful in places. Theres now a 50mph limit on the full length of the road, and a mobile camera occasionally sets up in one of the laybys near the resevoir.
Sorry to disappoint everyone, but this is only my opinion. I use the road for Advanced training and noticed last yeat that the road was breaking up in places and there were temporary 50mph signs everywhere. In April this year 2007 the road is still poor in places, hence I feel that is why ther is the a permanent 50 mph limit along the majority of the pass. It is cheaper than repairing the tarmac..... It spoils it by taking that 10 mph off you get caught in amongst the cars. Will keep you posted,
Yes, very good indeed. Do it slow and enjoy the scenery, do it quick (at the right time) and enjoy the corners. Either way, it's hard to beat.
This road is the reason I registered on this site. I'll give my review as what I am: a speed freak. First thing's first - the police DO know about this road and they will catch you out near the reservoir on a weekend. At other times, you take your chances. Second, traffic - not too much of a problem through most of the run if you ignore the white lines that have sprung up everywhere over the last few years but watch out anyways because I've had oncoming traffic overtaking on my side of the road around the highest right hander there (heading to Glossop). That aside, this run has THE best scenery of any run I know and THE best high-speed corners. Hit it at the right time and you've got a 20+ mile ride you'll never forget, go when it's busy and you'll actually see the countryside and be amazed that you never noticed it before. As a side note, I've never timed myself on any route so I couldn't comment on the guy above's 10 minutes from the lights claim. Maybe worth a shot though.
Best way to attack this is from Sheffield->Glossop in my opinion. The drop down into the valley from Sheffield is some pretty damn good scenery - though how much you get to sight-see depends on how fast you're shifting! I live near Glossop and often combine this with the road over Woodhead. Glossop -> Sheffield over woodhead and then back on the snake. Excellent.
best done midweek as too much traffic on a sunday apart from which an excellent road one that i,ll do again when its quieter
one of the best roads about allthough i have to travel about 50miles to get to it but its definatley worth the journey especially if you go via chatsworth,monsal head,brough etc...And what about the Guest further up the page who says he can get from the traffic lights at ladybower to the 30 mile an hour sign in glossop sub 10minutes....lol...was he flying a helicopter?? :)
Used to be a courier in th late 80's working out of Manchester and was always chuffed when I had to go to Sheffield. Getting paid to go over the Snake, Bonus! Did it again yesterday, still just as brilliant, especially on a modern bike.
An entertaining stretch of road, and a good ride out from sheffield. The best bit is the last couple of mile from the Snake Pass Inn across to Glossop - if you can get a clear run. Weekends can be a traffic nightmare. Ideal time is mid-afternoon on a summer weekday when you can often get a completely clear run all the way back from Glossop to Ladybower. Watch out for slippery and uneven road surfaces at the Ladybower end, especially the sections covered by trees where loads of debris can collect after wet spells.
I love this road and much prefer it Glossop-Sheffield direction. First part quite slow but it opens out into some lovely twisty turns up to the summit and from thereon is a joy as you lose height with the spectacular reservoir/water on your right, though I agree that cars overtaking coming towards you demand your constant attention. Keep your wits about you and watch out for weather on the summit; what starts as a nice-ish day in Glossop can be v wet on the top, then descending into nice-ish weather as you approach Sheffield. Big grins!
What can I add to the existing comments? This is truly one of the best biking roads only marred by the fact it is open to other vehicles leading to an above average risk of death or serious injury! Brilliant!
One of my favourite routes in the peak district,sheffield to glossop starting at the lights at ladybower reservoir to the 30 mph sign in Glossop sub 10 minutes.....watch out for cars coming out of the pub half way and can be quite windy on the summit of snake pass....all in all a top road..Beware of sheep...i incorporate in a 100 mile monday night circuit(hardly any police) of the peak district....taking in a few of the roads already mentioned....will have to post the directions soon
The Snake Pass. Haven't done it from Glossop to Sheffield but the other way starting from Sheffield, take a right just after the hospital and follow this road up to the Ladybower Reservoir, quite a spectacular sight in it's own right. A great twisting, turning road over the top of the Pennines. Dramatic drop on one side, really nice. Watch out for sheep!!
Another fantastic piece of road - but then I live in Glossop so I'm biased. Road tends to be very busy and apart from a few long straights there are not many overtaking opportunities, so you need to be alert to them and make the most of them. If you get a good clear run, it is a nice fast road. Be on the lookout for overtaking cars coming towards you. Bloody dangerous in this regard.
One of the best this one, loads of good corners and a good surface. Really excellent
At the road side cafe on snakes pass
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