View Full Version : Britain's Most Dangerous Road.
Well I rode it yesterday and I wasn't impressed.
Nor was I impressed by the Cat and Fiddle Inn.
Set off from home about 10 am and using A and B roads, finally pulled into the Cat & Fiddle car park around 1430. I was ravenous by this point and ordered a rump steak. About 10 minutes later the barlady comes round to me and says " really sorry, but the chef says we have no steak today. The butcher hasn't been.":smt107:smt107:smt107:smt107:smt107 So I placed a different order.
30 minutes later, there was no sign of my food. The sheep in the nearby moors were looking very inviting indeed!! I decided to wait patiently as they may have been busy ( I was the only one in the bar at this point:)).
45 minutes later, still no food and I was nearly passing out. So I asked the barlady how much longer it would be. She went off to check with the chef, came back and said my food was on its way.
10 minutes later(!!) my meal arrived. I had ordered chips. Instead I was served a steaming mound of mash potato drowning in gravy. I hate mash and I hate mash with gravy even more. But I was sooooo hungry I just tucked in. Didn't have the energy to argue.:smt094
They did realise the error of their ways .The meal and my drink was on the house. Still definitely crossed off my 'places to visit again' list!!
Then the A537 itself.......
Don't know what all the hype is about. It's ceratinly not an exciting road at all!! The road leading to the Hartside Top Cafe is far more exciting.
Ladybower Reservoir.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun001.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun003.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun005.jpg
Little house on the prairie :)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun004.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun007.jpg
The A537.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun009.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun015.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun014.jpg
A very deserted car park
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun016.jpg
Then just as I was about to leave with a stomach full of mash and dreams of a juicy steak, these beauties pulled into the car park. So of course I had to stop and have a chat. :smt118:smt118:smt049:smt049:smt049:D;)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun030.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun029.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun028-1.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun026-1.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun031.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun032.jpg
And of course I had to have a go:cool:
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun023.jpg
peek-a-boo
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun021.jpg
The Ferrari matches my leathers :D
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun019.jpg
But the Aston Martin wins hands down.:cheers::smt060:smt055 Matches my leathers too.:D
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm23/tsitsim/CatFiddleRun024.jpg
Look at you posing in them cars, you,ll be too good for us lot soon ;)
Nice photos, were the cars press cars? Alot of magazines head up there for photoshoots?
The public house is rubbish :D
dizzyblonde
05-08-08, 12:35 PM
wish I'd ahve known you were heading out, I'd have asked to join you.....certainly beat witnessing blister poppin on matts leg!!:smt107
Why do you always manage to find nice weather, nice cars and someone nice to take nice pics of you?:cool:
Yes Aston martin suits you:-)
Melody, I love your photo stories!
markmoto
05-08-08, 01:06 PM
Mmm Aston martin :D the Lady has good taste.
Dave The Rave
05-08-08, 01:10 PM
Hi Melody, not sure why don't you like the road? I love it. Beats Yorkshire hands down. As for the food and drink? I never had grub there buit staff is friendly. Which way did you come up to the C&F? From Macclesfield of from Buxton? As the ride from M is what this road is all about and not the Buxton bit.
riktherider
05-08-08, 01:19 PM
r8 i think wins hands down. such a beautiful car! aston martin close second, lambo third then ferrari. looks nice up there, have to take a vist some day. need some nice roads down here really. salsibury is the closest weve got really, but nothing compared to those views!
SoulKiss
05-08-08, 01:20 PM
As an aside, I have eaten at the Snake Pass Inn a couple of times now, once last August Bank holiday and then again in Oct when I went up to Scotland and found the food there to be good - a Steak Sandwich the 1st time and a really nice bowl of Rabbit Stew on the second :)
Planning on eating there again on Sunday the 24th
Hi Melody, not sure why don't you like the road? I love it. Beats Yorkshire hands down. As for the food and drink? I never had grub there buit staff is friendly. Which way did you come up to the C&F? From Macclesfield of from Buxton? As the ride from M is what this road is all about and not the Buxton bit.
It's not that I don't like it. Just wasn't what I expected. I expected to be shaking in my boots like I was when I went up to the Hartside Top Cafe. The reviews I've read about the A537 all make out that it's an amazing route. I didn't think so. I rode the entire stretch. From Buxton to the C&F, then from there into Macclesfield then on to Knutsford. The bit between C&F and Macclesfield was good fun though, but still no where near what I expected. I rode this bit with one of the locals that I'd been chatting with in the C&F. He said he'd ride into Macclesfield with me to make sure I was ok seeing as it was my first run. So again, I thought OMG, it's going to be a killer of a road ( well not literally), if this guys feels obliged to ride with me. But as I was following him, I kept thinking, ok, when do I start fretting???? I never did. :D
dizzyblonde
05-08-08, 01:49 PM
It's not that I don't like it. Just wasn't what I expected. I expected to be shaking in my boots like I was when I went up to the Hartside Top Cafe. The reviews I've read about the A537 all make out that it's an amazing route. I didn't think so. I rode the entire stretch. From Buxton to the C&F, then from there into Macclesfield then on to Knutsford. The bit between C&F and Macclesfield was good fun though, but still no where near what I expected. I rode this bit with one of the locals that I'd been chatting with in the C&F. He said he'd ride into Macclesfield with me to make sure I was ok seeing as it was my first run. So again, I thought OMG, it's going to be a killer of a road ( well not literally), if this guys feels obliged to ride with me. But as I was following him, I kept thinking, ok, when do I start fretting???? I never did. :D
so our little road above rishworth was more fun:smt017
SoulKiss
05-08-08, 01:49 PM
So again, I thought OMG, it's going to be a killer of a road ( well not literally), if this guys feels obliged to ride with me. But as I was following him, I kept thinking, ok, when do I start fretting???? I never did. :D
Or maybe that its just that you have gained confidence in your riding and ability, so well done :)
you should have rode the A54 back to buxton as well.
Luckypants
05-08-08, 02:33 PM
It's not that I don't like it. Just wasn't what I expected. I expected to be shaking in my boots like I was when I went up to the Hartside Top Cafe. The reviews I've read about the A537 all make out that it's an amazing route. I didn't think so. I rode the entire stretch. From Buxton to the C&F, then from there into Macclesfield then on to Knutsford. The bit between C&F and Macclesfield was good fun though, but still no where near what I expected. I rode this bit with one of the locals that I'd been chatting with in the C&F. He said he'd ride into Macclesfield with me to make sure I was ok seeing as it was my first run. So again, I thought OMG, it's going to be a killer of a road ( well not literally), if this guys feels obliged to ride with me. But as I was following him, I kept thinking, ok, when do I start fretting???? I never did. :D
I felt exactly the same first time I did it. What is all the fuss about? IMO not worth the trip out there, but a nice trip out to see lots of bikes on a Sunday. The 50 limit don't help either.
you should have rode the A54 back to buxton as well.
:smt049 That's a good stretch of tarmac.
Ceri JC
05-08-08, 03:01 PM
They did realise the error of their ways .The meal and my drink was on the house. Still definitely crossed off my 'places to visit again' list!!
Euphemism for doing a runner? ;)
Nice photos, were the cars press cars? Alot of magazines head up there for photoshoots?
Don't think so. They were members of a club out for a spin.
Melody, I love your photo stories!
Thank you.:D
so our little road above rishworth was more fun:smt017
Absolutely!!! Did you notice me quivering?? :shaking2:
Or maybe that its just that you have gained confidence in your riding and ability, so well done :)
Thank you.:D:D
They did realise the error of their ways .The meal and my drink was on the house. Still definitely crossed off my 'places to visit again' list!!
Euphemism for doing a runner? ;)
:smt045
kwak zzr
05-08-08, 04:45 PM
me wants the lambo or the yellow curvey!
simonthepost
05-08-08, 05:04 PM
Nice pics Mel, just done the route on google earth from my house in Corsham!! not quite the same tho but at 180 miles just to get there thought it a good idea :p
I don't think the Cat and Fiddle is 'all that' either.............Snake Pass is much better:D
right on there Mel,not as good as people make out.
Tried it in a gale once (dont ask why) and that is one scary trip.
After NW3 the car and fiddle must seem like a breeze
Gene genie
05-08-08, 05:55 PM
you smooth talker melody, looks like you had the guys eating out of your hand, ooooh like your sports car lol.
oh how i laughed. cat and fiddle service not up to much. all i had in my mind while reading your exploits was basil fawlty. a waldorf salad and two screwdrivers, he he he.
we had no problems at the C&F when we went but maybe that was due to the amazement that we were out in it. The mist was so bad you couldn't see your front wheel - that definately made the trip an interesting one ( that and running into the verge when the visor and glasses misted up up)! Still want to go back and do it in decent weather though
But you'll enjoy our roads - they are the mutts nutts! whatever the weather
fizzwheel
05-08-08, 07:17 PM
I felt exactly the same first time I did it. What is all the fuss about? IMO not worth the trip out there, but a nice trip out to see lots of bikes on a Sunday. The 50 limit don't help either.
I felt the same when Quiff took me and Liz over the Cat & Fiddle on the way to the North / South in 07. I really couldnt get my head round what all the fuss was about. I guess its different if you know the road, but like say that 50mph doesnt help.
I prefer Hartside its much more of a challenge IMHO.
Tim in Belgium
05-08-08, 09:22 PM
Looks like you had good weather too!
Not at all jealous in the slightest.
kwak zzr
06-08-08, 01:34 PM
i enjoy'd the C&F when i was up there last, its the amount of police that makes it bad.
I like it, if it was 3 times as long it would be better though.
I'm going to try the.....
A6004 from buxton to whaley bridge
A624 from whaley bridge to Glossop
A57 Glossop to Sheffield next time I'm out that way
Comes recommended
MiniMac
06-08-08, 03:00 PM
If you know the bends the C&F becomes looooads better.
Dave The Rave
06-08-08, 03:20 PM
I like it, if it was 3 times as long it would be better though.
I'm going to try the.....
A6004 from buxton to whaley bridge
A624 from whaley bridge to Glossop
A57 Glossop to Sheffield next time I'm out that way
Comes recommended
A57 snake pass is OK. Same as C&F 50 miles limit. By does actually anyone goes 50 on any of those?
A6s both are good.
The C&F has a bad name due to people crashing. I like it a lot and must have done it 20x or more. You can really push it there and few of the bends are knee down stuff even keeping to the speed limit. Nice tight bends where you can see miles ahead with good tarmac. I hate only 2 things:
1) the amount of bl00dy sheep on the road (and they tend to go onto the road)
2) the police presence - I was stopped only once. They looked the bike over, checked I had insurance and wished me a nice day telling me to watch my speed.
Otherwise it is a good road. Saying that some of the streches of tarmac up in Scotland (highlands and Skye are even better).
A57 snake pass is OK. Same as C&F 50 miles limit. By does actually anyone goes 50 on any of those?
The C&F has a bad name due to people crashing. I like it a lot and must have done it 20x or more. You can really push it there and few of the bends are knee down stuff even keeping to the speed limit. Nice tight bends where you can see miles ahead with good tarmac. I hate only 2 things:
1) the amount of bl00dy sheep on the road (and they tend to go onto the road)
2) the police presence - I was stopped only once. They looked the bike over, checked I had insurance and wished me a nice day telling me to watch my speed.
Otherwise it is a good road. Saying that some of the streches of tarmac up in Scotland (highlands and Skye are even better).
No one sticks to the speed limit at the best of time, not that I h ave seen anyway.....afterall I didnt buy a bike to stick to the speed limits, I cant imagine many people do.
The C&F is alright, you need to ride fast to enjoy it, and strictly speaking your not aloud to do that, every corner is a ride hard/knee down corner once you know the road. Problem is alot of people dont.......and some of them crash, hence the bad name
Most roads are boring if you bimble along them, and people get their kicks in different ways so different roads please different people.
Agreed with everything else too, bloody sheep lol
I enjoyed the Snake Pass far more than I did the C&F.
Stuck to the speed limit on both roads.
I tend to bimble along and yet I still find roads that I enjoy. Such as the road leading to Hartside Top Cafe. :D:D:D
C&F just didn't do it for me. It just didn't have that certain 'je ne sais quoi'.
I've not ridden either the Snake or the Cat on my SV yet, but have done both on my mountain bike.
I think the Snake would make a better day out, better views, longer etc.
I've got a bit of fear of being wiped out on the Cat by someother idiot due to the way the road is treated by some, not that that's stopped me riding my mountain bike from Macc Forest to the pub frequently.
I've got a bit of fear of being wiped out on the Cat by someother idiot due to the way the road is treated by some, not that that's stopped me riding my mountain bike from Macc Forest to the pub frequently.
My biggest fear up there, be it other bikes panicing or cars drivers understeering.
Even the last time I was up there with Cartwrim off here, I did a quick run to see what cameras were about before others arrived, and a 406 came around a corner on the wrong side of the road, if I had paniced I would have been in a brick wall, if I hadnt of quickly moved I would have been hit.
Last two visits to c+f nearly ended in similar disasters, a westfield sideways on my side of road and a couple of chavs in an imprezza who were laughing while running wide onto my side coming out of a corner. If I had been killied or injured it would have just been recorded as another biker going too fast and losing control no doubt!
Paul the 6th
09-08-08, 05:29 PM
i love the snake pass - nothing too lairy, just take it nice n steady and it's a really good ride. Nice new tarmac for most of the length of the road too (only about a year old)
The cat and fiddle is a short stretch of road I accept. It is a road that you need to get by the scruff of the neck at about 7.30 pm on a weekday....then it is quite and you can enjoy it. On a normal day with normal traffic it is not even worth considering. The snake pass is another road that gets better the more you ride it.
Just because many are killed on these roads it doesnt mean they are 'awesume' it means they are unforgiving if you get it wrong,and therefore the 'most dangerous roads'.....of course sometimes that can be part of the thrill if you are riding on your 'speed' limit :D
I think the cat and fiddle is a great road to link onto the roads already discussed, for a full days riding in the peak district, you can't travel 50 miles or more, to ride one stretch of road which is only about 7 miles long and expect it to be gobsmacking.
Maybe if you rode the cat and fiddle on a late summers evening with few other road users about you would come away feeling different about it?
MR UKI (1)
09-08-08, 06:37 PM
The cat and fiddle is a short stretch of road I accept. It is a road that you need to get by the scruff of the neck at about 7.30 pm on a weekday....then it is quite and you can enjoy it. On a normal day with normal traffic it is not even worth considering. The snake pass is another road that gets better the more you ride it.
Just because many are killed on these roads it doesnt mean they are 'awesume' it means they are unforgiving if you get it wrong,and therefore the 'most dangerous roads'.....of course sometimes that can be part of the thrill if you are riding on your 'speed' limit :D
I think the cat and fiddle is a great road to link onto the roads already discussed, for a full days riding in the peak district, you can't travel 50 miles or more, to ride one stretch of road which is only about 7 miles long and expect it to be gobsmacking.
Maybe if you rode the cat and fiddle on a late summers evening with few other road users about you would come away feeling different about it?
+1. I very rarely bother with the Cat at weekends (unless heading over it to get Matlock or summat) or before 7pm weekdays, it's just to busy. But weeknights in summer you can nearly always get a clear run upto the pub and back again. It's great on a long summer night on the road about 8.30pm - 9pm. Yes there are occasions on weeknights when the 'racers' are up there, but you have to be unlucky to meet them on a run and if I do I turn back and have another go.
Quiff Wichard
09-08-08, 09:23 PM
agree with Esther and Uki..
but I understand what you say Mel.. it is a letdown but then thats maybe because of all the urban legend hyping it up..
ridden loads better roads on all of Mikes NW rides ..
gosh the time you were waiting you could have come to my house for dinner I real lcoal to there-- looks like you had a good day out and a long journey too matey-
superb cars - mmmmmmmmmm and well done shy you for beggin for a sit in them. it seems you are very forward when you are alone eh.
great write up ..
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