New Mill Old Road : Harder Than Holme Moss?

[@Outback10]

Hi saw you out and about last week. Thanks for the wave and smile. I live local and agree there are better climbs (lots of em) If you take Cemetery Rd at the foot of Holmfirth eventually merges into whitegate road, You'll run parallel to the Holme Moss climb but you get a cracking view of the Holme valley and it's similar to the old new mill climb no traffic. Enjoy 👍

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Anthony. That's a great road and quite a hard pull out of Holmfirth. I did it on the MTB in April - there's a video called "Holme Valley Midweek Mystery Tour" - I went past the caravan site then the rough bridleway down to Ramsden Res before emerging halfway up Holme Moss. I'll try it on the road bike when I can - maybe loop to Hade Edge & Victoria X-rds. If you see me again then give me a shout.

[@Outback10]

@@clippingin1593 Most definitely, That's a very technical decent. The views are phenomenal though. A very good MTB/gravel route, I normally cut across onto the Wessenden Valley trail and then onto the canal at Slathwaite for coffee.

[@ianbarbar3869]

Great video of fantastic views again Gordon, including the Rickenbacker bass🎸. Thanks for sharing.

[@clippingin1593]

Good spot, Ian. That's my 'Rush bass'.....😁 I was cranking out 2112 lines this morning and left it on the stand. We were both lucky, today was a fab day to be out on the bike.

[@smokie33]

Love watching your videos and the climbs you do. Inspiring.

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, Becky. The conditions were perfect today and very light winds meant you could hear all kinds of things. It was a real treat to be out.

[@Cyclingpsyman]

Great to see you've gone past 1k subscribers 🎉

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers! I've no idea how it works but the subs started rising again. The more the merrier.

[@JamieTheArtist]

I’d love to avoid the A635 for the traffic but dear god I don’t think I’d manage that road. Lovely to discover your channel, thank you.

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Jamie. The first ramp is quite intimidating but after that it's steadier. Mind you, I went that way a couple of Sundays ago with weary legs and still took the A635. It's good to have options though.

[@JohnByrne4466]

Good effort there Gordon...beautiful day too.

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, John. It was a glorious day - you could see from the turbines that there was hardly a breath of wind.

[@alistairmacfadyen9365]

What a grand video, beautiful scenery.

[@clippingin1593]

It was a peach of a day, Alistair. I was worried that I'd wake up to thick fog and miss my morning on the tops but it couldn't have been any clearer.

[@alistairmacfadyen9365]

@@clippingin1593 it was so clear you could see to the heavens, again, thanks for the videos, I love the combination, of history, your dad and the commentary, the hills are something else…. Have a good week.

[@clippingin1593]

@@alistairmacfadyen9365 You too, Alistair.

[@sandrahill5899]

Another enjoyable video Gordon ..thanks and keep them coming.. please!

[@clippingin1593]

@@sandrahill5899 Thanks, Sandra. I've got plenty of ideas lined up for autumn - let's hope this weather lasts a while longer!

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

Love the t-shirt “Cream” 👍👍👍back when I raced I always climbed out of the saddle and was very comfortable with it, people said I danced up the hills I wish I could do that now 🤣thanks for the heavy breathing episode 👍

[@clippingin1593]

In French they call that style 'en danseuse' because they say the cyclist looks like a ballet dancer with pointing feet! (The microphone sits 4 inches below my chin so the breathing often sounds heavier than it really is)

[@Langers.]

Perfect weather for it today, looked a great ride 🙂

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, Claire. Amazing cycling weather with hardly a breath of wind. Not great for the turbine farm 😂 but they'll cope.

[@Langers.]

@clippingin1593 haha that's true, they'll get their day before too long though 😆

[@CyclistColinJ]

I enjoyed watching your ride, especially in that sunshine. It was good timing because I am heading out over some of those hills on Saturday and am not really familiar with that area. I will be wimping out though and using a triple chainset with a luxurious 28/30 bottom gear! Very impressed by the scenery; very UNimpressed by some of those awful road surfaces!! We will have to be careful descending on those...

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, Colin. The video before this one (Holme Moss to Castle Hill) is in a similar area with nice quiet lanes and might be useful if you want to add a loop. There's no such thing as wimping out in my book - I'm a big fan of lower gears. I had a triple in the 90s when I was riding in the French mountains and it was great dropping onto the 3rd ring at the base of a long climb and having a few options. All the best for Saturday's ride.

[@ianball7559]

Seeing those roads remind of a charity ride we did, it was maybe 50 miles, set off from Kirkburton I think, I just turned up with my pal who had done all the organising. I absolutely remember going past those windmills in glorious sunshine and I fell in love with cycling pretty much that ay, speed on the downhill, sense of achievement on the uphill, views and learning where everything is and connects to was just brilliant. Before then I just rode a bike because in comparison buses were costly and walking is so slow.

[@clippingin1593]

I still find it amazing that a simple human-powered machine can cover so much terrain whilst allowing opportunities to marvel at the environment. I've said it before on the channel, but cycling becomes 'integrated' with landscape, weather, road conditions, plus our own physical and mental condition.

[@ajollygoodchap]

Good to see you ironed your t-shirt!

[@hiworldstephensonultranate290]

Thanks Good Laugh 😊🚲

[@clippingin1593]

I chose more sympathetic lighting too ... 😁. Plus it's hard to see the creases with that psychedelic print!

[@ronaldallen8604]

I used the new road to return home to Wakefield after my Holme Moss area adventures. This would be in the mid-sixties. After climbing to the mast (twice) even the new road (one in ten) seemed alpine. My Carlton had similar rotten gearing to your dad's bike.

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, Ronald, that's very interesting. I'll probably buy a copy of the 1947 map - I think today's route from Upper Cumberworth into Denby Dale is also 'modern'. The old gear ratios were cruel, I'd have to run a triple chainset if that's all that was available.

[@DAB248]

Another great episode Gordon, can’t believe how the likes of your dad managed those incline’s with the equipment available at the time, Guess it must have something to do with them old Disraeli Gears

[@clippingin1593]

Good spot, Dave! Meticulous wardrobe planning is a key part of Clipping In 😁 As a youngster I spent hours learning Eric's guitar parts on that album. The old racing gears look brutal to our modern eyes. I ran 39x27 last winter and really had to grind my way up some of the longer Dales hills - I wouldn't get up on 46x24. I've refitted the winter steed with a 50/34 & 11-28 so I should have a bit of leeway when the Gios comes out again.

[@Veronsome]

"ooooowhhh give over", I know that feeling ha ha. Aaaaargh I think we all hate encountering glass on the road.

[@clippingin1593]

We all get that sinking stomach feeling when we see an expanse of glass like that. Luckily the GP5000 are pretty robust and I was able to avoid the worst of it. I noticed you got a good one in at the weekend - was that with the tan-walls?

[@Veronsome]

Yes, with the new tan side walls. Not really noticed any difference in how they roll but they look good. National holidays over here so should get out for a few rides this week. Keep up the good work💪🏼

[@shimmy6543]

Wow, great ride and video

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, conditions were superb and riding those minor lanes always puts a smile on my face. I'll be doing a few more rides in this Holmfirth area over the next few weeks.

[@michaeldenton2581]

Another cracking video Gordon 👏🏻👏🏻I’ve ridden the Old Road a few times to avoid peak traffic on the 635 over to Cumberworth and Denby Dale and that 1st section is brutish 😢(and I’m on a 34/34😁)…love hearing the tales about your dad and his racing days. Definitely a Proud Son

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Mick. The 635 can be a bit oppressive on that section, plus there's the signs telling of road casualties. I'm going to swing to this one in future - I think I was on 34x27 yesterday but the new Cannondale has dropped seat stays so I can't see the cassette properly when I glance under my arm. I miss the old lad - I'm sure he'd have enjoyed these Clipping In videos too.

[@michaeldenton2581]

@@clippingin1593 I’m sure he would of my friend….just got thru another one, Castle Hill with the extended tootle up Holme Moss 😁, we’re spoilt around these parts aren’t we 🤩

[@clippingin1593]

@@michaeldenton2581 Almost a partnering ride with the left branch of Sude Hill. I set off with just one bottle and a small bar of mint cake but it was such a clear day that I decided to bolt on Holme Moss with the excuse of using it as a viewpoint... haha

[@GrandadRambles]

Nice video as usual Gordon. When you was speaking of the old maps and the resolutions, try searching Side By Side maps on the computer. It splits the screen and shows you one half of a certain era and the other half today’s. Haha when we see that tower now like when we went to see the lad who lives in Queensbury last weekend. Me and Mrs looked at it and both said. Clipping in ! 😂

[@clippingin1593]

That's a great tip, Rob cheers. I pay an annual sub for today's OS Maps but I'll check out your recommendation for the vintage side of things. Haha - I should be on commission from the West Yorkshire tourist board!

[@GrandadRambles]

@@clippingin1593 haha, well I’m watching your video again now as the Mrs has just got in from work and wants to watch ya video as well. Double commission haha

[@markwilkinson6294]

I did it once on Featherstone RC club run coming back from Hade Edge😊

[@clippingin1593]

There are some punishing hills in that area, Mark - a proper hilly club run!

[@hiworldstephensonultranate290]

Howja. Gt from start / finish. Love d studio talk N The Laughs N Friendliness as u go along 🚲strange like here for 30 yrs Now. Not One Yeh. Not One. farmer or persons to be Seen in beautiful Countryside Reflection on car. i.t. tv culture my thoughts! Cheers Mate 🌞😎

[@clippingin1593]

I mixed the 'Aye Aye' with 'How Do' this time around! It's a treat to be out in the countryside but in those conditions it's just breathtaking. Cheers, Brian.

[@hiworldstephensonultranate290]

@@clippingin1593 Gordon Delighted for U Deserve it. n people U meet lovely Sunshine all wk Yeh Brian

[@hiworldstephensonultranate290]

Thanks Again 🚲🚴🌞😎

[@hiworldstephensonultranate290]

Thanks

[@steppings5645]

Beautiful weather to ride in. Nothing like a loose terrier to give the pulse a raise!

[@clippingin1593]

Worth a few seconds when chasing a p.b, although nowadays I think it'd take a pride of lions to propel me towards a best time. This was a near perfect day for cycling - it would be nice if we could have a few similar days before the rough stuff settles in.

[@paulclay4293]

A great downhill 🙂section

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Paul. It's great cycling country and when I set the chest-cam at a good angle then the smooth descents can really show it off.

[@MartinWhite-i5u]

Yep that's a hard climb by the looks of it. But weldone for giving it a go. I get the impression you enjoy your hilly sections mate.

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Martin. Apart from the very beginning at 17% it's a steady 12-14% for long stretches and it's an interesting alternative to the A635 which can get a bit hairy at peak times. Hills are almost unavoidable around here but I have been on a bit of quest to revisit some of the steeper hills I remember from the 1990s and 2000s - although I'm keeping clear of the 20+ % monsters!

[@neilrushworth5958]

You can add a little bit more climbing by crossing the "new" road and heading up past the entrance to the crossroads pub.

[@clippingin1593]

Good suggestion, Neil. I went via Gate Foot Lane to Lane Head then towards Victoria X-Rds. Unfortunately the GoPro glitched again so I didn't have any footage. I'll return and weave it into a future ride.

[@321bytor]

That glass is a bit of a pane! 😆My local ride

[@clippingin1593]

Haha - I just saw the reflections at the last second and managed to run through the middle. I normally come up from the Millhouse Green side so it was nice to be able to look around on the windmills road.

[@PaulJones-k3f]

good joke !!!

[@mattjohn7700]

Well done, I thought you was going to say fiddle sticks when that car reversed of the drive, Holme moss wasn't as consistent climbing, the moss road gives you a breather in parts. Your Dad was a man of steel doing it on them gears.

[@clippingin1593]

You're right, Matt. I nearly had a fiddlesticks moment there but I eased off, saw the right indicator and realised I could squeeze past on the left. The old gearing made climbing an all-body workout. In the late 90s I raced some hilly time-trials in the Dales and kept my usual 55/46 with 12-21 and I was all over the bike on the steep stuff. I wouldn't be able to do it nowadays.

[@jbmcmetal]

All great stuff and what is the music at the start of the video when you say welcome to clipping in

[@clippingin1593]

That's a surf track I wrote in 2016/17 called 'Humpty Wipes Out'. It's been the theme tune for nearly two years, replacing an electronic piece I wrote which had a Kraftwerk flavour. About a year ago I changed the surf tune for another rocker but there was a mini-outcry in the comments so I brought it back. I'll include a 3-4 minute musical interlude with the full surf track in the next few weeks.

[@paulkelly5328]

My Dad built the house on the right at 7:35 , hidden by the map. Late 80’s, I used to ride to Holmfirth High School from there everyday, and came home for dinner as well! (Holme Moss is way harder btw)😊

[@clippingin1593]

Wow - it's a shame I inserted the map at that point. You'll remember the Holmfirth Harriers 15 mile running race - that was a cracker of a route, esp. second time out of Holmfirth to finish at Thongsbridge school. No arguments here - I'm a big fan of Holme Moss as confirmed by the number of videos over the past few months. Cheers, Paul.

[@GrandadRambles]

Btw Gordon, I gave you a mention in my last video with a link in the description to your channel. Hope it helps get you to the 1K 👍🏻

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Rob, that's good of you. I'll check out your bike review video when I knock off tonight. Sub numbers are creeping upwards.

[@davidsteele7823]

I’ve always thought Holme Moss is over-rated. I much prefer the Wessenden Head climb (from Meltham, past the Cock Crowing Stone). We are so lucky to live in this area though.

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, David. Now your favourite is free of the cattle grid! That always made wet winter descents 'interesting'. I'm a big fan of Holme Moss because of the sheer scale of the thing plus the descent to Crowden is tremendous - it could stand comparison with Glen Shee. If I had to choose a couple of favourites then I'd pick Fleet Moss from the south or Kirkstone Pass from Brotherswater, but I can stand atop Holme Moss in less than an hour and a half from closing my front door! We are indeed lucky!

[@rogerdavis3454]

Way to rock that Cream T-shirt, Gordon! Love me some Jack Bruce. I miss the days of real musicians making real music.

[@clippingin1593]

What a band, Roger. I saw Jack in the 90s and he was playing some really great stuff on fretless bass. I started out as a guitarist and learned a lot of Eric's Cream riffs & solos then swung to bass in my early 20s going through a massive Geddy Lee phase ( you can see a Rickenbacker behind me )

[@rogerdavis3454]

@@clippingin1593 Wow, Gordon, you are truly a Renaissance man. I do admire people like you who have musical ability. Part of the appeal of "Clipping In" is that you frequently surprise me. Keep up the good work.

[@clippingin1593]

@@rogerdavis3454 Thanks again, Roger. The surf theme tune is my own - Stratocaster & Precision bass - a few people have asked about the full track so at some point I'll post a video sequence with musical backing - maybe on one of the climbs.

[@hxjay1971]

Another stunning ride Gordon ,I'm not a fan of those windmills though they are bloody ugly ,have you cycled the hill upto heptonstall from Burnley road and through to slack that is a testing climb

[@clippingin1593]

Cheers, Jay. Have you seen the Flower Scar towers between Bacup & Tod ? Those things are enormous. Planning permission has been re-approved for a mega windfarm around Walshaw, just north of the Widdop road so I've no idea what that will do to the ecosystem. We get hammered with turbines because we're not protected by national park or AONB status - same thing happens in Cumbria. They can't touch the Lake District but just outside that boundary they're springing up everywhere.

[@andrewwhitehead2002]

I've just been looking at a map published in 1893 of Newmill. 6" to the mile scale. Both roads are marked on it.

[@clippingin1593]

Someone pointed this out last week in the comments, Andrew. Parallel roads, although today's A635 has been modernised. It's interesting that on the older maps, 'Sude Hill' had top billing with 'New Mill' hardly featuring - that might be connected to 19th industrial expansion. It's my fault for joining dots incorrectly, but that's one of the problems with interpreting a 30 year old conversation about events from 70 years ago. I'm not in a position to ask any of the original protagonists for confirmation. That's why I expressed a few doubts of my own towards the top of the climb when I said 'I thought the new road had been there forever'. It could be that the Wakefield riders leading the bunch in 1951 chose the steeper road for fun and might have referred to it as 'the old road'. There's even a chance that 'the old road' refers to Gate Foot Lane, now that is harder than Holme Moss! There's a lot of possibilities - but aside from the historical accuracy, it's a decent video of a grand ride on a fine day.

[@andrewwhitehead2002]

​@@clippingin1593The National Library of Scotland is a fantastic resource for looking at old OS maps, with a really good interface. Because it's a Scottish resource it's all free. The 1850 6" map survey of Newmill shows a lot of existing development, so it might be a "new" mill that it is named after but that new has been there a long time now. I think it's amazing just how many roads were already built by 1850. No cars, and tarmac doesn't start being used in the UK until 1902.

[@clippingin1593]

@@andrewwhitehead2002 The industrial revolution resulted in an incredible socio-economic explosion with all kinds of radical transformations. I don't know if you saw the July video 'Old Mount Road : Paying The Price' when I cycled 3 turnpikes leading out of Marsden and spanning a mere 50 years. The first, late 18th C, was a Blind Jack route only suitable for packhorse trains, but the third Regency era route was coach-worthy and is the ancestor of today's A62. Changes which were accompanied by the canal and later railway projects. All of a sudden the region became a lot smaller. Thanks for the Scottish tip.

[@stanleyplank]

Wow, you went up there like the White Kenyan

[@clippingin1593]

Oh yes. On a hipster's bike 😂

[@PaulJones-k3f]

I have checked the Vision of Britain Old Maps online going back to 1903 and 1843 and I don't think that they bear out your "new road" hypothesis

[@clippingin1593]

It's interesting isn't it? I had and continue to have my doubts about the 'old' and 'new' roads. That's why I asked for viewer input. Good map references, Paul. I've bookmarked that site. On the 1843 inch map Sude Hill has bigger text than New Mill - and you can see parallel roads. On the '45 post-war sheet Sude Hill has lost its importance, and there are parallel roads - although I'm sure that today's A635 benefits from straightening, draining, widening etc There's a possibility that the post-race big bunch was guided by Wakefield /Denby Dale riders & they deliberately chose the steeper option for fun. My dad was a 21 yo from Leeds so he will have just followed their example and naming convention. It's one of those things that you wish you could ask them but sadly he's no longer around. Putting the absolute historical accuracy to one side, it's a smashing alternative to a tight and busy stretch of main road, where the 'motorcycle deaths' sign always flattens the mood.

[@PaulJones-k3f]

@@clippingin1593 great ride round there and very steep. I was being pedantic but good educational interest. There are loads of old roads and parallel new ones around my area in south yorkshire, especially after all the bypasses they put in 20 or 30 years ago, which younger people or newcomers just think of as "the" road.

[@clippingin1593]

@@PaulJones-k3f No, it's good to cross-reference these things and now you've given me a hi-res source for the post-war OS map. I'll base some autumn/winter rides on that. I remember going to Mexborough last year and seeing how the bypass has cut off the main streets, killed passing trade and left the tarmac to slowly rot away. We're old enough to have seen these changes in our life times. The Skipton bypass is another one, it's hard to believe that before '81-'82 all the Dales and Lakes traffic had to squeeze through the town centre.

[@PaulJones-k3f]

@@clippingin1593 the Mexborough tarmack on that back road - OMG! lol bypasses at wombwell, hoyland, goldthorpe, etc etc now. p.s. The old folks in Doncaster still occasionally refer to the A1M as "the Doncaster bypass" p.s. my mother tells me about travelling up/down to Bedfordshire in the 1960s, where her father had a job, when the A1 went through every town

[@JeffShepherdphotos]

Luv the inclusion of the maps sections in your video> What software are you using to perform this?

[@clippingin1593]

Thanks, Jeff. I'm glad you like the map inserts. I like geographical references when I'm watching cycling videos, even if I'll never ride in the area myself. A lot of channels will include a gpx link with route info but I see this as a single-platform halfway house. I'm embedding OS Maps screenshots in the video editor ( I use Movavi on a laptop )