Ok sorry, I mean for a road bike not mtb.
I have had an email saying my new road bike will be built around the 24th and watching the Tour of Britain and it got me thinking what/where is the toughest climb near where I live...
By where I live, I mean in Lancashire.
(if you have a link to google maps that would be good)
Get across to Harlech and ride around the castle a few times. 
Holme Moss?
Find it yourself though, it's big enough.
Having just done the North Devon Black Rat I could say there are some pretty tough climbs on Exmoor. Countisbury Hill and Hookway hill both come to mind but there were others I don't know the name of. Haven't ridden Porlock hill but that's bound to be even tougher.
Has to be Hard Knott, ridden it once. It's the only time random people clapped me as I rode past. Porlock is also a brute but not near as bad as HK.
I have heard about Hard Knott, so might give that a go 
just need to find where it is. cheers
What about the Kirkstone Pass and Mow Cop?
Got to be Hard Knott, Wrynose or the Struggle ?
All three. They're in the lakes mate.
Harlech castle climb is supposed to be the steepest in Britain.
Nearest to you though will probably be Rake Hill in Ramsbottom, 30% in places.
My driveway - 35%!
Plan to do Mt Ventoux at some stage. Heard that's tough.
Just found the page for Wales.
I used to try the climb from The Rum Hole (Twtil)many years ago on a Sturmey Archer 3 spd (young and foolish)with my cousin, generally got to the first right hand bend, then walked.
Can't remember ever trying Ffordd Pen Llech, to Castle Cottage, but I guess we must have.
depends where in Lancashire you are
Holme Moss and Deepdale are a good climbs but technically are in Cumbria
Tatham Fell, Bowland Knotts and Boundary Fell in the Trough of Bowland are good (latter is pretty short)
Hardknott, Wrynose, the Struggle, and Honister are all classic Lakes climbs.
should be a good start!
Holme Moss in Cumbria you sure about that ??
A nice loop, park at Langsett Barn and go over the Strines to Ladybower, then onto Castleton and up Winnats Pass, back to Ladybower and over the Snake Pass to Glossop and finish off with Holme Moss then back to Langsett(70miles)... then jump on the MTB and pop over Cut Gate 
Neil - have a look at the route for the Fred Whitton, there's a few steep 'uns there. Local to you, apart from the Rake @ Rammy, is Whalley Nab.
Bwlch y Groes from the Dinas Mawddwy side
Hard road climbs I can think of in Lancashire:
Jeffrey Hill side of Longridge Fell(T of Bowland)
Nick O'Pendle
Other UK tough climbs:
Wrynose Pass
Hardknott Pass
Winnats Pass
Gospel Pass
for me nothing comes close to hardknott. those final switchbacks are brutal, and then that straight ramp to the top when your legs have turned to jelly. very tough indeed (especially on a double!)
Mow cop is steep, but the steep final bit is so short you can just bury yourself to get up it.
winnats is hard going too, but not as bad as Hardknott IMO.
going up crawleyside bank in stanhope this weekend, only been down it before, so thats going to be another one ticked off, look crazy in places.
Pass of the Cattle (can't remember the Gaelic) in Applecross, Scotland. C+ did a bit about hills a month or two back. There is also a book with many in.
Bit odd people can discuss UK climbs and omit Scotland. Jealousy perhaps?
eh? You're aware we can just drive across the border into Scotland and go to these places?
The reason the lakes passes are being discussed and not the Scottish ones is
a) The OP wanted somewhere near to Lancashire
b) The lakes passes are typically, much steeper than virtually all off the Scottish ones.
c) The OP asked for the toughest climbs, even the (presumably mostly Scottish) people reviewing the Socttish climbs only rate them as two stars, the Lakes passes are rated as three.
HTH.
And the reason I mentioned UK is because subsequent posters tagged their lists as UK. But thanks for your sage advice anyhow.
What about Fleet moss that a nice long one uphill all the way from skipton and into a headwind.
and then 70 mph down into Hawes
Chips with everything
Sandhill -> The Side -> Dean St in Newcastle
well it was hardly sage you could have worked that all out for yourself.
i recently rode a nice little circuit in the dales
started in kettlewell, rode to buckden, up the climb to cray,
down to askrigg, up oxnop scar, up the valley and up buttertubbs,
down into hawes, up fleetmoss and a awesome awesome awesome descent back to kettlewell.
proper tough route with 4 massive climbs. enjoy 
Another vote for hard knot and wrynose, you get to do them back to back. Head from eskdale toasted wastwater.
Head into a bookshop or bike shop and buy this:
Great little book. Whereabouts are you anyway, Lancashire is a big place!
Hardknott is pretty nasty. Have done it twice. The first time i was out of the saddle, in my easiest gear and wondering if i was going to make it, when a local roadie passed me, sitting down and making it look like it was flat. 
For general toughness, the fred whitton route is a good with all the big lakes passes.
Pass of the Cattle (can't remember the Gaelic) in Applecross, Scotland.
Bealach Na Ba
Plan to do Mt Ventoux at some stage. Heard that's tough.
Its big but its not severe. Its one consistant gradient all the way up (apart from a brutal kick up at the end) so once you are in a rhythm you just chug up it. The wind or the heat can be what makes is a challange. I'd say lakeland roads or the roads around hebden are much, much tougher, but they are tough for a shorter climb.
That said, its a ride you will never, ever forget
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