After reading about the tragedy on Winnats on another thread, and a few people mentioning its quite dangerous i was wondering how steep it actually is and how it compares to some of the lakeland ones?

is it worse than the Struggle down to Ambleside or Wrynose down to Langdale?

I’m just curious as it was on a ride i had planned to do when i’m over there in a month or so for a long weekend.

cheers

very sad accident, more so with the age of the cyclist

– think the issue is not so much the steepness but the road narrows to a cattlegrid with walls that come out into the road, then a car park entrance and on the other side the ticket booth for speedwell caves – so narrow with peds in road, drivers sort of thinking about parking or turning around and the odd local driver wanting to speed thru

I personally dont think its that bad. Its not long or especially steep, certainly compared to alpine hills. Having said that alot of the Lakes passes are only steep for short sections Winnats is pretty much the same grade from top to bottom.

I dont even think the bottom is that bad, plenty of places to run on to the grass etc

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=edale&hl=en&ll=53.341303,-1.793261&spn=0.000051,0.038409&sll=52.8382,-2.327815&sspn=9.522329,19.665527&hnear=Edale,+Derbyshire,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=53.341278,-1.793448&panoid=973RgjfycF3EMONoynyi6A&cbp=12,65.72,,1,3.07

Unfortunately what happened was an accident, and I dont think anyone on this forum knows what happened. She might have stopped at the bottom and not managed to unclip for all we know and got a head injury.

Its a safe road, as safe as any other as far as I am concerned, unless some one can statistically prove other wise?

I usualy avoid it, coming down it’s steep enough that the (early 90’s) brakes on my old road bike didn’t actualy stop it, just slowed down, and the whole way just felt like Iw as about to go OTB.

As others said, it’s not that steep, but most other roads like that have steep sections then flatten out where you can scrub off some speed, Winnats is constant.

Steepness in itself isn’t so much of an issue, i went off the top of newlands and didn’t touch the brakes all the way out for a huge distance but either side is an open straight road and rolling and grassy either side, going the other way it’s tight twisty and the drop off the side is not inviting.

I’ve had moments going down honister towards buttermere at the bridge (90 right 90 left with stone wall interfaces) which could/would have ended badly.

not unsafe – think only descended once, normally an ascent for me then down the old Mam Tor road or to Stockport for beer – but being aware that as you near the bottom all sort of crap starts to happen might help – I wouldn’t ride thru what can be like a shopping mall at much above walking pace and that shouldn’t be taken as a comment on the tragedy that occurred rather advice to the OP

As said it’s not the steepness so much as the environment.
I go faster down local roads but they’re wider, straighter with better sight lines, little other traffic & no peds.
If you keep your speed down it won’t be particularly dangerous.