Around 50-60 cyclists, including children, cycle hire users and cargo bike riders, enjoyed the traffic-free climb — one participant reported the “workers at the barrier were really nice and friendly”
An estimated 60-strong group of cyclists took part in Saturday’s Snake Pass protest, dubbed the Snake Trespass.
After the A57, one of the area’s busiest roads, connecting Manchester and Sheffield via Glossop, was shut for urgent maintenance due to landslides caused by storms Eunice and Franklin, the scenic Peak District climb was described as a cyclists’ paradise.
Despite calls from FDJ-Groupama pro rider Jake Stewart to reconsider the ‘Trespass’, a group of around 50-60 riders amassed in Glossop before riding the route to the top, unchallenged by workers.
Amongst the group were families, a cargo bike rider, and a cyclist using a Beryl hire bike. Walkers were also spotted enjoying the empty roads and scenic views.
On Friday, national cycling charity Cycling UK appeared set to challenge the council’s decision to close the road to cyclists and walkers, before saying the route is not closed to cyclists:
Cycling UK is writing to Derbyshire County Council regarding the reasons for closing parts of the A57 Snake Pass to cyclists. Pending their response, there has however been confusion regarding which stretch of the pass cyclists are unable to access.
For clarity, the emergency temporary road closure made on 22 February, which lasts until 22 March, only permits closure on the section of the map attached. There is however an alternative off-road route connecting the two farms and bypassing the stretch of the road subject to the closure order.
Cyclists are not banned from the entirety of the Snake Pass and can bridge the gap over the closed section of road if they are willing and able to take an off-road diversion.
Snake Pass map (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Great ride up #snakepass with about 50 or 60 others. Lovely blue sky and some sunshine. The workers at the barrier were really nice and friendly pic.twitter.com/1XSNilrKxW
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Dan was the road.cc news editor from 2022-2026. He joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan mainly wrote news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, you’ll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he’ll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he’s a bit strange like that.
11 Comments
11 thoughts on “Snake Pass protest: Cyclists reclaim car-free route”
There were some pictures on
There were some pictures on Twitter of someone in cycling kit, claiming to be of Jake Stewart and stating he’d been pushed off his bike and had some messy cuts and grazes.
Anyone else seen it? Assuming genuine, is this before or his call for us all to be nice to drivers?
Looks like folk have had a nice afternoon out in the Snake today. We should do it more often.
Yes, this happened yesterday in New Mills, right where I live. We’re gathering CCTV evidence – we know the number plate and car model, but there’s no footage of the actual assault yet.
Jake has tweeted about it asking for any footage to be sent to him.
The “closed” section is just after the Shirebrook roundabout in Glossop to just before the turnoff to Derwent Valley. The actual road damage is in the really scenic bit where the road runs closest to the Snake River.
I don't know what others think but I thought it was a mistake to cancel the event. I live in one of the areas they cycle though and it didn't seem to bad. Even the few accounts I have watched didn't show cancelling weather, waiting under a tree maybe.
@chrisonabike exactly, words are cheap.
They can safely bang the drum knowing that little will or can be done.
OK, some things could be done, but the chance of nobody cocking something up . . ?
Realist or pessimist, take your pick;
but still optimistic enough to hope that things will work out :-)
@ChrisA isn't this story more along the lines of "tobacco company is demanding government crackdown on nasty rolling papers and dangerous pipes?"
Silly of me! How could there be any conflict between and "improving things for their ... definitely not employees ... and the public at large" and these companies' entire business model...?
"Deliveroo has announced a crackdown on modified and ‘dangerous’ e-bikes . . . . . company is calling on the Government to prohibit the sale of unsafe e-bike conversion kits."
Really? Do they not know how difficult it is to legislate for such things, the politicians inability to understand details, the competence of the DoJ in drafting such legislation and what seems to be a widespread disregard of those rules; not to mention the total lack of enforcement.
Just saying.
@Nigel Garage The Mercedes driver drove through the light three seconds after it turned amber. Official government text: "AMBER means STOP. You may go on only if the amber appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident." Three seconds is more than enough time to stop safely at the speed the Mercedes was going so the driver was breaking the law and therefore committing a prosecutable offence. Deliberately putting others at risk and breaking the law is not "acceptable" and if you saw a cyclist running a red in those circumstances you would rightly condemn it. Is there anything you can't be completely wrong about?
I see quite a few MAAP items out in the Surrey Hills. The new shop has a cafe and they're from Melbourne so the coffee should be good: I'm looking forward to visiting.
I wasn't saying that nor talking about people who say that. I said it was silly to claim that wearing a helmet indicates acceptance of dangerous driving and poor infrastructure. I choose to wear a helmet; I also regularly report dangerous driving to the police and correspond with councils and road authorities about ways infrastructure could be improved for cyclists. I rather doubt I'm the only helmet wearer who does so.
11 thoughts on “Snake Pass protest: Cyclists reclaim car-free route”
There were some pictures on
There were some pictures on Twitter of someone in cycling kit, claiming to be of Jake Stewart and stating he’d been pushed off his bike and had some messy cuts and grazes.
Anyone else seen it? Assuming genuine, is this before or his call for us all to be nice to drivers?
Looks like folk have had a nice afternoon out in the Snake today. We should do it more often.
Yes, this happened yesterday
Yes, this happened yesterday in New Mills, right where I live. We’re gathering CCTV evidence – we know the number plate and car model, but there’s no footage of the actual assault yet.
Jake has tweeted about it asking for any footage to be sent to him.
Quote:
Is that a typo, or are people really calling it that (with two double ‘s’es)?
Cos that doesn’t really work, does it?
Yess, it doess! ?
Yess, it doess! ?
(I’m guessing that emoji might look a bit wrong for some.)
I think if you were going for
I think if you were going for that it ought to be two triple ‘s’eses though.
I see it’s been amended now, so it looks like it was just a fat finger moment anyway.
Maybe the title should be
Maybe the title should be changed to clarify that the road isn’t closed (with a short detour)?
Could anyone provide a link
Could anyone provide a link to the map of the emergency road closure?
The “closed” section is just
The “closed” section is just after the Shirebrook roundabout in Glossop to just before the turnoff to Derwent Valley. The actual road damage is in the really scenic bit where the road runs closest to the Snake River.
https://mobile.twitter.com
https://mobile.twitter.com/WeAreCyclingUK/status/1502321385934401543
Thank you!
Thank you!
Well done, Trespassers!
Well done, Trespassers!