I agree with alfa1, there is no such thing as a bad road for cars or bikes. its the idiots that think they are immortal and ride up and down it like knobs that get roads a bad name.
I live in Macclesfield and ride the cat and fiddle frequently, not only am I still alive, I am probably most at risk only having been riding 4 years, Im 46, Im not a 'born again rider'..just born, and everyone keeps telling me Im gonna die just coz I ride a bike up there.
I love the freedom and the experience of biking and I don't have to get my knee down for it to be challenging. 
One man, (an ex instructor) said to me recently that If you can ride this road at 45- 50 (i.e within the speed limit on the cheshire section) around every bend without using your brakes then you can call yourself a rider. That said, I am not condoning excessive speed anywhere, lets face it, rightly or wrongly we all give it some where we can.
This road is not about speed, it's about control. and it is true, if you ride like a knob, you will die. not just on 'The Cat' but anywhere.
AC's tongue in cheek comment about training Northern riders to ride better actually should apply to all the idiots who come from the rest of the country at weekends to try and prove they are hard to all their mates. 
Most sensible locals keep of it at weekends. We all need to grow up, and realise that we don't help ourselves as a biking community when it comes to bad publicity. They care more about the sheep than a dead biker round here, ask any local farmer.
Posted: 01/07/2008 at 20:37
