Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 47 total)
  • Anyone else think lee quarry is s..t?
  • dannymite1981
    Free Member

    I have just got back from my first ride at lee quarry.It took nearly two hours for us to get there and thought it was pant’s.It is prob worth it if you live within a hour but any more give it a miss.The main trail didnt seem properly marked so it just seemed a mess of short decent’s.I was told it was a trail centre so expected more continuous riding.Rant done.

    easygirl
    Full Member

    Thought much the same when I went to be honest, some nice short descents, but too short.
    Not been for about 5 years though

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    I respect the work people have put in to make it happen but I must admit, I’ve never been back after my first trip there.

    mcnultycop
    Full Member

    I’ve been today and I go regularly. I’m about 30 minutes or so away. Lee isn’t your traditional trail centre, up for a bit then down for a bit. It’s really about sessioning sections and riding your favourite bits. The signage is crap admittedly, it’s good to be shown round by a regular so you don’t miss the best bits.

    Did you ride over to Cragg and get a lap in? Cragg is a proper loop (well, figure 8) that is fairly easy to find your way round (once you find it in the first place) and really good fun, plus you get to ride the link road back.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    Who’s decent & why was his shorts a mess?

    meehaja
    Free Member

    where as I think Lee quarry is ace and exactly what a trail centre should be… Its effectivly a giant skills park. Its good fun, better with a group of mates, like social DH riding without the DH gnaarrr factor. I find trail centres tedious as a lot of it is often fire road to link the good bits or bulk up the milage. If I want a big ride I can get out a map and go on one,

    Lee quarry its for me, yippedeedee etc.

    Brownbacks
    Free Member

    you should view the quarry as a large (1KM SQ) skills area, there is a loop but it is woefully signed. What the quarry is good for is practising skills, it’s not nor never will be a 90-120min lap sort of trail centre. Cragg is great when the wind isn’t blowing

    Some work is being done to create waymarked natural loops from Lee which will make a big difference

    what makes the quarry poor as a “trail centre” makes it great as a XC racing venue we held 25+ races there without repeating a course and were constantly finding new little bits to stick in.

    jamj1974
    Full Member

    I like it!

    stumpyjon
    Full Member

    It’s different and that’s good, there’s plenty of traditional trail centres out there. You can make a reasonble length ride if you ride both quarries but many people miss out Cragg. Signage could be better but there is history behind that. Hopefully the Rolling Boar toutes will cater for those looking for a longer ride.

    chrisdiesel
    Free Member

    I managed to offend some guy who is on the committee there or something last week by opening my big mouth and telling him how little I thought of the place and how much better it could have been!!! As above huge respect to the builders but I always think the first red climb at the top would be a great rocky descent and the descent at the top is just a roller Coaster and berms.
    The only bits I like are the three biggish rock drops and the link from lee to cragg is fun but last sat was my 3rd time since it opened and won’t be rushing back!!!

    jonba
    Free Member

    I loved it. Didn’t really do laps just went and rode bits until I got them right. More of a big skills park than a trail centre.

    Spent longer on the pump tracks than it takes to do a lap of gt black.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    What’s the trail centre like that you built op?

    chrisa87
    Free Member

    Brownbacks has it i think. Don’t think of it as a trail centre like cannock, its a biking playground 🙂

    phunkmaster
    Free Member

    I like it. Great warm up climb from car park and the red descent from the top to the middle of the initial climb is great. I often take my 4x bike and Session the jumps, session the pump tracks and get a couple of runs on the full red descent. More than happy.

    big_n_daft
    Free Member

    chrisdiesel – Member
    I managed to offend some guy who is on the committee there or something last week by opening my big mouth and telling him how little I thought of the place and how much better it could have been!!!

    trail centres can always be better

    As above huge respect to the builders but I always think the first red climb at the top would be a great rocky descent

    it does but you can’t operate it in two directions and you would have problems with the way it “connects” to the “loop”

    and the descent at the top is just a roller Coaster and berms

    that’s the point 😉

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I really liked it but yes, the waymarking is awful. The actual landscape- grey on grey- was bound to make it confusing so why they decided to combine that with the tiniest signs in trail centre history I don’t know. I was left unsure whether I was riding stuff in the right direction, and found myself back at the start of the first (orrible) climb at one point. Eventually I figured out that when in doubt, you should go up the most orrible climb.

    Oh did manage to find the black, by ignoring a sign that said “no don’t go up here, definitely not”.

    So yeah, I did find it very frustrating and irritating to ride, and the unpleasant climbs took a bit of an edge off the descents- the bit in the skills area where there’s 3 different descents, they’re all good but after the second time up the climb I was fed up of it.

    But I can still look at the actual riding in isolation and say it’s really pretty good. Looking forward to getting back there.

    tomj
    Free Member

    Well I live about an hour away and ride regularly there and have to say I love it. Not sure I’d drive all that way for just Lee but add in Cragg quarry and the link it makes a good day out. Once the ‘natural routes’ are linked in it’ll be even better. It’s not a trail centre in the usual sense so I guess if you go expecting a 20km forest trail you’ll be disappointed but as a giant skills loop it’s great. Also it holds up really well in the wet, was riding there las week and all in good condition. The local moors are probably not great at this time. The signposting isn’t great but I’ve never found it a major problem. Just follow your nose and look for the little signs on the rock. And read the trail description on the PMBA site first, then it all makes sense.
    If you want more of a traditional trail Gisburn isn’t much further away.

    Would I drive two hours to Lee? Not unless there wasn’t anything else nearer. But that’s true of a lot of places I ride. I tend to reserve two hour plus drives for the Lakes or North Wales

    dannymite1981
    Free Member

    As a skills park it probably is pretty decent,but as it claims to have a 7km red route its not much good when there is no signs so was annoyed mainly at that.Better than stopping in i suppose and i do appreciate the work that went in to build the place. 😉

    Popocatapetl
    Full Member

    I have been there previous to the single track weekender and was a bit disappointed as I didn’t know/ couldn’t find the routes. However, after riding both the downhill and the Xc course at the ST weekender, I now know that it has some great riding. Just ask a local to show you round. I’m sure there’s plenty of people on here that would oblige you.

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    I really cant understand how any of you can miss the red loop, I’m probably the worst trailfinder in England and i find the loop to be as obvious as Barry Manilows nose!
    All you have to do is follow the line in the dirt.

    RobHilton
    Free Member

    the descent at the top is just a roller Coaster and berms

    That sounds terrible! Almost like it was made for having fun.

    jamesfuller
    Free Member

    I like Lee quarry, did the weekender ’09 and’12. Most enjoyable and would be back there a lot more if I had time.

    hora
    Free Member

    “What’s the trail centre like that you built op?”

    Oh the typical response to anyone who doesnt auto-fanboi such a place.

    Question WHY isnt there any signage?

    I went two weeks ago after a 4yr break. Its ‘ok’. I’d rather drive 20min more to Hebden or 10min the other way to Peaks.

    Lee’s main problem is its too exposed sadly whereas the aternatives wont whip your skin off. Not a problem if XCing but stop/start sessioning makes it bitterly cold/windy.

    coolhandluke
    Free Member

    The first time we went we rode in from Rochdale, along part of the MTL, rode the quarry then rode back, the journey there and back was better.

    I quite liked the last descent around the edge of the hill, the rocky bit, as we overtook some old mincers on their £4k full sus bikes on our old tatty hardtails. I bet they thought wed ridden there before…

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Is the st weekender on this year?

    tomj
    Free Member

    Whilst its not quite as easy to navigate as some forest trail centres I wouldn’t say there’s NO signage. There are plenty of signs and arrows, although you do have to look for them occassionally. I went by myself for my first visit and apart from a bit of confusion round the skills area had no problem. One advantage of being in a fairly compact space is that if you do get lost you generally end up back on the trail fairly soon rather than heading deeper into the woods. And you can download free maps from Lancashire Council just by googling ‘Lee Quarry’. Its really not that hard to navigate.

    Obviously its not everyones cup of tea, biking would be dull if we all liked the same thing. But its a fantastic addition to the trails we have, its totally free to ride, and life would be duller without it.

    jaymoid
    Full Member

    I love it, it’s like a rollercoaster for mountain bikes.

    I’ve not been on a windy day, some of the trails need work and the trail marking could be better. One of the skills area bits is in need of repair too (water damaged I guess).

    I also think there should be a different way up to Cragg quarry too, just to avoid covering the same area twice (and avoiding having to move for the people coming down – but boy that is fun!) There’s so many more tails that could be built there too, I’m hoping for more time and investment there, I’d happily pay to ride there.

    chestrockwell
    Full Member

    I’m no directional super hero but never had a problem finding my way round Lee/Crag. God knows how some of you lot would cope with getting on your bike and heading for the hills if you need signs round there.

    I like Lee/Crag. Probably get over once or twice a year and enjoy the change. Out of interest, what do those who have said they don’t like it normally head for?

    fallsoffalot
    Free Member

    most people who have been once and saying they didnt have a problem navigating the trails usually find when they go back they missed half of the trail and all the best bits

    Blueadvocate
    Full Member

    I only go to session and find it fun. Living nearby means its not a big issue – last time I was there (about a year ago) I think I was chatting to Mr “mcnultycop” at the bottom.

    Cragg I have only ever ridden by accessing from the other side of Scout Moor; once I’ve been round I have a choice a couple of excellent cheeky descents back home – no driving involved.

    If you travel any distance to Lee I would recommend you do Cragg as well.

    Stevelol
    Free Member

    I’m an hour away and have been regularly in the past.

    As mentioned, I think it’s a great place to work on jumping, pumping and carrying speed. I probably wouldn’t visit often if I lived further away though.

    A friend who knows the area well is planning on taking us around a natural loop there and back, including Cragg quarry, which would make for a good outing.

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    If only the ‘Highway’ had berms 💡

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    Its no fun in bad weather (which it usually is, even if its cracking the pavements in Bacup, it’ll be cold, wet and windy in Lee).

    In the dry though, even more so on a summers evening, its a good little play. Obviously its not CyB, Afan, Glentress etc but it doesn’t take a genius to work that out. Its some trails in an old quarry. Echoing what others have said, its more somewhere you go for a muck about and if you’re one for getting airborne, dropping off stuff and getting it flat into the berms then its very rewarding. For trundling around I suspect it’d batter you into submission.

    Should be better when the new visitor centre gets built…

    I’m not overly blown away by the place but then it takes me a lot to drag myself from my local trails and I drive through Hebden and Tod on the way to Lee Quarry, both of which have more attraction to me. Gisburn is a similar distance so if I want some mindless after work ‘follow the signs’ riding then I tend to head up there.

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    * I should add that I think a lot/all of it has been funded by the local authority. Which is absolutely brilliant…

    binners
    Full Member

    I don’t know why you’d go to Lee and not do the loop, taking in Cragg too. Start with the big slog up to the top, lap of crag (which is brilliant fun!!!), then round the turbines, down Waughs Well, then hoon down the link trail (serious grin factor), then a play around at Lee.

    There are loads of routes around there. Brilliant trails all over the place. All you need is an OS, or a local to show you around, which a lot of people (myself included) are happy to do, and you’ve got the best of all worlds. Two (very different) trail centres, and loads of really good natural stuff

    Then again… if your idea of riding is to follow signposts around some forest fire-roads, maybe its not the place for you 😉

    EDIT: And re-reading the thread, Hora hates it! What higher recommendation can you get than that? 😀

    brant
    Free Member

    Signage? Routes? I am confused. I just ride “around” when I’m there. It’s great in as much as it is. Puzzled.

    hora
    Free Member

    Then again… if your idea of riding is to follow signposts around some forest fire-roads, maybe its not the place for you

    On pebbles!

    chestrockwell
    Full Member

    most people who have been once and saying they didnt have a problem navigating the trails usually find when they go back they missed half of the trail and all the best bits

    Any proof of this?

    mcnultycop
    Full Member

    @blueadvocate I remember I think, you on the Trek…?

    Northwind
    Full Member

    fallsoffalot – Member

    most people who have been once and saying they didnt have a problem navigating the trails usually find when they go back they missed half of the trail and all the best bits

    I met a chap after my ride who said he had no problem navigating it. So I asked how you get to the start of the black. He said, there isn’t a black.

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