Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)
  • lee quarry rumor…….
  • watsontony
    Free Member

    could anyone in the know please confirm weather or not ride on will be charging for the use off lee quarry in the future? someone told me about this a few weeks ago and im wondering if its true. at the moment it is clearly Lancashire county council owned. if the rumor is true what gives ride on the right to charge pepole, are there any planned investments? whats going to change, if anything

    Mark
    Full Member

    No.. it’s not true.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    not sure how they could tbh even if they wanted to as you would surely just ride over from Cragg?

    andrewh
    Free Member

    I don’t know about Lee Quarry but as Junkyard says it could be tricky to do. I think charging for carparking is as far as they could go down that route.

    watsontony
    Free Member

    just ride over from Cragg

    thats the way to ride it anyway really. i hate lee to cragg but really like cragg to lee. glad its not true it wouldn’t really bother me anyway. there would be no way of policing it even if it does turn out to be true.

    dirk_pumpa
    Free Member

    I’d rather pay to get booted in the balls.

    JEngledow
    Free Member

    I’d rather pay to get booted in the balls.

    How much and can I wear my work-boots?!

    eightyeight
    Free Member

    I’ve heard they’re builing a cafe and may well charge for parking.

    Tbh, I would happily pay a few quid each time if it helps keep the trail in decent nick / helps build new runs.

    To paraphrase Mike Skinner ‘A rideable-well-kept-trail-within-20-mins-of-Manchester don’t come for free’

    watsontony
    Free Member

    To paraphrase Mike Skinner ‘A rideable-well-kept-trail-within-20-mins-of-Manchester don’t come for free’

    no it does not but i am sure the lcc sunk a big pot of cash in not so long ago, so really everyone has already paid through there council tax. yes it does need maintaining and yes that does cost money

    Mugboo
    Full Member

    It may have done but I’m from over the border and will happily pay a small car parking charge to cover the maintainence of the place. It’ll be cheaper than paying those pikeys 😉

    richi
    Free Member

    as said above would be impossible to police, they are ment to be building a little cafe and bike shop at the bottom but still hasnt happened yet.

    binners
    Full Member

    They’ve got the funding and the go ahead for a cafe and bike shop according to the local rag! Why on earth would anyone object to paying a couple of quid for parking? Ironic for people to moan, as they unload their carbon fibre ego-chariot from the back of the Audi 🙄

    stumpyjon
    Full Member

    Ok, before this gets out of hand, no Ride On will not be charging for access to the Quarry, yes there is likely to be charging for car parking in a new dedicated car park. Ride On will (hopefully) be providing a shop, cafe, and potentially other facilities as well, e.g. a base for coaching / skills days, events etc.

    What will happen to the car parking money is a little up for debate except to say it will go back into trails. The quarry needs maintenance as do other trails. One of the biggest blockers at the moment to new trails is not getting the upfront investment, it’s showing the landowner that ongoing maintenance can be funded.

    The trailhead development is a close cooperation between Rossendale Borough Council, Ride On and Lancs CC. Knowing the people directly involved, and being on the periphery of what’s happening I can say that the developments are being pursued to benefit riders. Ride On was chosen as the preferred development partner, partly due to Craig’s long term involvement with the local riding scene, development of the quarries in the first place, support at events like the weekeneder and active invlovement in PMBA as well as they excellent bid submission he put in which went beyond just picking the shop up and relocating it.

    As soon as I’m able I’ll put up more details on http://www.pmba.org.uk

    Edit

    Don’t believe everything you read in the local rag, the Rossendale Free Press isn’t known for accuracy. Funding is not in place, the whole point of having a development partner is so the council won’t have to stump up the costs (which given the current economic climate may be a little difficult to justfiy).

    Edit 2

    More accurate current info here

    http://pmba.org.uk/news.htm#06.11.12

    binners
    Full Member

    I just think its bloody great to be living in an area where there’s development money (public and private) going into developing something like what’s planned. And whats already been done! It’s brilliant!

    And it boils my piss listening to people moaning about having to pay a couple of quid to park while they ride the trails that somebody else put the time, money and effort in to build. Is everyone just meant to be grateful that they’ve graced us with their presence? That surely being reward enough in itself?

    Strokers!

    Mugboo
    Full Member

    As someone who has put a good few hours into maintaining Stainburn, its become very clear that most people have no idea of the effort that goes into looking after trails.

    fathomer
    Full Member

    I agree with binners, I’d give anything to have somewhere half as good as lee quarry local to me, some people don’t know how lucky they are. What’s a couple of quid in relation to what people spend on there bikes!

    xherbivorex
    Free Member

    i wonder what affect this will have on our (Brownbacks) races?

    scousebri
    Free Member

    They charge you to ride at swinley or they used to. Can’t ever remember meeting anybody that paid the yearly charge though. How can that be enforced?. Rangers riding round the woods stoping people?. hot persuit of suspected payment dodgers i can’t see ever appening anywere tbh. Even car parking charges can be dodged quite easily.

    mintimperial
    Full Member

    I’ll happily cough up a few quid for parking if the money goes back into the trails. Pleased to hear that there’s talk of proper permanent facilities at Lee & Cragg, it’s ace and it deserves more investment.

    i wonder what affect this will have on our (Brownbacks) races?

    So they are happening this year after all then? 🙂

    xherbivorex
    Free Member

    So they are happening this year after all then?

    at this stage, it’s anyone’s guess!

    no, really, nothing definite has been decided either way yet.

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    As a resident of the alley to have this resource on your doorstep is nothing short of amazing.

    Being asked to tip up a couple of quid to park your car is nothing in my view.

    I have an interest in the mountain biking service provision in the area and am a member of PMBA ( though not at the forefront for a while )

    As John has said the development of the trail head will provide much needed facilities which should give ride on a return ad well as a gateway into the local community and other superb natural trails in the area.

    Though no doubt there will be a noticeable view who will park down the road for nowt and sneak under the radar.

    As a sport/group it appears based from my provision of services in the area most riders want a lot for nowt

    stumpyjon
    Full Member

    We’re also in the process of making something else happen out of Lee Quarry trail wise, not more trails in the quarries (although there are still plans for that to happen longer term). I’m just in the process of putting something up on the PMBA site this evening.

    Mugboo’s right about the work needed to maintain trails, it makes me cringe a little when peopledemand to know if the proposed parking fees at Gisburn will be used for the trails. The honest answer is yes and no, they’ll go some way towards filling the hole in the FC budget created by all the trail building so far, making the ongoing maintenance and development sustainable.

    goatster
    Free Member

    Binners. No-one is complaining about paying to park.

    goatster
    Free Member

    Hopefully funding will be found on the back of a sound business plan and forecast. Having known Craig for a long time, good luck and I hope it proves viable.

    richi
    Free Member

    i also found it funny people are raging about “people moaning about paying for parking” i dont think i have read one response about people not stumping up a few quid, tbf i think most people will happily pay money as you do at degla,

    even the op isnt complaining about paying, he just wants to know about investment plans for lee quarry

    B.A.Nana
    Free Member

    even the op isnt complaining about paying, he just wants to know about investment plans for lee quarry

    Investment includes you richi, or do you just expect It all to be laid out on a plate for you?.

    Mugboo
    Full Member

    Richi, Goatster, let’s not let the facts get in the way of a good moan/vent!

    On a more general level, I think Lee & Crag are superb and unique. I’ve ridden lots of natural trail and most of the major trail centres and for variety of trail features to test yourself and your bike on, it’s hard to beat. Great use of old quarries and thanks to PMBA for making this happen.

    Papa_Lazarou
    Free Member

    At the moment it’s free to park. If a trail centre building is put in then this will, I assume, contain bogs and possibly showers. In which case paying for parking isn’t such a bad thing and hopefully year passes will be available, as is the case with some other trail centres.

    I really hope it takes off. Having been to some of the Llandegla summer BBQ evenings, I’d love a bit of that near us and think the whole proposal can only be a good thing for MTBing in Rossendale. 😛

    globalti
    Free Member

    Why don’t you ‘phone Ride On and ask Craig?

    hora
    Free Member

    I’d pay to park there but then you’d get people parking up/down the road on residential roads and cycling down..

    So that wouldn’t work.

    I remember the carpark clicker at Penmachno never really tallied with the honesty box……..

    DezB
    Free Member

    They charge you to ride at swinley or they used to.

    Bit of an over-reaction there binners! No-one complained (on here), just asked.
    Still, what I was going to say was Swinley is not “policed”, you pay your £2 to ride and if you don’t then you’re just a freeloading arse.

    binners
    Full Member

    stumpyjon – The local rag had reported this being a done deal. With the funding in place and all systems go! Are you saying that the press aren’t being entirely honest? I simply can’t believe that 😉

    Anyway… its all a terrible idea!! Bringing people into the area to ride ‘our’ trails. Pfft! 😆

    Thanks for the PMBA link. Will keep my eyes on that.

    Edit: Sorry about the rant, but we’ve had plenty moans on here about paying for parking (ie: when Llandegla increased their car parking charges), and general bellyaching when any of these fantastic facilities have to take commercial decisions to maintain them.

    Good luck to everyone involved though. I regard myself as pretty damn lucky to have all this within a quick ride from my front door. And my kids love going for a play at Lee Quarry

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    We should consider ourselves lucky IMHO.

    Purpose built trails which cost a lot both in money and man power and general upkeep + a few quid to park = bargain.

    From the world of fishing, which I left a long time ago but still dip my toe in the water so to speak now and again in the summer:

    Purpose built carp pond crammed with fish which costs a lot to build, stock and upkeep + £10 a day to fish = bit less of a bargain than riding.

    Look at it all – indoor climbing, karting, 5-a-side footy etc – anything where a purpose built sports facility like Lee Quarry has been built doesn’t come free so money needs to be recouped either or both from the initial investment or from ongoing maintenance.

    I’d happily pay a tenner for a days riding at a mind bogglingly good facility (think Lee Quarry but with an Eden Project-esque dome over it for all year round dusty trails!).

    traildog
    Free Member

    Where as there is no way in the world I would pay a tenner to ride. The moors are free to enjoy and I’d be ranting with the best if we started to be charged to ride our bikes on them.

    Paying for parking is a different matter and if I’m lazy enough to drive my car to ride somewhere then I don’t mind paying to leave it nearby.

    cp
    Full Member

    Where as there is no way in the world I would pay a tenner to ride. The moors are free to enjoy and I’d be ranting with the best if we started to be charged to ride our bikes on them.

    Bit of a difference between riding your bike on the ‘moors’ and riding your bike on maintained purpose-built trails with arguably a higher technical/challenge content in a small area than public access trails do.

    DaveyBoyWonder
    Free Member

    Obviously the moors are free but in the grand scheme of things, a tenner for a great days riding is a bargain in my eyes. I’m not talking about charging a tenner to ride Lee Quarry but for some amazing ‘proper’ (not this armoured rocky stuff) singletrack in the trees with jumps, berms, super technical bits and pieces that just goes on and on forever with no fire-road slogs etc I’d pay a tenner for. No question.

    Just thinking back to my time in Verbier and I’d pay a tenner to ride trails like that without a doubt.

    hora
    Free Member

    The only time I’d pay a tenner is if it was ‘uplift’.

    I’d pay for parking AND I’d eat in the Cafe afterwards. Always have done this at every trail centre that I’ve been to.

    binners
    Full Member

    The joy of Lee and Cragg is that you get the best of all worlds. A 25 mile loop from Rammy, for example can take in both, the fantastic link trail from Cragg down to Lee (and resulting slog back up), some fantastic surrounding natural stuff in some great countryside, a massive (cheeky) descent to finish, with a brewery at the bottom of it

    Lets be honest… it doesn’t get much better than that!!! 😀

    Actually…. I think we’re overdue a Rammy Turbines, Quarries and Brewery ride! Anyone interested?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    They charge you to ride at swinley or they used to. Can’t ever remember meeting anybody that paid the yearly charge though. How can that be enforced?.

    Pretty much everyone except the too cool for school ‘DH’ers and freeriders pays for a yearly permit.

    The warden occasionaly parked up at the clubhouse or the gulley to politely enforce it.

    Mostly it works because the majority of people aren’t tools and if asked to pay to use a facility, they pay rather than whine about it.

    wors
    Full Member

    Actually…. I think we’re overdue a Rammy Turbines, Quarries and Brewery ride! Anyone interested?

    YES! but not until at least Feb, i’m off the Ale for a bit 😯

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