Lee Quarry Trailhead – Update

Planning permission was given on Tuesday so full steam ahead for a full blown trailhead, café, facilities, bike shop sometime in 2014.

http://www.pmba.org.uk/news.php?iframe=News/N151013.htm

Evening bump.

Not sure if that’s a good thing or not

it’s a very good thing, why wouldn’t it be?

Loads more people using the trails, cafe and bike shop that maybe doesn’t get used enough to keep going.

I know the bike shop is already established and is only moving so is fine.

The cafe? Dunno maybe not. .

I’m not trying to be a miserable ****. It’s just that I go Lee loads and there are only ever 10 or so people there max even in the summer. Winter usually zero

Really? Genuine Q

Sort of answers your own question really, over half a million spent trails and relatively few users. It’s hoped the improvements will also benefit the local community, maybe bring in more money and redevelop the brownfield site at Futures Park.

As for the buisness relocating, Craig has been looking for bigger premises for years, I’m just happy he’s stayed in the valley despite tempting offers from Burnley.

A proper trailhead is seen as must by many people, especially if they are travelling. The upgrade to facilities at Gisburn has seriously increased numbers.

Whats it like now? Ive not been there for 2yrs

What’s it like? Well, up down across whee berms oof sharp climb whoah dodgy rocky bit zoomy jumpy splash through the puddle rail gnar stoked thrash yer arms and legs on the pump track(s) phew, and relax.

The Trail Head Centre can only be a good thing in my view.
PS Are there any jobs going?

Great news!

Big shout out to PMBA and Ride On for all the time and effort put in over the last few years to make this happen.

Struggling to think of any man made trails in the UK where the addition of a visitor centre has been anything other than a big success story.

i hope they do well, but i fear they won’t.

Mountain biking in winter can be grim, and up on that hill winter lasts 11 & 3/4 months.

cafes need noobies/families, would i take my nephews (8 & 4) to Lee Quarry? No. But i’d take them to Glentress / Coed Y Brenin – somewhere with a swoopy blue through the trees, sheltered enough to stay warm even in actual winter.

it would be a shame if Lancashire Council (or whoever) used the success (or not) of a cafe at Lee as a gauge to plan (or not) future mtb developments.

i hope the passing roadies will pop in to boost their trade…

i hope i’m extremely wrong.

would i take my nephews (8 & 4) to Lee Quarry? No.

I took my son up when he was 6, went on the pump track, he loved it!

Loads more people using the trails

Don’t think that’ll be a problem really. Loads more people use Gisburn these days but as they’re going round in a loop you never seem to bump in to any more people then you used to.

Only issues I can see at Lee/Crag would be the link track between them (could do with an up and a down) and the top of the downhill lite bits. That reminds me, need another trip to Lee.

ahwiles you utterly negative ****.

Sadly I agree with you.

Positive reply alert!

I think it’s a great news and is likely to attract me and my buddies across for the day. We like a good trailhead so we can have a coffee and get changed when we get there and before the drive home.
I’ve also sent this to my mate who works in wigan, and he’s dead excited as this would improve his experience of after work rides at lee quarry by again giving him somewhere to get changed, have some food/drink and get his bike looked at/fixed when he inevitably borks it again

Being from wigan myself i would make the shortish journey there a bit more if there was a cafe and somewhere to change, and if they do the same thing as other trail centres and charge a small amout to park and plow the funds into more trail then its only gonna make it better Eh

Whats with all the negativity? I think its a great thing. Theres loads of good riding round this neck of the woods. The trail down from Cragg to Lee is bloody brilliant! But you could do with a breather and a brew before you have to schlep back up it! And who could resist the subtle delights of Bacup? 😀

would i take my nephews (8 & 4) to Lee Quarry? No.

My daughter was riding the pump track at 5 and absolutely loving it!

Of course it’s good news.
I ride there once or twice a week, would visit the caff even though I only live half an hour away.
Usually see others there too.
It’s not an easy place for beginners, true, but it’s a great little setup which shows what’s possible with a bit of effort.

Well done everyone.

They should stock up on knee and elbow pads and make a fortune! 🙂

Great news on the trailhead I go to Lee loads even nip through on the way to work sometimes, a place to chill out and have a chat over coffee no complaints from me, hope it all works out for the Ride on lot

Ace news…

bit of a pita to get to considering it’s not that far from my house so I don’t go very often but it’s cool for riding all year round. I don’t use facilities much normally, I’m more of a turn up ride drive home* style of frog, but fingers crossed the trailhead stuff is a success.

*I think I may have actually ridden to Lee as many times as I’ve driven there over the last couple of years.

Not forgetting the work that’s going into the trails surrounding the quarries and the plans for expanding this ‘network’, I see no reason for this not to work.

A cafe and such like is as big a draw for the weekend warriors and Sunday morning escapee dads in my experience.

I wish them all the luck in the world and am also reminded that I need to get over there again.

@ Stumpyjon – any idea of how to get on the tender list for this? Dream location for my next job 😉

I think its great news .I’m local and arguably don’t need the facilities but it can only help by making it more user friendly for folk from further away .We’re so spolit for trails and the two quarries so I just don’t get the negativity .I’ve ridden the quarry when there have been loads of people there and due to the layout I’ve never felt that we were in each others way, which I have felt at places like Llandegla where there is often someone in front slowly you down or behind breathing down your neck .

Sounds like great news to me. Hopefully they spend a wee bit on some northwind-proof signs as well so I can actually navigate the place!

(oh, this might be blasphemy but I reckon car parking up by the pumptracks would be brilliant- there seems to be a lot of empty space there and hoiking a jump bike up the hill would be pretty offputting)

I wish them all the luck in the world and am also reminded that I need to get over there again

+1 to that. I’ve had some great rides (and some epic offs, incl hanging from the branch of a tree nr the bottom whilst my bike careered off an 8 foot drop into a stream 🙂 ) and this is great news for a great little location. Never occurred to me before, but given some of the comments above, I’ll be taking the kids there soon!

would i take my nephews (8 & 4) to Lee Quarry?

my kids liked it as well – they were less keen on pushing the bikes up though.
Its ok for kids but, like Gisburn, its a PITA to get there and despite being circa 30 miles form mine i can get to the lakes in about the same time

hora – Member

Whats it like now? Ive not been there for 2yrs

It’s very much the same as it was before just there’s a lot more of it. Considering it’s 10 minutes from my parents and best mates house I very rarely ride there as the local moorland routes I rode as a kid are more fun. Cragg quarry is worth a visit just for the ride back down to Lee but it feels incredibly samey.

The looseness of the quarries adds to the fun most trail centers they are a bit too predictable and groomed in my view, the quarries are a little different than the rest.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but does anyone know how this is getting on? Has the work started yet?

An update from someone in the know would be great.

And who could resist the subtle delights of Bacup?

I nearly spat my coffee out. Funniest thing I’ve read all week! I love Lee Quarry – think it’s a brilliant place to ride.

The best thing to come out of Bacup is the road to Tod 😉

Does anyone know how this is coming along? Have they started/finished?

Does anyone know how this is coming along? Have they started/finished?

nothing is happening as of yet…held up by “health & safety issues”
more info here:
http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/bacup-cycling-centre-held-up-8678979

More trails with jumpy connecting routes like the Lee to Cragg one. Wasn’t there some talk of Facit Quarry getting a trail makeover?

Imagine an underground bike park in one of those abandoned mines, obviously one thats not completely flooded or collapsed. Would bet my life the cost of development and providing access, would make it a very risky commercial venture! I can but dream. 🙂

Word on the street is that its all off.

Problem with contaminated land, and who was going to pay for the (expensive) clear up before any building work started, led to it being shelved.

By the sounds of that article, they’re not coming out and saying its been shelved, but it looks like it has

By the sounds of that article, they’re not coming out and saying its been shelved, but it looks like it has

thats what i had heard too. i’ll be heading over to Ride-On this weekend to drop my wheels off so i’ll ask them for an update

@ Binners thats a shame theres loads to go at up there, I know some of the old workings get thrashed by MX’ers!

The latest PMBA I think there was a connecting trail to Cockhill, whats that like and how connected is it?

It is a shame. Because as we all know, you can get Lee or Cragg in as part of bigger routes taking in a load of really good natural trails too. So theres a lot of potentatial