Northern Grip, Lee Quarry

Northern Grip Festival Returns for 2018

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Northern Grip is a Lancashire mountain bike festival that started a few years ago, centred on the trail centre at Lee Quarry, which is just a couple of big hills away from Singletrack Towers. They’re returning in 2018, and just like previous years will have their own unique mix of bikes, routes, riding (not racing), beer, food and live music.

Festival tickets are a tenner (plus 50p booking fee), and if you want to camp in Stubbylee park at the foot of the hill, an extra £15 (plus 75p fee). As of March this year, the park has a luxurious fresh pump track too (successfully funded since we reported on it). For more information you can head to the Northern Grip website, but keep scrolling for more pics from last year and their full release.

Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
The quarry is an all weather trail centre, and lovely in the sunshine, but with hardpack trails also a go-to wet weather option for all of us here at Singletrack.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Uplifting music! (fnar)
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
The brass band are actually native to Lee Quarry, and a large chunk of the festival budget is spent on rounding them up from surrounding caves and hollows.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Relaxed camping in Stubbylee park.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Other attractions like pump tracks and airbags.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Hot tip for non-locals: Every one of the rock takeoffs down this trail between Cragg and Lee is short enough to enthusiastically kick your back wheel, so be careful hitting them. They were put in to stop four wheeled things driving up the trail, and it’s of course a complete coincidence they’re angled the way they are.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
There’ll also be a demo fleet at Northern Grip.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
And DJs.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Up here in Lancashire and Yorkshire, we have to import colour especially.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Lee Quarry is full of interesting nooks and crannies, including (if you can find it) the Temple of Danny and Gaz, ancient gods who occasionally tagged rocks with white spraypaint. Legend has it they will reappear if someone offers up a bag of cans on the solstice.
Northern Grip, Lee Quarry
Camping is Friday+Saturday nights.

 

Full release:

“Northern Grip returns to Lee Quarry for 2018

NORTHERN GRIP 2018

SATURDAY 7TH JULY 2018

LEE QUARRY & STUBBYLEE PARK, LANCASHIRE

Hills,thrills and bellyfuls

For our third year, we couldn’t resist returning to Lee Quarry and Stubbylee Park after a spectacular 2017 event.

We’ll be taking the same tried and tested formula as previous years, but with a few sensible tweaks here and there to make the whole thing run a bit smoother and better than ever before. 2016 was big, 2017 was bigger, this year is going to be off the scale.

And check out the Early Bird Ticket price… £10

A ticket for a tenner!

Northern Grip is all about the social side of mountain biking. We don’t do racing, but we do know how to have a good time.

Like last year, we kick off with our opening party on Friday night. Then on Saturday we’ll have shiny demo bikes galore, great food and drink, amazing music and dancing – we have it all lined up for you in our festival hub again this year. It’s a fantastic party atmosphere for all the family to explore.

Lee Quarry and its companion Cragg Quarry are trail centres with a difference. Handbuilt out of the remnants of a bygone industrial era, the Quarries pack in several miles of rocky, twisty single track amidst a weird and wild landscape.

Combined with our hand picked rides exploring the surrounding valleys there will be more miles of trails than you could hope to get round over a weekend.

Wild riding, mild riding, singletrack, gravel, rocks, roots, 30km monsters, 3km pootles… you name it. We’ve even got some climb-free options if you want cruise and views. All mapped out and way marked on the day for your convenience.

As with the 2016 and 2017 festivals there’ll be some surprises out there on the hills too. It might be sausage rolls, it might be ice pops and hula hoops. Who knows? They’re not telling yet, but you won’t want to miss the show.

Advance tickets cost £10.00

Tickets will get you access to everything going on in The Northern Grip Hub and out on the hills including:

  • Recommended route guide and marked trails
  • Access to Festival Hub and exhibitors
  • Access to demo bike fleet
  • Exclusive discounted clothing and bike deals
  • On site catering and bar
  • Live musicDJs
  • Access to secure bike parking
  • Emergency support services
  • Access to Friday and Saturday night social events
  • Camping space* and parking
  • Souvenir Northern Grip button badge

*Advance Camping tickets are just is £15 for two nights (Friday & Saturday). Includes secure bike park, toilets and showers.

Just like last year we’ll have camping and showers available on site in Stubbylee Park for both Friday and Saturday nights.

This means you’ll be right at the heart of the action, with just a short stroll back to your bed when the party winds down. We’ll also have security on site throughout, including a secure bike park area.”

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David started mountain biking in the 90’s, by which he means “Ineptly jumping a Saracen Kili Racer off anything available in a nearby industrial estate”. After growing up and living in some extremely flat places, David moved to Yorkshire specifically for the mountain biking. This felt like a horrible mistake at first, because the hills are so steep, but you get used to them pretty quickly. Previously, David trifled with road and BMX, but mountain bikes always won. He’s most at peace battering down a rough trail, quietly fixing everything that does to a bike, or trying to figure out if that one click of compression damping has made things marginally better or worse. The inept jumping continues to this day.

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