Never been before – was planning a visit Friday, but the forecast isn’t good, and it’s pretty exposed from what I’ve read. Would it make for a miserable day?

Thanks

Is there such a thing as Lee Quarry not in the rain? Its got its own microclimate – its always horrid up there. Bleak, wet and very windswept.

The answer to your question is yes.

Fun trails though.

It can be very grim in the rain but rideable.The main issue tends to be the wind.It’s very exposed and a good stiff breeze can make it hazardous on some of the more open bits .

Still snow up there 2 weeks ago and it was horrible.

Rain or shine, it’s crap, don’t bother.
HTH

As above. Good trails that are fun to ride but don’t go for the scenery. Its pretty bleak at the best of times. My guess is it would be pretty miserable in constant rain.

I don’t know how far you are travelling, but half an hour is too far for me for what it is. I really don’t get why people rave on about it.
As said above, the rain will be horizontal and the wind will be a headwind no matter which way you pedal!

ive often thought that if the trail meandered thru a pine forest then it would be a nice ride. But it doesn’t so I don’t bother. Its all about the trees (or lack of)

Its grit and flags mostly. wont be muddy, so what if the airs wet?

and rain will keep the pikeys down. best time to do it!

Grim as a grim thing in the rain, it will absolutely bastard freezing too.

Don’t bother imo

It’d just stopped pouring when I got there, and still snow on the ground- really glad I wasn’t up there in the rain but it was fine as soon as it stopped, no bother for grip etc.

I liked it, fwiw, only thing that took the shine off was the waymarking- I missed bits, found things totally at random, spent a bit of time just plain lost or doubling back, pretty irritating in what’s basically a big skills area. I planned to go over to cragg but I’d spent so much time fannying around at lee trying to find my arse with both hands, I gave up, just as well as I’d never have found it…

But it’s good!

As has been mentioned, rain will be fine as long as it’s not too windy.

Have the ” caravaners” been moved on ?
Been thinking of going to go and take a look, with a couple of mates, but had heard there were issues with unsavoury non riders parked up at the trail carpark ?

To be fair, I may head up Sunday morning early doors for a quick raz around. Good for sessioning bits and making suspension tweaks etc.

its pretty exposed up at the top, whatever the weather so it doesnt make a difference. although when the sun is out it makes for a very nice landscape…OP you should go…you’ll be fine

I liked it, fwiw, only thing that took the shine off was the waymarking- I missed bits, found things totally at random, spent a bit of time just plain lost or doubling back, pretty irritating in what’s basically a big skills area. I planned to go over to cragg but I’d spent so much time fannying around at lee trying to find my arse with both hands, I gave up, just as well as I’d never have found it…

thats always been the issue with Lee Quarry…piss poor waymarking.
i think it may be time to get in touch with the leisure trust and ask them (yet again) to fix this issue

Have the ” caravaners” been moved on ?
Been thinking of going to go and take a look, with a couple of mates, but had heard there were issues with unsavoury non riders parked up at the trail carpark ?

there’s always stories about the travellers being there…one group get moved on and another take their place shortly afterwards
i’ve never encountered any of them when i’ve been there nor have i seen any unsavoury non riders in the car park…you’ll be fine

they’ll all be in their caravans cos it’s raining anyway.

never really understood folk travelling from afar to ride it when even the locals dont bother. surely you’d carry on to Cock Hill, Gisburn, Hebden?

I don’t know how far you are travelling, but half an hour is too far for me for what it is. I really don’t get why people rave on about it.

Because you can easily link to Cragg quarry and the natural trails, which makes for a great ride.

I rode past last week and the car park was jammed full of pikeys. I expect it’ll presently look like a landfill site

Not everyone likes trees you know. Some people like moors. big lovely moors.

Start in Norden and ride over rooley moor road, theres some cheeky bits around greenbooth too. You can have a big day out with cragg and lee just the middle bit.

please feel free to ignore:

if the weather isn’t good at the bottom, then it’ll be ab-so-lute-ly horrendous up at the quarry. if that sounds like fun (and i understand that it might) crack on.

Thanks folks ! We’ll borrow a white van then ! 😉

It’s a knuckle-duster you’ll need 😉

I rode past last week and the car park was jammed full of pikeys. I expect it’ll presently look like a landfill site

that’s the locals dumping stuff which then gets blamed on the travelling community

they are probably making the point about the lack of local traveller provision, as the trail centre building is in the long grass it would appear that a more permanent provision close to the relevant council officers would lead to excellence in provision

Thanks folks ! We’ll borrow a white van then !

if the meal machine is there park in sight of that, otherwise the council offices car park has CCTV

I was up there on Sunday.
The Caravans have gone.
It’s always raining and windy up there.

But I enjoy it. Some good trails

Big n daft…. Do the locals also use the opportunity of the delightful visits of those cheeky, charming traveling folk to forsake the lazy pleasures of an inside toilet, and nip out and curl one off in the middle of a nearby footpath?

If so, it’s an absolute travesty the lovely caravaners are being blamed for this! A real social injustice! As judging from the amount of fresh steaming turds on the paths surrounding the caravans, the locals must have been coming from far and wide to enjoy communing with nature through ones bodily functions! Bless ’em!

If I lived in one of those caravans I’d be ****ing fuming! Trying to be civilised when the local populace uses your surroundings like an open sewer! The bastards!!

@binners – Lol!

And I thought it was the rubbish which was meant by “Left the place a right dump”!

logged in just to put across a different view. I think Lee quarry is good. As far as trail centres go it’s excellent.
Lots of interestingslightly tricky bits that are a bit of a challenge to ride. Not like the dull rollable dross you get elsehwere (not Gisburn admitedly, that is super super awsumz)

admitedly it is exposed to the elements

Only been once, travelled 2hrs to get there. It was -4C at the car park and even colder at the top once we were in the wind. Frozen camelbak tubes all round, too cold to stop for a natter, frozen streams running at right angles across most of the trails. Oh, and then it started snowing. Total riding time was about 2 hours. Then had a 3hr drive back because of delays due to even more snow.

It’ll be delightful up there today. Trying to snow in Halifax, theres been a fair bit between Keighley and Halifax so I’d hazard a guess at it being truly biblical at Lee today…

Yeh, it’ll be bad up there today… friend has just put this on FB:

Road towards Oldham blocked by snow/stranded traffic near M62 Rishworth/Saddleworth junction

I think Lee quarry is good. As far as trail centres go it’s excellent.

Really, you think it “excels”? What trail-centres have you ridden if you don’t mind the ask?

I live down the road and it was sheeting down with sleet as I left this morning. On top of really heavy rain last night (i had the joy of riding home in it). The M60 is presently closed after a fatal accident, due to the driving conditions.

It really, really isn’t a day for Lee Quarry

Really, you think it “excels”? What trail-centres have you ridden if you don’t mind the ask?

um
Wolftrax
Nevis,
Kirroughtree,
Mccynclth
GlenTress
Inners,
Dalbetie
Maybe
Ae
Kielder
Whinlatter
Grisedale
Gisburn
Dalby
Nottingham something,
CYB
Delamere
Llandegla
Hamsterley
Newcastleton
Marin
That one just south of Marin Machnosomething
Something in south wales
Haldon in Exeter.

That’s about it I think. In the UK at least… I guess The Slickrock counts as a trail centre seeing as it’s all painted and all.

To answer your original question, I think it’s great because it has a few tricky interesting sections that require a bit of oomph. Not just dull overgrown BMX track.
It’s the sort of place I have no iminent desire to take the kids. ie, it’s a bit of a challenge