yeah, it’s ideal really. pretty central for getting to so many great riding spots…
not sure on the racing. i’m very unfit. possibly going to enter the STW classic weekender though…

i’m one of the organisers, it has a category called have-a-go-hero, ideal for someone just starting out!

i’d come along and watch at the first race ans see what the crack is, bet you will wish you were riding, i know i will!

starting out in racing i mean ha ha

hora you can roll into it but you should see the run out he nearly dismounted and a bike hike back out.
Xherbivor Will be there on Sunday am if any use to you – my e-mail in profile
DONK you should have gone going Sunday if you want

that may well be, i’d be going pretty early (like 10am or so i reckon) if i end up going because i need to be back to go to this party thing for 4ish.
i’ll mail you later from home cos i can’t get into my hotmail/gmail at work…

ok cant get mail here either but we have to be back for about that time as well

I’m going to go up on the Ute tomorrow to put some posters up for the skills days. Wooden posts, hammer, nails etc. Should be fun through the berms 🙂

please video that and please get some serious air on that thing

Scared the bejesus out of me last night that double. Nearly ploughed a new furrow on the other side with my face. Bland made it look very easy though.

neil853 – Member
i’m one of the organisers

What bits are you using for the track?

a) Predominantly red route
b) Bits in the middle
c) A mixture
d) Its a secret

bland did make it look easy I really disliked the large drops at the side of the singletrack and would not fancy the really rocky stuff on a hard tail

Rode up there last sunday… that rock garden after the bench cut berm took me by surprise but bob fox took care of it for me, (not like that nooky little jump in the middle of the last set, hit that and landed odd chucking the bike).. Mint little location though..
Meant to be goin again for a session friday morning (10/11ish) if anyone’s about, I’ll be the one on a black metalflake self brazed 853 HT running 32Vanillas and saints casing the backslope of doubles.

(d) its a secret ha ha, well we have the option of a few variations but they will all use predominantly the red, why wouldn’t we its excellent!

The route will however depend on what category you’re in, the have-a-go heroes won’t be doing the three drops if you know what i mean?

From one organiser to another… How have you gone about closing it off for the race?

That has been a complicated issue but we have worked closely with lancashire borough council on access issues. countryside wardens are there on all race days to help with amoungst other things, exactly that.

As we were using designated footpaths we had to get closure notices in place. Which meant putting loads of signs up the week before and sticking a marshal at either the end of each bit. 15 marshals at HtN 1.5, nearly 80(!) at HtN (hence the desire for a smaller track at the next one).

No matter what you do some clown will insist on walking up the track.

Are you doing any preview rides of the course?

we’re heading down in the very near future to have a ‘dry run’. those problems you’ve just mentioned are why we have heaviliy involved the countryside rangers and will of course brief all the riders.

we seem to have marshals coming forward which is nice?

are you coming along? racing?!

Can’t do the first one, hopefully I’ll get to the second.

I’m up there on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours playing out though.

unfortunately my riding weekend is ruined by my local bike shop, awaiting parts which they either haven’t ordered or ordered too late. ****ing annoying i tell you. still that has made my mind up that i won’t ever use them again.

I’m planning on having sections closed / diversions in place on some sections for the Classic Weekender skills days.

its open access land, as far as i’m aware there’s nothing you can do to stop people walking where they want due to the fact its ‘common land’

Its either Hebden Bridge for my Lesbian-fix or Lee Quarry tomorrow. I’ve looked at Loweys vid etc- is there enough for a couple of loops (2 laps) to make it worth while?

yes worth a few laps reckon about an hour + for your knackered old legs to get round twice? Record for red run about 12 mins iirc. One short anaerobic climb (walk as very short) in middle once up and one long ish /easy ish climb at start of each lap.

Nice to meet some STW up there today including
Ed-O best beard on STW surely and his son is rad to the power of sick BTW
XherbivoreX and his super beefy steed
Me praying my broken suspension pivot bolt stayed in place …ah the wonders of duck tape.

Junkyard takes the award for Radness, taking his Intense round the red 3 times with a sheared pivot bolt held in by duct tape.

Respect!

I also did one of the first jumps just to check it would hold then realised the stupidity of that act and banned leaving the ground after that point.

yeah it was good to bump into you chaps today… my bike doesnt want me to do the climbs there very much though (although i’m getting better all the time)… the newer red stuff in the middle (those berms and what have you)- too much fun.
shame about the motorbike trials there today though.
had plenty of chickpea burgers and cous cous salad and non-alcoholic kopparberg at my mate’s bbq this evening and i’m ready to go back up there now actually!

chickpea burgers and cous cous salad and non-alcoholic kopparberg

Ah my own personal room 101 🙄

i’ll convert you yet!

NON ALCOHOLIC? I’d rather drink mint tea at a nightclub dammit! Right, wheres the Rum.

ha, we went to the quiz at a bar in chorlton last week and i had a pot of earl grey…

A few years ago in Edinburgh we ALL had cups of herbal tea in a bar on a Sat night. A Friday night of Whiskey/Quaich and home made wine ruined us all

Good to see people up there today. There’s such a buzz up at the quarry and all kinds of people getting out on their bikes: STW folk / supermarket bike riders / downhillers / kids…the lot.

I quite liked seeing the motor bike trials riders up there. They were dead friendly and it’s them we’ve got to thank for laying down the precedent of riding lines up there in the first place. Many other places too, like Dalby.

Really is plenty to keep you entertained for a day if you ride the loop and stop to session some of the great features. In fact I think it’s a good example of why it’s good not to just ride loops. By going over stuff and working out better lines, you progress much more than only ever having one go at a trail.

Don’t forget thr Brownbacks race series will be starting soon as well. http://www.brownbacksracing.co.uk/

neil853: I’ve entered Brownbacks for the 19th April (have a go hero) 😀

which have you entered?

Lowey – sweet pic!

with regard to the trials chaps, it was mostly just cos my mate has only just started riding his bike properly offroad and today was only his second ride anywhere ‘decent’, and he felt a little bit intimidated by the sound of revving engines i think… but yeah, they didn’t really spoil the riding or anything and there was generally a good vibe up there all morning i felt.
and yeah ed, i agree that half the fun of the place is scoping out all the different little lines and pieces you can play about on.

Agree with what Ed-O wrote, I was there on wednesday evening and there was every type of bike(Apollo to Intense)But one thing in common, BIG GRINS on everyone there! Shame I’ve moved East now but when Im in the N/W, I will be rolling round there again, Keep up the good work and when you trail builders get bored, How about a trip to Guisborough, There’s LOADS of potential PRETTY PLEASE

If my legs werent dead pieces of wood I’d have stayed quite a while. Quite good and loads of off-piste bits to try out your roll in skills etc. I’ll bbe up there in the evenings after work when its warm etc. Thing is, at what point do the chavs notice whats going on and start breaking into the cars at the bottom or turning up with a van and mugging lone riders as they leave?

JxL : unfortunately i can’t race as i’m one of the organisers 🙁 but i will cheering everyone on!

Kaya : I’m from the NE although i live in the NW now and i know exactly what you mean about Guisborough woods! it’d make an awesome trail centre location and i know just the spot to put a visitors centre!!!!