lee quarry....

altern_8

is it as good as this months mbr make out,is it worth driving 3 and half hours round trip for a hour and halfs ride?

stumpyjon

It's getting there. it's actually two quarries (lee & Cragg) about 1.5 miles apart. There is no official link between the two at the moment (it's under constrution and will be open in November).

With the two quarries there is substantially more than 1.5 hours of riding, in fact due to the nature of the trails you could easily spend the day sessioning stuff. It's more like a huge (and I mean huge) mtb playground than a typical trail centre. There is an XC route but also mutiple options, skills areas, multiple descent lines and a pump track.

It's also pretty technical in places with some very hard (and unforgiving) black sections.

Is it worth a 3.5 hour round trip, yes, I think it probably is although it might be worth waiting until November as you need some local knowledge to get between the two quarries until the link is complete.

option 2 is to combine it with a visit to Gisburn Forest.

bluechair84

Have you ridden Cragg yet? I don't know anything about it's development - what's there? Lee isn't too far off from me but i never feel it has enough to offer for anything more than a bi-monthly visit...

TheNorthernTrain

Went to Lee the other day - Worth that drive you have - I'm gonna say no. It's great fun but until there is an official link between Lee and Cragg i doubt it's worth it.

If you can make the link with Cragg then it may well be.

stumpyjon

Personally I prefer Cragg, more swoopy, less rocky. Some great berms and drops. It's all open at Cragg, not sure if it's been signposted yet though.

fungus_the_muffin_man

Is cragg better for less experienced bikers? I've heard Lee quarry can be a bit to technical in places and is only really best used by the more experienced.

I was looking at cragg in mbr and the berms look HUGE!

stumpyjon

Relatively the berms at Cragg are smaller than Lee Quarry. There are less overtly rocky sections. However it is a major technical climb to get to Cragg up the Pennine Bridleway or you've got to come in from Lee anyway.

I would say Cragg is more forgiving and feels less exposed than Lee Quarry.

The berm they showed in MBR is excellent, ride it high, into a bombhole, bottom out the suspension and shoot out the other side.

That all said Cragg is no Llandegla, there are some tricky sections and despite it's small size it'll have you blowing out your backside.

chedabob

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's so hard about riding the 2 miles between Cragg Quarry and Lee Quarry on the road?

stubs

I am a bit of a pussy so might not be relevant but I thought both quarries were scarier than anything else I have ridden in England. When I had done them both it was a feeling of relief that I didnt get a free helicopter ride to A&E theres some places where getting it wrong is going to mean a looooong drop onto hard pointy rock. If your going its a good place to wear the armour.

woodchips69

Went up yesterday afternoon before work (work in Rawtenstall). It is rocky and it will hurt if you come off! However, both Lee and Crag quarry are cracking rides. We rode up through Cowpe (long climb on road, technical climb at top to get to Crag quarry). Then went round Crag and Lee quarry, we know how to link it, then dropped onto road back to Rawtenstall.
Your legs will be screaming, and you will be breathing out your a***s, if you go for it flat out. But you will like it.
If you go to Lee first just ask someone there how to get to Crag, I'm sure there will be someone there to help especially at the w/end.

BlueAdvocate

Living 20 mins away, I ride both when I can. It depends on my mood but I think I prefer Cragg just hate the climb (busy sussing new routes to it - going to try from Edenfield next)
Cragg has become pinch flat hell for me, must pump those tyres harder. Sure smaller berms but good drops and more flow, I like Lee for sessioning and practising what can be put into action on Cragg.

stumpyjon wrote:

The berm they showed in MBR is excellent, ride it high, into a bombhole, bottom out the suspension and shoot out the other side.
.

Love that bit! Sure I was riding it it faster and harder on Saturday.

I also think Cragg is better in the wet; may be because Lee has had more use but some of the lines have sketchy places in the wet.

stubs wrote:

If your going its a good place to wear the armour.

Yep my mate broke his femur on Lee's Mint line

stubs

BlueAdvocate wrote:

stubs wrote:

If your going its a good place to wear the armour.

Yep my mate broke his femur on Lee's Mint line

Shoot is he okay, is he back riding a mate bust his femur years ago and has never really been back on a bike since.

aguesty1

BlueAdvocate wrote:

Living 20 mins away, I ride both when I can. It depends on my mood but I think I prefer Cragg just hate the climb (busy sussing new routes to it - going to try from Edenfield next)
Cragg has become pinch flat hell for me, must pump those tyres harder. Sure smaller berms but good drops and more flow, I like Lee for sessioning and practising what can be put into action on Cragg.



I live in Rammy and I ride up Edenfield Road then bang a left at Fecit lane, then it's a case of following the coal road between the wind farm, at the top of the hill go straight across the unsurface road then follow the trail that bears left which is nice and technical, this trail goes on for a while with the reservoir below and Cragg way up to the right of the res. If I get chance I will upload a multi map. It's a nice route to it or try going up Gincroft lane in Edenfield, problem with that is it's a lung buster, the Coal road is the way forward!

BlueAdvocate

stubs wrote:

BlueAdvocate wrote:

stubs wrote:

If your going its a good place to wear the armour.

Yep my mate broke his femur on Lee's Mint line

Shoot is he okay, is he back riding a mate bust his femur years ago and has never really been back on a bike since.

He's getting there slowly, thanks; he's determined to get back on thebike once he gets through physio and builds his strength back up. Then he just needs some extra protection so I've suggested a purely pie based diet. Gives me the padding I need

stubs

BlueAdvocate wrote:

He's getting there slowly, thanks; he's determined to get back on thebike once he gets through physio and builds his strength back up. Then he just needs some extra protection so I've suggested a purely pie based diet. Gives me the padding I need

Pie chips and gravy is the NHS reccomended diet. You have to include all the 5 food groups.