Lee Quarry - Not a pro rider

mcnultycop

I fancy giving Lee Quarry a bash as it is fairly local to me, but I'm not the best on drop offs or really rocky downhills. Is it rideable for me? I've done the red at Llandegla (rolling the jumps, generally) and the South Loop of the red at Whinlatter (well, 99% of it, I bottled a couple of rocky bits) and I want to get better on the more technical stuff.

I plan to go this Friday when I expect it'll be a bit quieter than a weekend so want to improve my skills without getting in anyones way. Basically, will I be OK there?

Muttly1981

Most of Lee Quarry is rocky but not as in rock garden rocky more slabs of rock, i'd say you'd be ok with 75% of the place but it may be worth walking some of the descents as they are only short but will give you an idea what your in for andwith them only being short you can just session them over and over. I'm not a big fan of rock features but the only way you get better is to keep riding those seactions until you feel comfortable. If you want to become a better technical rider then Lee Quarry is the place to go as it's just like a massive skills area compared to Llandegla which is a trail center, i can spend 3-4 hours of just pushing back up and riding back down the reds and blacks.

frankspencer1979

You'll be fine chief. I'm pretty pants myself and I cope with most of it. There's a rocky climb on the way in, made up of big slabs which I can never manage, but you can ride round the rest of it avoiding anything you don't like the look of without any prob's.

You should defo find the link up to cragg quarry and do a lap of that too. Makes it a much more complete trip I feel.

delcol

you be fine there is nothing hard at lee quarry that you have to ride. the only hard bits are the new drops well the big one. this is not part of the trail, it's at the side of the pump track out of the way.
and the black run through the quarry but that aint really hard it just teccy..
the first climb on the single track mentioned is tricky but after many an attempt can be cleared.. i can clean it on my hardtail..
like mutley said you will lose several hours in the quarry easily just hiking back up and sessioning bit.
the rockroll
the drop lines
the tables
the 3 trails on the hill
the qualifier ect.
and the descent back down is amazing nice flow to it...
as for getting in the way dont worry you get a mix of rideres going through the quarry, the atmosphere there is chilled not anal like some places....

rob87

frankspencer1979 wrote:

You should defo find the link up to cragg quarry and do a lap of that too. Makes it a much more complete trip I feel.

Any hints as to where this link up is?

Been previously before the two were a joined, is it clearly signposted or sheer luck to find it?

Muttly1981

rob87 wrote:

frankspencer1979 wrote:

You should defo find the link up to cragg quarry and do a lap of that too. Makes it a much more complete trip I feel.

Any hints as to where this link up is?

Been previously before the two were a joined, is it clearly signposted or sheer luck to find it?

As you head around the back of the quarry you'll notice water running across the track (even in summer) if you turn leftthat willl take you to the start of the link, i'm not a massive fan of Cragg Quarry itself but coming back down the link is great fun at full tilt

rob87

Thanks very much Muttly!!

frankspencer1979

It's not signposted, and kinda looks like you're going nowhere, but you'll eventually see it winding way off up to the top of a big hill in the distance. Once at the top turn right, follow that a while and take the first left, you can't go wrong really.

mcnultycop

Cheers all, I'll probably head over on Friday then, or one of the other bike days I've booked off work in January.

delcol

you can also access it further down, if you go past the qualifier the start of the blk run follow the red trail round it switch backs on itsself follow this you will come to a section with some slabs and the trail goes left, if you look down you will see the link it's were it ends or starts....
cragg aint worth the effort if it's windy which is 99.6% of the time up there.. that link is a killer of a climb especially with an head wind. but a fun descent even better with a tail wind...

cragg is flatter than lee quarry and has awesome flow but you have to maintain your speed to enjoy it,, needs to be a windfree day to ride to it's full potential...

homers_double

Aye, Cragg quarry is much better than Lee Quarry IMO.

Pics:-

grant43

yes i like cragg try and do a few laps cant wait till the weathers as good as in the pics i need to start going out with a few people hard to tell how well youre doing on your own set them cuts stung in the shower lol

stumpyjon

Maps of the quarries available for download here

http://pmba.org.uk/leeandcragg.htm

Should be a better trail guide appearing here in the next couple ofweeks as well (assuming I get my finger out and finishing writing it). If you want to know what it will be like have a look at the Gisburn page.

mcnultycop

Just downloaded those maps, they look great - thanks for sharing them. I didn't make it there the last time planned to, I've got tomorrow off so I'll be heading up in the morning.

mcnultycop

I've been this morning, and discovered a few things:

I'm not as fit as I want to be (that first hill out of the car park is a killer)
I'm crap on the rocky bits
My pedal to shoe connection is rubbish (Bontrager metal pedals that came with the bike and Airwalk skateboard type trainers)
The signage is pretty poor
I want to get a lot better
I want a new bike
I probably need a riding partner or at least to go to Lee again when it is busy, I had one minor off and banged my knee
I should have taken something to put on my car drivers seat, other than my wet arse

I really enjoyed it this morning but the place doesn't seem to flow. Some of the bermed sections are brilliant fun, but over in a few seconds then you are looking where to go and hitting another short rocky climb. I need to get a lot better as I wasn't making it all the way up some of the climbs, I lost my feet off my pedals a few times too - I fancy some SPD type pedals but on some of the sections at Lee I'd like to be able to get my feet down really quickly - so may just get some pedals and better shoes. I couldn't work out the way to Crag Quarry, but it sounds like that may be better suited to me and my ability level at the moment. Lee is only 10 miles from my front door though so I'll be going back - I may try Crag this Saturday morning if I can work out how to get there.

delcol

i found when i had devils pedals on they were holding me back, as soon as i put flats on and got decent shoes (5/10's) my riding (confidence) grew very quickly.
i have thought about putting spuds back on but never have,..

remeber my first trip to lee doing the blk run through the quarry and thinking why have we come this way it way above me, thinking i dont want to tumble down there,, then end up falling off down there bloody spd pedals..

the climbs are killer and do let you know if you are not fit.. hell i walked them enough times..

as for flow i would have to disagree i think some of if not most of the stuff in the quarry has amazing flow, you just have to hit hard and fast to get the best out of it..

it's just a case of practicing the more you do it the better you become session a section over and over hit it say 10 times and watch as you get faster and maintain your flow.. also konwing the lines helps..

there is a killer lack of signage but it aint that hard to navigate the quarry.. i can understand were your coming from in the not being able to find the cragg link it can be hard if you dont know were to pick it up..

knee pads are godd idea as you now know it's very rocky in places.

and why do you say you want a new bike..

mcnultycop

I've got a 3 year old Trek 4500 and just fancy something so take the hits a bit more; I was really feeling it on some of the rockier bits.

Can you describe where the Cragg link is please? Looking at the map before I went (which , admittedly I left in the car by mistake and didn't fancy riding back down for it) it seemed to make sense but then when I got there I though, "That track can't go anywhere".

1mancity2

Pussies! I get up the first hill in middle ring (36T)!!

But on a serious note, it takes time to get the best out of Lee, after a few rides you start to put sections together to make it flow.

Pedals get some with replacable pins (Nanos) and some five ten shoes, grip is nearly as good as spds.
Signage is poor but that adds to the fun of getting lost on the moors!
Elbow and kneepads are a most up there.
Riding partner, get up on a Sunday morning we go pretty often so a meet is possible.

Cragg, best way to find it,

Skills section with seesaw, tabletops in front of you, seesaw behind you turn right, follow the dirt path all the way up don't leave this path until you have climbed a hill, usually muddy and wet yellowish, (sail on top of hill is on your right).

At the top of the hill continue forward and before it start going down to the right, only slight mind there is 2 rocks on the left and always water here, go through the rocks and follow the path straight then to the left.

Gravelish road follow it all the way to the top, (a slogg) turn right follow the old roman road do not turn right of this just keep going and you come to Cragg on your left, can't miss it.

frankspencer1979

I was at Lee on Monday, involved lots of pushing! Took my first proper tumble on the middle red down from the sail. Not sure what happened but it resulted in me supermanning otb and ending up sprawled flat out! No injuries, but thank christ for knee pads, defo essential.

Slogged up to Cragg. Always enjoyed it on previous trips but the wind was something else on monday, made it very hard work, was glad to get back down again but got sand blasted by hail before I reached my car! Only do cragg on a windless day.

The start of the cragg link is easy to miss, it really feels like you've gone wrong, then it opens up and you know you're right. Climb up the back of lee with the quarry to your right, it's the path that has large squarish boulders you can sit on and look out over the quarry. The link path is by the permanent trickle of water as mancity says

mcnultycop

Cheers, I think those descriptions make sense now I've been. I'll try and get up early on Saturday and head over to Cragg.

delcol

like ally says you can find it by turning left near the trickle of water ( just before the qualifier blk run)

or you can pick it up at the start/finish which is were the blk run (through the quarry ends)

if you are in the middle of the quarry were the trials area and pumptracks are.. if you stand with your back to the 3 drops theres 2 pump tracks on your left one will be slightly behind you and the other on the left.
the 3rd pump track will be in front of you. to your right there is a big pond if you follow the trail to the right you go up a climb (were the blk run ends) as you join the red route you will see the link way infront of you just go down the hill onto it...
http://visitrossendale.nmdemo.net/dbimg ... ry-map.pdf

mcnultycop

Well, met up with Grant43 this morning at Lee and basically walked 90% of the way to Cragg as it was so icy. Freehub, rear gear cables and 2 water bottles all froze up. Maybe 20 minutes riding in an hour and a half. I'll leave it until the weather clears up. As we were leaving a few were arriving but there were lots of patches of ice all over Lee, although a couple of the bermy bits and the bottom section (after the cattle grid) were all ride-able. I fell over pushing. Not a productive day.

grant43

no not the best day,what riding we did was fun though,it was an accident just waiting to happen really,bring on the summer lol