lee quarry

liveforever1982

not sure if this has been asked before,but is there as trail suitable for a beginner at lee quarry or do you need a few skills first before trying it out? cheers

DodgeT

As long as you don't go near the black stuff, you should be OK. Or, if you don't like the look of the rocky sections, head off up to cragg and do a loop there, then back down to the easy stuff at lee.
It's all good.

mcnultycop

It has been asked, here by me. There are a couple of rocky bits on the final descent I still find a bit of a struggle, but do-able, and some of the rocky ascents and short climbs are still beating me. I go up there quite a bit now though and I'm getting better every time.

Give it a go, you'll love it.

liveforever1982

might go up during the week,don't wanna go when its too busy and get in folks way,plus being a complete novice i still feel a bit self aware about my skills or lack of,silly i know.

mcnultycop

Even at weekends it isn't crazy busy. I move out of the way of people who are faster than me (most of them!) when necessary, but that isn't too often up there. I've been up in the week recently and been the only person around at Lee besides the odd dog walker, and absolutely the only person up at Cragg.

I know this won't help your confidence, but go when other people are around in case anything does go wrong, if you are riding alone. If I sort my knackered freehub out this weekend I should be up there on Saturday morning.

liveforever1982

maybe a few weeks before i get up there as only started to use my bike the last couple of weeks so need to get some fitness levels built up. know what your saying about other people being around,so may try a sunday up there.

delcol

that climb up into the quarry will soon sort out your fitness..

fisrt off everyone was a beginner at one point you have just as much right to be there as anyone else..

just be curtious to others as mentioned if a faster rider is aproaching move over to let them past when it is safe to do so...
and there's nothing really hard at leequarry apart from a couple of blks that are well out of the way.. the blk bit on the trail have chicken lines round them...

it is better to ride with riders who are better than you as you will become a better rider yourself...

your lucky being a novice you wont have any bad habbits yet,, consider some proffesional coaching to help engrave those fundementals into you.. ed oxley teaches out of leequarry and comes highly recomended..
he will soon have you riding thing you would never have considered riding...

1mancity2

Ed has stopping doing Lee he is just up Gisburn and Hebden Bridge now (may be wrong).

Lee quarry has a bit of everthing, when you get up there and you see better riders (and worse) just watch how they tackle sections or better still tag along with some better riders as Delcol says this will bring you on faster than riding alone.

There is some black stuff which you are better just looking at, but plenty to play on, pump tracks, table tops (rollable) nice flowing red routes, its a great big playground.

stumpyjon

Take it easy, there are some sections the guys above won't think of as hard but could be quite intimidating to someone new on the bike. The berms on the roller coaster used to cause me issues, sections of the red descent are interesting with the step downs, particularly with the exposure off to your left, the ginnel upsets some people first time around. It's good technical stuff but if you're a nervous rider maybe not the ideal starter venue. Might want to consider Gisburn first, still some techy stuff but with more pedally bits in between.

Lee Quarry is more of a challenge than most trail centres. Fitness also helps, especially if you're going to go over to Cragg which does benefit from having some stamina.

DodgeT

1mancity2 wrote:

Ed has stopping doing Lee he is just up Gisburn and Hebden Bridge now (may be wrong).

When I asked him, he said he'd stopped doing it at Lee, too much unpredictable weather... Lee Quarry, unpredictable weather

What/where's "the ginnel" stumpy?

1mancity2

DodgeT wrote:

1mancity2 wrote:

Ed has stopping doing Lee he is just up Gisburn and Hebden Bridge now (may be wrong).

When I asked him, he said he'd stopped doing it at Lee, too much unpredictable weather... Lee Quarry, unpredictable weather

What/where's "the ginnel" stumpy?

The "ginnel" is the part were you go round the edge of the quarry then go down the "rock steps/slabs" that come out at the cattle grid were we start for the tabletops.

DodgeT

Ah right, the other run down to the cattle grid than we normally do. Not done that for a while, we should have a full run at it next time we're up instead of just playing like children

mcnultycop

Ah, that is the ginnel. I still find that a bit tricky on occasions, my main problem I think is that I get to the rockiest bits too slowly then just lose momentum if I hit a slab straight on. Subconsciously my brain just can't handle that faster is safer at times.

DodgeT

I used to do the same thing (not on the ginnel - but on other slabby sections), it's all about your position on the bike, moving weight back / forwards at the right time. As you approach the slab you need to go over, weight back a bit to unweight the front end, as you go over it, weight back central kind of thing to bring up the rear. Best done with a bit of pumping the front in the first bit too..
Hard to explain (I know what I mean even if i've confused you ), lot easier in practice. Once you've got a few tips you'll be wondering what the fuss was about

liveforever1982

thanks for all the advice guys,seen a few youtube videos of the quarry and it looks really good if a bit scary.will get my fitness up and maybe check it out or gisburn,as i have thule ride so travelling isn't a problem for the right trail.

delcol

you could always just ride the bridal way that goes through the quarry to get your fitness and confidence up..

this video should give you a pretty good idea of the single track at lee quarry..

or take a look in my youtube chanel you will see quite a few video from lee quarry...

you will be fine anything you aint confident with simply walk it or ride round it.. it will still be there next time you go so you can conquer it....

homers_double

I might be there on Saturday, I'm going over to Cragg Quarry from Littleborough (much better IMO) but might drop down for a lap depending on the time.

1mancity2

My way to do the "ginnel" go low on the slabs at the corner this then set you up to hit the rock steps, I tend to brake just at the bottom, you can bunny hop 1/2 way down and float over the bottom section.

stumpyjon

Yep, that stone slab berm is very tempting but it chucks you out on the rocky section at the wrong speed and angle. Took me a while to get over the rocky section. Got it sorted the day I lost concentration, ened up in the long grass to the left (which is full of piles of stone). Had a momentum of absolute clarity, I knew I could try and slow down and I would fall off or try and ride it out and maybe fall off. Took the latter option and the bike proved it's worth as a skill compensator. I hit that section a little faster now and don't have too many issues. I find it easier than the staircase at the end of Homebaked at Gisburn (and I built that).

mintedox

The first ten times I approached the rock garden at Gisburn I got off the bike, the first time I hit the rocks at lee I did it cautiously and haven't had any trouble with it. Last time there 2 mates got pinch flats on it