Review for Lee Quarry and Cragg Quarry Mountain Biking

Paul:

This is a disused and converted quarry. It is NOT a trail centre (unless you count an unofficial burger van at the very bottom of the hill). The ride starts with a climb that will kill you...if you ride or push! Kudos to those that can ride it... I can't. You then start the trail over some slabs to climb ... the first point at which I usually fall off. Once at the top the quarry is huge fun. However, there is absolutely no point in thinking that the length stated as the red route means a thing - You will get lost and there is no signage. Even after hours watching a youtube video of the route (or one of them) to take, we got it wrong. Also, if you want to go on to cragg quarry, good luck finding it ... we managed but only after 20 minutes of persistance. Then once at Cragg, poor signage meant we turned around and took the easy track back having done most of the track backwards it seems. To be honest, Lee quarry is still good, but cragg quarry was ruined simply because of no signage - seriously - somebody who has a clue, please go out there with some red spray paint and spray some arrows to guide us. That small action would likely mean the trails would be AWESOME. So, aside from the gripe of signage, when flowing it is all brilliant. The long descent back to lee quarry from cragg is excellent with a number of jumps ... really good fun. Only issue I could see is that you climb the same track that you return on, so could be a nasty accident if the climber does not move to the side. Like I said though, as the weather has never been nice when I have gone - next to nobody else is dumb enough to be up there so was not an issue. You could play up there all day. However, I have found there is a lot of stationary time deciding what to do or where to go (normally cos you are lost). This can somewhat ruin it as I only manage to get out for a couple of hours every so often - so wasted time really annoys me. The final section of the Red route down to the car park again is awesome. So I guess in Summary, it is really good fun, but very falwed. Sadly the flaws could very easily be solved by some helpful biker who knows the way around (although I'm sure it would technically be criminal damage if you spray painted!). Come on lancashire CC, sort it out. Side notes: I have riden the route in April and May 2014. I have never done the black sections - just one look at them and I know it would be signing my own death warrant. I ride a full sus bike and am quite new to MTB. Falling off at the quarry hurts (its a quarry....there is solid and sharp stone everywhere, duh). Some steep drops by the side of some trails, so ride in your limits and build up gradual otherwise it could really be nasty. It is always windy up there ... makes the jumps hairy sometimes.

Challenging, jumps, berms, great fun