May
1
2010
We helped build it and now we're riding it. Here's Leon
The sun was shining on us, there were no gusts of wind and you could see for miles. In fact you could see all the way to the mountains of north Wales in one direction and up into the Dales in another. Around 30 of us rode up to Cragg Quarry, the latest development in Lancashire’s cutting edge mountain bike trail development program. Starting at the Buck Inn in Cowpe we hauled ourselves up the Mary Towneley Loop with a mixture of riding, pushing and heckling.
It's well worth going up this mental climb to ride the new trails
We rode a lap. Then some of us rode another. Then we did what these new trails just beg you to do. We played about on our bikes. Ride that berm again, get a better line, go faster. Stop for a natter. Ride some more. Go for a pint.
Nial was on it. Until he crashed, got in a strop and got shouted at by me...Oh well....
It's tight and it flows. Here's Tony Lund the main man of the project. Seems to be taking fashion cues from Chipps!
Mart is smiling because the trails are ace and he's heading for what's in the next photo...
A grand pint back at the Buck
April
29
2010
photo by Benji Haworth
I was lucky enough to be riding with a great bunch the other week, including Danny Macaskill, Rowan Sorrell, Joe Barnes and Aimee Dix, as part of an MTBcut video shoot for Mojo/Fox suspension. You can see the first part of the video with footage from Lee Quarry and Calderdale over on Singletrack World:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/2010/04/video-mojo-trail-diaries/
The photo above was taken on the descent from the Nan Bield Pass in The Lake District. I’ve done the usual Nan Bield loop a few times before, but this time we rode down what is usually the push / carry up. Proper ace, proper hard, proper tech, proper pass storming. Everyone apart from me was riding Orange Fives, proving how good the current 140mm trail bikes are and how they really can go anywhere. My trusty Ibis Mojo has stormed a few passes and yet again it took the whole trail in it’s stride. With a Fox 36 fork on the front it makes a true all mountain bike. Footage from that day will be in part two of the video, out any day now…
April
23
2010
It's mint it is
I’ve written a new ‘Digger’s Diary’ blog on the Singletrack website about Cragg Quarry. It’s really fun to ride up there and great for developing skills, especially flow, cornering and pumping the trail.
I’m running a Flow weekend skills course on 21/22 August where I’m planning to use Cragg Quarry on the Sunday (see the Flow tab above). If you want to book a private one to one day or group day at Cragg Quarry please get in touch.
April
20
2010
Get out there while the trails are dry and get your golden shred on……
April
19
2010
Pump Track
Some photos from Saturday’s ‘Stop Crashing’ course at a very sunny Lee Quarry. We started in the pump track and built on the skills we developed there to ride berms, drop offs, climbs, steep slabs and rock gardens.
Black route qualifier
Riding the Slab
April
18
2010
To launch the new mountain bike trails at Cragg Quarry in Rossendale, Lancashire, we are having a launch ride out there on Saturday 1st May.
Berms? Oh yes....
The idea is to meet at the Buck Inn, Cowpe at 10am. We’ll have some coffee, do a bit of pre-ride faffing and then roll out and up the Mary Towneley Loop to Cragg Quarry. There will be plenty of time to put in a couple of laps, at whatever pace you fancy, on the excellent new red grade loop before heading back down to the Buck Inn for beers and food if you’re in the mood.
Here’s a link to a map, showing the location of the Buck Inn.
The new trail uses the former quarry landscape and makes the most of the flowing, rolling lines of the place to make a fine example of ‘flow country’ riding. There are plenty of berms, rollers, ups and downs to pump and pedal to your heart’s content. The trail complements what is already at Lee Quarry. It is also a little bit different. I think it’s really good. Please join me and see for yourself.
up and down and up and down and up and down
The trail has been designed by Rowan Sorrell and been built by his company Back on Track. The Cragg Quarry trail is the latest development in the progressive trail building project that is taking place in Lancashire.
So are you coming or what? Let me know on this Singletrack forum thread.
April
10
2010
Looking well ahead
Nick came for a one to one skills day today. He has just bought a custom built Ragley Blue Pig and he came up to Whelpstone Bikes, the new bike shop at the Dog & Partridge pub at Gisburn Forest, to collect his new bike and come out for a day of fundamental skills on the excellent Blue graded trail. We spent time getting his bike set up just right for him and also went through how to do some essential everyday maintenance tips and trail side fixes.
A top spec Blue Pig build
The Blue route is a great place to learn bike skills with plenty of opportunity to practice all the foundation skills on a trail at just the right level. Body position on the bike, looking ahead, braking, relaxing and breathing, cornering and gear changes were all on the menu.
Line choice
We finished the day riding the final section of berms on the Blue route. Nick made great progression through the day and by the end he was riding smoother, with better line choice, letting the bike move around and carrying more speed in a controlled way.
Back at the shop checking out the other bikes in the Ragley range
Whelpstone Bikes have a demo mmmBop and are in the process of building up a demo Blue Pig. Anyone coming on a Great Rock skills day can try out one of these bikes for free. Just get in touch with me….
March
31
2010
Drop Off Line
Having been part of the team that built the new trails at Lee Quarry it was great to finally start running skills days on those new sections. My first day on the new stuff was spent training the Rangers and Volunteer Rangers who will be around the quarry to help people out and keep an eye on things. To recognise the contribution that these guys make they are getting three days training with me. They are also going to get mountain bike clothing and accessories from various leading brands, all sorted out by the good people at Singletrack Magazine.
Berm Line
We started out with a warm up on the pump track and spent time riding the drop off line (rolling the steps, then dropping them). Moving on to the new berm line we did lots of cornering practice and looked at line choice, body position and carried on working on pumping technique.
There lies the promised land....just past Bacup
Moving down the hill we got some flow going on the red xc trail and got the blood flowing with a couple of climbs. All in all it was a great way to start working again at Lee Quarry. Thanks to the Rangers for all their work, they are a good bunch and thoroughly deserve getting something back for the time that they put in.
Pennine Bridleway Ranger Bill's Ragley Blue Pig with the Ragley van
Thanks to Ranger Bill for the photos.
March
28
2010
We love our steps in Hebden Bridge
I ran a skills and guiding day for a private group yesterday. The guys were on a stag weekend and they wanted a taste of the riding that Hebden Bridge has to offer. As well as getting in some big views, we rode the famous ‘Blue Pig’ trail and has a good session on a great set of steps. There were climbs, singletrack as well as steep and rocky descents. We had lunch in Mooch, the best cafe in town, and beers in the Hole in t’Wall to finish.
'Having it' as they say in the parlance of our times
The narrow finish is a mind game!
The 'Blue Pig'
The Stag on some more steps
March
16
2010
“Just send it – but don’t over send it” (Freeride Kev)
