i need to get a trail centre fix this weekend so will be heading off to cannock at some point but looks like i'll be billy and would rather not be, so, anyone else going to canock this weekend? 🙂

if you fancy off piste with beardy single speeders you can play with us

Stu, if you fancy tomorrow as opposed to Sunday, don't mind a quick trip up there after all mate…

Is the extension open yet?

mboy, what time?

fackit, last time i looked it was going to open on the 17th

Do you wanna come down here then and go over the Malverns again perhaps?

Time wise, I don't mind to be fair… As long as not silly early.

malverns + sunshine = walkers. i really want my trail centre fix and i'm away next weekend. meet at bromsgrove? i want a lie in so won't be stupid o'clock, your call.

Cheers Stu, it's gonna be busy when it opens!

Yeah alright mate fair enough…

Bromsgrove about 9:30 do you?

Call me in the morning about 8:30. I should already be up, but might have to mess about fitting a new chain to a bike quickly.

Can we get back in time for the Grand National though, or if not, at least stop off somewhere to watch it on the way back…? 😉

kids 🙄 … alarm call booked.

the grand national…. you're having a larf!

tazzymtb… you wierdo, i bet you're running 29's too 😉 just kidding, thanks for the offer, will take it up another time if that's ok, cheers 🙂

stu- you've got me in one! anytime matey 😀

LOL

Some other numpty is more than likely to be on his 29er at Cannock tomorrow too! 🙄

yeah, you're a wierdo too… hub gears and 29's! will you be using flats? i wouldn't mind trying that alfine out off road

Remind me in the morning, can put flat pedals on it for you if you'd like…

I'm off to Cannock tomorrow with a few people from the MTB Britain forum, meeting 9am at Birch Valley. Never been before so I dunno what to expect. I'll be the fat guy on a DMR!

About half of the ftd trail is closed so it will be a short blast if you do go!!

Section 3, the new one with the bridge is closed and 9,10,11 if your coming a distance not really worth it!

Oh bugger 🙁 I think we're doing a bit of FTD then some off piste stuff. Depending what time we finish I may go up to Stile Cop to well and truly embarrass myself on the downhill stuff.

_tom_, 0900? we would have to get up at stupid o'clock 😉

we'll keep a look out, i'll be the tall bloke making his orange hardtail look like a bmx bike and sweating like a pig and mboy will be giving it large on his stupidly wide barred, alfine hubbed, 29er on-one wierdo bike 😀

Yeah I have to leave at about 7:30 to get there for 9

0_0

mboy will be giving it large on his stupidly wide barred, alfine hubbed, 29er on-one wierdo bike

LOL

They're only 28 and a bit inches wide mate! Hahaha. That's narrow by some peoples standards… The new Raceface Atlas bars come in at 31 1/2 inches wide!!! 😛

_tom_, did you get to cannock, there were a lot of diversions, hope you weren't to disappointed. i've been 4 times now and have yet to be able to ride the whole course, still think it's a fantastic place though and can't wait for it all to be open.

Yeah we were there for about 3 hours yesterday, wasn't too busy as we were finished by around 12! I'm definitely looking forward to Phase 2 being opened, what we rode was great but didn't feel like we covered enough miles.

I really enjoyed it anyway despite not all of FTD being open. I don't think we rode much of the "proper" trail, just off piste stuff. The switchback climb before the little wooden drop thing was a killer, really took it out on me and made my lower back ache for the rest of the day!

Had a few mechanicals though, chain snapped 3 times and bent my bloody seatpost!

'kin hell, 3 chains and a seat post… that's hardcore 😯

you won't be able to carry enough spares for a full lap 😉

We reckon I just got a duff chain as its never been quite right. It's definitely not my "hardcore riding" that pushed it over the edge 😆 Running 1×9 for a while probably didn't help either as the chainline was all over the place. If I have many problems with the gearing after fitting up with the KMC I've ordered I'm gonna have to go SS!

Seatpost was inevitable, I'm heavy and run it a fair way out of the frame. Thomson all the way for me now 😛

the chase was lovely and fast today, except for the snapped chain, ss on big hill and pedal to kneecap interface that made me say a few rude words. The bugger is still ooozing so it's time for the scrubbing brush and super glue to clean it out and seal it up 😀

Ouch, banged knees from snapped chains are never good. You tried the KMC Z510HX? In my 3-4 years of bmx I never snapped that chain! The pins are so solid that it broke my normal cheap breaker, had to buy a reinforced park tool thingy.

didn't feel like we covered enough miles.

Yup always the problem with cannock, the chase is huge to put a few more miles on but its mingling with walkers and if you dont know your way you just ride down a hill to no where and have to ride back up it! 🙂

The switchback climb before the little wooden drop thing was a killer

I know that feeling – a few beers the night before came very close to being on my handle bars there. Its annoying its not even that steep or long but it gets me every time!