Just in case anyone hasn’t seen it Chase Trails are building a new black section alongside Let Loose (the section leading down to the Werewolf) in readiness for an XC event

Looking forward to it!

Cannock gets a lot of bashing on here, but we quite like it, although only ride there occasionally…

my only request would be that they don’t put a stupid tight corner at the top of the “black” section as they seem to have done on most of the other black bits in Cannock.

Perhaps is if was better, I wouldn’t have to come to a virtual stop to navigate round said corner, before riding down the black bits, but I just cant do it, and I dont know anyone else who can, and they ruin otherwise good bits of trail!

cheers!

fitnessischeating, they are called ‘qualifiers’. 8)

Will the new black section have one or two specially hand polished black graded pebbles just for Hora?

I agree with fitness re: the corners. I can’t do any of the black sections at cannock without crashing.

Kirroughtree black was a piece of wee wee in comparison.

Edit – Apart from McMoab, that was stupid.

I love let loose, my favourite section after lower cliff. I’ll see what we’re doing that day. We could have a go round the monkey after.

I agree about the blacks on the chase, particularly the first one on upper cliff. I really struggle with the tightness and slowness of it – I think it gives me too much time to think! Most other black sections can be rolled down at reasonable pace which makes it much easier.

Lol @ kirroughtree – I managed all sections but mcMoab where I toppled off and landed in a massive bog-fest!

another one here who’s not a big fan of the very tight switchbacks. A qualifier that prevents me setting up for the black section is not helpful.

Don’t get me wrong I can ride round these “qualifiers” but only at a virtually stand-still, shuffle udge round until straight, then let go of the brakes way…

must practice being “so enduro” so i can take the corner at speed on only my front wheel whilst whipping the back round in the air

take the corner at speed on only my front wheel whilst whipping the back round in the air

Doesn’t everyone do that?

*cough*

I have a different view on this to most people up there^

On a modern mountain bike it’s relatively easy to point them in a straight line down a typical rock garden in a trail centre. What I love about Cannock is that the fact that the hardest bit is getting into the black section in the first place. Good on the trail builders for making it genuinely awkward and technical instead of just “point and shoot”.

Opinions are like farts, just because you have one doesn’t mean you have to let it out and inflict it on the rest of us 😉

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the current black sections are too hard, I’m just not good enough.

I would like it if there was something in between the current red obstacles and the current blacks, as it’s just a bit too much of a jump for me at the moment, so I’m struggling to improve.

Regrading Werewolf and the entry to twist and shout doesn’t count either 😛

I’m pretty sure the tight corners that force you to slow down before Black bits are more than deliberate……

(otherwise, they would be ambulancing people out of their left right and centre)

Also, those corners aren’t exactly tight to be honest. Brush up on your technique and balance and you won’t even notice them 😉

Black bits are supposed to be tricky, else they’d be blue bits..
The ones at Cannock are straightforward with a bit of practice and confidence.
🙂

dont want to slag cannock off as i really quite like it for a few laps of pure off road fun!

buttt they need to get those diversions sorted asap, terrible riding them at the weekend, and obviously missing the best black section too…i know rome wasnt built in a day etc etc but its just a mud fest as soon as it rains 🙁

first time ive been and not massively enjoyed it due to the diversion/closures

on the plus side the kit bag climb is a nice change!

i agree in some respects on the black, qualifiers are a little tricky to get lined up into, do-able but a tad tricky, my mates gone otb on that though, its just about manual/hopping around the tight section, thats the best way to get into it without stopping…..but everone ive seen has to line up straight to do it (i have on occasions too)……i actually think the two black bits before are far worse though anyways, the rock drop bits with the fair old drop off the end of both, again pretty much trickier than anything ive experienced on other trail centres

dont want to slag cannock off as i really quite like it for a few laps of pure off road fun!

but they need more volunteers to help to get those diversions sorted asap

The current diversion on ‘old old monkey’ where the biggest black section is down them chopping down trees and nothing to do with chase trails I understand. Stop moaning you lot!!

i know, i know, im grateful for their time/help i really am and they do a great job!

just completely ruined the ride for me sunday being so shitty on that fireroad, it was like riding in the depths of winter 🙁

sadly i cant help out time wise with maintenance, but i do massively respect what they do, its just well a bit of a shitter having to miss all the good stuff and have it replaced by filthy wet muddy grassyness

just completely ruined the ride for me sunday being so shitty on that fireroad, it was like riding in the depths of winter

That’s ok, most of our trailbuilder’s Sunday rides are ruined by virtue of the fact they aren’t riding and are building.

😆 i know, you have my sympathy you really do

ill try and wait till its dried out before returning 😆

That’s good news that the Dog is getting some more difficult options. I really enjoy the last sections of the Dog, so hopefully they’ll be even better now.

I don’t mind the black sections on the Monkey, but the second really tight corner into to rock garden gets me every time. Aside ffrom that it’s really good. If that corner was a tad more open…

The work done over at Stile Cop looks really good – can’t wait for that to open.

I ride there a lot and really need to make time to come up on a dig day. I’ll do my best to make this one.

ST – is there any news on the new section down from Five Ways?

If that corner was a tad more open…

Learning to ride tight corners comes from practice & technique, try to master it & you might begin to like them. Any Sunday Warrior can bash through a 20ft minor rock garden with 160mm of travel.

[Hora Mode]

I don’t mind the black sections on the Monkey, but the second really tight corner into to rock garden gets me every time. Aside ffrom that it’s really good.

[/Hora Mode]

Stop moaning about things because you arn’t good enough to ride them.

😆

have you people above actually ridden the tight black bend in question though? or just finger warriors?

i can see why people could struggle with the bend, i dont think people are asking it be easier as such, just a bit more space to manouvere around and line up, its really like a 90 degree angle to switchback on to, ie not flowy, you basically come to a stop and manual/hop around around it to line it up

i can remember only one ccasions when ive come into it a bit too fast and couldnt get the front end around quick enough, maybe that was down to a bit of skill/manouvering, but i just think its been designed badly to be perfectly honest, it just wants a berm or similar rather than just a angled 90degree turn

the only other fault ive ever seen is on the entrance to aunt flow (i think), to enter the section you have to go past it and then slow/swing around to get in the entrance, yet it would have just been easy to open the entrance the other way, its called aunt flow and the fireroad just before would give you some flow going into it, however with the way the entrance is positioned you basically go past it, come to a stop almost and swing into at all the wrong side, ironic really given its called aunt flow

other than that, cannock is ace, i dont get the hatred for it from many on here, its a great little loop considering its near birmingham (flat!!), and 13-14 miles of pure off road, do it twice and thats a fairly big old loop of nearly 30 miles of pure off road….something i cant get anywhere near in the peak district

The entrance to aunt flow is left over from the old days when you used to come at it from the other direction. It is odd, but not worth changing.

have you people above actually ridden the tight black bend in question though? or just finger warriors?

I was the official test pilot! If anything its wider now with the 29ers struggling for the last 4 years scrubbing the edges away and riding around the rocks.

http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/category/blog/page/18/

prawny – fair enough, that makes sense then if it was there before, every time i come to it i think is ‘aunt flow’ some form of ironic joke entering the section, its just something i noticed not saying it matters really just the only thing ive seen there along with that bend to qualifier really that doesnt make much sense, the rest of the trails are fantastic for man made stuff i think

scruff – haha! fair enough also, i dont personally have a problem, ive ridden it lots of time and enjoy that section (miss it now its not there 🙁 ), the only problem is though if you are following people every time ive ridden it when following someone ive had to stop whilst they adjust themselves for it, so naturally made me do the same and people behind…i saw one poor bloke to straight otb on the first drop on that too, felt a bit bad for him, he was ok though just bruised pride, and that was stopping at the top too to line himself up

eh? if it’s the black entries i am thinking of, the std “outside pedal down, twist your hips, stick out ya knee, straighten inside arm” corner technique seems to be fine? yeazh, you can come in hot, and endo it round with a hop, but i can’t say i’ve ever HAD to do that?

After a week in Les Arcs, i usually get back to all my fav UK trails (and trail centres) and wonder how come i’ve never noticed that they are so wide, flat and smooth………. 😉

max that sounds like the one, easiest way to get into position is endo it and hop the back out, i agree, but not everyone can do that, like you say doing it in les arcs is one thing as you get used to it, but some people dont ride stuff at all with switchbacks so it does take some getting used to, so people who come up for a one off trip probably struggle too, it is a bit tricky, but nothing major, id just personally prefer it to somehow berm/flow into the descent personally, rather than come to a semi halt/hop/endo

yeazh, you can come in hot, and endo it round with a hop, but i can’t say i’ve ever HAD to do that?

Unless you manual round it every time, you’re probably not qualified to comment..

what is the new black section on let loose to be anyways rocketman? what sort of stuff are you putting in it?

when will the diversions be finished BTW? is there a timescale or just as soon as possible?

Any Sunday Warrior can bash through a 20ft minor rock garden with 160mm of travel.

Oh no I can’t.
And I mostly ride on Saturday 😉

The thing is, if every section was “flowy” for the average trail centre punter, we’d all be on here moaning about how easy everything is. At Cannock you get the choice. Remember that it’s a black section on a red trail, not a black trail. You do therefore need something to prevent people getting caught out.

funkrodent

Unless you manual round it every time, you’re probably not qualified to comment..

If you regularly MANUAL around tight bends, then yes i agree, you’re probably a bit better on a bike than me!

As for Endo turns, those i CAN do (ask people i ride with) 😉

Mindmap3, there are still issues behind the scenes that are stopping the new Fiveways section from being launched. Our XC builders continue to push on this and hopefully it’ll be sorted soon. There’s nothing sinister going on just stuff that needs to be sorted. The section will open, it’s just a case of being patient for a while longer.

The existing diversions will be removed when the work is done. There is a lot of forestry work going on which is impacting on the trails but also giving the opportunity for both contractor and volunteer repairs to be implemented to upgrade the sections whilst also reinstating them. Expect more of this in the future we see the ongoing closure of selected sections as being crucial to the long term future of the trails within the working forest. On joust volunteer built sections will take longer than the machine build and the FC simply can’t have full time contractors on board so you’re all stuck with Chase Trails.

Oh and although I don’t ride the trails that often I’ve not had an issue with any of the black section entrances ;o)

Stop moaning about things because you arn’t good enough to ride them.

I’ll remember that line next time a jump or drop is not done and a critique if it’s build is offered…. Ahem first jump in the old black at Stile Cop ahem! 😆

I’ll get there with that corner. I think I know the line now…need to go in much tighter to avoid being pushed so wide. I’m normally one of the first to jump to Cannock’s defence.

The black section bends were a PITA in the beginning…but aren’t something’s supposed to be challenging and there to develop skills? Had a couple OTBs on those sections…but you dust yourself down and try again until you nail it.

As for evil slab…that is an evil barsteward.

If you tab on brocton and stile cop you can have a good 5 hour bit of fun…just do the chase at 7am and all you’ll see are squirells and jays…and clear trails. 🙂

Should mention Cannock gets an immense amount of footfall, tyrefall? ethier way its stupidly busy at times so the trails need immense amount of time to rebuild/repair. The guys at chasetrails do a great job keeping the trails in order and giving us something to ride every weekend. The more volunteers the quicker they give us trails back.

That werewolf is a bugger still, have to laugh when it first opened I was riding it every week, due to whatever reasons it was made easier and now I can’t seem to get the bugger at all! lol!

Won’t make this build day, hopefully the next one.

Oscillate Wildly – Member

some people dont ride stuff at all with switchbacks

So the fix is MOAR SWITCHBACKS!