i keep hearing good things about the new trail.
worth the drive from hertford?

it's pleasant little ride, find some locals and go and play on the off piste stuff as well and you can make a good day of it 😀
riding is always worth it!!

yes,cause if you don't,well you'll never know for sure,eh ?

Jedi, take it from me (and Bushwacked for that matter!) that the Monkey Trail is awesome! We rode it last weekend, fair to say that we were both remarkably impressed how good it was.

Anyway, what you up to weekend of 17th/18th July? B's birthday is Saturday, mine is the Sunday, was thinking of perhaps heading back up to Cannock on either day (probably Saturday) to ride the trail again, perhaps followed by a BBQ later…

I really like it. I'm about 55 miles away and I think its worth that drive. Dunno how much further it is for you. The M8/lower cliff descent is some of the most fun I've had on a bike, getting faster each time 🙂

its a 2.5hr drive for me.
mboy, i will let you know 🙂

you should be alright on it jedi, you can miss some of the black bits out…. 😯

It was just over a 2 hour drive for me. Can't wait to get up there again. Had a great few hours riding (and then slept very well!)

Last section

Is Cannock ok for a reasonably confident 12 yr old girl?

It depends on how confident she is, my 13yr old lad loves the Monkey Trail.

Follow the Dog probably would be ok for her but the Monkey is a bit full on in places – but you know her riding more than I do and I've seen a 13yr old who out rides me by a long way!!!

That M8 / Lower cliff descent is awesome and there is another bit which i can't remember the name of but really reminds me of one of my all time favorite places to ride. 🙂

Nice one neil's-on-wheels.

It's made my mind up another bit of uninspiring benchcut trail with little rhythm and no natural features. Was it built by Clixbys as it looks like Dalby and Whinlatter, with the same tight turns?

Doesn't mean I wouldn't have a go if passing though!!

Clixbys played a big part in the build, but lots of other bits built by volunteers on weekends, its a great trail even wth the tight switchbacks which i finally cleared all of last week!!

Fine for a 12 year old. There's nothing difficult that takes you by surprise. Plenty of time to look at it first, watch other people doing it and make your mind up.

thecrackfox ……glad to see you'll be staying away , leave the trails for the locals ;-))

thecrackfox

Having this

bit of uninspiring benchcut trail

on my door step is like a breath of fresh air and I can't emphasise that enough. The chase has loads of natural options and plenty of "xc" stuff but "trail centre" stuff it has never had. I like trail centres, not all of the time but they have there place and this is a welcome addition to the chase. Just perfect for an evening blast after work. Linking this up with the dog and the off piste stuff and I can stay out for a good few hours.

I live in the mountain bike mecca that is somewhere between the east and west mids. Biking is thin on the ground at the best of times and this is one very welcome trail.

mintsauce5 – ooohh get you. 😮

neil's-on-wheels – fair comment. I live near Dalby and find it okay, compared to the natural trails locally. Sounds like a dream compared to the erm is that the mid midlands? 😳

Not worth the drive from Hertfordshire,for an experienced rider.Fun,but I always feel like I've wasted fuel/riding time while driving from Stoke.

East midlands is seriously shite for riding. We have Woburn and Chicksands and thats about it.

feel like I've wasted fuel/riding time while driving from Stoke.

you can NEVER waste fuel getting away from stoke!! 😀

LOL Stoke.

It's made my mind up another bit of uninspiring benchcut trail with little rhythm and no natural features. Was it built by Clixbys as it looks like Dalby and Whinlatter, with the same tight turns?

Tbh that clip really doesn't do it justice,it's far better than it looks on there…..

I totally agree with emac that the video above doesn't give a true account of the terrain. Before anyone ignores the "Monkey Trail" on the results of watching that, I would search the forum for other responses before you make your mind up as whether to travel there.

PS. I live on the outskirts of Stoke and travel the UK with work and its no better or worse than anywhere else I have visited. 😀

Drove over yesterday from Cambridgeshire and it's the best riding I think you'd find in any direction if you drove for 2 hours!

The Monkey was a lot of fun, although a bit soft in places, it's a weird dust/sand hybrid so keep your pressures low.

Drove over yesterday from Cambridgeshire and it's the best riding I think you'd find in any direction if you drove for 2 hours!

As someone who will be doing likewise at the end of the month I am going to hold you liable if it's not 😉

never been there but used to live in the area before i went back to mountain biking do pass by visiting family tho so next time will take the bike seeing as you all seem to recommend it but is a fully rigid single speed going to be suitable for this area?.

That looks dull as dishwater. Pie botherer at the end made me laugh too.

Done it many times with no bounce and its fine although it is more fun with. Not done it singlespeed as I am fat.

i'm fat too but getting thinner and quicker (slightly) so i'll give it a go and see what happens (or not as the case may be!).

have done the monkey twice this weekend, seriously fun, only half an hour from my parents though – maybe not worth hours and hours drive.

That looks dull as dishwater.

If you do it fast enough and like getting air it's great fun 🙂

MMB- it's do able on a single speed, but you will need a couple of cyclocross dismounts and sprint up a couple of the switchbacks. On the plus side, I can run up with a bike on my shoulder faster than gearie boys can pedal it.

If you are running a funny wheel size it can get a wee bit tight on some of the berms and the outside edge of corners that you would normally use are all feckered and crumbling away.

It's jolly good fun though.

I'll have to give it a go on a boingly geared bike, but I get the feeling it will make a lot less "interesting".

^ it's all easily doable on singlespeed…I'm only on 26" though

I'm old & fat and I can do it (nearly) all on SS, although there are a couple of switchback exits I lose traction on. I'm a relative newbie to flats – if I was clipped in I would probably manage to ride it all.

I think the best sections (the original Monkey) are still being worked on, and are due to be linked in fairly soon.

hmmmmm what ratio are you ss boys on? the gradient isn't the issue really it's the traction on the switchbacks

or I go back to dinky wheels so they fit around the F**kin corners 😀

Interesting – I watched the vids posted and I thought – that looks flat and dull. I thought I would look up some glentress ones to post in comparison – you know what – they looked flat and dull as well – even bits I know well and know to be good fun.

So I conclude that cannock is more fun than it looks on those vids.

All of the Monkey is doable on a 32:16

34:18 on a 29er, that'll explain it (and the weedy legs…and the fact I'm piss poor at going uphill)