I’m taking a friend to Cannock on Saturday, I’ve not ridden there since there’s been a trail centre (about 15years.) I’ve no fear for myself (wave willy here), but he’s a pretty new rider. He is however, as fit as a butchers dog and not worried about the falling off aspect. What I don’t want to do is break him utterly and put him off riding. Any thoughts on Follow the dog and Monkey trail?

Both pretty easy to be honest at your own pace. There are a couple of rocky chutes in the mid-part of the Monkey that may warrant a look, then a cracking descent with black options, but they are just that, options. It’ll be fine…

He’ll be fine. It’s safe but fun, nothing dangerous bar a few little rock features.

The riding is relatively easy, go and enjoy . . .

. . . . obtaining a permit though is a whole different kettle of fish! 🙂

Weirwolf has been tamed. by Richard Munro, on Flickr

P5252079 by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Follow the Dog. by Richard Munro, on Flickr

If those are the more difficult sections, I can’t imagine him having a problem. Cheers for that, I’ll drag him around all of it.

If he is new to biking, you can always start round the Dog, and then at the decision point, depending on how you are getting on, continue on Follow Your Dad or branch off onto the Monkey. However, for a beginner the Monkey is a decent step up in difficulty. It may also be pretty busy at the weekend, although less so on the Monkey.

Picture 2 above is one of the rock shutes mentioned above. The other two have reasonably tricky entrances and steeper.

Its good fun but nothing too arduous or hard as above.

I rode there earlier in the year when it was uber wet and muddy – it was still fun but I imagine that in the dry it would be ace.

No need for gears either 😆

Definitely try to get him to do both trails. The Monkey trail is a real step up in the fun rating from Follow The Dog, and if he’s fit he’ll enjoy the zig-zagging (is that a word?)climbs too.

No need for gears either

No need for suspension either,infact you can do it on a cross bike(& some do),but it’s better & more fun with gears ‘n’ suspension 8)

Rich, in your first pic of Werewolf Plop did you know his name was Darren and he’s a riding partner of Big Johns? Well if not you do now.

not mine but shows ftd and monkey

Apparently it’s so easy that they’ve officially changed the name to Follow Your Dad now?

🙂

Yeah it’s all relatively easy, there are a few fun fast descents. The werewolf drop is a bit of a weird one for me. It’s not really a drop and it’s tiny compared to some other stuff I’ve done, I just don’t like the run up and narrow entrance.

Follow Your Dad, er, I mean Follow The Dog is easy but still a lot of fun if you can blast it although trail traffic can be a pain at weekends. The Monkey is much more rewarding and also has a few black rated diversions to go play on. You start on ‘The Dog, turn left to do the Monkey part way round then link up with the rest of ‘The Dog to finish. It’s fun, simple as that. Should’ve gone today after work but fell asleep in me chair… 😳

Ride the dog first see how you get on.
<edit> Jonny has it spot on!

Good stuff. What’s it like under tyre at the moment, is this a chance to change out of the mud pluggers?

Dog and Monkey 99% dried out already after recent heavy rains, so by Sat it will be pretty dusty and loose. So choose between grippier but decent rolling tyres for maximum traction or your racing ralphs etc for speed.

I am heading down that way for a family holiday and assume there is absolutely no need to take the 5 then.

The 5 would be a lot of fun on the Monkey, it was a lot of fun on the 456 last night but I took a bit of a battering.

You can have my opinion of Cannock after my first visit on friday.

I’ll be brutally honest give a summerset wanders view point of both trails and other experiences i get there.

No promise of a Yunki’s eye view though 😉

Weekends are busy. There was an old chap last Saturday, doing the Monkey Trail on a mobility scooter, who insisted on doing the black runs. We got past eventually, but had to stop to help an old lady. The pin had fell out of the hinge on her folding frame shopper bike.

I don’t mind busy, it’ll make up for all those cracking, deserted trails I was riding on earlier and all the brummies will bow to my almighty gnarr 8)

Brummies ?They live in Birmingham mate,some 25 miles away from Cannock Chase,which is in Staffordshire.We let them use our Chase but we aren’t no Brummies….. 🙄

Went for a lap last night on my way through – running fast!

emac65, one of the peeps behind the development of the trails on the Chase is a Brummie ;o)

Transapp, If your mate is fit and reasonably competent on a bike then go for the Dog and the Monkey. Take the red options on the Monkey rather than the black and he should be fine. Once he has done these then consider looking at the black options. He won’t feel like he’s been done out of good riding by sticking to the red section first time around.

Oh and if you have a good ride bung a couple of quid into the tin on the counter at Swinnertons it all helps our work!!

Stu

http://www.chasetrails.co.uk

I know,but you are in the monority & had the good sense to move away from there. Plus we let you build a few half decent trails all over our natural ones that were already over the SEA,but being as I happen to prefer your trails I’ll let you off…… ;o)

.We let them use our Chase but we aren’t no Brummies

[connock]Wim let them yowse owa Chace but wim ay now Brumm-eyes mayte”[/connock]

Knew you’d get there in the end matey 😀

Yeah, loike but it’s all norverners roight? Us zummerzet southern fairies think you all look / sound the same…..

It’s cos you don’t live in the gert lush south west.

😉

Ahhh Somerset,oh blige ‘n all that…..It explains a lot…… 8)