First go around the Monkey Trail today...

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First go around the Monkey Trail today...

38 posts & 22 voices | Started 2 years ago by justa | Latest reply from riggsy

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justa - Member

It was warm !

First time around today and overall I have to say its a big step forward for Cannock - i admit its ripped up a bit too much in places and there is a lot of switchback climbs (which I thought were brilliant - great pratice) but I think its great,

On one section (I think it was the lower cliff or maybe a bit before) there is a stunning view but you have to keep your eyes on the trail - bit like the trail centres in Wales !

Anyway big thanks from me too anyone involved,

I'll be back...

Posted 2 years ago #
Houns - Member

Give me a shout when you go next

Posted 2 years ago #
Potter - Member

i rode a bit of it yesterday and it desperately needs some rain,it has been wrecked by people skidding into every corner too but it is a great trail
changing week in week out now

Posted 2 years ago #
justa - Member

will do houns - and vice versa !

Posted 2 years ago #
jedi - Member

my mate atkins was riding it today and liked it. i reckon i'll pop up and ride it with him

Posted 2 years ago #
_tom_ - Member

I gave it a go last night and really enjoyed it. The heat/humidity sapped so much of my energy though, apologies if anyone here was stuck behind me!

Look forward to giving it a go again on a cooler day with hopefully more energy in me! Some of the downhills were great fun, really flowy and fast. Could do with a bit of rain though as they're quite sandy/loose.

Last bit with the rollers is guaranteed to put a smile on your face

Posted 2 years ago #
phiiiiil - Member

I was there on a weekend for the first time for aaaaages as a couple of friends had come over for a ride - I've never seen the place so busy! Great atmosphere though, lots of banter...

Posted 2 years ago #
Bushwacked - Member

Starting to hear some good stuff about this new trail.

Jedi - let me know when you are planning to go up with Atkins and I'll see if I can join you to take the piss and show you my cartwheeling skills.

Posted 2 years ago #
motivforz - Member

Was there today too. First few times took 3 hours to do full loops at a leisurely pace. Managed to do a full loop plus lower cliff and section before twice in 3 hours this time, so speed improving. It has broken up in places, but you can still pick the right line around most corners. Helped my confidence no end on berms though, really well built trail! Just wish the edges wern't braking away so much in some places.

Posted 2 years ago #
will - Member

I love Cannock now! Monkey + FTD is a nice little ride.

Posted 2 years ago #
donks - Member

went there on Wed and tagged along with a fellow singlespeeder and his dog.... Christ they were quick and he knew the trails very well, we had a cracking ride and i saw a whole new side to Cannock...cant wait to get back there, I have no real negatives about the trails there and think it holds it's own with many other centres out there.

Posted 2 years ago #
jedi - Member

will do bushwacked. quantocks first though dude

Posted 2 years ago #
Shizzletrack - Member

My second time today and yes it has been cut up a fair bit, but there will have been a MASSIVE amount of traffic so it is to be expected. I read that people can do it in 1:15-20!!! I was getting a fair wriggle on and did it in 1:30 bang on, on a lapierre zesty. How the hell can people do it so fast!? (not that how fast is important

Posted 2 years ago #
_tom_ - Member

haha, took me about 3 hours or more. So unfit it's ridiculous. I ran out of water about 1/3 the way through.

Posted 2 years ago #
cb - Member

I did this last weekend and am a bit confused...we rode from the bike shop and started FTD (I think). Got to a junction with Monkey off to the left and FTD straight on. We rode the Monkey and then went back to the same junction and rode straight on. Neither time did we go down the rocky chute on the photo earlier in this thread. The only uphill switchbacks that I remember were the ones straight after the Weirwolf drops and we didn't cross a railway line which a previous Cannock thread had mentioned.

WHere did we go wrong???

EDIT - there were some guys working after the (downhill) stepped switchback and we had to divert straight down the hill - they said it was only a small diversion though...

Posted 2 years ago #
_tom_ - Member

cb you missed the best descents! The ones over the road are awesome. Dunno where you went wrong though, I just followed the guy I was riding with.

At the top of the first big fire road climb (quite rocky/loose) you turn left into some lightly wooded singletrack which I think is part of the monkey trail and leads you down to the road/railway.

Posted 2 years ago #
HeathenWoods - Member

WHere did we go wrong???

EDIT - there were some guys working after the (downhill) stepped switchback and we had to divert straight down the hill - they said it was only a small diversion though...

I'm guessing it was there as you cross the rail/road straight after that and enjoy the first of the switchback climbs. The section over the road is the Monkey proper and is the fun bit, imo

Posted 2 years ago #
Curly68 - Member

I went there on Monday with Mickasaki and one of his mates. Coming from not so hilly Suffolk and used to riding with my kids and the "hills" in Thetford, I was cream crackered on the climbs! Loved all of it though. Views are excellent up the top. Met some nice chaps out for a ride and the trails were wicked! Didn't have to do a lot of pedalling on the downhill bits to keep up with them (mass helps on those).
Well done to those involved in the building of the trails.

Posted 2 years ago #
justa - Member

I made the same mistake - after the first section of the MT you reach a wide lane - I turned right and went p that horrible hill instead of turning right and going over the railway crossing - luckily i spoke to someone at the top and turned back (imagine my delight when later I had to ride back up that hill :cry:)

Maybe a sign is needed there - the only one is a red sign pointing to the right..

Posted 2 years ago #
Suggsey - Member

If you didnt cross the railway when you came down the diversion and hit the fireroad (Kitbag Hill) you should have turned left, down the hill, cross the railway and the road and once over the road turn sharp right on the access road and the trail head is fifty metres in on the left, its a steep switch back climb and a challenge if you havent got your 160mm forks wound down. Then just carefully follow the arrows. the next place that folk go wrong is after the long zig zag descent form the ridgeline that then spits you down a rock chute onto the fire road where you turn right downhill and past a three bar metal gate. the fire road seems to take you downhill but turn right and the next entry point is 20metres on the left when heading uphill on that fireroad. Again there is a switchback climb.
Once heading back over to the FTD side of the main road/railway and up Kitbag Hill, bear right at the top back onto FTD, eventually you cross another road (by the old section 13 downhill 'chainslapper'). through Tackeroo and bear right the trail head is on the left as you travel along the firroad that runs round the Rugely end of Tackeroo (look for the cooling towers ahead of you).
Yes the trail has cut up in places but thats because it fast and if you get over confident and dont know the trail there is the odd bend that will catch you out.
The only thing that could be improved for the masses on a first time visit would be a few more finger posts at the obvious points that folk miss the trail as I outlined above.
Its great in the dark too adding even more of a challenge and its very quiet at night.

Posted 2 years ago #
cb - Member

Ahhh - makes sense now! Guilty of following the masses rather than thinking for ourselves!

Posted 2 years ago #
neverfastenuff - Member

WHere did we go wrong???

EDIT - there were some guys working after the (downhill) stepped switchback and we had to divert straight down the hill - they said it was only a small diversion though...
Tha photo looks like the 'black run' - it is easily bypassed as you are going quite fast at this point heading into a downhill berm.. (the black run actually comes back onto the trail after the berm - its only 20 yards or so long..

Posted 2 years ago #
neverfastenuff - Member

The Werewolf gets me --- on the tackaroo section -- pointless wheel breaker..

Posted 2 years ago #
postierich - Member

The Werewolf gets me --- on the tackaroo section -- pointless wheel breaker..
Could have taken the "my balls have not dropped line on the right of it"

Quite liking the way the trail is breaking up in parts making it more natural.
Rich

Posted 2 years ago #
neverfastenuff - Member

you might end up posting my balls back to me one day

Posted 2 years ago #
Jase_MK - Member

Was also riding there today. Great ride, really enjoyed it (apart from my poxy howling brakes - apologies to anyone who got deafened by them)

Posted 2 years ago #
maxray - Member

It was so busy today I just stuck to the other secret trails up cannock. Met a nice bloke on a bling Gary fisher who had the same idea, he was about the only bloke I saw. There really are some awesome cheeky trails.

Posted 2 years ago #
iain1775 - Member

The Werewolf gets me --- on the tackaroo section -- pointless wheel breaker..

eh??
it s a slightly but not overly challenging perfectly rollable little drop
only slight complication is its on a bit of a bend and the trees seem closer than they actually are

Posted 2 years ago #
_tom_ - Member

I didn't fancy the look of the Werewolf drop this time, may give it another look next time when my knees have fully healed and I hopefully have more energy.

Posted 2 years ago #
HeathenWoods - Member

Quite liking the way the trail is breaking up in parts making it more natural.

Mm. I was thinkin bout that when i was there on Tuesday. Now sure I'd say it felt 'natural' but it does give a particular character to it which made sure you had to think more about what you were riding over - which I guess makes it more like a 'natural' trail after all

Posted 2 years ago #
neverfastenuff - Member

I would rather have the monkey in the state its in now than the horrible Tawn trail I was trying to ride in yesterdays heat.. horrible slabby trail pointlessly heading uphill...

Posted 2 years ago #
tazzymtb - Member

I love the monkey trail, it keeps the rest of the decent chase cheeky trails nice and quiet and I can nip over for a late night or early morning ride when no other fecker is about

Posted 2 years ago #
postierich - Member

Any of you locals up for a cheeky trail fest this week let me know as I have the week off and up for some riding company, offer open to any non locals that want to see a bit of the Chase off the beaten track let me know.

Rich

Posted 2 years ago #
tazzymtb - Member

Rich - I will be about on thursday evening if you fancy a singlespeedathon

Posted 2 years ago #
HeathenWoods - Member

I'm heading north this week otherwise i'd be up for that. Hopefully there'll be another midweek 'next time'

Posted 2 years ago #

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