Is it open yet, if not when, if yes it is any good.

Opens Saturday 🙂

Its not open until Saturday. It will be good if you like narrow / tight / flowing / not technical treelined singletrack and dont mind doing tightish switchbacking climbs.

Cant see it being too fun on anything with bars over 700mm, as they wont fit through the trees.

What bars for follow the dog part 2? 😛

scruff; sounds peachy.

it's on my 'spare weekend in May' itinerary…

I've had a look at a few of the closed sections and look forward to riding them – they are looking good (especially the section near Stile Cop – M8 section)

We're giving this weekend the miss – as it will be rammed. Going to go Wed evening instead

710mm Sunlines for me, no problem ;o)

We are indeed launching the trail this Saturday as the Monkey Trail launch will also include the launch of the re-vamped leisure trails. The programme of events goes…

10.30 – Presentation and official opening of the Monkey Trail.

11.15 – Beginners basic skills session & Intermediate skills session

11.30 – Guided Ladies MTB amble

13.00 – Beginners basic skills session & Intermediate skills session

15.00 – Guided Family Ride & Beginners basic skills session & Intermediate skills session

Our volunteers are out on the trails now and have been all week putting the finishing touches to areas that need it in readiness for Saturday and we've booked some decent weather so if you're about at all on Saturday then head over the Birches Valley VC and get involved.

Possibly as a result of recent publicity we've even had our website hacked and trashed this morning so the word must be out there (albeit no mention in the news pages of this site)

Stu
http://www.chasetrails.co.uk

Was over that way a month or so ago and rode the original one for the first time. Remember chuntering away to myself after having a few near misses with the bars! Enjoyed so I'll definately go back, but perhaps not this Saturday with the hoards!! 😉

Scruff its not your bars you need to worry about its your ass! 😉

Will be up Saturday for the family ride and Sascha would like a spot on the 15.00pm skills taster session.

And everybody local JOIN CHASETRAILS and support your local trail builders!

How rude !

Why is this not in STW's news?! If it was any of the more established trail centers there would def be something.

I am looking forward to getting up there but may well let the initial flood of people subside or go of an evening.

Have the phase 2 permits been posted out yet? Dont want to ride their without prior permission, like.

true, though the early permits for Birches Valley included any future trail development.. thats what mine says anyway.

Why is this not in STW's news?!

Perhaps I'm being unfair here, but I get the impression that shiny new kit is far more likely to get on the news page of a few of the big MTB websites than developments with local trails. I do a similar thing in Bristol, and I think STW ran one of our press releases, once upon a time, but nowt since.

As about the only proper man made trails on the west midlands you would think it deserves a little exposure. Tho I don't know it Stu etc at Chase trails sent ST a press release or anything, they don't know if they are not told.

The trails are really well used so I can see why they would think the opening doesn't need any publicity. However I'm sure the volunteers who worked on the trail (and are probably going to have to repair it further down the line) would appreciate a shout out and a bit of extra publicity for what they are doing – you'd be amazed how many people think mountain bike trails maintain themselves, or that people are paid to do it.

.. you mean its not the trail pixies!? 🙂 Yeah for sure, there wasnt really any of the trails up there when we first started going to the Chase, they have done a stirling job in an area essentially devoid of hills!

The new end to the dog kicks ass not too sure if its supposed to be open already but there were no signs saying otherwise, it seems to go on and on and on 😆

Why is this not in STW's news?!

correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree here.. but this is singletrack world no?

Not trailcentre world… the clue is in the name surely?

And everybody local JOIN CHASETRAILS and support your local trail builders!

Member #009 8)

yunki – Member
Why is this not in STW's news?!
correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree here.. but this is singletrack world no?
Not trailcentre world… the clue is in the name surely?
POSTED 2 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Huh!! You can only talk about what on STW?? Are u joking

Will Harris be allowed out to play ? 😉

Huh!! You can only talk about what on STW?? Are u joking

I would try and respond to that… but err… it dunt make no sense mate

I've re-read your post a few times and I'm gonna guess that you misunderstood me..

I wasn't saying that you shouldn't talk about trail centres.. far from it..
just that well.. why should it be in the STW news?
I don't expect news about my local Sustrans routes.. or the stock market.. or the minutes from the local PTA meetings..

admittedly I was probably being a bit of a c*ck..
sorry.. no offence meant..

LOL at Scruffs ass.

Will Spank The Monkey be better in reverse like FTD is?

correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree here.. but this is singletrack world no?

Not trailcentre world… the clue is in the name surely?

Yunki, is that for real?

I can very happily confirm that much of the new Monkey Trail is Singletrack. And anyway, why on earth would a new dedicated mountain bike trail not be worthy of mention on a dedicated mountain bike website? Bear in mind further that it's the culimnation of a project with a value of circa £200k and it's not exactly a couple of lads digging jumps in the woods.

Given the choice of reading about another pair or ridiculously priced forks or a new place to ride bikes I know which I would choose.

Anyway we were out last night doing some more checks ready for tomorrow and yes, parts of the trail are effin ace!

Went to CC for only the second time on Wednesday and took a wrong turn (still following a red sign) and ended up on a short section of new trail (worked that out cos the next bit was taped off – d'oh!) and I can confirm it was good swoopy fun 🙂

Given the choice of reading about another pair or ridiculously priced forks or a new place to ride bikes I know which I would choose.

Yup, you would choose the forks.

It's not in the news because it's not in a hole in the ground up north and actually has some trees on it?

Yunki, is that for real?

well… yeah… I've spent much of my life enjoying singletrack.. most of it probably centuries old and carved by streams and animals or occasionally laid by enterprising humans in less mechanical times..

It's still a pretty new concept to me to hear of 'singletrack' being created by blokes on diggers.. and.. like I said.. I was being a d*ck.

I am going next wednesday, never been before.

Will it be more fun on my full suss or my hardtail?

Will it be more fun on my full suss or my hardtail?

Ridged singlespeed penny farthing. 😉

Its not in the news cuz STW towers are busy publishing the Premier content (about riding in circles around Northern quarries).

rOcKeTdOg – Member

It's not in the news because it's not in a hole in the ground up north and actually has some trees on it?

LOL!