Off to chase at weekend.
Can anyone give me details of where this is.
Know Stile cop a bit and Dog. 😕

Was the monkey not being incorporated into phase 2? If so, steer clear because it won't be opened until easter 2010.
I don't go often and have never been to the build days, but check the site and forum occasionally, and there's always threads about people removing brashing and fencing to ride new, unfinished trails and it just slows the building down.
Of course, that doesn't help in telling you where it is! But as it's not official yet anyway it's no surprise that there's no information!

Yep, the Monkey is completely closed and is presently a building site whilst a massive revmap is carried out including numerous rock sections all of which is happening to incoprorate it into Phase 2 which will be opening in Easter next year.

On the bright side there'll be no problems with people finiding it then, the weather *may* be better and the trail itself will be much betterer!

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

Yes, steer clear – let the CT guys do their stuff. I just cant spare the time for the build days, always seem to be kid-sitting when they come round, but hope to soon.
Cant believe the attitude of some bikers up there, total **** some of them.
Why not head over Sherbrook Valley, despite some of the advice on here you'll not get too lost & there's some good riding over there.

Thanks for that post – was planning to ride it on Saturday but will stay away now. Plenty over in SV to ride.

Taki your excuse of having kids on build days is laughable,the youngsters are well represented on build days!

You changed employers?

Kev you want to hook up for a ride?

best to stay away from Sherbrook atm,it's a swamp,and riding the trails will only make em worse……..

FYD will have puddles,but no real mud.

Thanks for all the info.
Will have to rethink Sunday ride.
What is the Dog like at the moment.

dog is,as I say,wet but not muddy.

Hi Kev btw 🙂

i think i rode the monkey trail a few weeks back after being told by some singlespeeding chaps where it was and that it was open.

anyway i wanst that impressed, i felt it had to much uphill stuff in it and the drop off on an angle caught me out too!!

unless ive got completely the wrong track and the singlespeeders are still pissing themselves at me!! 😀

😆

Instead of riding the Monkey you could always help out with the trailbuilding,Sunday morning meet @ 10am Bike shop/hire Birches Valley.
Willing to meet up for a spin round,then an hour or two dig.

Rich

renton, you've got your wires crossed I'm afraid. You've been given the ok to ride sections of Phase 2 by people who have no place to tell you so.

As far as riding trails under construction believe the signs you see not the muppets who tell you you can ride them. Unless said muppets are the trail builders of course. They are the only people who can accurately tell you the score.

You might not like Phase 2 when it opens, that's your shout, but in the overall trail the uphills are all compensated for by the descents. Should make a nice change over wombats riding FtD and calling themselves mountain bikers.

Rich ,

i would love to come up and help build some of the trails but unfortuneatley cannock is about 1 hour 15 from me and im off to the forest of dean this weekend.

i will try and get up after crimbo to help.

cheers

steve

Oh yeah and as for kids on big build days the youngsters are currently well represented. Youngest so far is Postie's nipper aged 3 who's ably egged on my my young 'un aged 4. We get up to 10 kids from 3-11 regularly at the big build days with 2 of them turning up for most normal build days too.

Next big build is January but the lads and lasses are out every Sunday. More details of the weekly antics on the blog

http://chasetrails.blogspot.com/

st
ive seen a couple of trails that side that are all fenced off with the orange fency stuff and stayed away from then as riding a trail before its ready only wrecks them tbh.

this "monkey trail"wasnt near these two(the two im on about are as you go over the road by the railway crossing and up the path one is on the left going up the path and one is at the far end of the wood by a road?) and wasnt far from a golf course iirc and actually crossed a fireroad at one point??

am i on the right track??

if so dont get me wrong i liked what i rode but it seemed to have a bit more uphillsections than the rest of follow the dog (plus im a fat knacker!!)

cheers

steve

st
ive seen a couple of trails that side that are all fenced off with the orange fency stuff and stayed away from then as riding a trail before its ready only wrecks them tbh.

this "monkey trail"wasnt near these two(the two im on about are as you go over the road by the railway crossing and up the path one is on the left going up the path and one is at the far end of the wood by a road?) and wasnt far from a golf course iirc and actually crossed a fireroad at one point??

am i on the right track??

if so dont get me wrong i liked what i rode but it seemed to have a bit more uphillsections than the rest of follow the dog (plus im a fat knacker!!)

cheers

steve

If you do not "do" uphill you will hate Phase 2 😈

You're in the right vicinity and yes there are some (relatively) steep uppy bits. Any of this ridden now will give a disproportionate impression of the amount of climbing but yes, there is a fair old bit more climbing than FtD.

i do normally do uphill but that day i was getting over man flu,on a new bike with a granny rinng nearly as big as a middle ring chainsucking to bits, i felt like id had enough!!!

i take it by phase 2 you mean the track just off the fire raod as you cross over the main road??

it starts on the left about 200 metres uo the fireroad??

if so i was speaking to a chap who was walking it(might of been one of the trailbuilders?) and he says its a bitch of a climb but get to the top and the down hill part of it is one of the best on the chase!

Ive made myself sound like a right old fanny now !!!!!

Renton, if you dont like those short upslopes the you wont like any of the new stuff, best to wait till June when we can begin our new uplift operation – up to Upper Cliff in the morning for Ph 2 then Castle Ring in the afternoon for some better natural trails. We have to wait for summer to make it financially viable.

Blackhound Kev – 🙂