[Closed] Cannock Chase First Timer - Any Good on a Saturday AM?

Yep.

Is that yep its good and yep it'll be busy?

The car park will be busy but I've never found the trails [i]too [/i]bad. Yeah, there will be others out there and a few pinch-points but it thins out quite quickly, especially if you're doing the Dog & Monkey.

Saturdays are generally quieter than Sundays but it'll still be busy come 10 a.m.

Weather can make quite a difference as well. If it's reported to be raining/cold there generally tends to be a much lower turnout whether it actually is cold/wet at all.

EDIT - you're lucky you're going this weekend too - the Christmas Tree sales start on 29th November and that can cause chaos in the Birches Valley car park & café.

Yes the trails are excellent and well worth doing. Yes it may be a little busy but everyone's usually quite friendly and you can only fit one person on singletrack so however busy it is it won't stop you having a good time.
Also when it comes to the split don't baulk at doing the monkey. If you just do the dog you'll find yourself back at the carpark in no time and you'll regret it. The better part of the trails are on the monkey and all the black stuff.

think its worth a mention that the black sections at cannock are alot more technical than some or even most other trail centres.

Thanks folks, the blacks are interesting then eh?
Done the Black at Afan loads with no worries.
Could do with a serious adrenaline rush after the week i've had!!

The Chase Trails lot used to meet up by The Urn at the bike shop just after ten (normally not riding until closer to 11 though!), so if you see some folk hanging around there might be worth saying hi and trying to get some free guiding!

Done the Black at Afan loads with no worries.

The Monkey Upper Cliff blacks are more tricky than any of the Welsh XC Blacks IMHO.

Black or no black you should enjoy yourself.

The Blacks bits are generally short alternative sections built into the Monkey using imported rocks to make techish rocky chutes.

think its worth a mention that the black sections at cannock are alot more technical than some or even most other trail centres.

+1, the monkey is probably more difficult than the average black (IMO), it's definately more than most reds. The blacks aren't going to kill you (well, not likely to anyway) but they are more slow/techy than most.

Yep as others have said parking could be tight but the trails should be fine. I've turned up late on a perfect summers day and didn't notice the trails clogging up at all.

The black technical sections on the Monkey are hard but they are usually in short bursts most also have chicken lines. So give it a go and if you bail out you only have to walk a few metres before you can carry on riding again so well worth giving it a go.

If you can get there for 9am it would be even better for parking and you'll have he trails to yourself.

I find the hardest black at the Chase is the bit on original monkey as it is drops or rock chutes coming out of tight switchbacks.

Saturday is generally less busy and you pretty much avoid them by parking on the other side of the road to railway on The Monkey.

The black bits are hard to enter but not that bad thereafter. I find the hardest the second lot of rocks on Upper Cliffe; needs commitment to go for it and not a good place for an attack of mincing once on it.

Got there at 9 and surprised how busy it was! Didn't notice too much congestion on the trails though. Super friendly locals and the bike shop folks! Had a really good ride!

Excellent stuff!

Got there at 9 and surprised how busy it was! Didn't notice too much congestion on the trails though. Super friendly locals and the bike shop folks! Had a really good ride!

Good stuff!

If you go again when the evenings are lighter 4pm is also a great time as most are starting to go home. There have been times when I haven't met anyone on the trail going at that sort of time. 🙂