[Closed] Cannock Chase - is it rideable?

Yes why shouldn't it be?

I was up there today and it's lovely and frozen and cold, my bike doesn't need cleaning. 🙄

It'll be FAF*, take in some other stuff than Your Dad if you know your way about, offpiste rides WIKKID in the frozidz.

*Fast as ****

Wow, follow the dog without cleaning your bike after that must be a first!

Thanks.

Should've said - I'm from daan saaf and have never ridden it before so I have no idea what it's like and whether it stays rideable when it's frozen solid.

hasn't rained up here for a while and not had any snow either, as long as you're dressed for the cold it should be a blast!

Just got back from there, earlyish start no one was around, Swinnos shut now until after Christmas...FTD was fine, just some wooden bits were a bit slippy

Houns in riding again shocker!

welcome back xx

Twice in a week 😯

I'll be up there again tomorrow, gonna try and not to fester over the new icy slab bits 😳

Just back from quick spin this afternoon
All dry, frozen and ground nice and hard (except the cheeky trail up the LHS of the long fireroad climb after section 7 - that is not surfaced and in deep trees so still muddy as hell, but its not part of the official route anyway - but still worth a try)
Only saw about 4 other bikers all afternoon but there was a fair few families with kids walking the wrong way up parts of the bike trail
Warning - the boardwalk bits are okay but the new rock section is slippy as hell at the moment, I went flying off the minute my front wheel hit the first rock
Was testing my new £50 from Tescos Muvi camera so just uploading some vids onto Vimeo as we speak, soon as they are finished will post a link

vids from today here -

and here -

Apologies for quality and riding, was trying out the camera and mounts so still experimenting and nervous of it falling off! Footage is totally raw as it came off the camera (not great but for £50 can't complain)

Gives an idea of trail conditions at least

That was ok, but probably the hard ground doesn't help either.

Noticed you chickened on the narrow boardwalk 🙄

2nd the slippy bits on the new rock slabs - ended up on my arse after touching the brakes on the rock! The rest of it was fine, fast and dirt free (except for the cheeky bit through the woods as mentioned above - V boggy in the switchbacks).

The DHs are running well though and the bits over by the Monkey trail were great fun too 🙂

Norfolk - I hope by that you don't mean the bits of phase 2 that are CLOSED??
If so then shame on you for riding them and ruining the hard work of the Chase Trails volunteers

flip - yeah I chickened the narrow boardwalk, it may be frozen on the top but that puddle is still a huge pile of sludge underneath, didnt much fancy picking the new camera out of a foot of frozen mud!

Hey they selling action cam things in Aldi Sunday

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/2827_12511.htm

Dunno if its any good...

the vids above where filmed with a Muvi Mini camera
smaller than a pack of chewing gum
£50 - Tescos direct with free action sports mount pack (normally about £132 for camera and sports pack)

Update:

Well, we didn't go on Wednesday as planned and then the snow came down. So we went today - the best thing you can do on Christmas morning is ride mountain bikes - and had an excellent ride. The boardwalk was interesting in frozen snow, the Chainslapper lived up to expectations and the swoopy stuff through the clearfelled section was like a ski run with snow on the trail.

My girlfriend has now ridden her first trail centre so I'll take her to Swinley, next.

So, thanks for all the advice and thanks to all the people who put the hard work in to make the trails we rode today.

Cheers

Ian

Glad you had a good ride - you can't beat riding in the snow, especially when it's nice and quiet 🙂

iain1775 - nope, don't mean that new stuff. I mean the relatively new stuff by swinnertons, leading to the short boardwalk section. Not on for riding closed sections of trail - there's enough less well known stuff there not to have to ruin everyones hard work!

iain1775 - Member

vids from today here -

and here -

Apologies for quality and riding, was trying out the camera and mounts so still experimenting and nervous of it falling off! Footage is totally raw as it came off the camera (not great but for £50 can't complain)

Gives an idea of trail conditions at least

Great footage - but was wondering where the camera was mounted - looks like it might hav ebeen a groin cam!? 😆