[Closed] First visit to Cannock tomorrow

might be icy, gritters are out tonight

Ice Spiker icy or just a bit of a frost...?

If it freezes it will be very fast and grippy. The dog is OK just give it the beans, the monkey is really good and I would recommend doing the last two sections a couple of times.

Fast and grippy sounds ideal for some fun! Hope the 2 hour drive is worth it.

Was lots of fun when I went a couple of years ago, ended up going twice in a week!

if you see some fat bike single speeds and freaks on jones bikes, follow us into the proper cheeky stuff 😀

I was there a couple of weeks back and if you get there when frozen it will be a real hoot.

Not been in a while but it's pretty good- definately room for improvement but I guess that's always the case!

Post a report and let us know if its worth a day trip from bristol mate .

Not been in a while but it's pretty good- definately room for improvement but I guess that's always the case!

A lot has changed recently, I hadn't been for six months and went a couple of weeks back and it rode the best I've ever known it.

The monkey is fine but the real gems are the local trails.

Try and catch up with some locals but leave your gps off as its bad form locating the cheeky trails then publishing the gpx track.

SOAP - Member
Post a report and let us know if its worth a day trip from bristol

Will do, although I am slightly perturbed that you know I'm in Bristol!

It is worth a trip up from Bristol, its not rocky like CyB, its not wide and as fast as Llandegla, its not as steep or as long as most 7Stanes, its not as flat as Thetford or Sherwood Pines.
Its got its challenges if you ride it as fast as you can, not least some of the earlier sections of Follow The Dog where the pebbles that have risen and come to the surface make it really slippy in the wet. Upper and Lower Cliff are fun and Stile Cop DH trails are not that far from the Upper lower cliff areas. There is stacks of other natural trails if you like rooty technical challenges too.

I belive you have stated on here before that you are from bristol.
Don't worry it's a big place. 😉

tazzymtb - Member

if you see some fat bike single speeds and freaks on jones bikes, follow us into the proper cheeky stuff

Usually avoid you when I see you as most the time you just get in our way.... 8)

😆

Gunna be good!!

Hope you haVe bought your permit ro ride in advance, if not they re available at the bike shop at Birches Valley car park

Permit to ride issued by Mrs Boxfish.

If you wanna see some of the rest of the chase without having to use a map there is a blue trail that shares some of the same track just around the tackeroo campsite, just look for the info boards, there is a choice of 2 trails on the blue of various lengths. the trails are ace fun but make sure you do the monkey bits, at the intersection just turn left, I wouldn't come all that way & not. Enjoy!

I see you as most the time you just get in our way....

remind me to push you in a hedge next time I pass you 😆

I have been particularly unfortunate at Cannock in 2012. 3 visits in 8 months resulted in a broken arm and a broken rib. 🙁
The one visit inbetween the other 2 was probably the best ride of the year though. 🙂

On Thursday night it was cold. Take a shawl.

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Went yesterday and going again in a minute (I live 3 miles from it :D)

Pretty muddy in parts (The Dog) but only surface mud and one section still closed for repairs. Yesterday I almost came off as a new section of boardwalk has been built over a particularly boggy bit, I was'nt concentrating and almost blundered into it 😀 - only short section but a good idea as that bit will not dry until the summer. It also looks as if the closed section is being repaired.

All in all not bad - did'nt do the Monkey yesterday so can't comment on that.

remind me to push you in a hedge next time I pass you

😀

might be a light covering of snow, there was here in the NWAlps this morning

Sorry to barge in...but found a few gems between Cannock and Brocton, but does anyone local know if you can cycle in Beaudesert Old Park (I know you can't around the Ring for obvious reasons)?

Out riding tomorrow or Monday after 3 months and wanted to explore rather than go all out and injure myself again.

Yes ride where you want over that side too,quite a bit of mud around though.

the monkey is really good and I would recommend doing the last two sections a couple of times.

+1, whenever I go to Cannock I actually skip most of the monkey and go straight to the last 2 climbs/descents instead of going right after the road crossing. Find the majority of that bit of the Monkey quite boring but the last 2 bits are really fun.

Well, just got back to Bristol from Cannock so I thought I'd share my impressions...ow's about that then...

Was on the road at 7.15 and watched the thermometer steadily drop to zero as a snowy Birmingham loomed. Luckily the northern side of Brum was dry and brighter. The journey was only 1h 45m which compares well with a Bristol-Afan trip. The Cannock trail centre was easy to find and the cup of tea from the cafe was welcome on arrival (as was the change for the parking charge of £3). The car park was pretty busy by 9.30 when we set off for Follow The Dog/Monkey. I really enjoyed the twisty, wooded singletrack. It was unsurprisingly slippy on the pebbly trails but it wasn't too bad at all. The red-graded runs had a nice mix of up and down, with a few lumps and bumps to keep it interesting and enable some sick air...arf. I was pleased by the relative lack of fire road climbs. I'd rather keep it interesting and gain elevation via singletrack, if possible. A couple of the more fun sections were repeated for extra grin factor. 😀

All in all, a good first impression. To keep costs down, next time I'll drag some mates along from Bristol to share the fuel cost (about £35). Today certainly won't be my last trip to Cannock!

Make sure you get a permit from a ranger.

permit my arse

jekkyl - Member
permit my arse

to do what ?

You don't need a permit.

Trails at Cannock are in fine fettle A.T.M

You don't need a permit.

no, but to ride with singlespeed gods of the chase, the swapping of blackjack chews and the "secret handshake" of a Norman wisdom impersonation is a must. Otherwise we'll take you into the darkest, most secret bits of the chase and if you lucky your badger gnawed and dogger jizz covered corpse may be found by a dog walker in a few months. 😀

😯

Not sure if I want to go back there now...

I think I found the badger corpse yesterday 😀

Cannock Monkey yesterday 😀