Cannock Chase conditions this weekend…?

I’ve got the opportunity to have a ride around Cannock Chase on Sunday (will be in Manchester so can stop off on the way home)

The weather isn’t looking great. Raining everyday, including Sunday unfortunately

What are conditions likely to be like on the ground? Never been there before so don’t know if it’ll be a mudbath or still acceptable

Should still be fine on the marked trails, might be a few puddles but nothing too bad.

Off piste wasn’t too bad last week but with more rain due it can get a bit muddy.

Just got back from a quick spin on the dog, Riding really well with no puddles at all really as this week has been fairly dry and windy. The rain is supposed to be coming in today so expect a few by sunday but it very rarely gets muddy. Go for it

Sandy, pebbley & puddlely

It’s been OK this week but as you say the forecast isn’t good.

The Chase drains quite well up to a point then it becomes saturated. If it rains and it’s busy then even the sheltered sections will be wet. Having said that there’s been a fair bit of maintenance to address the biggest craters so there won’t be any actual mudbaths or tyre-swallowing puddles

If the weather forecast is accurate, my prediction is a coating of diarrhea-like watery mud over Those Pebbles

Enjoy

Great, thanks for your help

Would I be right in thinking that the FTD route is well marked and obvious? So no need for my GPS and there’s no chance of getting lost

(Might be doing it on my own)

Anything thing I should be aware of in particular? (I’m guessing not but worth asking anyway)

You’ll be fine with no GPS, it takes a special kind of half-wit to get lost at Cannock

Make sure you do the Monkey Trail as well as the Dog, it’s the best bit. All really well marked, you’ll struggle to get lost.

Would I be right in thinking that the FTD route is well marked and obvious?

Yup just follow all the Oranges and Santa Cruzes and hired Giants

Anything thing I should be aware of in particular?

Pebbles
Cucumbers
Werewolves
UFOs
Aliens
Pig men
Black eyed girls
Doggers
Panthers
etc

And wallabies, wild boars and hobbitsis.

Best to go early as Sunday’s can get busy

Cool, thanks for the help

Any snakes? 😀

Went up there last night for a night ride. The only wet stuff was on the last two sections of the monkey.

Keep an eye out for the mysterious ghost child that’s been spotting again recently

Cannock Chase conditions this weekend…?

Same as always – too pebbly for Hora…

Hey! them there lethal pebbles attacked me last Friday!!

🙂

Going over the trails at the chase is always a treat, love the place, always a great vibe from strangers and people just get chatting, love it. For me it has a community feel to it.

I think it used to be more friendly before the trail centre.

Don’t forget your permit 😉

Are you local to the chase jamjar74? You often comment on chase threads. We should have a stw Cannock group ride. I live in the Trentham side of stoke, can be at birches Valley in 35 mins.

Yes Jekkyl, I am. I’m in North Brum so about 35/40 minutes away. Sounds good but Im off the bike until January following injury and then will need to build up my bike fitness again before I am ready to not show myself up!

Never ridden it as slippy as it was yesterday :S

jamj1974 – Member

I think it used to be more friendly before the trail centre.

It sure did,some right miserable gits over there now !

It sure did,some right miserable gits over there now !

I often bimble over there and avoid the loops, people seem to get the red strava mist on the trails and don’t want to talk. Catch people off those and they are friendly enough.

It’s also just started raining here so fingers crossed it’s a shower!

A STW off piste Cannock ride could work well – share the local knowledge…?

I’d be up for a cannock STW ride potentially. I can ride to the halfawy point of the dog in 6 mins from my house. with about 100m on tarmac

Edit: – Sadly though I have zero local knowledge. Next summer I’ll do more exploring

benp1,

Follow the dog and the Monkey don’t suffer with mud as such, there will be puddles, some small, some large, all wet.

Bookmark our website http://www.chasetrails.co.uk where you’ll see big issues with closure etc in the future and there are links to our XC & DH Facebook / Twitter things too.

Regarding the comments on grumpy riders that’s just the way of things now I reckon. We started developing the trails when the MTB scene was much different to the way it is now. The popularity of the Chase is not just that we’ve built official trails there but also the rising popularity of MTBing as the new Golf that’s done it. More people inevitably means more happy, grumpy, ignorant, helpful people.

Stu

the offpiste loveliness will be getting a bit swampy, particularly with more forestry activity in some places tearing up the trails, but the official trails will be fine and dandy.

although some of the new secret cheeky drains really well so should be good all winter 😀

Fat tyres #FTW*

*if teamed with a wife beater jersey

Regarding the comments on grumpy riders that’s just the way of things now I reckon.

I think so to a degree. The more pressure on a resource the less considerate people get IME.

We started developing the trails when the MTB scene was much different to the way it is now.

Yep. Very, very different. I think it was in a slump back then.

The popularity of the Chase is not just that we’ve built official trails there but also the rising popularity of MTBing as the new Golf that’s done it.

With all the pluses and minuses that brings! The built trails are great and to my mind getting better.

More people inevitably means more happy, grumpy, ignorant, helpful people.

Agree. Wouldn’t mind a trip back to ’96 – ’97 just for a reminder of the good old days though!

the offpiste loveliness will be getting a bit swampy,

But after a few hard nights of frost…

although some of the new secret cheeky drains really well so should be good all winter

🙂