Cannock Monkey Trail – surprisingly good

Well, the title says it all. Decided to visit Cannock since the Peaks were a touch soggy yesterday. I'd ridden Follow The Dog before which was fun in a flat-out-but-not-very-technical way, but was pleasantly surprised by the Monkey Trail. Swoopy bits, jumpy bits, pumpy bits, north shorey bits, bermy bits, rocky bits. Ace really 🙂

The last section of rollers puts a smile on my face, the effortless feeling of weightlessness is so nice 🙂 Can't wait to get back there soon, hopefully when the weather isn't so hot and my arms in better shape.

Tedious switch-backs, they must have bought a job lot of them and dumped them on every slope on the Monkey Trail.

wouldn't say theres anything tedious about it tbqf

I liked the switchbacks, they seem to make a climb go much quicker than a dull straight slog. One of them was almost enjoyable at one point!

the switchbacks are great, easy height gain in a high gear and more interesting than plodding up a boring fireroad (which was what we used to have to do to ride the original monkey)
Maybe they would be more fun Ti29er if you didnt ride a bike with clown wheels?

I thoroughly enjoyed the Monkey Trail and i did it on a 29er. And my mate with me did as well so don't tarnish the big wheel brigade! 🙂

Ti29er just didn't seem to like it at all. I will get back over there as soon as i can.

I also second the switchbacks as a good way to gain height without the boring slog. A big thank you to all chaps who spent the time building it.

How steep are the climbs? Fine on a singlespeed?

yep, easily doable on SS.

I rode a Turner Flux which is a 26er FYI.

I also gather it's jammed packed pretty much most of the time now, so you have to choose your ride-time carefully; but you're right, I did not get on with this trail at all.

Switch backs work fine, but in moderation, such as at Dalby where it doesn't seem like every 5 minutes all you're treated to is another bank where they ran out of ideas and added yet more switch-backs. I realise this might sound somewhat harsh, but I did get tired of yet another hill with yet more of the same.

I realise this is very much agaist the current perception of this trail which most do seem to like.

Rode the new stuff for the first time last Thursday evening and I have to agree with the op- it is surprisingly good.

Obviously a shed of work has gone into the build and the downhills are great fun with enough on them to keep things interesting. As for the switchbacks, they're a necessary evil and they do make a pleasant change from your usual fireroad plod.

Oh, and it was a lovely evening. We saw about 5 other riders 🙂

How steep are the climbs? Fine on a singlespeed?

I was using my granny on pretty much all the climbs but maybe someone fitter could power up them quicker.. Next time I go I'll try it all in 32-16 🙂

There is one horribly steep climb just after the road crossing (I think).

Remember the Chase has so much to offer than just ftd and the monkey trail….

I've rode it a few times now, mostly at 'peak' times on weekends. Even when the carpark was rammed on the opening weekend i never got stuck behind anyone nor did i notice many out on the trail.
As mentioned above, the switchback climbs are quite fun and much more interesting than a boring fireroad climbs.
All easily done on a SS

We went yesterday as well after tossing up Cannock or the Malverns…

Glad we went, I thought the trail was first class, much better than expected and just as much fun as the red route at Dalby IMO. We started at the bike centre as most will I guess and from here the route works really well, a nice gentle start warms you up for the technical stuff on the Monkey trail whilst you're still fresh, then the final bits of Follow the Dog are more free flowing to finish – great!

"There is one horribly steep climb just after the road crossing (I think)."

Yep, after the railway crossing so the start of the Monkey you're straight into these and I'd agree they seemed the steepest of the day, I found it quite hard to get the right balance between a low enough gear to be able to turn the pedals without being so low as to spin the back wheel – need to be smoother… the switchbacks are also really tight in places and generally pretty tough I thought.

I'll certainly go back, worth a trip IMO. One thing though, what is it with those silly gates?

Ti29er – every 5 minutes all you're treated to is another bank where they ran out of ideas and added yet more switch-backs

hmmm! so how many different ways are there of going up?

and while i'm having a dig

Ti29er – I also gather it's jammed packed pretty much most of the time now

where did you gather that from then? i was up there yesterday morning and no probs. to many people want the perfect trail and don't want anyone else to ride it. have you considered taking up knitting, i'm sure you can get oversized titanium needles!

and more…

_tom_ – the last section of rollers puts a smile on my face, the effortless feeling of weightlessness is so nice Can't wait to get back there soon

unfortunately, whilst still there, the rollers have been toned down as too many clueless idiots were coming to grief, i'm no superhero but it pisses me off that this stuff gets changed so that some happy family can go down it on their matching father and son apollos without getting hurt.

there are 4 'major' switchback climbing sections. Not one of them longer than 8-10 minutes in length and not one is overly steep or difficult
I would take them over a 30 minute fireroad slog any day, at least they keep you thinking and need a little bit of skill to navigate round the tight corners whilst maintaining traction. Its alot better now than the opening weekend as alot of the loose material on the corners has been washed away
I find myself pushing a higher gear each time now as I get better, and that mental challenge makes the trail more interesting. Think I managed no lower than middle ring and mid cassette last time for the full lap, and Im not the fittest at the mo so singlespeed should be doable even for me
The climbs are well worth it for at least 4 or 5 really good swoopy flowing downhill (or slightly downhill) sections

The only downer is the fireroad half way round where the trail is diverted until the last singletrack section is completed, but thats not a prob for me as I know the cheeky diversion around it 😉
oh and the original monkey having been tamed, but the black section there is still being built so I will reserve judgement on that for now

i wondered if they where still building where that bit of fire road is. i too take a cheeky trail but i do like that big dip that you have to ride as fast as you dare in order to get back up the other side 😀

Stu
cut off to left straight after top of that bit you like
after a while the trail splits, go left down a fun downhill bit and you come back onto a fireroad, turn right up there to get back near the big dip, do same trail again but take much less obvious right fork and you come out on top of the big sandy bank at the end of the fireroad section ready to start the switchback climb

iain… shhh! 🙂 yeah that's the one i take, can't help thinking though that if you come a cropper down there you could be there for days before being discovered 😯

I'd say kudos to the trail builders for making good use of what is limited landscape to work with.

I've noticed a lot of potential cheeky trails off fire road climbs too, will have to check them out soon. Really pleased with the atmosphere in Cannock, lot's of friendly, down to earth people, vastly outnumbering any snooty types.

Well worth donating to show appreciation to Chase Trail builders on Swinnertons front counter IMHO. :thumbsupfrommesmilie:

unfortunately, whilst still there, the rollers have been toned down as too many clueless idiots were coming to grief, i'm no superhero but it pisses me off that this stuff gets changed so that some happy family can go down it on their matching father and son apollos without getting hurt.

so happy familys should be banned from riding or stopped because they haven't spent enough on their bicycles? it's an open access trail isn't it? you can get just as injured on a 3K bike as a £50 one. i think newbies should be encouraged, how is anyone going to get better if they are not allowed to ride more challenging tracks because it pisses you off? we all had to start somewhere and progress

Had my first go round the Monkey trail this morning. Top work chaps!

The car park was absolutely heaving as you'd expect but on the trail itself there was no problem with it being crowded. I liked the switchbacks, as they added a bit of challenge to the climbs.

rOcKeTdOg – so happy familys should be banned from riding or stopped because they haven't spent enough on their bicycles?

no, i was just adding more insult to my message to get you to bite back! however my implication was that not-serious mtb owning family guy hears of a new local trails, dusts off the apollos and breaks his leg!

rOcKeTdOg – it's an open access trail isn't it?

it is indeed and there are also plenty of signs warning of what to expect and plenty of alternative routes to go and play happy families if you don't like it.

rOcKeTdOg – i think newbies should be encouraged, how is anyone going to get better if they are not allowed to ride more challenging tracks

exactly, except it seems these rollers were too challenging and now they've made them less challenging, so yes….. how is anyone going to get better?

Stu McGroo – Member

rOcKeTdOg – so happy familys should be banned from riding or stopped because they haven't spent enough on their bicycles?

no, i was just adding more insult to my message to get you to bite back!

well i guess it worked, you must be really bored to find trolling exciting, go for a ride! 😉

trolling? not me… my brother wound me up with an urelated phone call, this was the first post i read afterwards so now i'm "venting".

as for riding, the knees are still recovering from yesterday and i want a new bike now don't i!

i know what you mean did 20 odd miles on the rgid SS yesterday and just back from a 5 mile XC walk, probably ride later though

what did you demo?

yet another cannock thread descends into a bitch fest with the

friendly, down to earth people

that also troll the chase trails website 😉

And dont forget the view at the stop on the last section..
What climbs? those switchbacks take all the work out of getting to the best bits IMO. Lots of marbles off line now tho' on those berms

what a way to spoil a unique view 😆

Rode it Saturday for the first time, switch backs were brilliant (compared to any fire road) and as I hadn't been for a while, even the FTD was almost completely new to me. The ST trail volunteer's most be the busiest trail pixies anywhere…

Glad you like it.

Just to pick up on a point though, there's no such thing a Trail Pixies!

Just a group of hugely committed volunteers who turn up rain or shine. They continue to do this every week without fail so if you see them on the trail please stop and say hi and if you can spare a few minutes to lend a hand.