Potentially heading up that way on Monday,
Comparable to Cannock?
What are the black runs like?
current conditions?
Are the climbs any good?

Better options close by?

Not been to Cannock, so can’t compare to that. There are some decent climbs – they don’t seem to go on and on like Inners/GT/Whinlatter.

Not many official black runs left now. The natural stuff is great when dry and sloppy when wet. Man-made is usually OK, if a little wet – doesn’t drain well in places. Depending on the time of day you go you could do a sneaky run of the Descend bits.

I tend to go most Tuesdays after work and Chopwell on Thursdays, though not tonight as the Wife is at work.

Black loop is fun, it’s no more technical than the red at Cannock though.

The red loop is ok, but I don’t really like the long fireroad climb to come back down a fireroad. I tend to just take a shortcut to the top of transmission, accellerator and nitrous.

The root 66 climb is good to try clear without putting a foot down, it was quite puddly last time I was there though.

If your passing, worth a look in. We live relatively local and use it all the time. Best route round is, park in the main car park and go up and do the black (the rebuild isnt all finished, but still fun). Drop down to the forest drive and turn right. Dont turn left up the little stone brige, but carry on past the second car park (normally used for horse boxes) and take the fire road on the right through a metal gate (normally open) to do the red short cut Yorkshire has give (save the long fireroad climb).

This is the ‘compact red route’ without the black at the start: Strava

As you drop down to the fireroad from Section 13 (the one by the DH tracks) there is lots of off piste stuff in the woods. In general, the built stuff all holds up pretty well, though there are currently a lot of breaking bumps in Section 13.

There isnt really another trail centre close by.