cannock..ftd

graciejiujitsu

me and around 5 other oldies want a ride over to cannock to see what ftd has to offer,,,just after a little info.
do you have to pay?not that we mind just so we can take enough cash.
is it difficult?i was told to ask this...we got plenty of hills here in derbyshire just want to know what to expect.
is it waymarked,so your not constantly stopping to see where you are.
how long for average group of riders to get round,,the plan is to do 1 run have some food then go again abit more familiar.
thanks in advance

pauldowker

hi,

you have to pay £2 for the carp park. FTD is ok, it's a mixture really, good if you just want to mess without having to plan for the day..

the downhill bit is good, some climbs and some technical singletrack. worth a go in my opinion..

Paul

neilb67

You only have to pay for the car park at Birches Valley. Average riders should take about 40 - 60 mins but that should be alot quicker now as they have closed Sections 1 to 4. If you park at Marquis Drive and start at section 13 do the loop then when you return to the top of section 13 dont go down 13 go through the gate, cross over the main road and through the camp site. Then over another road and you've got loads of far better stuff to explore. When are you going?

graciejiujitsu

thanks for the replies,hoping to go on a friday morning in the next few weeks(shiftworkers)
if its only 40-60 mins round would you get 3 runs in during a 5hour trip there?
im asking not because i think it would be easy for us(we do a 33mile circiuit in 2hrs 25)this is very hilly in partsbut knowing the route we do it in that time where some take upto an extra 30-45mins.
im asking people with local knowledge as theyre usually the best to ask,3 of us have to get back to pick up kids from school and want to get the most out of the trip there.
do i park at birches valley for xc route?
thanks for being helpfull.

Blundell

I've just been down to Cannock today for the first time in ages and I'm abit miffed, half of the follow the dog trail is out of bounds due to some lottery heritage crap. SO that was a wee bit naff.
Then you seem to have a large number of numbskulls that just seem to loiter at the entry to the certain sections along the trail, a sizeable number seem to not acknowledge ya even when you say hello to them; then just to rub salt in the wound they seem to think that you will make a good guiinea-pig for the next section of the trail. (first mistake last mistake... lard arses!).

Then finally this is the best, after having done the follow the dog section we bailed off down the 'river/ stream' course down from close to ze german war memorial do dah down towards shugborough hall. There is a giant bridal path / fire road that takes you down to where there are some stepping stones across the river / stream, and on the rhs there is a well good steep hill that is tres dificile to get up. Bailin' down here we run into a group of four dumb-ass walkers. They see us from miles away and they move over to their righ and we move in the opposite direction. Admittedly I was blagging to my mate as we went past them, but some old git decided to stick his long neck out like a giraffe after we had passed them and shout thank you. I mean WTF did the clown want, me to dismount and bail upto him with gifts of gold fankinsense and myhre? Tosser!

All in all that place has become gash, mainly buy virtue of the fools that use it! Syeer well clear!

hednesfordxcer

if you ever want showing around give me a shout, I can usually make any day of week with a bit of notice

Andy

Blundell wrote:

I've just been down to Cannock today for the first time in ages and I'm abit miffed, half of the follow the dog trail is out of bounds due to some lottery heritage crap. SO that was a wee bit naff.
Then you seem to have a large number of numbskulls that just seem to loiter at the entry to the certain sections along the trail, a sizeable number seem to not acknowledge ya even when you say hello to them; then just to rub salt in the wound they seem to think that you will make a good guiinea-pig for the next section of the trail. (first mistake last mistake... lard arses!).

Then finally this is the best, after having done the follow the dog section we bailed off down the 'river/ stream' course down from close to ze german war memorial do dah down towards shugborough hall. There is a giant bridal path / fire road that takes you down to where there are some stepping stones across the river / stream, and on the rhs there is a well good steep hill that is tres dificile to get up. Bailin' down here we run into a group of four dumb-ass walkers. They see us from miles away and they move over to their righ and we move in the opposite direction. Admittedly I was blagging to my mate as we went past them, but some old git decided to stick his long neck out like a giraffe after we had passed them and shout thank you. I mean WTF did the clown want, me to dismount and bail upto him with gifts of gold fankinsense and myhre? Tosser!

All in all that place has become gash, mainly buy virtue of the fools that use it! Syeer well clear!

Manners cost you nothing. A quick thankyou on the way past is all it takes.

blaze591

andrew156 wrote:

Blundell wrote:

I've just been down to Cannock today for the first time in ages and I'm abit miffed, half of the follow the dog trail is out of bounds due to some lottery heritage crap. SO that was a wee bit naff.
Then you seem to have a large number of numbskulls that just seem to loiter at the entry to the certain sections along the trail, a sizeable number seem to not acknowledge ya even when you say hello to them; then just to rub salt in the wound they seem to think that you will make a good guiinea-pig for the next section of the trail. (first mistake last mistake... lard arses!).

Then finally this is the best, after having done the follow the dog section we bailed off down the 'river/ stream' course down from close to ze german war memorial do dah down towards shugborough hall. There is a giant bridal path / fire road that takes you down to where there are some stepping stones across the river / stream, and on the rhs there is a well good steep hill that is tres dificile to get up. Bailin' down here we run into a group of four dumb-ass walkers. They see us from miles away and they move over to their righ and we move in the opposite direction. Admittedly I was blagging to my mate as we went past them, but some old git decided to stick his long neck out like a giraffe after we had passed them and shout thank you. I mean WTF did the clown want, me to dismount and bail upto him with gifts of gold fankinsense and myhre? Tosser!

All in all that place has become gash, mainly buy virtue of the fools that use it! Syeer well clear!

Manners cost you nothing. A quick thankyou on the way past is all it takes.

I agree - you were on the fireroad running down the Sherbrook Valley - it's not a bike specific path, it's there to be shared with everyone. They've moved out of the way and you don't even acknowledge them? I reckon your comments say a hell of a lot more about you, friend. If you don't plan to return to one of my favourite places to ride - so much the better.

Blundell

Blaze591,
I thank you for your forthright, if not somewhat discourteous comments. However, as you point out the sherbrook valley fireroad is a shared path for use by everyone. The original point that I was making was that this one gentleman was out to prove a point., viz. that he though that the right of way was solely his on this shared path. Furthermore, I wonder if he adopts this tact with people that would use the path on a horse or even the warden in an offroad vehicle?
What was more we moved to the opposite extreme of the path well in advance of them and slowed down. My only 'mistake' if indeed that be the correct word was to be distracted and be in a conversation with my mate about the hill we were going to.

Basically form your impolite response to my comments you are either very posessive about CC (which you rightfully should be as in the whole there are some excellent trails in the place; minus FTD), one of the selct people who sit off waiting for guinea pigs on FTD or you may even be one of the walkers.
So, all in all, pal, please don't subject me to your overly purist judgement; and what's more I'm not in for the game of a mindless bandying of words. If you still have a beef with my comments go down the old Sherbrooke Valley fireroad, watching out and being courteous to both man and beast and take out your pent up frustration on the cool hill that is at the end of this trail, right by the picnic area by the little stream. You'll know it because it is steep with rain gullies and roots waiting at the top for you!

The BIG GT

"I mean WTF did the clown want, me to dismount and bail upto him with gifts of gold fankinsense and myhre? Tosser! "

Err...no, a teeny bit OTT there, Blundell? He probably just thought that, as they had been observant and thoughtful enough to see you coming from a long way off and move out of your way, you might just have been courteous enough to tear yourself away from your chat long enough to smile and say thanks?

I know that when I pull over to the side of a path for a walker or horse-rider I nearly always get a 'Thanks!' and a smile which means I'm more likely to keep doing it. It's called 'not being selfish', maybe you could try that? When I get no response I, like this walker, also think that people are being rude. He made the point in the politest way he could. He could have lowered himself to your level and yelled 'Tosser!', after all? When others move for me, I always acknowledge them for it, either with a smile or a 'Thank you'. Manners do cost nothing.

Obviously he mistook you for someone with manners..... :roll:

As for "Basically from (sic) your impolite response to my comments" and "So, all in all, pal, please don't subject me to your overly purist judgement", there was no rudeness in Blaze591's comments, nor were his view 'overly-purist', you just seem to have taken offense just because he did not share your view, as you were expecting by posting the story in the first place.

From your comments so far and their tone, you'll most likely take offense with my comments, as well?
.
.
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hednesfordxcer

Blundell you're complaining about Lottery Heritage Crap, this is actually a new off road bike route being built from Rugeley to Cannock, so can't be that bad a thing. Its not the fault of those VOLUNTEERS who built FTD that half of its closed, and whilst it's closed, they're busy building Phase 2. Although there are plenty of signs explaining dedicated MTB track, legally can't stop anyone from walking, riding on it etc. Not fussed if people say thanks to me, I try to be polite to all I meet on Chase (except Squirrels), and I appreciate FTD, it's what got me into MTBing.
P.S you may find this link useful: http://dictionary.reference.com/

graciejiujitsu

2 weeks tomorrow(friday)is when we are coming over.
around 10am after dropping kids off at school.

hednesfordxcer

If I get bike back from repair shop, I'll have wizz around FTD if you want, let me know

prophet_1000

LOL

Thank you, Thats all it takes!

P.S

Too many trail police in my opinion!, very occasionally you get to the end of the trail and nobody is behind you and you stop for a second without thinking, before you know it some previous School Bully is shouting at you for your one off laps of concentration/ problem with your gears etc to GET OUT THE WAY.

At which we replied a simple 'sorry mate'

CHILL OUT

A little less stress and just enjoy riding your bike, Driving your car, Going to work ( ok, maybe not going to work ) Basically Chill Out, live and let live Eh?

prophet_1000

www.27gears.com