Cwmcarn or Cannock

jonnyboy66uk
jonnyboy66uk Posts: 260
edited October 2010 in Routes
Hey all...

I have the option of riding either Cwncarn or cannock on friday and i just cant decide which to do.... The are both around 100 miles from me so distance doesnt matter.. I want to do both xc and downhill but i aint into big drop offs / jumps yet...

Please help... they will both be good but i just cant choose!!!!!

Still its a nice choice to have!!!

Comments

  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    i would say if you want to do some xc with downhill style descents on the same course then cwmcarn is you best bet. but the monkey trail did get good reviews in MBR the other month.

    but with cwmcarn you can always try the DH track to get a taster, most of it has chicken runs if you don't want to hit the big jumps and stuff :D
  • jonnyboy66uk
    jonnyboy66uk Posts: 260
    Thanks for that, I kind of agree and to be honest i will end up doing both in the next few weeks.... I am currently brwsing youtube looking at video footage and Cwmcarn looks brilliant... I would love to do teh jumping but i think i may snap my cube ams in half!
  • grubby
    grubby Posts: 214
    WK,
    What's Twrch like at the moment? Have you been there recently? I know there maybe a bit of rain tomorrow but the rest of the week looks good.
    Thanks.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    Grubby wrote:
    WK,
    What's Twrch like at the moment? Have you been there recently? I know there maybe a bit of rain tomorrow but the rest of the week looks good.
    Thanks.

    i haven't been there for about 3 weeks but i'm, sure it's fine. it never holds much water anyway. it's rideable all year round :D
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Yarp bst draining trail in the wet season,

    Alot of locals stick to cwm in the winter rather doing the locals trails due to its superb drainage, that way we don't cut up the more muddy local stuff
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I wouldn't travel 100 miles just to do Cwmcarn though, there's 1 XC loop, which takes around an hour, but that's it. I used to head over there when I lived in Bristol and do 3 or 4 laps, but there's not much variety there.

    I know there's a wealth of 'natural' riding, but it's not signed.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Njee...

    Seriously go do you research before opening ya mouth, get an OS map and Cwm has some of the most remote riding of all south wales....
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    You're on the warpath against me today aren't you!?

    Of course it has tonnes of natural riding, as I even said, but it's not signposted, the fact he was thinking of Cwmcarn suggested to me the OP's thinking of a trail centre, rather than having to navigate with a map, in an area he doesn't know, and having to guess at what may be good riding.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Nah he is a mountain biker, we can all read maps and can look around, also there is a full DH run with an uplift, which he did mention Down hill :p

    And yarp decided i do, some XC boy has to take the pain today i'm afraid hehe
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    What looks good on a map may not be any good (or even rideable) in real life though! The DH track still isn't enough to entice me to drive 100 miles personally, but that's just my opinion. I'd combine it with Afan in a weekend or something, that's all I was saying.

    Do you want your toys back in the pram?
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    No i want heavier toys damn it!!!

    and have a wander and a look though could spend all day playing, and look for those tell tale tyre marks hehe ;p
  • Silversladey
    Silversladey Posts: 450
    Cwmcarn is on my doorstep BUT i wouldn't drive 100miles to ride it.
    A mate of mine swears by Cannock it is supposed to be real good.
    Personally i would drive 150 miles and ride afan and Glyncorrwg only an extra hour down the M4. :D:D:D
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    really? see i feel cwm ruins any trail at afan for pure fun and being technically challenging.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I agree that Cwmcarn is better than anything at Afan, but like I said, there is only really an hour of waymarked riding there, then you're repeating stuff, agree that combining with Afan would be best.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Njee, Did we just agree on summat.. Dammit lol
  • Where are my stabilisers?
    Where are my stabilisers? Posts: 979
    Well I'm gonna travel 100 miles to visit Cwmcarn sometime next week :D

    When the area you live in is dry, you'll travel anywhere for a decent trail! I did Whites Level recently and my next target is Twrch. It's only a few more miles up the M4 and it has great reviews, so I'm all for trying it... Plus, it's way long enough for me and I'll get more than an hours worth of riding one loop :wink: !
    http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss9/ ... lurLT2.jpg

    http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss9/ ... c611a8.jpg
  • Silversladey
    Silversladey Posts: 450
    Fair Point

    Maybe I have fallen out of love with Cwmcarn after that horrible climb :x :x , will have to get back out there maybe tommorrow and tame that beast of a climb :):)
  • Where are my stabilisers?
    Where are my stabilisers? Posts: 979
    I'm not looking forward to the climb either - It's the reason, I haven't yet been to Cwmcarn! I'll be thinking of the reward at the top though :D

    Bring it on :twisted:
    http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss9/ ... lurLT2.jpg

    http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss9/ ... c611a8.jpg
  • P-Jay
    P-Jay Posts: 1,478
    Depends what you're into.

    Cwmcarn (like most SWales trail centres) is a big climb, a bit of up and down at the top along stunning single track and a big old descent back again...

    Cannock sort of flows up and down along the whole thing, more 'real world' I guess.

    The last two sections of Cwmcarn really are the very best descents I've riden anywhere.

    There's a freeride section at the top, it's been downgraded recently and isn't called that anymore but there's two really good descents at the top you can do over and over without being an arse and pushing back up the trail and two DH tracks if you're brave.
    Shocker Enduro
  • jonnyboy66uk
    jonnyboy66uk Posts: 260
    Well im still no clser to a decision. Thanks for all your input.

    Living in oxford riding round the chilterns & ridgeway is good but now and again its just great fun having a blast at a trail centre.. Would love to do a weekend combining with afan, but am off to the lakes next weekend for a weekender and unfortuanately like most people i just dont have enough leave to do both!!

    Trouble they just both look briliant!! Is part of the follow teh dog route at cannock closed at the mo?
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    You done the Surrey Hills? Probably closer and more riding there.

    Edit: although then we're back to no waymarked trails, although I can show you around!
  • jonnyboy66uk
    jonnyboy66uk Posts: 260
    Thanks njee will take you up at that some time, My head office is down in that direction so when i am there i will give you a shout. :D
  • dewei
    dewei Posts: 172
    Parts 9,10,11 of the Follow the Dog are closed for another 3 weeks (!) but the Monkey trail is unaffected.
    http://www.bikeadventuresuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9507
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Just do cwm it rocks.

    Decision made :p

Categories