Cannock Chase - Follow The Dog Conditions

leaflite

Just a warning-apparently at the weekend someone left their bike outside the toilets, when they came out 2 mins later it had been stolen. So, to anyone going up there keep your bike in sight at all times!

Mrs Toast

Will definitely go back but get the feeling weekends are probably very busy?

Weekends tend to get quite busy, particularly in the mornings - it quietens off in the afternoon. I think the Monkey tends to be a bit quieter - most of the traffic is bunched up on the first few sections of Follow the Dog. And around Werewolf Drop!

Just a warning-apparently at the weekend someone left their bike outside the toilets, when they came out 2 mins later it had been stolen. So, to anyone going up there keep your bike in sight at all times!

^ This! This is the second theft I've heard of from Birches Valley in two weeks - the other was locked up to a bike carrier with a heavy lock, which the thieves cut through.

.blitz

someone left their bike outside the toilets, when they came out 2 mins later it had been stolen

ruggerbugger

My riding mates & i are going to cannock for the first time on sunday 14/8, does anyone know what the conditions are like? Any tips/info gratefully recieved.

Happy Riding!

.blitz

We've had it good lately and the trails have been very dry and dusty. It rained a lot last night which should help wash away the layer of dust on the pebbles and reduce the 'riding on marbles' effect.

The official trails are in a bit of state tbh - braking craters, crumbling apexes etc - but still good entertainment. Monkey is in generally better condtion than FtD. Off piste is generally sensational.

Note Section 11 is closed. The detour is left up the fireroad, right at the next junction then right at the next junction to rejoin the trail. If you miss it go right at the next junction before the information board. If you miss that one as well, just carry on

leaflite

I just bought a load of dry lube for the chain because I was fed up of all the dust sticking to it, and now all the dust has gone. Dammit.

.blitz

Yes it was like a tropical rainforest today. Hot, humid and slicker than an XTR shifter. And the flies arrrrrrrrrggghhhhhh!

Mrs Toast

Another few bikes went from Birches Valley on Saturday and Sunday, including a Lapierre from outside the cafe and a Cannondale from outside Swinnertons. Feel really sorry for the Cannondale guy, his chain had snapped and he'd gone into the shop to sort a new one. Came out - bike gone.

On the conditions front, very dry and sandy in parts. Section 11 is still closed, but coming along nicely.

.blitz

Always a bit cagey about parking up outside Swinnos tbh. So many people milling about and there's at least £20k of MTB outside.

Back luck for the guy it happened to but I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. Look after your stuff people This Is Cannock

Ryan Jones

I always carry that little cable lock which came free in MBUK a few months back, hardly top notch security but as said anybody could walk off with a bike unquestioned but someone dragging a bike with a lock on or trying to remove said lock would be hard to miss with that many people around.

Mrs Toast

Yeah, I think it's even worse when it's busy, as it gives the thieves more cover and distractions. Think so far a Kona Hei Hei (from outside the toilets), Lapierre Zesty (from outside the cafe), a Gary Fisher Paragon (my friend's bike, locked to his cycle carrier) and a Cannondale (from outside Swinnos) have been nabbed. I think that there's not been too many bike thefts for a while, but the last couple of weeks have seen a spike, so there's obviously thieves operating there - people really need to be vigilant. It only takes a minute to nabb a bike and throw it in the back of a van.

So far I've heard solutions such as "set up a bike to be nicked, and chin the bastards" and "Put C4 in the top tube and detonate when they ride off". Not that I'd condone violence, but I wouldn't be too upset if the thieves got knocked about a bit...

Ryan Jones

Well we had planned on some vigilantism during them riots last week, so maybe some chase-thief nabbing could be the next bet

_jon_

I've always been very wary of leaving my bike outside Swinnertons. I rarely go in the shop as a result.

I did buy a bike alarm a while back (that goes off if your bike is moved). I might think about fitting that.

.blitz

Ryan Jones wrote:

some chase-thief nabbing could be the next bet

Could always feed them into Cannock's tree mulcher and use the bits to fill in the braking bumps

leaflite

What tyres are people using at the moment?


Im currently on maxxis ignitor 2.35s front and rear and find they slide around all over the place on the shiny pebbles/rocks etc. What have you found the best for ultimate grip?

Briggo

leaflite wrote:

What tyres are people using at the moment?


Im currently on maxxis ignitor 2.35s front and rear and find they slide around all over the place on the shiny pebbles/rocks etc. What have you found the best for ultimate grip?

Last time I went I had Rubber Queens in the black chili, slid all over the place. Dropped the PSI from about 35 to 25 and was perfect.

Ryan Jones

Maxxis 2.25 Advantage 60A, about 30psi and not a problem over the chase with them

.blitz

Maxxis are where it's at for the Chase. Currently running a 2.25 Ardent f and a 2.25 CrossMark r on the Rize (25 psi f, 30 psi r) and a 2.35 HR f and a 2.25 CrossMark r on the Ramones (same pressures)

Have also had some success with a 2.4 Nic on the front and also a 2.35/2.5 Minion DHF but they are big old lumps - the 'grip at all costs' option.

angry_bird

Very fast going up there this evening, even if some of the trails need a bit of repair, just keeps it interesting

At the moment I'm using Maxxis Ignitor front and Kenda SB8 rear, it's a bit too dry and loose in places to use another small block on the front and push it as much as I'd like to in some of the corners.

Briggo

Did Cannock over the weekend, been a while since I last done it and its cut up a bit but as AB says it keeps it interesting on the downhills

The new black section is interesting, tight switchbacks with immediate mental rocks and a big drop afterwards. Bloody difficult to pick a line, especially if you hit the outside line and the soil is loose its hard to recover back in the middle, nearly had a big off on one but managed to use a tree to cushion my fall

lowride303

can anyone tell me what the current conditions are please? im supposed to be going tomorrow. many thanks in advance

peter_booker2003

very wet. Puddles everywhere

Fingz999

im on my way over tomorrow so hoping for some fun up there is it still worth a ride?

peter_booker2003

forecast for tomorrow isnt great so if i were you id postpone the trip for a week or two. The dog gets very wet, but the monkey is normally better, but still a lot of standing water.

Mrs Toast

Section 11 is temporarily closed due to falling trees.

prawny

I got up at 6 this mornin looked out the window and went back to bed.