Cannock Final Section Reopening!

adrenalinemunki

Was speaking with Jack at Swinnertons after today's run and apparently the final section is reopening next week... I had a walk down it today and there is lots of cool stuff and it'll be a superb me thinks. Just a heads up folks

peter_booker2003

I heard it was going the be the 14th July. Either way, cant wait to have a go!

angry_bird

Has it changed much? I heard they were putting some rocky stuff down or something to reinforce a few landing spots and doing something with the the rollers maybe?

adrenalinemunki

Yeah they have reinforced a few bits by embedding natural looking sandstone slabs, looks kinda like a rough boardwalk in the floor

Mrs Toast

The closed section has been resurfaced, the corners reinforced, some woodwork has been added, the steps reinforced, and the rollers themselves have been armoured with rocks.

Woody80

Good times! It'll be nice to have a decent finish back rather than the buzz along the fireroad.

adrenalinemunki

This is one of the reasons I hold the chase in such high esteem (ignoring the fact that I live here and feel very lucky to do so) - now this is open there is not one single fire road decent on the whole route, every climb is rewarded with downhill singletrack

I went up to Gisburn Forest a few weeks back - superb fun! the black bits (of course including Hully Gully) were great and I'll definitely be heading back soon... However, there are lots of gnarly climbs and its disheartening to come flying down as many fast fire roads as you do, somehow seems a waste.

So yeah, monkey all the way

mtwindowcleaning

Good news off there this weekend

peter_booker2003

adrenalinemunki wrote:

So yeah, monkey all the way

Fully agree with you here. I live about 10 mins away and do the dog and monkey quite often. Will admit, the dog hasn't really got any proper downhill descents like the monkey has. I always feel like im rewarded for all the climbing on the monkey with the final 2 descents.

Woody80

It's open! Just finished a night ride and found it open - properly as well not just unblocked!

Hasn't changed massively really, little jumps are now rocks to launch from, there is a short "bridge" and then the rollers are now rock based which makes the line through them a bit more important.

I did almost rear end a deer though! Loads of them in the bracken tonight! Also a creepy man with a beard stood staring at the side of the trail! :shock:

angry_bird

Awesome, reckon I'll pop up there tomorrow morning for a bit of a play then.

Woody80

Should be deer free in the morning! Watch out for the man who looks like a wizard standing at the side of the trail though! Cannock is weird at night!

waby1234

He is the guardian of the chase, you've not heard of him?

Or he could be the stick man?

Or he is just a weird stary bloke!

Good to see the chase developing too.

Woody80

waby1234 wrote:

He is the guardian of the chase, you've not heard of him?

Or he could be the stick man?

Or he is just a weird stary bloke!

Good to see the chase developing too.

All I know is that there was a weird looking guy resembling a wizard stood at the side of the trail just staring! I almost fell off!

R0B75

Been to Cannock today for the first time in a couple of months and I've come away feeling disappointed.

I don't want to sound ungrateful as you can see the all hard work that's gone in to help the trail but the rollers have been ruined. I understand the reasons for armouring them, but they're just ruined now and I wasn't the only person to say it. The other little rock sections and the steps are much better, but it was the flow of rollers that made the last part so much fun, not any more. Its now like the rocky section in the middle of Parallel Universe at Llandegla, but unlike PU this doesn't have another fast and flowy section after it. 10/10 for effort, but it just doesn't work for me. A missed opportunity.

adrenalinemunki

Wizard?

I always see a man-looking-shape from the corner of my eye near the start before you come round a corner to go up that step (before cardiac hill) - is that what you're on about?

Woody80

adrenalinemunki wrote:

Wizard?

I always see a man-looking-shape from the corner of my eye near the start before you come round a corner to go up that step (before cardiac hill) - is that what you're on about?

Yup, a wizard! Just at the last section before the weir wolf drop. Just store at the side of the trail starring. My mate saw him as well and starred back and he still didn't move! Proper creepy!

prawny

Weirwolf pre transformation obvs.

I love the chase, cannock is full of wierdos you'd think there'd be more of them over there really. They're all in the Royal Oak most of the time.

Woody80

At least it wasn't the doggers that park on the fireroad up from the railway to upper and lower cliff!

angry_bird

Finally went and rode it today. Looks like it'll hold up a lot better which is a plus but... ok the first half of it isn't changed much and the reinforcement on the drops is good. On the other hand it doesn't feel as if it's riding as fast, just couldn't find the grip that I used to be able to in the corners, and I've not really had that problem on any other bits of the trail, maybe just needs to be given a bit of time though.

Rollers are a lot slower now, as I came out after my 4th or 5th go at it I bumped into some FC guys and apparently slowing it down was the idea. Too many people getting up to decent speeds on it but without the skills or judgement when it came to actually ride it at those speeds properly. They did mention that while the work was being done there had been more accidents than normal with people bombing down that fireroad and losing it though

DodgeT

Rode about 1/4 of the monkey on sat morning. Got fed up with getting soaked, seemed like every corner you turned / crest you went over, you were greeted with the biggest puddle you can imagine.
So spat my dummy out and went over to the cop and had a great 3 hours

It's a love hate thing for me cannock, I love the DH trails at cop, but can not stand the dog n monkey, just always seem too messy/muddy/wet. Might be OK if we had a lot of good weather, but IMO it just doesn't handle wet weather well.

Woody80

Definitely doesn't ride as fast, seems really loose. Probably does need to bed in which won't take long!

Did you session that last section then or did you do that many laps?!

angry_bird

I went up and sessioned it before I actually went off to do any proper riding

peter_booker2003

Angry Bird wrote:

They did mention that while the work was being done there had been more accidents than normal with people bombing down that fireroad and losing it though

I agree with this. One of the times when i was coming down the fireroad there were 2 guys behind me who when they got to the bottom going flat out clashed into each other and both went flying. The fireroad was probably more dangerous but bloody good fun!

waby1234

That fireroad is definitely quick, although I have had to keep my wits about me due to dog walkers coming up the fireroad.

angry_bird

waby1234 wrote:

That fireroad is definitely quick, although I have had to keep my wits about me due to dog walkers coming up the fireroad.

It's not just the fire roads. Yesterday there were what appeared to be a couple of families out for a walk together on FTD :roll: Fortunately I didn't hit them, managed to stop with about a foot or two to spare. One of the dads looked like he was about to say something but I politely pointed out it was a bike trail, that it was clearly signed and that it was irresponsible of him to be there with the kids.

Then after I'd been around for a while I'd been riding laps up and down the hill to give my legs a bit of a final work before I headed home (keen I know but it's all good stuff). Headed back towards Swinnertons along the fire roads and saw another group of people wandering along that boardwalk on Stegosaurus...

I just don't get why you'd want to walk on them bike trails anyway. They're muddy, there aren't any particularly good views, just lots of trees :?

prawny

Angry Bird wrote:

waby1234 wrote:

That fireroad is definitely quick, although I have had to keep my wits about me due to dog walkers coming up the fireroad.

It's not just the fire roads. Yesterday there were what appeared to be a couple of families out for a walk together on FTD :roll: Fortunately I didn't hit them, managed to stop with about a foot or two to spare. One of the dads looked like he was about to say something but I politely pointed out it was a bike trail, that it was clearly signed and that it was irresponsible of him to be there with the kids.

Then after I'd been around for a while I'd been riding laps up and down the hill to give my legs a bit of a final work before I headed home (keen I know but it's all good stuff). Headed back towards Swinnertons along the fire roads and saw another group of people wandering along that boardwalk on Stegosaurus...

I just don't get why you'd want to walk on them bike trails anyway. They're muddy, there aren't any particularly good views, just lots of trees :?

@Angry Bird you use the 456 over the Dog/Monkey much or just the Cop? Thinking of getting an Evo so I can take it over the Cop eventually but I'm a bit worried it might be too much for the Dog.

angry_bird

It's a fecking nigthmare round the XC stuff, too heavy, with the forks turned down to 115mm it's alright, but it's slow through the tight twisty stuff. Doesn't like hills either with the gearing I've got.

Eats up all the rocks, black bits, step downs and descents though

Having said that if you built an Evo round a 140mm fork and just put decent strength AM kind of wheels on it I reckon it'd be ok on the dog. I've just built mine to be bombproof.

prawny

Yeah that's what I was worried about. I want something that will do all of the above, especially the rocks steps and decebts bit for less than a grand. :?

waby1234

That's true, people wandering onto the trails is difficult. I guess that's the downside of a shared use area.

bails87

prawny wrote:

Yeah that's what I was worried about. I want something that will do all of the above, especially the rocks steps and decebts bit for less than a grand. :?

The SS is slacker and heavier than the normal 456 though isn't it?
My Carbon 456 is great at Cannock, I worried about being 'overbiked' too when I first got it. A steel 456 with 140mm forks would be fine, certainly not 'too much' bike. You could get round on less but it wouldn't be like trying to ride it on a full on DH rig.