Chase Trails Cannock or Cwmcarn?

Corners R Us

Not been to Cwmcarn for a few years but also quite fancy trying Follow the Dog and the Monkey Trail at Cannock in part as I've not been there yet. Both are about 70 miles/90 mins from me.

I normally ride the Verderers in the Fod and trails in and around the area.

What say the more experienced on here? Worth doing one over the other or do they all offer a similar riding experience? Thoughts appreciated.

Corners

ianm7222

Cwm Carn every time! puts the mountain in Mountain Biking. Cannock is cool but pretty chewed up in parts

angry_bird

It's a tough one, on one hand there's the Welsh... on the other Brummies...


I'd say Cwmcarn

Thewaylander

CwmCarn i find the cannock trails good considering where they are, but on the whole because of where they are really boring.

Corners R Us

Thanks for the pointers. As I suspected Cwmcarn is the preferred option. Just looked at the weather forecasts for Sunday: Cwmcarn heavy rain. Cannok: dry. Sods law.....MucOff, hosepipe and brush at the ready!!

Corners

welshkev

Corners R Us wrote:

Thanks for the pointers. As I suspected Cwmcarn is the preferred option. Just looked at the weather forecasts for Sunday: Cwmcarn heavy rain. Cannok: dry. Sods law.....MucOff, hosepipe and brush at the ready!!

Corners

yeah, there's no bike wash at cc at the moment, so bring your own if you have one...there's a tap, but someone nicked the hose pipe

Corners R Us

So I surfaced at 0800 and left at 0830, an hour later than planned but I did have a slight hangover from watching 6-Nations rugby all afternoon then out socially watching a lcoal band so I had an excuse sort of. Arrived at Cwmcarn at 1000hrs. Left a misty car park at 1020hrs and the monster climbs came flooding back to me! Stopped half way up and tried to cough up and lung and be sick twice to no avail. Jeeez aloo I need to get fitter to enjoy this!

Trails were rockier than I remember and slippy due to the misty/damp conditions. Plodded my way up to the big picnic area and took a well earned drink and Mars bar rest....and contemplated life! Headed on round to the Airstream 1/2 junction. There was a fairly stiff breeze up there and it was misty too. Airstram 2 wasn't there when I was last here so I gave it a blast. Kin ell thats a bit more hardcore than I normally ride! Survived it in one peice, just. Headed down Airstream 1; more like it!

Enjoyed the rest of the trails but the down hill sections made me realise why people like full sussers for this kind of riding. There was a group of lads I sort of tagged onto here and there and as soon as it went down those on full sussers were gone. I could hold my own against one lad on a hard tail like me, just but the difference was staggering!

Final descent back to the car park was gnarlier than I recall but fun. I need to develop my technical skills and descending a bit as well as my general bike fitness!! Still 2hrs for a lap was reasonable considering I've only been back in the saddle proper for a few months and normally ride the gentler 11km Verderer's in the FoD!



















Bike washed, re-lub'd when I got back and hung up til next week. It wasn't too dirty to be fair.

Think I'll try Cannock next week as a slightly softer but longer option from the FoD

Corners