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When the weather turns in the next couple of weeks, I'm going to have to start getting some long hours in on the bike. I was going to head over to Llandegla again as I know I can ride the trails or even the old bridleways there on my 'cross bike. Cannock Chase is a similar mileage from my house and although I've ridden one of the routes there (I think it was Follow the Dog) years ago, I'm unsure as to whether there are any gravel type routes I can have a go at on my 'cross bike?
I'll be hoping to do 15 to 20 miles while I'm there so I'm not looking for any heroics ie. Super technical, full suspension routes. Just a pootle round enjoying being in a forest kind of thing. My route to and from will be canal tow path and quiet roads.
Loads of options:
Follow the Dog is doable on a CX bike as long as you don't try and do some bits too fast.
Big network of Fire roads and wide tracks.
Loads of off-piste woodsy stuff to link it all together - you may need a guide though, or follow a GPS.
I'd say it's a do-able loop on a CX bike too - there are sections which are rough as hell which will rattle your eyes out, by no means unrideable.
The braking craters are probaby the worst bit.
I got annihilated by a rider there on a CX bike the other summer on FTD. They looked to be having lots of fun.
The Monkey trail would not be great on a crosser IMO but there are loads of gravel forestry tracks on the chase so a 20 miles would be easily achievable.
Absolutely tons of fireroads to go at. You'd have difficulty getting lost on a bike, just keep going until you hit tarmac. Despite what people say there's plenty of elevation as well.
You'd be cycling to the chase, doing 15 miles then cycling home? You live Hayfield way don't you iirc?, that's a hell of a mileage, 150+ cracking!
I wouldnt fancy Monkey on a cx bike, I'm thinking of the steep steps section before the bridge over the road which would be particularly scary on drop bars.
Loads of options for routes around Cannock on a CX. You can loop the blue route over and over if you wanted or simply start at the parking at Milford Common where there is also a handy pub and bike shop that does cake. From there you can head all the way over to beaudesert and back again by combining fire roads or putting road sections in for speed if needed.
I've used my cross bike on some of the BMBO events at Cannock which have started to the north of the chase at Milford. As somouk said rather than the Biches Valley end I'd recommend starting there, any one of the car parks near here https://binged.it/2BVjlxH <span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> takes you onto a huge network of paths and bridleways that are rideable on a cross bike.</span>
You can put in some decent mileage on the fire roads around the Chase without needing to do on the mtb trails
Have a look on strava, etc to see if you can find the Rapha Prestige route. 100k mixed route mostly along canal paths and around the chase. Pack brake pads though if it's wet. I was down to the backing after doing it!
I'll have a look at that, thanks.
Canal towpaths are awful at the moment. Blue route either way is good for gravel and once back at marquis drive visitors centre keep going down to the railway bridge, go over road and there's loads more gravel fireroads up past lower and upper cliff , beaudesert and stile cop.
I used to regularly ride Cannock, mainly FTD, on my cross bike. I actually have more fun on that than the MTB.
Monkey less so 🙁
It's all doable, even Werewolf but you need to get the angle right, or it's no more steerer tube for you sunshine.
Until we moved I was often seen there in my Ilkley CC top, latterly my Paramount kit, rattling my eyeballs out and mending pinch flats.
I have ridden FTD and Monkey on a cross bike including all the black sections but some bits are challenging.
You could get round monkey avoiding the blacks easily on one but it may involve walking a couple of sections if your not too confident. The main problem is impact punctures even with hard tyres.
If you just head out from the campsite in the opposite direction to Swinnertons there are loads of bits to explore around there.
Thanks for the advice. I'll be sticking to fire roads while I'm there and unless it dries up significantly in the next week or two, I'll be on quite roads exclusively, there and back.