[Closed] Cannock newbie - what are the trails like?

Very good, trail centre type singletrack. Hardly any boring fireroad as well, even the climbs are on singletrack. Moderately challenging red with much harder optional short black options. Only been twice because its a long way for me, would go a lot if it was nearer.

Cannock is mint. For first time allow an hour to do just the dog. Allow 3 to do the whole thing..dog n monkey. Have fun 😁👍

Thanks both, that's what I was hoping.

Trail surfaces though, is it all-weather surfaced or mud 'n' roots?

it's all weather, very hard pack, when it's shitty in my local woods I head to Cannock. After 2 days of no rain it is puddle free and blast tastic.

It's been 20+ yesterday and today so will be nice and dry at Cannock.

Cannock has seen a lot of trailbuilding over the past 4 or so years. It's a regular winter ride for me to keep off the muddy natural trails, it about 15 miles if you do both parts. It's as challenging as you want it to be as there is a lot of off piste stuff to ride (I don't know most of it unfortunately) and Stile Cop next door if you fancy something a bit more Gnar.

The main problem with it is that some of the older sections that have yet to be re-surfaced are a bit rutted up (or maybe a lot rutted up) so if you hit it just after heavy rain then there are a few large and deep puddles. You can skirt them, but you inevitably end up very wet. But that's all part of the fun.

The café is very good and there is an excellent bike shop too if you're wallet can stand it. The main bugbear is the parking - a bit steep at £4, but then again its a very good facility and these things don't come cheap so if we want them we should pay for them. You can park up and access the trails for free but that's naughty and not cool.

^^ what they said, plus.......

I find that because the trails have been surfaced with a pebbly mix then the surface can become unusually slippy for such a stony finish. Cannock is the only place where I've had a front wheel wash out simply from just being stood up and peddling (I was basically on the flat and it was dry as a bone, but I ended up flat on my face and sliding along the trail)

The last section(s) of FTD are closed at the mo, just so's you know so there is a bit more fireroad than normal, still good though. It will be dusty AF by the weekend.

I was going to go out on Sat morning, but its mine and Mrs Ps anniversary. So that's that.

Haven't done a full MTB ride since september 🙁

Trail surfaces though, is it all-weather surfaced or mud ‘n’ roots?

Apart from a few sections it isn't artificially surfaced with anything. Cannock is part of the largest Triassic bunter in the whole of western Europe and as such it's covered in pebbles and sand to a depth of 500 m in places.

The snooker-ball pebbles embedded in sand look lethal but they're ok in the dry. There's a demo day this weekend (groan) so there'll be lots of weekend warriors on ebikes lol

Good to know re the demo day. I’ll go somewhere else for my ebike fix in that case.

wobbliscott

The café is very good and there is an excellent bike shop too if you’re wallet can stand it. The main bugbear is the parking – a bit steep at £4, but then again its a very good facility and these things don’t come cheap so if we want them we should pay for them. You can park up and access the trails for free but that’s naughty and not cool.

I don't think £4 is expensive to park all day for the facilities you're getting. However, it's £6 now and has been for at least the last six months, which maybe is a bit steep! Though there's plenty of free parking to be had very close to Birches Valley.

Oh and it's great, I regularly drive for 1.15hr for a mornings riding.

If you let your front tyre down a bit, the infamous Cannock pebbles are ok.  With less pressure the tyre can deform around the pebbles and find some grip, otherwise it tends to just skip off between the top of the pebbles and into the gaps between them, which makes the front end grip feel a lot less than it actually is, and can't really knock a riders confidence in carrying speed round the turns, which makes the loop feel like hard work

"If you let your front tyre down a bit, the infamous Cannock pebbles are ok."

This. I run my front tyre a few psi lower than usual for the Cannock pebbles. Staffordshires equivalent of the Belgian Pave.

"However, it’s £6 now and has been for at least the last six months, which maybe is a bit steep!"

Ah yes, you're right, I've not been for a while but I think the last time I went it had just gone upto £6. Yes a bit steep now if you go regularly. I think next time I go I'll buy the ticket for the shorter time, 2hrs I think. You can do the whole lot in around 2hrs pretty comfortably if you don't stop often for a natter - though I like to use the fire road and loop back and do upper and lower cliff a couple of times - only takes about 5 mins per loop. If you're late back you'll only be 5 or 10 mins late so will probably get away with it. Maybe It'll work out if it is cheaper to just bite the bullet and join the Forestry Commission, especially since I usually go with a mate or two so they can contribute a bit to the membership cost.

29er is the wheel size of choice, they may cross the braking craters better

We live locally and have a discovery pass; it has saved us an absolute fortune in parking, it's well worth the money if you go regularly.

Demo days on the chase are held up at the Tackeroo campsite and use their own little loop, so generally have little impact on the main trailhead at Birches Valley or the trails themselves.

Fab. Thanks all.

Am heading over Sat pm with a couple of friends, so will try to remember some carpark change & to drop a few psi.

17 posts and no one has told you to buy a permit? Standards are slipping round here.

17 posts and no one has told you to buy a permit? Standards are slipping round here.

You only need the permits for the secret off-piste, which doesn't exist and can only be purchased and used during a leap year, so another 2 years until they're available.

heading over Sat

Bad idea... It tend to be crowded like Asda before Christmas. Especially if the weather is good.

I would avoid it during the weekend.

All Cannock Chase is single-speedable, so nothing too scary.

Cheers!

I.

Getting back on topic - trails were running really well last night - hardly any mud left, now starting to get dusty and slippery on the stones.

Agree with dropping front pressure a small amount.

The demo loop is marked out as stating at Takeroo and going down Chain Slapper through to where Hugh's bridge was and then using the single track next to the road back up to Takeroo.

Point taken re busy on Saturdays... however, that's when I'm in the area so will have to make do!

It's busy 🤷‍♂️ meh. Keep one eye/ear on your rear and move over when comfortable.

There's a great big mound of gravel and sand on the concrete at Tackeroo at the moment. See if you can get up down first try, from both directions.

Get there early if you don't like busy trails, simples.

surfaced stuff nice and dry last night, off-piste a bog-fest.

Well impressed! Loved every minute.

The carpark was heaving when we arrived at about 2:30 or so but the trails were fairly quiet; when we finished the carpark was practically deserted, so must have accidentally timed it right.

The gravel mound @Tackeroo was taped off, so no playing on it...

off-piste a bog-fest

The stuff I normally ride is pretty much dry - a few bits in the denser trees are still muddy, but the more exposed stuff is running as well as it ever does (pretty much bone dry and not overgrown).

The carpark was heaving when we arrived at about 2:30 or so but the trails were fairly quiet

I've always found the trails to be best slightly later in the day because most are done - the rad dads have had their early blast and the family rides are done then too. 9/10am is bad time to start out on the Donkey.

Apparently this place can be bad for wear to drive trains and brake pads if it has been raining in the last 2-3 days. (or more in Winter)

I've only ridden it twice, both when it's been dry, so never had any problems.

But apparently it it has been raining recently, the mud is acidic and will cause significant drive train wear. I was told that this also applies to the Monkey Trail and not just the off piste stuff in the same area. Is this true ?

I've often thought about heading here in the Winter but was put off when I read this.

Not so much acidic as the mud is more like grinding paste due I think to the high sand content.

If you keep your drive train regularly cleaned and lubed it's not a problem.

Wouldn't say its particularly hard on bikes, certainly not acidic! I'm not a geologist but I would guess the area was an old river bed or beach or something given the amount of pebbles that the ground seems to be made from, so it is quite sandy and gritty in places. But I tend to only ride Cannock in the winter and when the weather is bad and haven't noticed any accelerated wear, and I'm not an avid post ride bike washer. I can often be seen setting out on a ride sporting he mud and crud from the ride the week before.

It's called acidic podsol, very little nutrients in the soil after all the proper trees - oak etc where cut down for burning witches and making ships.