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Was hoping to be at Coed y Brenin tomorrow but forecast put us off. We could do Llandegla again, which is very well suited to the kids, but they may be getting a little bored of the place and we fancy a change.
So is Cannock worth the drive from Manc, and is the Dog worth doing? It seems a tad short, especially with diversions but the Monkey one looks a tad long for two sub 10 year olds even with judicious application of assistance.
hmmmmm
Gisburn is an option, but I seem to remember the Red there being nails...
inspire me
I love 15 minutes away from Cannock and there is some good riding there.
Not really sure that the Dog is that well suited to young kids though. I took my 8 year old son to Llandegla on Thursday night and will definitely be taking him back. We rode the blue trail and I really enjoyed it, I'd only ever ridden the red and black routes.
Llandegla scores highly with it having the skills area and pump track which you don't ge at Cannock.
Not really sure that the Dog is that well suited to young kids though
Oh, tell me more...
I'm obviously far from subjective, but they're pretty competent, especially the little one.
Is the issue that it's too jumpy, too gnadgery or too hilly?
thanks
Llandegla scores highly with it having the skills area
Yes my kids love them. We ended up doing the freeride section 4 times last time round, and the pump track and skills loop loads as well.
Little un did the freeride north shore too, which I was absolutely gobsmacked by. I ended up dabbing, which was a sign of things to come I feel.
Anyway, cannock...
I'd check on the chase trails web page and see if there's still trail/forestry closures , there was a fair bit closed .
It does depend on your kids but I felt that after the long climb at Llandegla it just flows better for a youngster.
Don't get me wrong Cannock is great but the trail surface is a lot bumpier and you stand far more chance of faster riders coming up behind you very quickly.
The good thing with Cannock is that it is easier to bypass some sections or just ride away from the main trails if you know where to go. It's a big space so I'm sure you will find something to please you.
The blue route is good, if a little long. It's mostly fire roads, that can get a bit tedious.Takes you to some nice spots though.
Follow the Dog is great for an 8yr old. Mine loved it. There's a long fire road climb, but it he's anything like my 8yr old he/she will coast up the bloomin thing without getting out of breath. 🙂
The trail is mostly hard packed sand & pebbles. It does get bumpy but let a bit of air out their tyres if worried. Having taken a Cub Pack around it, they love it. Feels like "real mountainbiking" as one put it afterwards.
There's two cafes, one at the start & one half way. Just turn left after Evil Slab & it's across the big field. It's not likely to be foggy tomorrow so you shouldn't miss it. There's also a play park at each, in case they want to stretch their legs a bit more. 🙂
The Monkey trail is another story. Lots of climbing involved. I'd not consider leading a Cub Pack round, & they span 8-11, but all are different. Yours might be very confident. It's a lot of climbing though, & the climb back up from the railway crossing is tough.
Do the dog with them should be fine.
There's only one short section closed on the dog now, and that's just a short linking section. All the good bits are fully open. It'll be riding well after a bit of rain in the night too I reckon.
Dog will be fine in terms of rideability. It's not all that nadgery, it isn't very jumpy, unless you want it to be, it certainly isn't very hilly, although there are one or two climbs. There's a bit of boardwalk, which will take some thought and consideration. There's enough chicken routes round the "scary stuff", which subjectively isn't all that scary. Also, the place is criss-crossed with fire roads and other trails, so if it's too much you can bail back to the car park. Buy or download a map.
I found exploring the Chase was a much better for a day out with my kids when they were younger. They could quite easily do the Dog, there was just not that much to keep them interested. Park opposite Tackeroo campsite.
[b]Sigh[/b]
So it appears that today we're stripping wallpaper and the kids are inviting their noisy friends round.
hmph. Shame, but not too gutted really. Got to go with the flow I guess, don't want to insist on going and them have them dislike it.
Thanks for all the excellent input all. I'll have a think in September when we next have a weekend day free.
Waheey, well that was worth the wait.
Finally got there today as the missus was keen to get out in the sunshine. Was quite fun heading down the M^ somewhere new. Really can't remember the last time we tried a new route 😳
Parked in the wrong place but did the dog and the monkey. As most said, the dog was dead chilled and quite fun; the monkey was certainly harder work, but also fun.
Had to push the 8yo up a lot of the hills towards the end but the older one was fine. You certainly feel the additional 7km on top of TNF and other stuff.
Was really good, if just a little long. Maybe just do two laps of the dog next time, or only half of the monkey. I dunno.
Only 3 weeks till half term. Hoping to do Winnlatter, Glentress Red and Gisburn. Happy days.