Cannock chase

[Gt6turbo]

I went up CC using my cheap HT. I've been coming on and off for 15 odd years.l up there.

What amazes me is how smooth the tracks are. Before ebikes the ground was proper rutted you couldn't go super quick but very technical stuff. Now it is very compacted and so much easier, you can gain speed but on the other hand the fun factor seems to have gone. It is a lot easier than it used to be that's for sure.

[HenryV1415]

Are you referring to the Dog and Monkey trails?
There are plenty of technical trails on Cannock Chase but the aforementioned trails are basic entry level MTB trails so they are not difficult. Usually trails become chopped up over time so I’m surprised you would say they are smoother.

[WelshRich]

I think the original Dog and Monkey trails were pretty much hand-built but as they’ve been repaired/upgraded over time they’ve done a bit more with machines so they are smoother - The really smooth one is Perrys trail that was built for the Commonwealth Games I think, you could probably get round this on a pair of rollerblades…

There’s plenty of rooty/loose/pebbley/rutted/steep/narrow/boggy stuff if you just head off on one of the hundreds of off-piste trails - Many are a bit overgrown (I never come home without bramble scars) and there’s a load of dross but every so often a real gem. The problem is finding them again next time

[Gt6turbo]

Yeah they removed loads of good stuff, the old rock rollers. It was just the dog.


I went to winslatter Forrest as well last year, similar set up. The tracks nowadays are so smooth rolling. Feels like they are made for ebikes.

[Benson11]

Cannock do a lot of maintenance before the summer holidays so its probably very smooth at the moment but it will wear in no time. I think the ebikes accelerate the wear and tear on the trails if anything. I think Cannock is one of the most popular trail centres in the UK so its to be expected.

Either way, who cares lets go and enjoy riding!

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Gt6turbo said:

Yeah they removed loads of good stuff, the old rock rollers. It was just the dog.


I went to winslatter Forrest as well last year, similar set up. The tracks nowadays are so smooth rolling. Feels like they are made for ebikes.

My local is Dalby Forest and if you ride the waymarked red trail its one constant procession of ebikers. No idea whether they're flattening the trails or not but they've never been the most exciting/demanding trails anyway (someone on a FB group the other week was complaining about a rut that had appeared in a berm - the horror!). Go off-piste though and you see far fewer ebikers which I find a bit weird as the off-piste would be more suited an ebike given the winch & plummet nature of them vs just tearing around a mundane red route with zero challenging features.

[Nigel_O]

I live in Rugeley, just 10 minutes ride from the trails at Cannock Chase. I ride the Dog & Monkey quite regularly, as well as a fair bit of off-piste stuff when the mood takes me. As a 60-something eMTB rider, my preference is flowy trails, with the occasional bit of techy thrown in for variety.

I guess it depends what you’re used to, but this year hasn’t been kind to the trails - although there are some smooth sections, a lot of it is quite badly worn, with heaps of ‘marbles’ just off the normal line. Get a corner wrong at speed and it can get very slippery…. A few sections now have horrific braking bumps around the berms and because the ground is sandy shale, a few good storms can wash away a lot of the surface. It’s certainly nowhere near as smooth as it used to be.

There are also some trails that are decidedly un-smooth - very much a workout. Try doing Bomb Hole in under 60 seconds or Chain Slapper in under 40 seconds and tell me it’s smooth…

It’s still an excellent trail center though and I’m very lucky to be able to leave home, do 10-15 miles of trails and be back home in 90 minutes.