New Switchback - The Chase

[Zoidburg]

Ohhhhh yes.

My self and two of the back2bikes guys were a bit naughty and had a blast on the yet to be opened Cannock Chase switch back trail on Saturday evening.

Descending about 65m from the top of Stile Cop it's got more berms than you can shake a stick at, I think they are waiting to put log barricades around the berms before they open it because if you overcook one you will tumble about 30 meters down a wooded ravine, it's a rather steep slope.

Next test ride - with lights in the dark(of course)

 

[Kathy]

I think they are waiting to put log barricades around the berms before they open it

If it's anything like the runs at Swinley and Leith Hill, they're probably trying to bed it down properly before they open it. Riding a trail that hasn't been completed can cause irreparable damage and the trail will disintegrate rapidly and have to be rebuilt from scratch. Or so I was informed by someone Who Knows These Things.

Naughty Zoiders!

[Zoidburg]

We are aware of that, we had a good look before we ripped down it. It's been standing un opened a fair while and to be honest a heavy down pour does more damage.

You should see the rest of the downhill course, down to the bedrock in places, but thats the chase for you, very man made most of it, its very woody but it's about as natural as a golf course.

[Si]

the odd blip down it won't hurt - just as long as it doesn't prompt every man and his dog to follow suit before it's been thumped in.

TBH, even in a half built form it's probably more erosion proof than the early stuff that we built and called 'finished' (which is all now being rebuilt/bypassed).

[Zoidburg]

It's been there more than a month or so now and pretty soon it's goint to start freezing and thawing out over and over again, heavy rain is expected this week as well.

[Malignant Narcisissm]

It's the phase two part of follow the dog

One of two new downhills at stile cop full of jumps, drops and rock gardens 

[Si]

p2 is now open.
Apparently they've put the trees in too close together according to one expert 

[Chris N]

And it's rather good fun. Rode most of the monkey trail last night (missed a turn near the end and found myself back on Marquis Drive). Tough going up some of the hills on SS and a few of the switchbacks were a bit tight to get round without dabbing but it'll be fun trying for a clear run. The new finish to FTD is good too, over the rollers.

[JonBuoy]

I did a couple of laps last Thursday afternoon  -  it was an excellent use of a half day of holiday.

I was disappointed when I discovered that they had closed the last couple of sections of FtD but the new bit more than makes up for it.  The rollers are OK but I just love the bermy section before them.

The Monkey Trail is great fun too although it is significantly more demanding (and potentially damaging) than FtD.  It will indeed be much better once the loose stuff on the trails has bedded in and they have separated the trees a bit. 

[Si]

significantly more demanding (and potentially damaging) than FtD

yeah, that scares me - I found FtD hard enough, in fact I managed to stack on the old family trails last time I rode them 

Me thinx that I shall go early on a weekday morning when no one is there to see me walking around the challenging bits!

[vistaed]

Just went round the new trail this afternoon. Quite a blast, nice and twisty and fast and long! But I don't think it will stand up to much abuse, it's already looking worn in places! Look forward to going back for a blast in the dark 

[Si]

In the early days of FtD, shortly after opening, the trails did tend to cut up a bit.  I think that they need a period of riding-in to identify the problem areas before they can be properly resurfaced to make them more bomb-proof.  And Stu needs to go out with his cattle prod again to stop people skid braking 

[Zoidburg]

Now you see I have never done the whole dog as the guys I ride with say it's for "tourists".

But then again the last brainwave we had was to fit a 52t chainset to try and reach some kind of fire road land speed record.

Natural selection will remove one of us soon enough.

[Si]

Now you see I have never done the whole dog as the guys I ride with say it's for "tourists".

Well, the first bike to ride the single track above Fair Oaks was my road bike with 23mm tyres    Managed OK, although the BB unscrewed on the way home