# Cannock Chase for beginners



## Leescfc79 (5 Feb 2015)

Got a few days off work next week and visiting family in Stoke, was thinking of taking my bike and having a play at Cannock.

My step Dad has also shown an interest but only has my old BSO with crap suspension (think £99 halford mtb), having never been Cannock is Follow the Dog doable on such a bike if we are taking it steady? 

Only trail centre I've riden before is Bedgebury, how does FTD compare?


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## GrumpyGregry (5 Feb 2015)

BSO + real scenery = real risk of significant injury to bike and rider. imo/ime.


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## dan_bo (5 Feb 2015)

Is there bike hire at cannock?


If so, let him do a lap on the BSO then do a lap on a hire bike. I bet he'll be in the market then.


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## tribanjules (5 Feb 2015)

Yes plenty doable. My 8yo lives cannock on a decathlon hybrid on road tyres, but there is cycle hire too..
would do a bit on bso then to hire shop to get them hooked !
tea shop over by katyn memorial is good too


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## Saluki (5 Feb 2015)

There are family friendly routes at Cannock. We used to ride around them on a pair of Apollo XC-26s. Not terribly uppy-downy as they are designed for a nice 10 mile pootle round rather than getting an adrenalin buzz. There certainly used to be bike hire at Cannock if you fancy something more fun.

The family route, is very pleasant though.


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## PeteXXX (5 Feb 2015)

Yep, bike hire at Cannock. 
http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/bike-hire/
Pre - Book at weekends or holiday times. I wouldn't take a BSO round Follow the Dog or the Monkey Trail!

There's also a lot of more leisurely trails if you just want a bimble...


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## Leescfc79 (5 Feb 2015)

Cheers all, will have a plod around the family friendly routes and then either hire him a bike or go and buy a coffee while I go and have a blast around Follow the Dog!


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## Hugh Manatee (5 Feb 2015)

Follow the dog is doable as described. I can get around on a fully rigid retro bike with cantilevers in under 50 mins when not at full fitness. Just don't get on the Monkey Trail by mistake when the two routes part.

There is always the Blue route. That's quite good. I went around there with my not very confident daughter.


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## PaulSecteur (6 Feb 2015)

Do-able? Yes.

Fun? Probably not so much, even assuming its a fully working good condition BSO. I think that £30 for a half day hire of a decent bike would be worth it.

The follow the dog trail is quite tame compared to some I have seen on youtube, but that's not to say it wont invite the unwary or overconfident to chew on its gravel in some places. About quarter of the way in there is a long, loooong climb that I know I will be walking up for the first few times back over there. The fun bit is when you have crossed over the road and its more downhill and flowy.

If you want to see what a full laps looks like, some old unfit duffer has strapped a Gopro on and recoded it...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSOeJ5w_oMg


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## Motozulu (7 Feb 2015)

The Dog is doable on pretty much anything (I've done it several times on my single speed rigid merida) the Monkey is a fair bit harder and more technical.


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## PaulSecteur (7 Feb 2015)

Motozulu said:


> The Dog is doable on pretty much anything (I've done it several times on my single speed rigid merida) the Monkey is a fair bit harder and more technical.



Ah, but your a regular rider that knows the trails, Im presuming (possibly wrongly) that someone that....



Leescfc79 said:


> ... only has my old BSO with crap suspension...



... Isnt a regular MTB`er (and possibly isnt "MTB" fit) and a heavy BSO with poor gearing - I`ve seen some with what look like 25 cogs - would be a very quick way to put someone off MTB-ing.

Hire one, you know it makes sense!


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## Motozulu (12 Feb 2015)

Fair point Paul. It's only easy if it's easy to you I suppose. Couple of my mates do the Monkey on S/S rigids - I could never be good enough to attempt that.

Point taken.


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