Chasing the Light at Cannock

You may have realised I had a long weekend off and that usually means a ride or two. This time I was nearly stopped by the solid block of rain sitting across the South on Friday. My plan was to head to Bristol and this was most inconvenient, until I came up with an alternate plan.

This plan was to pop up to Cannock for a ride, as it was neatly above the rain and then back down the M5 to Bristol. It seemed sensible, if a lot of driving,and a chance to give the Midlands' trail centre a real go, away from the crowds and actually riding the whole trail, not missing a large section.

Questions started to creep into my head as I crawled through the rain past Milton Keynes and Northampton on a solidly jammed M1. I started to wonder if I'd make it in time to ride before the light went, and if it would be raining hard there as well. Even as I approached the centre the signs seemed bad as a closed road meant I had to re-route.

Luckily this took me accidentally to a point I recognised as the road crossing from the trail and I was able to pull into a carpark that wouldn't be closed at dusk anyway, and head out to explore the bits I missed. These trails were technical, fun and excellent, in fact, even keeping to the red options there was at least one section that threw me off the path and struggling not to slide headfirst down a hill.

The whole ride was worth the trek, especially without the crowds and adding the whole loop into the fading light threading through the trees for what seemed like ages. If anything Cannock seems like a centre that gets the best out of a suspension rig, and the heavy braking bumps all over the route suggest riders are either faster, more travel-equipped than I was.

With another drive to make it to the end of my day it was another trip with hours of driving, but some fun riding to make it all worthwhile.

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