Can anyone still remember the Cannock Chase classic route???

Hi Guys,

I have recently started to ride over on the Chase again, after nearly 10 years of biking anywhere but there. I used to be a regular rider on the Chase, every Sunday from around '90 to '95.

So i thought that i new the area pretty well. The other day i went for a ride over the Style Cop side and it suddenly dawned on me that the old Cannock Chase Classic used to be run over that way, so i set off to try and find the old course and bring the memories flooding back!!

I have very fond memories of the races there in the early '90's.

Well I started well by finding the arena area which used to be where the start and all the stands were and then i just got stuck!! I know that the race used to head off towards the back of the arena and end up coming in up the long drag from the Style Cop end but i just couldn't find it. I know that there are loads of trees around now but surely the old course must still be rideable.

Can any one help me with this. there must be people out there that still know the course?

The only other things that i remember are the 'roller coaster' section through the woods and i also remember huge amounts of people standing at the bottom of a downhill section with a 90 degree right hander at the bottom. Memories of big cheers and laughs as riders spilled out all over the place.

Any help that you can give me would be great, i would love to trace it back if i could.

Cheers,

Bounty 69

Re: Can anyone still remember the Cannock Chase classic rout

bounty69":2mjpse28 said:

The only other things that i remember are the 'roller coaster' section through the woods and i also remember huge amounts of people standing at the bottom of a downhill section with a 90 degree right hander at the bottom. Memories of big cheers and laughs as riders spilled out all over the place.Bounty 69

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Went over the bars on my Saracen Traverse e-stay on that bit much to everyone's delight....then someone came down nervously on a brand new Klein Team and did the exact same thing...think he nearly cried

That was the undulating downhill that was all loose deep peaty stuff yeah?

Yeah i think so!

The roller coaster bit was through the woods on fairly hardpack peat if i remember but i think the downhill section was more of a sandy, stoney section with trees either side of a perhaps 10 meter wide track. Who knows, i may be wrong after all these years!!

I was only 16 ish at the time and raced juniors and i think the sport/elite/vets etc only got to ride it as i can't remember doing it. Would that be right??

bounty69":3b3e34tl said:

i think the downhill section was more of a sandy, stoney section with trees either side of a perhaps 10 meter wide track. Who knows, i may be wrong after all these years!!

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Yeah, rings a bell, though my addled and trashed brain cells remember tall ferns rather than trees but it was certainly quite wide and dodgy. :roll: :roll:

Re: Can anyone still remember the Cannock Chase classic rout

bounty69":3fujjzlo said:

i also remember huge amounts of people standing at the bottom of a downhill section with a 90 degree right hander at the bottom. Memories of big cheers and laughs as riders spilled out all over the place.

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I have a scar on the inside of my right elbow from the time I was one of the riders who was 'spilled' at the bottom of that hill. Great memories of the races there

good question bounty, been thinking this for a long time. It was only recently while over in style cop I started getting flashbacks :shock:

no idea where the old races went now, though can prolly retrace the recent track if its any help..

You must be around the same age as me then. I remember the outline of the race course as myself and friends used to ride the course on other weekends other than the race days. A lot of the course is main trails that are permanent fixture, some of the singletrack link tracks can be a bit indistinguishable due to undergrowth or logging. The roller coaster is a permanent fixture.
There is a unofficial downhill course that we built as a group of friends during the late 90's on the other side of the main fire trail up from the paddock. We used to all meet up there 1st thing on a Xmas day morning before lunch when we were young. Perhaps we should build up a 'Memory map' log of where everyone 'thinks' where the outline of the course lies.
The chase classic was one of the fondest memories as a teenager.
Oh how I miss the giant BMX track of the Chase now I live down south. :cry:

Tis a good question jamie. If you remember i am sure steve took us over there once when it was freezing and the puddles were iced over! have you asked him?

how ya doin anyway mate? been over your stomping gound llandegla today. got the cruz yet?

steve that unofficial downhill course that we made with chris is now sign posted and officialy one of the chase many routes,
i can remember about 3 different start lines so there were many diferent courses but i think we could find all the tracks if we look.We`ll all have to go ,i`m out sunday probs