Downhill MTB at Cannock Chase

Stile Cop Bike Park is the only dedicated site for downhill riding on Cannock Chase. Since 2003 Chase Trails have been working with the Forestry Commission and local downhill riders to make the best out of little hill.

The trails are free to ride and open all year round, the only closures will be for maintenance or emergency reasons.

Trail building

The trails are built and maintained by volunteers. We have a small crew of volunteers but we always need more help. Join us on one of our monthly build days and get involved in protecting the future of the hill. Come along for a full day or bring your bike and do an hour, it all helps!

Racers Guild

In 2007 we helped put together the Racers Guild who run regular, informal timed practice sessions on our trails. All riders are welcome, just make sure you wear a full face helmet and bring a fully working bike (with bar ends caps). Racers Guild days are free but a donation is appreciated to help cover running costs. Check out the downhill section of our forum for details of the monthly sessions.

The trails

The hill has a total height drop of just 65 metres so it's crucial that we eek out every twist and turn on the hill. Like most of Cannock Chase the hill is fairly free-draining so winter clag isn't too much of an issue.

Red Course
A smooth, wide, fast and flowing course. The original official course on the hill is aimed at intermediate riders with a series of drops and jumps all the way to the bottom. a good warm up for your first run although watch the carpet of loose pebbles during dry summer spells!

The Red Course also leads onto the following trails;

CDL. First left option off the red course, to start it gets tighter and steeper then the Red course. The over the 'gas line' and into some off camber roots and flatter corners. Drop off the tree stump and into a fast rooty rattle. Jump towards the fire road then hit the tight Red course finish.

Mega Trail. A pumpstastic, jumptastic playground. Break off CDL at the gas line and get ready to smile as you hit the flowing and progressive jumps and berms finishing with the Wallride.

Snakes ‘n Ladders. Head down the Red course through the large left hander and Snakes breaks right. One of the larger ladder drops on the hill sends you into the snaking steep chute. a small but sweet right hand climbing berm into a left hand hip. Elevated ladder drop into another sweet but tricky berm to finish.

Black Course
Starting on the same platform as the Red Course the Black is a narrow singletrack line on one of the flattert parts of the hill. A series of small jumps, drops and rock gardens take you down the hill. Some sticky off camber sections and a steeper chute brings you into the grand finale. A step down drop into a long right hand berm with a second step down to the finish line.

Walleater

Opened in September 2012 after a long closure for upgrading & rebuilding. Walleater is the biggest trail on the hill and is a test for the best riders. Built with a more freeride feel the trail starts with a rock backed double into a short steep chute. A gap into a big left had hip brings you to a steep road gap with bermed corner dropping down to the showpiece Sky Berm. The Sky Berm is an elevated timber berm (not a wallride) which swings you right into a small drop. Land the drop and hit the rock gap into left, then right handed berms before hitting a little kicker to rejoin the Red Course.

The Dark Side

For years the unofficial playground for local riders Chase Trails worked closely with the Forestry Commission to get support to bring these trails up to specification required for the Bike Park. Head up from the main start area to a smaller platform which opens up another range of trails;

Ridge Run. Open, fast and fun. Full speed all the way into sweeping corners, nice jumps with a series of tight and twisty corners towards the finish. Head straight over a short sharp  root section into a neat drop through a tree to finish.

Little Bringe. Start on the Ridge Run and break left, off-camber corners and roots, things start to get trickier on this line.

Wonderland. Follow Alice through the looking glass for a wheels on the ground introduction into a more technical trail.

Balboa. Named after Rocky himself this trail started as an experiment in using bigger rocks on the hill, with a ladder drop and decent sized kicker to lead you into a fast singletrack finish.

New Line. Not-so-new anymore this is a culmination of various ideas from elsewhere on the hill and the minds of some of our more experienced local talent. Wide and fast to start, a rock garden take you into the trees for some serious roots and the 2 fastest drops on the hill, a squirmy surface and pinball feel into the tight trees is a must for any serious rider visiting the hill. Tested and given props by Steve Peat himself in the Racers Guild Charity event in the Autumn of 2008 you’ve got to be on it to get the most out of this trail.

All of the courses end along the same track at the bottom of the hill. Head for the end of the black course and spend no more than 10 minutes pushing back up the fire road to the top. There is no uplift service, the hill just isn't big enough.

Check the courses on foot before hitting them at speed. Full face helmets and body armour are strongly advised.

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