New North shore section for Cannock Chase Trail

The Chase Trail team of volunteers have just completed a 45m new section of north shore, which will take riders above ground and routes them across the infamous 'Puddle of Doom'.

Chase Trails had two options to bridge the Stygian deeps. The boring way would have been to tip tonnes of hardcore and gravel into it until some sort of firm surface developed. But the builders went for the interesting way - an elevated timber trail. It's a return to the original idea behind North Shore trails - using constructions to bridge sections of terrain that just won't take bikes. With timber donated by the Forestry Commission and labour donated by a team of volunteers, the finished section is intended to test the skills of the average rider, but for the more confident there's 30ft long, 8in wide "Skinny" line bridging the wettest bit of the puddle.

Keep up to date at www.chasetrails.co.uk.