Sherwood Pines Gravel X (Saturday)

A spring gravel classic in the famous forests of Nottinghamshire. This is what you picture when you buy a gravel bike – miles of rolling terrain away from the traffic & crowds through stunning woodland and sleepy villages.

We start and finish in the beautiful Sherwood Pines and the route starts with 10km of fire roads & gravel tracks in the forest before heading off into the countryside.

The long route is 80% off road and the medium is 90% off road with few hills to get over. The perfect season starter for new & experienced gravel riders.

Stay over in Sherwood Pines for a perfect weekend escape under the stars (see camping info below).

RIDE HIGHLIGHTS:

A beautiful start & finish on the fire roads & gravel tracks of Sherwood Pines.
Great first off roader for newer gravel riders on a remote but un-technical course
Perfect season starter with a flat / rolling route and options for long or medium routes depending on how the legs are feeling after winter

WHAT TO EXPECT
The ride starts in the middle of Sherwood Pines starting & ending on smooth fire roads. 90% of the medium route is on gravel & 80% of the long route is off road.
The route is rolling but with no challenging climbs.
RIDE DIFFICULTY
Neither route is overly long but both the medium & long routes involve plenty of rolling terrain although there are no tough climbs. This ride is suitable for cyclists of all abilities.
Long Route ***
Medium Route **

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
Conditions in Sherwood Pines can vary a lot based on weather. When dry, the course is fast rolling on gravel & hard packed mud. In the wet, it will be slippy in places & muddy with some deep puddles.
Long Route **
Medium Route **

TYRE & BIKE RECOMMENDATIONS
This route is designed for gravel bikes but you will be fine on a hardtail MTB. We do send out tyre recommendations closer to the time. If dry, a standard all-rounder gravel tyre (35-45mm) will be ideal. In the wet, you will want wider and knobbly tyres to get some grip in the muddy stuff.

EVENT PROGRAM
27th March: GPX files and pre ride briefing sent by email to each rider.

29th March: 7.45am: Ride village at Sherwood Pines. Collecting your ride number takes approx 10 mins.

29th March: 8am to 8,45amm: Ride start. We will give you a short ride briefing and set you off in small groups.

29th March: 6pm: Rider village closes.

29th March: 7pm: Link to ride times & rider photos sent to each participant by email.
ROUTE DETAILS
LONG ROUTE
We start in the wonderful Sherwood Pines and warm up for the day with 10km on smooth fire roads in the forest.

We then head onto green lanes & farm tracks and don’t touch tarmac until 21km. After a quick feed stop we head near Sherwood Forest & then onto a long gravel trail across the north of our route.

After rolling past the archaeological sites at Creswell Crags we head south and after Warsop we hit the only minor climb of the day – 1.7km at 2.5%. We then follow the bridleways & farm tracks back to Sherwood Pines for a final 6km on flowing gravel. A stunning off road ride with something for everyone!
Percentage of Route Off Road: 80%
Distance: 85km
Elevation: 800m

MEDIUM ROUTE
The medium route is almost all off road with just a short section of tarmac in the middle.

The split is at 29km, you can decide then which route to do on the day. You miss out some nice gravel near Sherwood Forest & the long gravel road to Creswell Crags but all the best bits in Sherwood Pines are included and this 52km course gives you some great off road variety.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 90%
Distance: 60km
Elevation: 550m

PACKING LIST
The route takes in some remote sections. We have support vans available but we recommend you are as self sufficient as possible including:

Bike spares

2 x inner tubes suitable for the size of your tyre
If running a tubeless set up, have a tubeless repair kit including plugs and spare sealant.
Multitool | Chain link specific for your bike chain
Small pump | Brake pads (especially in wet conditions)

Personal Medical kit

1 x crepe roll bandage | Gauze or similar absorbent dressing
Assorted plasters | Antiseptic (spray, cream or wipes) | Prescribed medication