Sherwood Pines Riding routes

paully617

Hi all,
Has anyone else been up there recently??????

The Red route is partially closed (i am assuming due to poor drainage) with diversions in place and also parts of the blue route.

The place is looking craap now!!

The annual car pass isnt worth the money unless you visit at least 1 or 2 times a month as a minimum!!

AND STILL NO BIKE WASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having just returned from afan, where there are bike washes available for a token fee.

Maybe if sherwood pines/F.C installed one of these token driven pressure washers for say £1 for 2 minutes, they would generate sufficient revenue to make a red route worth riding! At the mo, i would rather spend the extra time in the car and petrol to drive to dalby or wharncliffe.


Anyone else feel the same????????????????????

puddle-rider

Sadly since the FC got very helpfull and sign posted the routes all the weekend warriors have turned up and churned it into a mess just like Follow the Dog and Swinley!

I don't know what the answer is really as the forest has to be open to all but unless the FC are going to spend a lot of money on trail maintanence then it's going to be pants for riding, on real shame as a I used to love the place.

sniper68

Can you put "decent trail to start with" in your poll?Went once it was crap never been back.

bigmart

puddle-rider wrote:

Sadly since the FC got very helpfull and sign posted the routes all the weekend warriors have turned up and churned it into a mess just like Follow the Dog and Swinley!

I don't know what the answer is really as the forest has to be open to all but unless the FC are going to spend a lot of money on trail maintanence then it's going to be pants for riding, on real shame as a I used to love the place.

Surley thats the point of trail centres, all the thrill (ok %80)in a easy to use, easy to follow environment. agree though that the FC needs to put more back in these days as so many are now using them, they need to be kept up, i'd happily drop a quid in ata trqil head if it meant the upkeep was piad for

BullFreerider

I voted 'other' as the trails aren't at all challenging, I mainly ride the DH/FR sections, which have an orange/extreme rating, (Note: the same as Fort William..) which isn't right by anyone's standards. The northshore drops can all be rolled off, and are small, the jumps are small, the tracks are short.

cavegiant

Similar to the above, if the trails themselves are not exciting who cares about the bike wash.

The specific DH sections are tamer than most usual red routes.

trekex977

Better drainage!

Done a night ride on Friday. Mud bath all the way round the red run.

YIMan

Definitely a bike wash - it's such a basic facility - can't understand why they don't have one (maybe I'll buy a pressure washer, run it at a £1 a time off the leisure battery in my van...).

It's only 35 minutes from me so I can't complain too much about the trails (but, agree if you travelled longer than an hour you'd be sorely disappointed).

abductee

puddle-rider wrote:

Sadly since the FC got very helpfull and sign posted the routes all the weekend warriors have turned up and churned it into a mess just like Follow the Dog and Swinley!

I don't know what the answer is really as the forest has to be open to all but unless the FC are going to spend a lot of money on trail maintenance then it's going to be pants for riding, on real shame as a I used to love the place.

It really is nothing like Follow the Dog at Cannock at the moment. More like a pigsty or a ploughed field. It's a world apart from the metre wide stone surfaced singletrack of Cannock.

The other big difference between Sherwood and Cannock is user involvement. Cannock has a dedicated user group who give up their own time to improve the cycling facilities. Without some input from people who ride bikes I don't think you can expect to build anything worthwhile. Some of the Sherwood locals have offered their help but have been snubbed. FC has grudgingly accepted some help with the bike park but I don't think it's going too well http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/search/?q ... 54&page=25

A large section of the forest is closed for tree thinning until 30/6/2010. When the tree thinning has finished they will start to repair the trail which has been damaged by the forestry work so I expect the closures will last until 2011. About half of the Kitchener trail has been re-routed along fire roads and what's left is not in good condition.

I think its quite cynical really that they had a publicity drive with a visit from Steve Peat and no mention of trail closures to encourage people to buy "Discovery Pass" parking passes just before they closed half of the trail. http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/c ... oost-24263

It's a real shame because 3 years on there is now nothing to show from the £300,000 to £400,000 investment http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf ... 530042A0E1 The trails are actually much worse now than they were before the Kitchener project started.

Shatner

trekex977 wrote:

Mud bath all the way round the red run.

I went a few weeks back - Muddy as hell, and it was that 'gritty' mud that nukes your drivechain.

Wont be going back!

Cheshley

BullFreerider wrote:

I voted 'other' as the trails aren't at all challenging, I mainly ride the DH/FR sections, which have an orange/extreme rating, (Note: the same as Fort William..) which isn't right by anyone's standards. The northshore drops can all be rolled off, and are small, the jumps are small, the tracks are short.

I posted about this after I had been there for the first time last year. I ride XC but the red graded route at Sherwood isn't even in the same league as the Red at Dalby for example. I'm no expert my any means and my skills/confidence/fitness leave a lot to be desired but even I think it's pretty easy whereas Dalby (for me) requires at least one change of underwear.

paully617

i totally agree on the over generous grading of the trails. So at this rate, it looks like we will all have to wait a month of so before attempting to "enjoy" the trails there again!!!

abductee

Forestry Operations
Please note the Forest Park will be undergoing a wide programme of forestry work in the first part of 2010. This will affect trails and walks; reinstatement will commence once these have finished.

That's half the Kitchener closed until 30/6/2010 according to the signs posted around the forest.

If you go back in a months time you will be riding around the fire roads.

alisdairh

I went a couple of weekends ago and rode the blue "adventure" trail because I had my 5 year old on a trailer bike behind me.

I got about three quarters of the way round and was met with signs telling me that the trail was closed from this point due to logging operations. The signs then told me that I would need to pick up the red or green trails to continue. What they didn't tell me was where these trails were. So I ended up lost in a forest with my little boy after having started out on a marked trail. Eventually I found my way back to the car park after following the overhead telephone lines but I was really p****d off with the Forestry Commision for putting me in that position.

Incidentally, whilst I agree that the grading of the Kitchener doesn't compare it to Dalby I find it to be a really good fun blast through a wood and I go back time and time again. It's horses for courses. If I want tricky technical I go out to Derbyshire

paully617

off to sherwood on the 17th for the day taking a novice group out. Will update this thread on rtn!!

CycloRos

Grading of trails is always gonna be subjective so not really bothered about that argument.

+1 for abductees comments. I must admit to being more than a little frustrated with the FC, there was a big media drive about the Kitchener and DH trails and it's a real shame they never budgeted for any trail maintenance! Then throw into the mix the loggin work and the consequent trail closures and there really isn't much of the trail left to enjoy.

I've deliberately steered clear of it this winter even though it's the closest place for me to ride, shame...

Ballynottingham

The Pines is a great location for biking. Yes it's not extreme or testing but the concept of being able just go out for an hour or two on a purpose built trial should be the goal.

I wouldn't usually have a whinge about the trails as I'm aware of how much hard work and hard cash has to go in to it, but at present the Kitchener isn't fit for purpose. Way too boggy and most is closed due to FC work. Basically it's not worth riding at present which is a great shame. The trail when it was first opened was fine for a blast around especially for an old git like myself. The blue trail was also good for a blast around mainly just to keep fit on, but even this is hacked up and the detour signs are pretty useless.

I actually purchased a discovery pass as well, as I don't mind paying for what I use. But if I can't use it what's the point. In comparison I was at Cannock last weekend on the Follow the Dog, which had loads of riders on it and a good atmosphere. Plus the essential Bike Wash, for which we were happy to pay for even though we had our own 12v units with us. What a differnece, and there is no reason why Pines can't match the quality is service/accessability even if it can't make it on the difficulty level.

The FC needs to get a grip of this or the £400k spend will be a waste of time and effort. :shock:

chatman

Sherwood next weekend of the 13th is hosting the British Heart Foundation ride...36 miles around the forest.... Is this day going to be a mud bath??????

I'm traveling up from Essex to do this ride...With all these riders expected what's the trails going to be like..... :? :? :? :?

abductee

The BHF starts from Sherwood Pines but goes off around Clumber park so I don't think you need to worry about Kitchener's quagmire. It hasn't rained much for a week and the forecast for this week is dry also. It should be OK, same as any other trails at this time of year.

Kiblams

Any updates on if the dry week we have been having has had any affect on the Kitchener trail condition? I am off this weekend to the Centreparc and would love to chuck a ride intothe mix.

Cheers guys.

jaysonski

the red route is finally drying up, was there this morning.
I feel people are being a little unfair with the trail itself, when its 'dry' its a very quick enjoyable route which i feel makes the most of the 'slight' undulation we get here, its never going to be a downhill track but is an enjoyable loop nevertheless,
I do agree about the drainage & upkeep of the trail, when its had a couple of days hard rain its terrible, if they want people to keep paying the carpark fee's they need to get on top of this. i was considering buying a discovery pass but until i start seeing improvement in the trail itself i will continue to ride in from home

easyboy

i was down sherwood yesterday and its still a mess although a pretty dry mess its still a mess
If you start at pines then head up to clumber,or the other way round its not as bad the forest/woods section at Clumber is far better a ride than sherwood imo

Jonathan1822

I was there on Saturday for the first time this year. The trail from the back of the car park to to where it crosses the road was fine but then the climb back up from the road was bad. The rest of the route was ok except for a section near to the end where I gave up and carried my bike back 30 yards to a fireroad that ran parallel with the track - but then I lost the track and bypassed the last 1/2 mile. There are some parts of the trails that clearly need work.

It was very busy on the fireroads as I think there was an event being held - British Heart Foundation?

I went off piste to the south of the railway and found a few motorbike tracks with had dried out. The 'desert' area has changed since I was last there and I did not see any motorbikes.

Jonathan (localish rider)

Ballynottingham

Went over to Pines last night. To my surprise most of the trails were in OK condition and congratulation to whoever has put in the diversions around the logging operations and 'Boggy Areas' they worked pretty well, and no eaay option of sending you on a fire road detour either.

The trail all seemed pretty quick and even where it was a little boggy there were routes through. Decided to give the section after the bottom of the Bike Park area a miss as this always is a slog and went hacking our way 'off piste' which worked quite nicely. Just kept a general sense of where the carpark was.

Good to see some trees have been removed from the edges of some of the boggy areas to allow the sun to get through and dry the ground. Will be back over there next week again for a blast around.

Gates close at 10pm so no excuse for not heading over.

paully617

even better, start at the dog n duck boozer just down the road and ride up from there or jump the railway lines.

That way you can do a post ride "debrief" in the boooozer over some well earned fizzy and nuts!!