Newbie in Kirkby-in-Ashfield (Nottinghamshire)

UKPonchoMan

Hi all,

I've just dipped a toe into the work of mountain biking, having picked up a 2010 Land Rover Experience Pro last week. I'm sure it's not the best bike out there, but I'm quite comfortable with it now - and I've not ridden since I was about 12 (39 now)!!!

So far I've managed to get up to a 15km route which I'm doing OK with, but it's mainly onroad. I'd be really keen to find out if there are any off-road tracks near me I could try out - and if anyone fancies meeting up sometime, even better!

I'm currently 16st so my target is to lose at least a stone over the next 6 weeks or so...

Chris

cycle monster

Welcome and good luck with your weight target. I lost four stone in my first year of mountain biking. Your best bet for routes as a starting point is to log on to the forestry commission website and search for cycling in your area and you will find several options not far from you. You can also have a look or post a query on the routes and riding section on here.

UKPonchoMan

Hi

I've just realised that Sherwood Pines is all of 15mins drive away - I know where I'm going tomorrow!!

Many thanks for the encouragement!

Chris

lastwords

Hi i live in kirkby in ashfield there are plenty of place nearby without the need of a car
The local woods aroung the area have plenty of offroad routes to ride there is also a few bridleways near annesley hall

Sherwoods pines is good for a local day out you also have the peak district within easy reach however the trails there are more technical than the local stuff.

I am more than happy to show you round as i ride on my own locally most of the time.

Dan

Bling Bling

Hi Chris and welcome, hope you enjoy exploring

Cycle Monster - great advice with the Forestry Commission website, I hadn't thought of that before, now I've found two woodlands not too far from me

Is Sustrans any good? I looked on there for local routes but it is all commuter stuff - that could just be because my area is notoriously boring, do you know if that's the case for Sustrans in other areas?

Are there any other resources for finding routes?

UKPonchoMan

I've used Bikely which seems OK, and useful for plotting your own route...

On a related note, today was my first ever off-road foray. Sherwood Pines - and I managed most of the Red Route although I think I missed a bit of it and only did 10.6km instead of the full 13km...

Bling Bling

How did you manage to miss a bit? I'm going there tomorrow, done the blue twice so now moving on to the red (yay!)

UKPonchoMan

Not entirely sure! I started off looking for the blue route, ended up on the red and went round backwards I think! There are a couple of bits where it's not well signposted and I obviously went the wrong way!

What time are you going tomorrow? Company's better than riding solo!

Chris

GlastoMongrel

I'm going to try Sherwood Pines, probably sometime this week. I'd be interested to know if you find more good 'local' stuff around

UKPonchoMan

I've just done the "full" red route - real good fun, with some really nice trails and a few jumps... Highly recommended!

Bling Bling

I'm so sorry I missed your message this morning. I was there today with my boyfriend. We tried the red route, then found ourselves back at the centre a bit too quickly, as did another couple who were at a similar pace. I think the way-markers could do with a bit of improving.

Tried a second time and discovered where we went wrong, managed to do the full thing. Brilliant fun, especially the zig-zaggy up hill bit (very technical terminology there )

Amazing moment - I got air! Not big air admittedly, but air none the less.

UKPonchoMan

Yep - I met up with a guy who'd had the same problem - we figured it out though... Where the bracken field is, there's a marker with two red arrows. You're supposed to turn LEFT there before you go down into the field, and it takes you to the rest of the red route...

We did the full thing - turned out to be 21km! Only took 1 1/2 hours though and I did a bit of the downhill route too!

I found a really nice couple of jumps - although I did end up in a bush at the end of one of them!!!

Robeard

Hi all

I'm a new member on here but not new to MTB. Have seen posts for rides around Kirkby, I live in Huthwaite and know loads of routes and trails around our area. I also go to Sherwood Pines on a regular basis for the red route.

Ukponchoman - I'd be happy to join you for a ride to show you some local good trails or a blast round the Pines?

I've been into MTB for about 2 years now, am 36 and will ride pretty much anywhere. Another forum i'm a member of is MTBE.co.uk we have had some cracking local group rides.

If anyone fancies a local ride, lets sort something out.

Rob

FunBus

Sherwood Pines is pretty good, but due to a lot of recent work happening in the woods, some trails have been cut up with fallen trees - this makes following the routes quite interesting at times!! Also, there's loads of sand on the red route - with some heavy showers, that could churn things up a bit.

From Kirkby in Ashfield you can ride to some pretty good trails from home. Just by Junction 27 of the M1 you can get into the woods and easily make a 15-20 mile route on and off road.

Just take a bag with spares, something to drink and some cash and find your own route....the areas not big enough to get properly lost!

Bling Bling

Where the bracken field is, there's a marker with two red arrows.

Yep, that's the bit that got confusing. I think the next red arrow sign (after the double) was in the wrong position on the trail, should have been to the left of the joining path. All good fun though, I feel like I know those woods a little better now, and the bracken field was fun to shoot through.

UKPonchoMan

Hi guys,

Rob - meeting up would be great. I thought I did quite well yesterday, although a couple of the uphills I just couldn't manage (not fit enough yet!) and I did end up losing my pedals a couple of times as my bottom bracket is quite low. But apart from the bush incident, all went well!

Funbus - let me know about the J27 stuff - be quite interesting. One thing I didn't know is where you can and can't go - are there any rules about it?

Bling Bling - you're absolutely right - the bracken field was fun the first time through, but by the 3rd and 4th times it was getting a bit boring (we got lost and ended up going back several times!)

Chris

Robeard

Hi Chris - Don't worry about a few dodgy moments, we all heve em'. We'll have to sort a meet, do you fancy Sherwood Pines or some local trails? Don't worry about your fitness either it'l come. Gimme a PM and we'll take it from there mate.

Rob

UKPonchoMan

Just got back from Sherwood Pines - had a great run! Did the red route AND one of the downhill routes too! Really pleased that I managed it without killing myself in the process!

lastwords

Bling Bling wrote:

Where the bracken field is, there's a marker with two red arrows.

Yep, that's the bit that got confusing. I think the next red arrow sign (after the double) was in the wrong position on the trail, should have been to the left of the joining path. All good fun though, I feel like I know those woods a little better now, and the bracken field was fun to shoot through.

the section you are talking about is a recent diversion the previous section before the two red arrows used to be further down and finished right near the sign that leads you left up that rooty little climb, if you understand what i mean.

Its been diverted because the trail was really eroded / boggy and getting wider all the time as people tried to avoid the bog

UKPonchoMan

It took a while to figure out that TWO arrows meant "turn" instead of "go this way" !!

UKPonchoMan

Had a great ride today with the Sherwood Pines CC guys - 30km, mixture of on and offroad - and my first off! Mind you it wasn't actually my fault - one of the guys had a bike malfunction and caused a bit of a queue which I piled into at speed!! Oh well, you have to go over the handlebars sooner or later!

Tartanyak

I live just around the corner (well, nearly) from Sherwood Pines and if you're after something a little more challenging (and fun) than the red route there, I'd recommend picking up a book called 'White Peak Mountain Biking' by Jon Barton. There's a load of trails just to the west in the peak district - or Dark Peak Mountain Biking for stuff a bit further north. Well worth it.

Other than that, I've been too busy to discover anything around here

UKPonchoMan

I will do - great to be so close to some good riding. My biggest problem at the moment is stamina/endurance - I think it's going to be another month or so before I feel up to tackling anything harder, although I would like to go down to Cannock soon as that sounds pretty good!

Tartanyak

I'm back in the country at the beginning of September. I'll PM you or something when I know I'll be going if you wanna grab a lift across?

UKPonchoMan

Sounds like a plan - always good to ride with someone who knows where they're going!

giantculler

Wellcome!!!

*AJ*

Not been sherwood pines for a month or so now, usually just ride the DH route there though, as i like the jumps and ladder drops.

Keep your eye out for an orange Orange Patriot, and be sure to say hi!

stolley80

Hi guys
Chris sorry to jump in on your post, but I;m trying to get back into mountain bking after a few years off, living in Newton so not too ar from you. Sounds like Sherwood Pines is the way forward, but interested in any local routes to if anyone has any? I'm two mins from an entance on to the 5 pits trail, not exactly demanding off road stuff but helping me get back on the bike again!
Thanks, and if anyone wouldn't object to a relative newbie tagging along on a ride or two, that'd be great.

Steve

UKPonchoMan

Hi Steve

Nice to hear from you - best thing is possibly to join the Sherwood Pines Cycle Club - went out with the guys on Weds and had a great run... Was going to go tonight but it's a 40km run and as it's been bucketing it down, I don't think my levels of stamina are going to be up to it!

I'm hoping to get to Sherwood Pines Sat afternoon though - could meet up if the weather isn't too bad?

Parsonz

Hi stolley80

I don't live too far away (Selston) from the 5pits trail; me and hubbie are just getting in to mtb and have been doing some local routes and even ventured into Derbyshire at the weekend using the OS map to find bridlepaths and tracks.

I would be interested to know of any other routed you find locally.

Claire

stolley80

Chris
Sorry didn;t see your msg until late, hope you had a good one on Saturday, sounds like Sherwood Pines is the way forward. Must get bike serviced first, she's been stood for about 3 years bless her!

Claire
I know a few rides I used to do years ago in Ashover, not too far away and also another through Rowsley and Chatsworth just getting into the Peak District, still only about 30mins or so away though. You've inspired me to dig them out tonight! I'll try and get you the details if you like. Need to get out riding again methinks