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Sherwood Pines Cycles- a unique locationRiding.A variety of trails litter the needle covered floor of Sherwood Pines forest, providing a network of riding possibilities for all ages and abilities. Whether you're looking epic cross country loops, tight twisty fast singletrack, or slow technical sections, there's something for the serious biker. But if you'd rather relax and take a leisurely family ride around the miles of family trails, you can easily do the too, there's no doubt something for everyone at Sherwood Pines. Family Routes:The forest provides two way-marked family routes with a new third route currently under construction.
The green route covers a 3 mile loop that starts at the visitors centre and loops away through the forest on the purpose built offroad family route, connecting small sections of existing fireroad together. Taking approximately 1 hour to complete at a leisurely pace, the green route is ideal for those with small children who would tire on the longer trails, or the newcomer to cycling just wanting a leisurely quiet hour in the forest. Suitable for all ages and abilities, (although we don't recommend that young children with stabilisers undertake the family routes - (there are buggies or 'link-it' child attachments available to hire which are perfectly suitable)) the trail is an all weather limestone surface which is rideable year round. Two areas with benches are spaced approximately every 2km along the trail, which provide resting stops or somewhere to stop for a leisurely picnic. This trail is also directly accessible at post 16 from Center Parcs holiday village. A new purpose built offroad family cycle route, with more technical unsurfaced terrain than the green route, this trail will be designated blue for beginner to intermediate users. Using existing trail corridors, throughout the forest the FC have created a 6 mile loop of unsurfaced technical trails for the more adventurous user. Suitable for most users, but some offroad cycling experience is recommended. Suitable for use all year round, trail may become muddy, so appropriate clothing is advised in adverse conditions. Ideal for the more skilled offroad user or riders looking to progress from the green trail. Suitability for buggies and linkits is weather dependant. Offroad Routes:
With over 45 miles of unmarked singletrack to ride, Sherwood Pines provides an almost unlimited supply of technical offroad trails for the more advanced cyclist. The chosen venue for multiple National Points Series races proves the pedigree of the existing Sherwood trails as one of the best in the country. As the trails are unsurfaced they are suitable for more advanced riders and do become saturated during inclement weather, thereby making them slippery in places. Previous experience of offroad cycling is advised during poor weather, but trails, though technical in places, can be ridden in dry conditions at a steady pace by the majority of proficient cyclists. All current singletrack is unmarked, please ask at the cycle shop for basic directions. We do advise carrying a mobile phone in case of emergency. A 10.5 mile purpose built waymarked offroad cross country loop, with technical trails and obstacles, suitable for the more experience rider. Formalising the existing unmarked singletrack network this new 6 mile loop will provide a sustainable, managed trail for all year use. Suitable for experience riders with good offroad skills. Based at the visitors centre the skills loop provides and area for visitors to ride examples of the terrain, obstacles and trail features that they may encounter within the forest. Each feature is individually graded for difficulty at completion. A purpose built area featuring more extreme stunts for advanced riders. Suitable only for experienced bikers. Zones include dirt jumps, north shore and downhill trails with mixed terrain. Grading of the park is seperate from the other trails, and more information can be found in the park itself. Situated at the southerly end of the park area the dirt jumps feature 3 graded skill levels of jumps. Suitable for cyclists with a good degree of bike handling skills through to advanced riders, the jump area features a beginner pack comprising of a series of 5 small tabletops; an intermediate set comprising a 5 set of larger mixed tables and doubles and finally a large set of 8 doubles for advanced riders. Getting here
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