Sherwood Forest

On the Mountain Bike this weekend for a change. Having been neglected for a good month, or even more, I'd been planning to check it over all week but just never seemed to find the time. And, of course, come this morning, and in a rush, it punished me for not giving it enough TLC. Eventually sorted things out and rode over the moor to meet up with M for a drive down south to meet some friends. The bike felt very heavy after riding the Carbon last weekend, and the climb up to Keighley Gate was slow. I suppose it is not helped by being straight uphill all the way from the front door. But I was reminded just how good the ride is from the top and along the canal. I must contrive to do this more often into the office.

M hatched a cunning plan for me to get to explore some of Sherwood Forest. Such a big part of my English heritage, but I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never visited it before. I feel like I've explored every inch of the upland areas of England, but most of the Midlands is a black hole to me. So, to put this right, I started at Clumber Park near Worksop and enjoyed a great circuit around there on some really good tracks - technically very easy, but lovely to ride nonetheless. From there I picked up the Sustrans National Route 6 which provided an off-road link to Sherwood Forest, although I was unable to follow the route through because it was being used by a motor rally. I'm normally a bit of a rebel when it comes to being told where I can and cannot take my bike, but I wasn't going to mess around with sharing the forest tracks with rally cars at the speed they were going!

The diversion was attractive enough and I rejoined Route 6 to take me to the edge of Sherwood Pines Forest Park where I was to meet back with M. Unfortunately, coming in from the far side, there were myriad single-track trails, but no signposts, and, as you do in Forests, I very soon lost any sense of direction. Things were then exacerbated by the fact that the rally drivers were doing a stage here too, and my route to the main centre seemed to be cut-off. I felt bad for running so late, but I did get to explore a lot of the trails, and when I did eventually find a route through, it was the best riding of the day. There was one section of old woodland, the track dappled in sunlight, everything fresh and kind of steamy from a recent shower, which was timeless, and it was easy to imagine that nothing had changed in centuries.

There were loads and loads of families out on their bikes enjoying all these easy trails. This is something completely lacking in Ilkley and around about my part of the world. I have the best road cycling anywhere, but it's not for families and kids. The hills are too steep and there are very few places where you can get off the road like I did today. My ride in Nottinghamshire was just over 30 miles giving a total on the MB of just about 40 miles for the day. Finally, the showers abated and the sun came out for a picnic in a wonderful green space set amidst the trees. If they can sort their signposting out - which we were told they are doing - then this will soon be a superb place to come ride some great single-track.