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Need to get out this weekend.
Cannock isn't worth going to until it's fully up and running again so thinking of heading the same sort of distance northwards and seeing what SP is like - not been for a few years.
Or I might just ride locally (really hilly Leicestershire) if SP is a duffer 😆
I live Derby, I would choose Leicestershire over Pines any day
Cannock with half the monkey closed for felling is still much better than pines.
It's not brilliant, but it's better than you think it will be. If you think of it as a mini Cannock in every way you'll be on the right lines.
But run the downhill park instead of the XC downhill run if you have any suspension on your bike...
It's ok for tight twisty singletrack.
Easy to put 2-3 hours together if you know where to look-ignore people who say it's a complete waste of time & nothing there, they don't know where to look!
I'll be the first to admit it's flat-almost as flat as Thetford for most of it but if you pedal harder it's a good laugh!
Any trail centre is limited by the local geography - Pines is good for fast (when it is dry like now) and sometimes twisty singletrack - the easiest red route I've ridden, and I'm genuinely useless on anything much more than a fire road.
If your an hour or so away, it's worth a visit - the visit will be much better if you can link up with one of the regulars off here to show you some of the off the trail trails.
Not been to leic riding as cannot imagine there is much to sing about, but.....
Sherwood flows really well and is a good fitness blast if you get it all done without stopping.....a get a lap done, then circle back for lap 2 and spend 30 mins on the jumps and dh section.....
More interesting than Dalby if you ask me.....
I live in Leicester, and I'd go to the 'Pines for a blast rather than ride local if I want to ride single track flat stick. Sure it's not the best riding in the county but if you go round it quick enough it's good fun for a couple of hours.
Cheers everyone...must admit I don't remember it being that great...might mince about in Charnwood (local) - anyone about Sun for a meet up? - I know there's a few locals on here...
The Peak will be the same distance for you as Sherwood is. Go and do some great riding up there?
Legspin...could do but need to be in the pub at 4pm for a tasty football match so won't be a big full day's ride.
Hijack!
Anyone been to Sherwood with kids?
If so what's suitable for a 9y old who's ok with distance but hasn't done "technical?"
Thinking of the red route
How tough is it and if there's anything fruity do they have cop out diversions round it?
Thanks
Should be ok for a 9 year old apart from there will be others that want to get past, maybe use the map and do bits of blue and red as they intertwine
My 9 year old is still refusing to try the red route - can probably do the distance and if he tried it he'd love it, but I won't force him to do it if he doesn't want to. Biggest issue is probably his fear of being rear ended by speeding racer types.....
Depends how close to the Pines you are or if this would be a one off special visit - try him on a couple of laps of the blue first - he'll be able to see a lot of stretches of the red to judge for himself if he can handle it. It is probably the easiest red route to try.
I really enjoyed Sherwood Pines. My favourite riding is technical uphill and cross country, Peaks, Kirroughtree, stuff like that. I find places like Llandegla really tedious. But for some reason I loved SPines. Did the red a few times May Bank Holiday with someone else to keep the pace up. Really flowy interesting swoopy simgletrack that you could really hammer at without having to worry about getting knackered just before the big uphills (there aren't any)
I really enjoyed it, swoop, swoop, swish, roll, pedal, jump.
I guess it's what Llandegla aspires to be but somehow doesn't manage...
Thegeneralist - are you mental?!
Llandegla is fun and fast, but not very technical.
Pines is just an hour of peddling with no up, no down, no reward.
Went to centre parc a few weeks ago and wasn't overly impressed with the red route. I guess if you're local for hidden gems then it might be better...but still no real elevation as such.
Update
Visited when up with family for the bank holiday
Despite being bank holiday weekend it was actually OK
Kids loved it
Green super easy and enough mileage on blue for them to feel challenged
Only downside was the few bully boys barging past us on the blue trail wearing full face helmets and armour which made us quit while ahead and leave the red for a quieter time guessing that would be full of them
Full face ? Pines ? Those two things dont go together
They do if there outfit is completed by the use of stabilizers!
Full face brigade will have been heading to the 'downhill' park - thoughtfully the planners made the blue trail go straight from the car park to the play area...
I was there on saturday and I have to say I was supprised at how quiet the red was.Last bank holliday I was also there and felt like it was an unnoficial misuse day as I met a group of women coming the wrong way and also several familys with young kids that couldn't go down the small hills.
thunderwingdoomslayer,which is the wrong way for a woman,or group of women,to come?
This has two possible answers
A= Only once!
B= Aginst the flow on one way trail.
thejesmonddingo - Member
thunderwingdoomslayer,which is the wrong way for a woman,or group of women,to come?POSTED 6 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
LIKED (as per Facebook)
😆
Took the wife round the red saturday and nearly ran a dog over, walking with a couple on a piece of the singltrack marked on the red trail.
Only live 10 mins away and have road there for 15 years, but never found the "DOWNHILL AREA" 😉
The "downhill" area is right next to the dirt jumps. If you do find it and have ever ridden a proper downhill track prepare to be bitterly dissapointed as I felt over biked on my hardtail with 150mm forks.
The joy of Cannock is the amount of legitimate off-piste trails. If the trail centre routes are too compromised, just ridge around and see what you find!
It was tongue in check.
Having raced a couple of downhills, I now where it rates. To many people call it the downhill area then people are disappointed.
What pines is good for(when dry) is a fast flowy, pump able route and they have possibly made the best anyone could have out of the area, as it was.
I rode Coed llandegla the day before running it this weekend and still didn't find it boring!
I particularly enjoy the sections between posts 15 and 19 as they are very flowy and pumpable.
Further update 🙂
Went back on a Tues afternoon and did the red with the kids
Absolutely top afternoon had by all
Very quiet but we did make an effort to keep a look out for faster riders and let them past - which happened twice over 2 laps !
We all decided to return again for the red but almost certainly not when its busy
The kids cleaned most of it but naturally arent super quick and from my earlier experience of a visit at peak time just dont want to do it
On he other hand Im planning a solo visit to go hell for leather when its empty
The singletrack was lovely and really fluent and flowing
Cheers
It's short and fast so I guess the only challenge is seeing how fast you can go! Great place for first timers though.
Have done some +2hr rides, hardly touched the waymarked routes and climbed nearly 1000m according to the garmin. Prefer the peak but i haven't got the fitness to ride at a fast pace for hours.