I’m planning on doing a few night rides at Sherwood Pines as, for all its many failings, it’s a good place to get fitness up. The problem is where to park – the car park shuts at 6 and I have been parking at Clipstone and riding in along the national cycle route but it’s not the safest area and I worry about my car being broken into (not that it has any valuables in it).

There were a few folk night riding there when I last went, where do other people park?

We usually park at the Dog and Duck pub (which has closed down now I think?) You can then either ride up the road and in the main entrance, or along route 6 and in the side (which enters at the bottom of the DH runs)

We’ve been parking at Clipstone, in front of the old Post Office/Ritz or the Chinese just along the road for the last four years or so and not had our cars broken in to.
Kids roam around but never seem to cause any problems.
Some use the old Welfare car park across the road, but that is pretty dark at the moment.
Otherwise park at the side of the road opposite the Co-op, it is a bit busier there and more lit up.

You could park in Bilsthorpe and ride in on the old rail track. There’s a wide pavement opposite the sports club next to the trail. It’s a nice warm-up. Or park in Pines itself down deerdale lane, it’s a bit dark and isolated so I’d advise not accidentally flashing headlights at other “nightriders”