Trying to move back there from Mid Wales where I’ve taken up mountain biking in last 3 years but through personal and career choices for both the Missus and i we are trying to get back,
My deep worry is I’ve been spoilt with the choice of trails here,
What’s available near Nottingham in the way of trails? I know there’s the peak district and Sheffield apparently has some bits, Cannock chase, anything closer to Nottingham?

Somebody much more experienced and knowledgeable will probably be able to give you a better answer but there is Sherwood pines( North Notts) and surrounding bits which is the obvious one
Not really sure about south Notts depends where you are going to relocate
Personally I would plumb for somewhere semi North Notts although it depends on your budget then you are not too far away from Sheffield either

Yeah, there’s plenty of Singletrack to the north, west and east of the city. Not the big hills I’m sure you’re used to, just as fun, but in a different way.

I lived in Sheffield before here and got used to big-hill riding, but I can honestly say I prefer the trails round Nottingham.

Hope that helps,

APF

I live near Nottingham. There’s enough stuff. I like the peaks a lot. It’s closer than you think. While wales is big, i never found the natural riding as technical as the peaks. If you’re jobs are leading you there, I wouldn’t turn that down because you thought the riding was crap. It’s different to wales but there’s worse places to be.

I live 45 mins from sherwood pines and still haven’t felt the need to go there as there’s loads of stuff local to me, I’m approx 25 mins from notts, soi I think you’ll be fine. And at the end of the day part of the fun some times is finding the stuff to ride.

I live south Notts, there is some riding in the valve of Belvoir, but if it’s been raining anything offroad is pretty much impossible as you end up with two mud donuts for tyres.

i live around 6 miles north of notts. plenty of reasonable riding straight from the front door, the peak is only 40 mins away for more adventurous stuff.

Wow, I was expecting nothing from that post,
Filled with a little hope!

We’ve previously lived all over, Sherwood, Meadows, Forest fields,
We’re looking for anywhere between Sherwood Rise going up to Arnold, I’d prefer to stay within reasonable commuting distance on bike if we can, But we’ll be happy where ever really…

I hear the peaks can be pretty technical, Some big rides to look forward too!
Sherwood pines and Belvoir Loop look pretty good…

A little happier now with your positive comments!
Any more places not mentioned?!

You can always come over our way? Belper, 25 mins from notts tops. Black rocks, ambergate woods type loop, all a bit cheeky but a great 2 hr blast can be had. Also a nice off piste downhill course been lovingly built locally, but that ones for you to find 😉

Belper to Nottingham city centre takes a fair bit longer than 25 minutes if you’re travelling in for work.

Ok could someone enlighten me on the singletrack stuff around Nottingham? I’ve lived here 18 months and have never found a great deal, I’m based in Beeston and have been around hemlock stone and the surrounding area and a bit out to trowell but never really found anything particularly great and scouring maps doesn’t seem to show much else. I would love to be able to make up a night riding route round my area.

Junction 26 is less than half hour ride to the city at rush hour.

pinch_flat – Member
Ok could someone enlighten me on the singletrack stuff around Nottingham? I’ve lived here 18 months and have never found a great deal, I’m based in Beeston and have been around hemlock stone and the surrounding area and a bit out to trowell but never really found anything particularly great and scouring maps doesn’t seem to show much else. I would love to be able to make up a night riding route round my area.

some chaps from BeestonCC meet on a Tuesday night at 6.30pm at Bramcote Leisure Centre. You don’t have to be a member to join rides, they are very relaxed.

Beeston-Bramcote-strelley hall-Swingate-Cossall-Trowell-Bramcote.

The best your gonna get round Beeston. its ok for a night ride though, then back to the Crown for a pint (then the Vic)!

Certainly would be longer than 25 mins, but why would he be travelling from belper?? A mate was travelling from Eastwood into notts last yr and was nearly an hr each way 😯

I live in South Notts and it’s boring.

but why would he be travelling from belper??

Misread the post as suggesting to live in Belper but now realise you just meant to go there for riding – doh!

Gotham and east leake in stw trail guide
Ticknall, south of derby
Plenty cheeky stuff round Annesley at M1 J27
Bramcote Hills
Bestwood country park has some trails and jumps
Further afield ambergate, drum hill, Chevin, Crich chase around belper
Some stuff in north Leicester (Grace dieu area)
peaks obviously
Sherwood pines
Cannock less than an hour away
Yep If you hunt it out there is plenty of variety around east
Midlands

pinch_flat – Member
Ok could someone enlighten me on the singletrack stuff around Nottingham? I’ve lived here 18 months and have never found a great deal, I’m based in Beeston and have been around hemlock stone and the surrounding area and a bit out to trowell but never really found anything particularly great and scouring maps doesn’t seem to show much else. I would love to be able to make up a night riding route round my area.

It is a good while since i graduated so much can have changed, you used to be able to ride from the city hospital along the railway line, there was some single track beside the trackbed. This took you to bestwood country park which was certainly fun, and where i learnt to night ride. There were plenty of tracks through the trees and around the old quarries. You could then head out the north side of the park and drop onto the mansfield road, follow this to the papplewick pumping station, turn right and into Sansom woods, more singletrack, thn into Blidworth woods for even more singletrack, there was then a way which i have forgotten that meant you could ride through to clipstone.

I’m just outside Ilkeston – fwiw 45 minute commute by bike into central Nottingham, half of it “off road”

Nottingham’s a great place to be based for riding – Peaks an hour away, a mate gets to Dalby or the nearest Welsh trail centre in roughly two hours, Cannock and Sherwood Pines less than an hour away depending on where you live, miles of bridleways to explore if you come out Ilkeston way – we can put together 20 mile loops pretty much any direction, mostly off road, link them together to make days out. If you’re feeling lazy the Sustrans/riverside/towpath links can make great easy riding/pub crawl routes. If they haven’t been knocked down over the winter, some big drops over at Drum Hill.

It isn’t that gnarly or rocky around Nottingham, but you can only ride what mother nature gives you. Then you get in the car and stick the bikes on the roof….

I live in mapperley and there’s some interesting bridleway based stuff out woodborough, calverton, blidworth moor way all ridable from my front door. There’s quite a nice 35 mile loop I ride most sundays which it’s fairly entertaining considering the relative flatness round here.

Small world Glacier79, I’m mapperley based too. I reckon it do able to make it out nearly all off road to Sherwood pines from here.

I live the road riding round here too out towards Southwell

Just got back from a night ride from Long Eaton through Hemlockstone then up towards Top Valley and back. No cars being burned out tonight though 🙂

Then me mates break off back to West Bridgeford at city hospital and it is a bit of a slog along the roads back home but before that it is fast and furious! There is some stuff but it is generally better to the north of Nottingham.