OVERVIEW
NEED TO KNOW
The route
accommodation
PACKING LIST
FAQs
SHERWOOD PINES TROPHY: OVERVIEW
The first major gravel race of the season on a cracking 58km route in Sherwood Pines.
You will race 4 laps of a 15km course taking in some wide fire roads, flowy singletrack & a few sandy sections. Race against riders in your age cat for the chance to win the Sherwood Pines Trophy.
Enjoy a great gravel cycling weekend with a sportive on the Sunday heading into the Notts countryside and a social race village in Sherwood Pines.
Women’s race – 9.00am start
Open 50 plus – 12pm start
Open 19 to 49 – 3pm start
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
- A beautifully varied 15km loop on closed trails
- Race on a great mix of wide forest trails and winding singletrack
- Make a weekend of it & ride the sportive into the Notts countryside on Sunday
KNOW BEFORE YOU RACE
tHE ROUTE
Set in Sherwood Pines, this route starts near the Arena and heads around the forest over a 15km loop. The course takes in a mix of wide forest trails and some singletrack with a couple of sandy sections.
THE WEEKEND
Stay over and ride a sportive on the Sunday on lovely sportive exploring trails outside the forest around the Notts countryside.
TIMINGS ON THE DAY
There are three races on the day, a womens race at 9am, open over 50 starting at 12pm and open aged 19 to 49 race at 3pm. The race village opens at 8am and closes after podiums at 5.45pm
RIDE SUPPORT
There will be a mechanic stand at the start and then on each lap you will pass a feed & mechanic stop. Leave a bottle or have a helper in the official feed zone.
Included in Entry
Fully Signed Route
Our team work tirelessly to create the best gravel routes in the UK. All courses are fully signed so you can just enjoy the ride.
Checkpoints with Proper Food
An epic ride deserves proper support. We have tea, coffee and cake at the first feed and sandwiches & crisps at the main feed. Checkpoints are approx every 30 - 35km
Accurate GPX Files
A few days before the ride, we will send GPX files for all of the route options so you can follow the course on your GPS as well as the signs.
Mechanics Available
At the rider village & at selected feed stops we have mechanics available to help with any bike issues. We also have spare inner tubes, CO2 & more .
Rider Support Vans
We are here to make sure you have a great day on the gravel. If you have any major mechanicals or need collecting, support vehicles are a phone call away.
Beer at Finish Line
You will be greeted at the finish line with a beer & food available from our food truck. Perfect to chat about your day with fellow riders.
EVENT PROGRAM
4th March: Rider lists published and final route details sent out.
7th March – 08.00: Race village at Sherwood pines opens. Registration is open 1hr before each race, the course opens for 45 mins before each race to ride a recon lap.
7th March – 8.45: Pens open for Women’s race, start at 9am
7th March – 11.45pm: Pens open for Open race aged 50+, start at 12pm.
7th March – 2.45pm: Pens open for Open aged 19 to 49, start at 3pm
.
7th March – 5,45pm: Final podiums and race village close.
THE ROUTE
Please note this route is subject to some small changes. We will send out the final route to all participants one week before the race.
The route is 4 laps of a 15km course starting in the heart of Sherwood Pines. After a short section on wide fire roads, we head onto some flowy singletrack where passing is possible but not easy. Back on the fire roads we hit our first small climb of the day (0,5km at 4%).
The middle of the route is fast & flowy before another minor climb (0,5k at 4%) which could cause some gaps. The final 3km is on a mix of wide & then narrower gravel trails before a finishing loop around the ride village where spectators will be cheering you on!
Distance:
58.4km
Elevation:
712m
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
Our race is in Sherwood Pines (nearest big town in Mansfield). There are several lovely villages nearby to stay for the weekend or camp onsite at the lovely Sherwood Pines Campsite (link HERE).
On the Sunday we have a sportive – Sherwood Pines Gravel X which starts & finishes in Sherwood Pines and takes in some trails around the forest and then out into rural Notts.
Hang around on Saturday to watch the race you aren’t involved in. There is plenty to do in the Forest including a cafe, Go Ape & disc golf.
ACCOMMODATION
Come for the race, stay for the warm local hospitality and beautiful countryside!
There are plenty of hotels & campsites in nearby Ruthin including:
Lyons Woodlands Hall Hotel & Caravan Park
GET IN TOUCH
Got any questions on this race, our race series or want to partner with us? Send us a message on the form and we will get back to you within 1 business day.
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: The route is designed for gravel bikes with all of the route being off road.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. The gravel is mostly smooth throughout so a fast rolling or all rounder 40mm to 50mm tyre should be ideal.
Packing List: There will be a mechanic / feed stop on each lap plus a spares box on route but please bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2).
Clothing: Likely to be fresh at this time of the year particularly early morning so layer up accordingly. Helmets are mandatory, you will not be able to ride without one.
FAQs
You will race against people in age categories for both the Women’s and Open races:
19 – 39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
Each category will be identified by specific coloured race & body numbers. Where applicable, we will start riders within their category. There will be podiums for each age category.
This route makes gravel racing accessible for anyone. At the front of the race we will have a good field of elite men & women racers but this would make a great first race due to the rolling terrain with a mix of smooth gravel & singletrack.
Registration is open one hour before each race (8am to 9am, 11am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm). You can collect your race number at any of these times.
You will also have some time to ride the course before pens open for the race.
The race starts near Sherwood Pines (Edwinstowe, Mansfield NG21 9JL). The nearest train station is Mansfield, just over 4 miles away.
Parking at Sherwood Pines is available for £5
There will be a spectator area within the race village where you can see riders go past each lap.
You can also stroll up 500m and catch the route twice, once at the start of the lap and another near the end of the lap.
Sherwood Pines is a major tourist destination with lots to do for non-riders. If you are bringing kids that love cycling, make sure they bring their bike for the family laps from 1pm to 2pm or they can enjoy walking trails in the forest, Go Ape, play area, disc golf & more.