Sherwood Pines Camping and Mountain Biking

Half term and the last camping trip of the year. We booked this a couple of months ago, using the last few days of the half term holiday. We set off on Thursday night after work, made good progress on the M62 but there was huge delays on the A1. The sat nav helped out and directed us off the dual Carraige ways and onto country lanes.

We soon arrived at Sherwood Forest Holiday Park. It was late and dark but we were soon on our pitch and cooking a late tea. We were right on the riverside. The weather wasn't great, we had our fingers Crossed for settled weather over the weekend.

Friday morning and we got on our mountain bikes and headed down the main road to Sherwood Pines. After a coffee we decided to ride the red Kitchener trail. Andrea went in front with Jack and I rode oih Finlay. We initially we made good progress, but after a couple of miles Finlay had a nasty accident when he lost the front wheel on a damp tree root. Finlay soon got his confidence back and we continued on our way.

We made good progress and were soon at the bike park, me and Jack did a few runs through the downhill run, great fun. This exactly the sort of thing that Jack loves and we had great fun!

The last part of the route seemed to take ages and the weather took a turn for the worst, rain! I was chuffed for Finlay, his first Red Route! Back at the cafe we had some lunch and decided to do the Blue route, we got wet through but it didn't bother any of us.

Heading back to the campsite we all had a shower' put on dry clothes and settled in for the evening. The rain didn't s+op and the river got higher and higher, the campsite warden had to stay up all night keeping an eye on the river level in case we needed to evacuate!

Thankfully the river didn't rise any further. Saturday morning and we headed back to the bike trails, before we set off On another lap of the Kitchener Red route l snapped my chain? Thankfully the guys at Sherwood Pines cycles lent me a link extractor so I patched the bike up. One of my pedals was also loose and needed regularly tightening, but the pedal looks like it will need replacing? The rain had made the tracks very slippery and there we puddles and mud everywhere. Me and Jack set off riding hard. Jack had an unpleasant accident, tangled up is the bike. We sat for a while and then continued to the bike park.

This time we headed to the Jump area, again Jack had an accident, jumping one of the tabletop, he didn't hurt himself this time! we did the downhill run and Jack got a puncture! It look me a while to sort this out. We got our heads down and soon gut back to the cafe.

Finlay wanted to know why it had took us so long, Andrea and Finlay had done the route and beat us? They didn't stop at the bike part, and hadn't had to mend a puncture!

We headed into Clipstone to get more supplies for tea. The weather was terrible and the kids were grumbling. We again got showers and enjoyed watching TV in the warm Van.

Sunday morning and I looked at the bikes , the trails had taken their tole. Jack's front brake pads were down to the metal and needed replacing, my rear wheel was wobbly and needed all the spokes tightening, my rear brake pads were knackered and needed replacing! There red routes take their toll on bikes!

We headed back home after d great weekend, Andrea would have liked a more relaxing weekend but us lads really enjoyed it.