mickc
Riding in the September Sun
The 'Pig Hill' route
As much as I need and would like to be working, I do enjoy having the morning to be out on the bike for a couple of hours, especially when the sun is blazingthrough the trees like it is today.
After being laid off because of the Corona Pandemic, I’ve been painting the house, attempting to teach the kids, looking for work. However, a side from the money worry there have been some upsides. Apart from being able to spend more time with the family the extra time I have has certainly allowed me to increase the amount of biking I can do. I’ve increased my average mileage, increased my average speed, planned new routes, tried new routes, and been further afield exploring. Now the kids have returned to school I’ve got free mornings to spend biking (…and afternoons job hunting).
I’ve just returned from an amazing ride. Not amazing because it was gnarly, or epic, or new but because it felt fantastic. For me there is nothing better than being in the forest with the sun blazing through the trees, flashing at you as you pick your route through on the bike. The trail just seemed to be fast and flowing like it was pushing me along rather than resisting the bike. The up hills weren’t a struggle and I found myself scouting the scenery instead of busting a lung. The best thing was it was a route I do regularly but today it just seemed…different!!
The route I took on today was the ‘ Pig Hill ’ route, aptly named because of the climb halfway round that cuts through a set of fields loaded with pigs. The pigs were notably absent today, but the September sun wasn’t, it blazed all the way round.
The route starts at the bottom of Cauldwell Damand there is a single track straight up to the top road near Mansfield’s biggest college. The start of the climb is open with trees both sides, but as you reach the top it gets enclosed by the surrounding wood. Looking up to the top it was like an enchanted forest.
After crossing the ‘top road’ or the A611 as it is labelled, the route enters Thieves wood. It is a lovely fast flowing singletrack leading out to cross a sandy path and then onto a root filled climb to the edge of the sand quarry. From here it’s straight through the wood to the A60, the road between Mansfield and Nottingham.
Over the road is the entrance to Harlow wood. The trail through turns right then left and then straight until you reach a mini lake. This was the best section of the whole route today. Sun blazing through the wood causing flashing shadows on the floor. The woodland floor was firm and fast making pedalling effortless. I had to stop a couple of times to take in the scenery and try to snap it as best I could.
After my final stop I was enjoying the free-flowing trail that I missed the turn taking me right around the end of the mini lake to start the sandy climb to a section of route 6. A quick U-turn and I was back on track. Another mesmerising view as I picked my way up the thin line between two fields surrounded by nettles. After crossing the lane at the top, it was onto a short fast section of route 6 heading down to the village of Ravenshead. I met nobody on the way down so cranked up the speed to the gate. A couple of horses lifted their head to see what the noise was but other than that it was all very quiet and peaceful.
The next section was ‘ Pig Hill’. A tough climb as it seems to start easy but as you get settled in it gets steeper, thinner, and trickier to negotiate before you reach the summit. Then it’s downhill all the way to the road. I stopped at the summit as the view always reaches across the valley in both directions. Today’s view was stunning!!
The final fast flowing section before the long road through Newstead Abbeybegins when you cross back over the A60. It’s off the bike and through a little gate, then down the right of a field and into a small wood with a lovely steep downhill. Don’t blink as it isn’t long but just enough to feel the blast of wind in your hair. Then cross over a track and dip into the next wood. This is a dark wood with tall thin towering trees letting in little glimpses of light. Today it was like racing through a tunnel. The track through is fast into a dip and then a slight climb out through a gate before a trudge around the edge of a deserted field. With dried crops it was like looking across the dessert, but with the ground dry it didn’t take as much effort to get round.
Then it is road work to the back entrance of Newstead Abbey. Through the gate and along the straight lane before re-tracing your steps through Thieves wood and Cauldwell Dam.
A thoroughly exhilarating, enjoyable ride today. I got home buzzing and full of energy…back to reality now, looking for work before picking the kids up. A nice break to refresh the mind and re-motivate.
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