← All eventsSherwood Pines Autumn Trophy
An accessible Glorious Gravel 'Trophy' — a fast, welcoming 60km loop of firm forest gravel around Sherwood Pines, Clipstone, Nottinghamshire. A great first gravel event. Fully signed, feed stations, no cut-offs, e-bikes welcome. Date approximate.
One of the most beginner-friendly gravel events in the UK. A 60km loop of fast, firm forest gravel around Sherwood Pines, through Robin Hood country near Clipstone, in mid-October.
It's fully signed, feed-stationed and run with no cut-offs, so nothing is chasing you round. Fast fire roads and flowing forest track, gently rolling rather than hilly.
This is a tempo day, not a climbing test. Firm gravel makes it more about holding a steady effort than surviving rough ground. A genuinely realistic first gravel event.
Is Sherwood Pines Autumn Trophy for you?
- First-timers stepping onto gravel. No cut-offs, a signed route and feed stations make it a welcoming day out, not a test to survive.
- Road riders trying firm gravel. The fast fire roads ride close to road pace, so the jump onto gravel feels small.
- Steady tempo riders. The course is short enough to hold a real effort, rewarding consistency over big volume.
- Anyone who wants a short autumn day out. 60km fits comfortably in daylight with a normal start, in the shelter of the forest.
Training plan for Sherwood Pines Autumn Trophy
A training plan for Sherwood Pines Autumn Trophy isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Sustained tempo on fast, firm forest gravel, more about steady effort than rough terrain
- A gently rolling profile, so pacing and rhythm matter far more than climbing legs
- Damp, leaf-covered October gravel that turns greasy in the shaded sections
- A short 2.5 to 4 hour day, so no big endurance or fuelling demands
- Gravel tempo: 2 to 3 blocks of 15 to 25 minutes at sweet spot on gravel
- Steady long rides building to 2.5 to 3 hours, mostly easy, on gravel where you can
- An event-pace ride of 1.5 to 2 hours to rehearse your Trophy pacing
- Relaxed wet-leaf handling on damp forest gravel for October confidence
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
