Clancy BriggsBlog

Our youth MTB coaching sessions at Sherwood are back in 2025! Check back here as we update with further future dates. Don’t forget, if you think you might attend multiple dates in 2025 you can save by using our Masterclass pass’s – these passes can be used in any of our masterclass sessions (MTB, road or cx) & are valid for any session in 2025.

Bronze – 3 masterclasses’

Silver – 4 masterclasses’

Gold 5 masterclasses’

For older (or more confident) riders we’ve got our Red Masterclass Group. In this group riders will spend a full day (10:00-16:00) out on the trails, we’ll cover everything from cornering technique through to air time. This is a brilliant session, attending riders need to have the skills and confidence to deal with the technical terrain found on the Red route & the fitness to ride for several hours off road.

For less confident or younger riders, our Blue group session is the perfect place to start. This session is the perfect place to build confidence. Riders will again head out on the trails and develop fundamental off-road skills; this session is more suitable for younger cyclists or riders with less confidence on uneven terrain. Blue group sessions are available in half day slots or both can be booked & the riders can stay with us over lunch for a full day of cycling fun!

Spaces are limited on both sessions, we keep rider/coach ratios low to ensure quality coaching and a safe environment.

Either option will be a fantastic day, we can’t promise good weather but we can promise good fun! Full details of both sessions can be found below…

Location - The Fantastic Sherwood Pines - Edwinstowe, Mansfield NG21 9JL
Timings - This session runs from 10:00 – 16:00
Suggested age – 10-16 (We’re cautious about using age as a guide for these sessions, as we’ve found ability is more important)

Required ability – riders must be able to ride a lap of Sherwood pines red route, with sufficient fitness to tackle all day riding including short steep climbs. Riders need to have a reasonable level of confidence on uneven terrain and be able to stand up on their bikes and cruise over uneven terrain.

What do we get up-to? Our red group is aimed at having fun on bikes & developing our technical skills. We’ll use our ramps and equipment to asses riders’ skills & develop them further. Before heading out onto the trails (red) and working on some of the technical sections. We’ll finally move onto the dirt jumps and bike park trails to develop some advanced techniques and have more fun. Led by our expert coaches, we'll use a mixture of the natural terrain, woodland & our ramps & kit to work on some key skills and develop off-road techniques. Think bunny-hops, manuals, wheelies, weight distribution, cornering, gear selection, starts, etc. Our ramps and see-saws are brilliant for testing out & the riders balance and weight distribution in a fun engaging way. We may also create some competitive scenarios and see how our skills stand up under the pressure of race conditions.

What sort of bike do I need? For our Red trail group, you'll need a good quality MTB, suitable for riding over the rough terrain found at Sherwood Pines Red route trail & bike park area.

What equipment is needed?

1. Working bike & helmet – this doesn’t have to be a high-end model but must be of good quality suitable for advanced off-road terrain and in good working order. Helmets must of appropriate size/fit for the rider & must be in good condition (no cracks) If you’re not sure if your bike is sufficient then feel free to contact us on [email protected] & our coaches can advise you further.
2. Packed lunch (with lots of high energy food)
   
3.  Spare innertube (that fits your bike)
   
4. Warm clothing and waterproofs. You can’t have enough of these even if the weather looks great, we’ll be outside all day and once cold or wet it’s hard to warmup again.
   
5. Plenty of snacks and drinks. Cycling is hard work, so lots of high energy snacks (bananas, flapjacks and jelly babies are popular) are important. Plenty of water/drinks.
   
6.  Gloves – cold hands are horrible. Crashing without gloves is also unpleasant.
   
7.  Sun cream (it’s always sunny in Sherwood)
   

Our complete team of fully qualified experienced, insured, First Aid trained & Enhanced DBS checked instructors will be on hand for your child's every need throughout the afternoon to ensure your child is happy, safe & having the time of their lives.

The price is £65 for the whole day.

Location - The Fantastic Sherwood Pines - Edwinstowe, Mansfield NG21 9JL If you’d like to attend all day, please book both the morning & afternoon slots & bring a packed lunch. Our coaches will look after riders at lunchtime.
Timings. AM Sessions take place 10:00-12:30, PM sessions 13:30-16:00, All day 10:00-16:00. Suggested age - 6-12 (We’re cautious about using age as a guide for these sessions, as we’ve found ability is more important).

If you’re a less confident or younger rider, we’d suggest booking the AM slot rather than PM. The PM slot usually involves more pedalling.

This session is comparable to our Pedal classes, we’ve found the longer Red session is tough for younger, less confident cyclists or riders with a lower level of fitness. The Blue class solves these problems, it’s the perfect environment to develop new off-road cycling skills and have a fun, enjoyable day.

Required ability - Riders must be able to ride unaided on off road terrain, confidently starting & stopping. Riders are required to be able to complete the blue graded route, riding up the hills and staying in control on the short descents. To get the most out of the day it’s useful to be able to stand up on the pedals and cruise on uneven terrain.

What do we get up-to? Our Blue morning session is all about having fun on bikes. We’ll start off on a wide grassy area using our ramps and pieces of equipment to assess and build fundamental techniques. Riders will then progress out onto the trails. Starting with the pump track riders will begin to apply their skills to real world settings, we’ll move out onto the new sections of the Sherwood pines blue trail, where riders will experience steeper downhills, and sweeping berm turns. Along the way we’ll including plenty of skills games and mini challenges to keep riders entertained.

What sort of bike do I need? For our Blue group, you'll need a good quality MTB, suitable for riding over the rough terrain found at Sherwood Pines Red route trail & bike park area.

What equipment is needed?

1. Working bike & helmet – this doesn’t have to be a high-end model but must be of good quality suitable for advanced off-road terrain and in good working order. Helmets must of appropriate size/fit for the rider & must be in good condition (no cracks) If you’re not sure if your bike is sufficient then feel free to contact us on [email protected] & our coaches can advise you further.
2. Packed lunch (with lots of high energy food)
   
3. Spare innertube (that fits your bike)
   
4. Warm clothing and waterproofs. You can’t have enough of these even if the weather looks great, we’ll be outside all day and once cold or wet it’s hard to warmup again.
   
5. Plenty of snacks and drinks. Cycling is hard work, so lots of high energy snacks (bananas, flapjacks and jelly babies are popular) are important. Plenty of water/drinks.
   
6. Gloves – cold hands are horrible. Crashing without gloves is also unpleasant.
   
7. Sun cream (it’s always sunny in Sherwood)
   

Price - £32.50 (half day).

For blue all day, please book both blue sessions.

Friday 3rd January
Blue AM 10:00 - 12:30
Blue PM 13:30 - 16:00
Red All Day 10:00 - 16:00

We know some families travel quite a distance to our sessions (which is fantastic), if you're looking for accommodation then you can't get closer than the excellent Sherwood Pines Campsite.

They've got a fantastic location for you to camp or book one of their glamping units, right in the heart of the woodland with cycling trails for all skills directly from site. With outstanding facilities onsite, including free Wi-Fi, family shower & baby changing rooms, accessible shower rooms, toilets, showers, laundry, dishwashing, a backpacker airing and locker room, even a dog wash & handy bike wash & servicing area!

They're a friendly welcoming team & we thoroughly recommend them. To find out more about what they offer, check them out here.

The reason we set an age limit of 6+ is because we've found previously youngsters below this age often struggle out on the trails, especially uphill. We can arrange for youngsters under 6 to attend for the first 90mins of the morning session at a discounted price - this is all on ramps and skills equipment - it's great fun without having to worry about keeping up with the group on the trails. Please contact us for more details.

We've recently created a series of new adult focused MTB coaching sessions, find out more here.