On a cold, wet and muddy Friday evening I headed over to Sherwood Pinesin Nottinghamshire to sample its only red route, the Kitchener Trail.

What a difference a bit of rain makes. Normally a flat fast flowing trail with berms and rollers, and a nice mix of rocks and roots. This time a muddy, gritty energy sapping water filled trail. The 13km took over an hour to complete and my brake pads well and truly ruined.

This is the last article where I'll be breaking the root down section by section so you can see how the trail fares in the rain.

This week is the release of section sixteen video. Check it out above.

Section sixteen named ‘Gas Pipe Cavalry’ is the final section of the Kitchener Trailtaking you back to the Sherwood Pines centre. It has an over all upward trend but is managed well as it somehow doesn’t feel uphill.

The entrance from the fire road and the first twists and turns are remarkably similar to most of the whole trail. Zigging and zagging through the trees with fern covered floor and towering pines. Suddenly the twisting stops, and you hit a fast straight singletrack that leads you out onto a fire road.

Leaving the fire road to the left you’ll see a friendly sign wishing you ‘farewell and goodbye’ indicating this is the final route in. Ducking back into the forest it’s a straight undulating track between the trees until you swing left. Then the trail takes some twists and turns eventually reaching the main fire road back into the Sherwood Pines Car Park passing the bike shop as you enter.

This evening the rain had an impact on this section. With it being undulating lots of water had been able to gather making it a slow trudge especially at the end of a very wet and muddy Kitchener trailthat had preceded this section. I rolled to the van absolutely covered in mud and drenched, to finish what felt like an epic lap. I looked across the car park to see a small group of riders getting ready to start out. I felt for them and was happy I was heading home for a warm shower and hot food.

For other related articles showing the different sections of the Kitchener Trail please click below:

Kitchener Trail in the Rain

wet Kitchener Trail – Section One

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Two

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Three

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Four

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Five

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Six

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Seven

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Eight

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Nine

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Ten

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Eleven

wet Kitchener Trail – Section Twelve

Kitchener Trail – Section Thirteen

Kitchener Trail – Section Fourteen

Kitchener Trail – Section Fifteen

Mountain Biking The Kitchener Trail - Sherwood Pines