Wattbike No Excuses Nottinghamshire Sportive

In its inaugural year, you are given No Excuses not to sign up for this event, with the opportunity to ride on fast-flowing ribbons of Nottinghamshire tarmac — bisecting the county’s sumptuous countryside, for free!

That's right. Everyone who enters either the £35 Epic or Standard routes and turns up on the day will receive a full refund after the event. For those who enter and don't turn up, that money gets donated to charity. If you do ride the event and would rather your entry fee go to a good cause, feel free to let us know.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed a "Half an Excuse" entry option as well. This price tier is for those who want to secure a place in this sell-out event, but are unsure if they will make it on the day. This entry fee will not be refunded regardless if you turn up on the day or not but at least it's only half the normal fee, so no shows won't lose out as much. Those who do turn up having entered the Half an Excuse routes get to ride an awesome event for half the price. Terms and conditions can be found below.

Starting out at Southwell Racecourse we head north-west, and an early split offers those who want to tackle the more demanding distance — a real early-season leg tester — the option to continue further north. If, however, a quick blast is more your bag at this stage of the year, carry on through Southwell towards Farnsfield.

Epic riders will go as far north as Tuxford, with gently undulating terrain to negotiate en route. While the topography remains relatively tame, be sure not to dig too deep into your reserves — this is a long ride. From Tuxford we drop down through the quaint village of Egmanton before continuing due south and linking up with the rest of the group at Farnsfield.

At this point we turn west and begin climbing, with a draggy ascent concluding in the town of Rainworth. Heading south now towards Calverton, we presently happen upon George’s Lane, and it’s here that your winter training — or lack thereof — will really tell, with the 1.6-mile climb averaging a thigh-grinding three per cent gradient. A brief respite can be sought on the quick descent in to Woodborough, before we offer you one last chance to test your mettle. Lingwood Lane might only be a short ascent but situated on the homestretch, and with a culminating kick of nine per cent, you’ll have earned that endorphin rush as you descend towards the finishing line with the River Trent providing the eye candy while you plunge from the tops.