Training plan · Hampshire
New Forest Classic training plan 2027
Saturday 24 April 2027, Gang Warily recreation ground. 127 km with 913 m of climbing.
In short
Give yourself 8 to 12 weeks for the New Forest Classic on Saturday 24 April 2027. The Long route is 127 km (79 miles) with 913 m of climbing on open roads through the New Forest, rolling rather than hilly, and the organiser rates it 2 out of 5. Build a long ride of three to four hours, practise holding a steady effort over short rises instead of attacking each one, and give way to the ponies and cattle that roam the Forest roads. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 4 h 20 min.
The New Forest Classic at a glance
| Date | Saturday 24 April 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Gang Warily recreation groundsource |
| Distance (Long) | 127 km (79 miles), 913 m of climbingsource |
| Distance (Middle) | 92 km (57 miles), 695 m of climbingsource |
| Distance (Short) | 53 km (33 miles), 353 m of climbingsource |
| Roads | Open roads through the New Forest National Park, shared with traffic and free-roaming ponies and cattle. Riders follow the Highway Code and the New Forest Cycling Code.source |
| Start | Gates open at 07:00. The Long route starts between 08:00 and 09:00, the Middle between 08:45 and 09:30 and the Short between 09:30 and 10:00.source |
| Finish | The finish closes at 15:30.source |
| Difficulty | 2 out of 5 from the organiser: wide, flowing roads with gentle climbs and descents.source |
| Entry for 2027 | Open now: £49 for the Long route, £45 for the Middle and £35 for the Short, £5 more on the day. Online entry closes at 13:00 on Wednesday 7 April 2027.source |
| On the day | Chip timing, feed stops, mechanical and medical support and a finisher's medal. Bring your own bottle: the feed stops are going plastic free.source |
The course
Profile from WattPlan's model of the course (128.7 km routed over OpenStreetMap roads with SRTM heights, © OpenStreetMap contributors). The organiser's figures are in the table above, and their route is the one that counts on the day.
Your power and time on the course
Enter your FTP and weight and WattPlan's route model rides the course for you the way a long day is best ridden: harder on the climbs, where a watt buys the most speed, and easier on the flat, at an effort you can hold to the finish. The figures below are for 230 W and 75 kg until you do.
| Climb | Summit (km) | Length | Average | Steepest | Your power | Your time |
|---|
Eat at about km 23, 44, 66, 89, 111. Riding something else? The free pacing calculator does this for any route from its GPX. In the app, Route analysis adds your own fade over a long day, the wind on the day and a pacing file for your bike computer.
How long to train for the New Forest Classic
Eight to twelve weeks of structured training suits most riders for the Long route, which means starting between late January and late February for 24 April. Most of that falls in winter, so plan indoor sessions for the wet and icy weeks.
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to 24 April around the days you can ride, runs the indoor sessions on a smart trainer in the app, and adjusts the plan when a week goes wrong.
What the course asks of you
The Long route rolls rather than climbs: 913 m over 127 km, on wide roads across open heath and through woodland, with no long climbs. That makes it a ride about steady pacing, and riding it well means holding an even effort over rises of a minute or two instead of attacking each one.
The calculator above rides the course for your FTP and weight, harder on the rises and easier on the flat, so you can see what an even day looks like in watts and how long it takes.
Ponies, cattle and open roads
The roads are open to traffic, and the New Forest is a working forest with free-roaming ponies and cattle. The organiser asks riders to give the animals space, give way to them at all times and follow the New Forest Cycling Code, and to ride to the Highway Code.
Fuelling and the finish time
The finish closes at 15:30 and the Long route starts between 08:00 and 09:00, which leaves six and a half to seven and a half hours. There are feed stops on every route, but bring your own bottle, because the organiser is making them plastic free. Eat every 45 minutes from the start, around 60 grams of carbohydrate an hour.
Your plan to 24 April
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Saturday 24 April 2027 around the days you can ride, and eases off before the day. Take a rider with 230 W of FTP who rides 3 to 5 hours a week now and has an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and up to 4 hours on Saturdays: a 12-week plan starting Monday 1 February 2027 has 4 weeks of base, 4 of build, 3 of peak and 1 of taper. It opens at 4 hours a week and builds to 8, with a longest ride of 4 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the New Forest Classic is filled in for you. Premium adds the whole plan to race day and adjusts it when you miss a session or ride harder than planned.
Questions riders ask
How long should I train for the New Forest Classic?
Eight to twelve weeks suits most riders for the 127 km Long route, so start structured training between late January and late February for Saturday 24 April 2027.
How hard is the New Forest Classic?
The organiser rates it 2 out of 5. The Long route is 127 km (79 miles) with 913 m of climbing on wide, rolling roads, and the Middle and Short routes are 92 km and 53 km.
Is the New Forest Classic on closed roads?
No. It runs on open roads through the New Forest National Park, shared with traffic and with free-roaming ponies and cattle, and riders follow the Highway Code and the New Forest Cycling Code.
What time does the New Forest Classic finish?
The finish closes at 15:30. The Long route starts between 08:00 and 09:00, the Middle between 08:45 and 09:30 and the Short between 09:30 and 10:00.
How much does the New Forest Classic cost?
£49 for the Long route online, £45 for the Middle, £35 for the Short and £15 for the 17 km Rook ride, each £5 more on the day. Online entry closes at 13:00 on Wednesday 7 April 2027.
More event training plans
Sources
WattPlan is not connected with the New Forest Classic or its organiser. We've done our best to make sure everything here is accurate, from the details the organiser had published when we checked on Wednesday 7 October 2026, and we'll update this page as more details come out. Confirm dates, routes and rules on the official site. Times and power figures come from a physics model and are estimates, not predictions of your result.