Surrey Hills - where to start?

evade

Hello!

Me and mate are planning to go to Surrey Hills tomorrow. Thing is, while there's loads of websites about how good the riding is, there doesn't seem to be anything about where to start, where the best trails are, etc.

Any advice?

Cheers

Fully

I've not ridden there for 18 months or so, but we always used to park up in Peaslake and go up Holmbury Hill from there. As you're looking at the vilage shop go left down the road and then up a BW on the right and just follow it up to the top to Yoghurt Pots and Telegraph Road, etc. It's all a bit misty, but that's all i've got sorry :oops: .

Trails to look out for as well as the above are Barry Knows Best and Summer Lightening amongst others. Personally i'd try and join another group to get the best out of it if possible. Try googling 'Diary of a mountainbiker', they're a good bunch and know the trails very well. It is very good over there if you get a good loop together. There's also loads on Pitch Hill, quite techy from what i can remember.

meesterbond

Nirvana Cycles have a couple of route maps which are probably a pretty good starting point....

They also used to have weekend rides (think it was on a Sunday morning) from the shop... been a long time since I've been there, but might be worth a phonecall...

Anonymous

That's Leith Hill way isn't it?

I'm interested in doing that area, but likewise I'm not sure where to start. I've got maps of trails like Summer Lightning, but they're not so clear on where they actually are, only shows the route and not sure on the direction (if there is one) and where to get into the place, other than something about people park up at the pub and go from there.

All I know of Leith Hill is just from walking there around the tower area.

evade

Cheers fellas,

We're really looking forward to it. We're taking the diary of a mountain biker descriptions (http://www.diaryofamountainbiker.co.uk/ ... _downs.php) and will be starting at pealake. We'll almost certainly be lost withing 10 minutes. I'll let you know how we get on!

Evade

robertpb

Go and have a look here at a video and directions http://www.imbikemag.com/

evade

Wow, what a great mag and what a great feature too! Cheers for pointing that out, mate. Just what I needed. Now I *really* can't wait for tomorrow

Evade

timmys

robertpb wrote:

Go and have a look here at a video and directions http://www.imbikemag.com/

Has anyone who knows the area had a look at the .gpx file on that site. Would it work as a good guide for someone, like me, who's never been there?

Anonymous

Site doesn't work in Google Chrome . But aside from that, looks good.

I'm just heading over there myself to check it out.

evade

Wow, what a day! Surrey Hills kills Swinley by a million miles.

We got to Peaslake (cheers again, Fully), lovely village, the village shop selling fresh sarnies and coffee in real mugs, MTBers everywhere, chillin out in the sunshine, chatting to each other - we met loads of people without even trying. The best thing is that a new bike shop has opened on the square, the owner (and his mum) are great, really friendly.

We bought a laminated trail map for £3 which is essentially like a piste map for the whole area (which is vast), with graded runs and descriptions, good loops etc. The bike shop guy marked us out some loops, gave us detailed directions and within 15 mins we were getting mullered on Barry Knows Best (he does). Then we headed right to the top of the hill (amazing views) and did Yoghurt Pots and some other really tight and fast singletrack that the bike shop bloke described to us, which was bonkers. Then we looped back and did BKB again, which was a little easier second time around.

Then we stopped in Peaslake for refreshments and did the whole loop again, this time much faster and much more aggressive and it was amazing. Once you've got the line of BKB it's a crazy run, with pretty much everything from berms, fast switchbacks, tech drops and some great air opportunities. Genius.

By the end of the afternoon, totally exhausted, we plopped down in the pub garden which overlooks Peasly square, basked in the sunshine, reflected on the day and gassed with the owner of the bike shop over a few shandies.

Can't ask for more.

J55TTC

Sounds great, Im going to have to go over and check it out, its not very far away!

Anonymous

Hmm, think I went for the wrong start point. I did over on the right by Coldharbour, the bit from The Plough that goes via Summer Lightning. Wasn't too easy finding the routes from either Diary of a Mountain Biker or the fairly useless map I found on the net. Once you find the markers for Summer Lightning it's not too bad, but the first one at least points you in entirely the wrong direction!

The DOAMB directions didn't quite match up and then I got to a point where I wasn't sure if it was the end or not.

Still, Summer Lightning was pretty good and more technical & obstacle ridden than any of Swinley. I then went on a mucked about finding my own routes. Long pieces of rutted tree bridlepaths on a descent were quite good and ended up all the way to Guildford Road. A pain getting back up the hill though. Then I found a bit coming off Summer Lightning which was fairly technical, but a little too short.

Other than that, I ran out of time and only scratched 1% of the entire area.

Sounds like Peaslake is a much better start, and get me one of those laminated maps

Really need a guide though. I'd be interested in joining up on any groups going. I'm no uber-fit freak. Just out for a fun ride really

Richard2118

Gents

Should you wish to ride the area again, send me a private message and should be able to organise a ride in the area.
I have been riding the area for 6 years every week, so if you want a guided tour your more than welcome to meet up with us when we go out ( pretty much every week at some point inculding night rides.)

There is some awesome stuff but would say having a local along is the best way to get to the best bits.
Pitch and holmbury are great and I also know loads on Boxhill, Ranmore and of course leith Hill and Time and weather permitting you can do various loops to link up the lot!!!

J55TTC

Richard2118 wrote:

Gents

Should you wish to ride the area again, send me a private message and should be able to organise a ride in the area.
I have been riding the area for 6 years every week, so if you want a guided tour your more than welcome to meet up with us when we go out ( pretty much every week at some point inculding night rides.)

There is some awesome stuff but would say having a local along is the best way to get to the best bits.
Pitch and holmbury are great and I also know loads on Boxhill, Ranmore and of course leith Hill and Time and weather permitting you can do various loops to link up the lot!!!

Thanks for offering to be a guide, I reckon we should do an organised ride early on a saturday or sunday morning with a few of the members from here. IM DEFINITELY UP FOR IT. Let us know when youre available

Anonymous

The word "early" could be the flaw for me. I'm not good with early.

But I may give it a go. Don't know what level others are though. I'm relatively new to the whole mtb thing. Been doing it for a few years but only more seriously this year. I'm okay fitness wise though I'm not a gym regular. It's just uphill that kills me

evade

We're going to be there again this Saturday morning around for a 3-4 hour sesh. The plan is to explore the next hill along from Holmbury. I think we're classed as pretty much total newbies, so we're slow going up *and* down

Current plan is to meet at Peaslake for 10.30am which means actually getting there at 11.00am, having a coffee and stocking up at the shop, and getting on the hill for 11.30am. That's still very early for us! :shock:

If anyone fancies tagging along or even showing us the way, be great to meet up.

Evade

Anonymous

Replied to Richard's pm, but that plan sounds good too. I'd be up for that. I'm free most weekends at the moment anyway.

I'm based in Woking so it's just a 30 min hop over there.

Cheers,

(DK) Tim

Beardface

Bit of a different route to the above, but me and my mates start off from The Chantries (outside of Guildford), then head up to St Marthas Hill (great views), then over to Newlands Corner for a burger/chips/OJ.. then from there we head on to Peaslake (more coffee) Pitch & Holmbury.. then turn round after a few runs down BKB & others, then ride back through Winterfold forest, through Shamley green and back onto the river in guildford.. it's about a 40 mile round trip, great fun and amazing scenery!

Google maps should be able to help with locations

Hope that helps! Give us a shout if you want more info

Anonymous

evade
Just to PM you to confirm that I'm interested in meeting up for your Surrey Hills jaunt this weekend.

I'm Tim by the way

diy

Where are you starting from? I have GPX routes from Leatherhead.

when doing the summer lightening trail - note local practice is that its down hill only not for climbing. More of a problem on weekends than weekdays. The problem is its quite narrow and blind in places and you don't want to find someone coming the other way

I have a 1 hour box hill route 12 miles and a 3.5 hour leathhill route 25 miles

Anonymous

diy wrote:

Where are you starting from? I have GPX routes from Leatherhead.

when doing the summer lightening trail - note local practice is that its down hill only not for climbing. More of a problem on weekends than weekdays. The problem is its quite narrow and blind in places and you don't want to find someone coming the other way

I have a 1 hour box hill route 12 miles and a 3.5 hour leathhill route 25 miles

Plan today is to start from Peaslake but other than that I'm not sure. Wing it really with whatever info is available.

Summer Lightning - when you say downhill, where would you start? The information I've got from Diary of an MTB starts from opposite the Plough pub, down Wolverns lane and goes via Regurgitator which is a climb and then descent, then meet up with the first signpost for Summer Lightning which seems to be a short uphill, then a mix of downhill and uphill. I found it was uphill at the end. Most others were going the same direction and the signposts are one sided so fairly sure I'm going the right direction.

There's a downhill bit that's to the left of one Summer Lightning sign which was much better but it's far too short.

Would be interested in your box hill route. And Leith hill for that matter.

Anonymous

Hooked up with evade and his mate yesterday, starting off from Peaslake again and exploring some new stuff, some he'd done before (all new to me). Great day. Very much as described in his earlier post. The local bike shop dude seems a great guy (especially for trying to fix evade's mate's bike, which was frankly buggered*).

Some great stuff there. A lot more technical than Swinley, though requires a lot more effort as there's a lot of uphill. I suffered a bit from that! . I think there's at least as many tracks around there as Swinley has, but finding them is as tricky if not worse. But as said, the bike shop does maps.

Really hot day too and yet it's September.


* - though after a quick trip to complain at the place he got it from, he returned with a replacement brand new (and more expensive) bike. Result!

Richard2118

All

Are you all still ok for the ride on the 3rd ? 09.00 would be good for me one of my mates will probably come as well.
What do you knoe in the area of peaslake as I will try and do something diffrent to what you know.

regarda
Rich

evade

Thanks for the offer, but we'll be away surfing in Devon that weekend. We're around every other weekend, though getting there for 9.00am will be a struggle. 10.30am is more doable for us...

In terms of what we've done, I think we've covered most of Holmbury Hill down to Peaslake. We've tried once going out the village way, through the back of the big car park to the top, but we didn't find anything worth shouting about.

Cheers again. Be great to hook up.

Evade

J55TTC

I cant promise but I will more than likely be there, 09;00 is good for me. Meet in the same carpark as last time Richard?

Anonymous

3rd's okay for me at the moment. 9am is a struggle for me but I can give it a try .

What are you like on the uphills though? As I found, I lag behind on the long climbs so might be slowing you down. Fine once I'm going down though of course

How long a ride are you planning by the way?


Cheers,

Tim

J55TTC

Ive been over this week to both holmbury hill and Leith hill. I used the DOAM instructions and managed to find just about everything.

On leith hill summer lightning and regurgitator were a bit basic, regurgitator being the most fun but hell its hard work getting up the start! The regurgitator also caused me to loose my footing on the pedal and I now have what looks like a regurgitated ankle! LOL! I also found deliverance which is scary to look at but not too bad if you go slowish the first couple of times - you can find a line better, although its a bit of a mess theres no definitive line.

Holmbury I had explored with Richard before so thanks to him I recognised a few bits, yoghurt pots, BKB and the telegraph row are much more fun than anything over Ive found on Leith Hill but Im guessing Ive missed LOTS. Theres a trail that crosses over telegraph row towards the start - whats this one called? Goes downhill with negative camber all the way down and you end up in a car park?

Richard, how the hell do I find my way from Pitch to Holmbury :? Also Approximately where is that christmas pudding trail?

Anyway, loads more fun than Swinley, to which I regret buying the annual pass as Ill never go again

Anonymous

J55TTC wrote:

IOn leith hill summer lightning and regurgitator were a bit basic, regurgitator being the most fun but hell its hard work getting up the start! The regurgitator also caused me to loose my footing on the pedal and I now have what looks like a regurgitated ankle! LOL! I also found deliverance which is scary to look at but not too bad if you go slowish the first couple of times - you can find a line better, although its a bit of a mess theres no definitive line.

Funny, I did something similar on regurgitator . Though proceeded to whack up the ankle further over at Mytchett screwing up a gully bridge and falling into the gully .

Maybe I should look at getting my feet locked in. Hmm, then again that sounds even more dangerous!

Didn't think much of Summer Lightning. Not compared to Holmbury area, which has a huge amount to explore anyway.

Still wouldn't give up my Swinley pass though. It's an addictive place to go to just for the odd couple of hours session blasting around, but then it's not too far away for me.

J55TTC

Agree'd summer lightning was a bit of a let down. Holmbury is good fun.

The thing is from going over surrey hills Swinley seems so easy fitness wise.

Anonymous

Anyone over there this weekend? I may be over there, and/or Swinley.

Richard2118

Gents

If we go to Peaselake meet at 10 am( Deadkenny hope this helps you motivation!!) in carpark up from Hurtwood inn where i meet you last time Joss.Probably have a couple fo my mates with me .
In answer to your question about the ups Deadkenny I'm ok on the climbs but dont worry as you only go as quick as the slowest rider in the group.
Will do some of the stuff you know and then do a few diffrent bits for some variety. I am fairly easy that day for ride time and can probably do max 4 hours.

Rich