Surrey Hills - where to start?

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  • evade
    evade Posts: 115
    I'm very jealous. Looks like it's gonna be a glorious day too... I will be spending the day with my mother-in-law. :cry:

    Next time...

    Evade
    Evade
    Scott Spark 35
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Summery lightning is not really an adrenalin route - (though it is at night), its more a fun twists and turns thing. If you continue to follow the trail north (assuming your peaslake start) towards the A25 (wolvens Lane, then right toward rockery drive), then you will pick up some nice sandy jumps, climbs and drop offs as you pass. Alternatively East of SumLight is a purpose built off-road course in the woods. The NNE side of Leith Hill tower has some great stuff, and if you start at ranmore common going south there is a nice flinty 23-27% decent that is a stream in the wet season.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Richard2118 wrote:
    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 .
    Are we still up for the 3rd (tomorrow)?

    Is that the big car park just outside the village? The other I know is the little one shortly past the Inn down that lane (no idea what the lane is called :D).
  • Richard2118
    Richard2118 Posts: 230
    Tim

    I am up for a ride looks like everyone else is a blow out so where would you like to meet?
    Would need to be about 10 am latest start,
    ideally the car park is up from the hurtwood inn ( inn on your right ) and then about 50yards up the road ( road this is on has the church opposite the hurt wood inn )

    Pm me if your up for it and will give you my mobile number.

    Richard
    Santa Cruz Nomad.
  • muppix
    muppix Posts: 5
    evade wrote:
    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).

    What's the bike shop called? Can I get some decent maps (or ideally GPX files) online somewhere? Free time at weekends is a real rarity for me, and the next opportunity for visiting Surrey Hills will be around November 1st, so I like to plan as much as I can beforehand. I also like to get started early, and having to wait for the bike shop to open doesn't really appeal.

    I do need some new routes though. Been doing the 4 Lumps Classic on and off for about 3 years now and it's time to move on.

    Thanks in advance!
    Mup.
  • timmys
    timmys Posts: 191
    muppix wrote:
    evade wrote:
    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).

    What's the bike shop called? Can I get some decent maps (or ideally GPX files) online somewhere? Free time at weekends is a real rarity for me, and the next opportunity for visiting Surrey Hills will be around November 1st, so I like to plan as much as I can beforehand. I also like to get started early, and having to wait for the bike shop to open doesn't really appeal.

    I do need some new routes though. Been doing the 4 Lumps Classic on and off for about 3 years now and it's time to move on.

    Thanks in advance!
    Mup.

    This is the shop:

    www.pedalandspoke.co.uk opens at 8:30am weekends.

    The map they sell is useful but it actually only has bridleways and footpaths marked on it rather than any singletrack trails. The guy in the shop is super helpful though and will mark the trails on the map if you tell him what kind of thing you are looking for.

    Earlier in this thread there is a link to this online mag http://www.imbikemag.com/ which has an article about Surrey Hills and includes a gpx file you can download. Can't vouch for it but it might help.
    '09 Lapierre Zesty 514
  • muppix
    muppix Posts: 5
    timmys wrote:
    This is the shop:
    www.pedalandspoke.co.uk opens at 8:30am weekends.
    Thanks timmys, much appreciated - I'll pay them a visit next time I'm over there. Also found the file from that online bike mag link, will have a look at it in Mapsource when I get home.

    Cheers!
    Mup.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    edited October 2009
    Was talking with the bike shop guy the other week and he was saying about doing some kind of GPX stuff.

    Anyway, I've got some tracks (edit: PM for details). Can export to KML which I guess you could convert to GPX. They'll import into Google Maps/Earth also.

    Not that these are definitive by any means, and I don't really know the place. They're just where I've been so far.
  • muppix
    muppix Posts: 5
    deadkenny wrote:
    Was talking with the bike shop guy the other week and he was saying about doing some kind of GPX stuff.
    I'd be up for some of that!
    deadkenny wrote:
    Anyway, I've got some tracks up here, under Surrey Hills. You can export to KML via Other Options which I guess you could convert to GPX. They'll import into Google Maps/Earth also.
    Hmmm, not sure if MapSource (the software that came with my Garmin) can read KML even though it can export it, but I'll give it a shot. Your workouts on the Nokia site look good, I'll try to grab one or two of them and see if I can get them on my Garmin.

    Cheers!
    Mup.
  • Levi_501
    Levi_501 Posts: 1,105
    We went round today, started from Friday Street car park. Went up to the Tower, did a few bits, glorious day, whale of a time.

    Looked at Deliverance, and thought 'nah, still need a bit more practice!'

    Anyone know the success rate of going down Deliverance ?
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    It really depends on the weather and how fast you wanna go. do you ride full sus or HT?
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  • Levi_501
    Levi_501 Posts: 1,105
    Full sus Kona
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    If anyone is interested, I am doing a leith hill tower run Early saturday morning starting/meeting at Bocketts Farm round trip of about 25 miles, mostly XC, but progressively more fun as we go. Should take less than 4 hours.
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  • evade
    evade Posts: 115
    Hey diy, few quick questions for you...

    - what time is "early"?
    - how much uphill involved and are you prepared to take it easy or wait on the way up?
    - in fact, are you ok to wait on the way down too?

    Tomorrow I'm going to be a very hungover, unfit, novice... :?

    Evade
    Evade
    Scott Spark 35
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    8AM is early..
    Yep i'll wait - I am after all a slightly over weight 38 year old. avg. speed will be about 8-9mph.
    Its approx. 500M of climbing... There are 2 big hills one on the climb by the old mill up the steps its about a 20%er, the climb on the approach to the tower is a 25-28%er, plus a few 10-15%ers. On the way back there is a killer 25%er, but we can miss this out if we want.


    I will be in the lower car park at 8AM. on a funny looking Enduro FSR.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Damn these early birds :twisted: :D

    Dunno about 8am. I'd be up for it otherwise. If I manage to wake (alcohol depending) I may manage to drag myself out there, but I wouldn't hang around.

    However may trundle over there at some point tomorrow or sunday, but not really got a plan.
  • evade
    evade Posts: 115
    Sorry mate, you've lost me already with your 8amness. I'm a rather overweight 40 year old, with a big drinking session ahead. Early morning for me is just before midday :wink:

    Might be up for something a bit more like that next weekend tho...

    If anyone else fancies meeting at Peaslake at a reasonable hour, we'll be there later in morning. Let me know. Or look for the fella coughing his guts out chain-smoking Marlies and necking buckets of coffee outside the shop.

    Evade
    Evade
    Scott Spark 35
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    pooofs :lol:
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  • JamesBrckmn
    JamesBrckmn Posts: 1,360
    If you start from the peaslake village shop, and go right and straight away turn left up a road (it think it's radnor road) which takes past the start of barry knows best, on the right, then further on, on the left you will find the car park with the start of reservoir dogs. Look at diary of mountain biker for a more thorough description
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    just so that nobody else is waiting - i'm now doing a different route, just north hills, so wont be at bocketts at 8am.

    i'm up for a later tower run on sunday? say 9am...

    i do earlies because my problem is my husband passes cost twice as much if i'm back after lunch
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  • evade
    evade Posts: 115
    What a rubbish day... We got to Peaslake at 12.30. Within 45 minutes my mate, Ross, snapped the front wheel on his brand new Zesty. An hour long walk back to the village and £120 lighter for a new spanky Hope wheel, we tried again. Within an hour and about as far from Peaslake as you can get, he totally blew out his other wheel - tyre and inner. And Ross, whose turn it was to carry spares, had packed his skinny road bike innertube by mistake... Disaster... Poofs is so right.... Sigh... :roll:

    Evade
    Evade
    Scott Spark 35
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    He doesn't have much luck does he, what with breaking the old bike then this one! :shock:

    Any chance of blaming that on a defect too and get the shop to spring for the wheel? :D

    Dragged myself out really late and spent a few hours in the afternoon over on Pitch, trying to follow Richard's loop from the other week. Good stuff, and I'm managing the hills a bit better. I was going cautious though as the mud in places on the roots was throwing me about. Almost came a cropper on the muddy drop down to the car park, but didn't smash up my legs this time on the peddles, as I've done a few times if I stumble.
  • Redmans
    Redmans Posts: 44
    HI Guys,
    Does anybody fancy a ride in the surrey hills next saturday the 17th. Ive never been over there before so it would be great if somebody could show me the best trails over the hills id even be up for a nightride if anyones up for it :twisted:
    Marin Mount Vision Beast
    Fave rides : 7 staines rock Afan,Coedy,Swinley,Penmachno,Snowdon.
  • fatfreddyscat
    fatfreddyscat Posts: 64
    +1 for saturday 17th if anyone else is up for it.

    I've been out solo from Peaslake a couple of times and found a few trails (with the help of the guy in the LBS) but it would be great to be shown around by people who know the area as I can't help feeling I've only scratched the surface of what's on offer. It would also be a bit more interesting to ride with other people for a change!

    Not so sure about a night ride, though - need to master the daytime riding first :)
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Where would you two want to meet up and what time - depending on location and time. Also what kind of trails do you want.

    I was out sunday morning and came across two groups who were criss crossing in front and behind me missing all the best parts of the same route.
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  • Redmans
    Redmans Posts: 44
    Hi Guys
    Anytime is good for me on saturday whatever suits people.?? Also can somebody suggest the best place to meet etc. The more people involved it will be a good laugh hopefully. We can go as fast as the slowest person, for me its about havin a gud laugh and keepin fit but i aint into racin haha.
    Marin Mount Vision Beast
    Fave rides : 7 staines rock Afan,Coedy,Swinley,Penmachno,Snowdon.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I should be able to make the 17th. Peaslake is a good place to start from.

    Can't claim to know the place, but I recognise some stuff now enough to find them again if I'm in the right area. Mainly on Pitch and Holmbury hills that is.

    Times - anything that's not too early. I'm no early bird :D. Can cope with 9am just about though, but happy with any time after that up into late afternoon. Whatever suits really.

    Also just in it for the fun and a bit of exercise. Climbs suck, but I'll put up with them for a good descent, and there's little choice around this area but to climb :D. General XC stuff is my thing, and have only been doing more serious mtb in the last year. Haven't really got into drops yet and don't do jumps, but I'm happy to take a look at least.
  • Redmans
    Redmans Posts: 44
    Thats four of us so far then nice one, where shall we meet in peaslake?. Is there a car park that anyone knows. Lets try and sort out a time in the week i can make 10am or after dont want to get up to early on saturday. How long does it take to get to peaslake from swinley any ideas. :?
    Marin Mount Vision Beast
    Fave rides : 7 staines rock Afan,Coedy,Swinley,Penmachno,Snowdon.
  • fatfreddyscat
    fatfreddyscat Posts: 64
    10am (or earlier) is good for me. I usually park in the sandy/gravelly car park up the road to the right of the bike shop (I think it may be called walking bottom).

    In terms of type of trails/riding, I'm pretty new to mtb but agree with DK in that I prefer the downs to the ups! I managed to find a few of the known trails and Yoghurt Pots and Barry Knows Best are the kind of thing I enjoy most so I'm looking to find some similar trails and link it all together with some XC (and probably road in places as well).

    @Redmans I 've never done the journey from Swinley to Peaslake but I reckon you're looking at around 45 mins to an hour depending on traffic and how fast you drive :)
  • Beardface
    Beardface Posts: 5,495
    Might see some of you over ther, hopefully I'll be that way this weekend! I usually get to Peaslake about midday though, as I ride there from Godalming over the smaller hilltops.. haha, makes for a good warm-up!

    Anyhow, if you see me (some gear, no idea.. :lol: ) - White Marin MV, probably wearing black, feel free to hurl abuse (or say hi, I'm easy either way!) :wink:
    Bird Aeris

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