Surrey Hills - where to start?

Richard2118

I am looking to go for a ride on Sunday this week if anyone wants to meet up . probabaly from about 9 to 10 am and really easy on where and would expect that I will be very unfit having been off the bike for 4 weeks . probably stay clear of leith as its bound to be a mud bath ( not that it will be dry anywhere ) if anyone fancies PM me.

Anonymous

I want to get out on the bike if at all possible as I'm slacking on the exercise, so I should be up for it. Just hoping it's not another total downpour. Weather doesn't sound too good at the moment.

gregsd

Just thought that you'd like to know that the new end to BKB is now open, if you haven't already ridden it already

Apparently, it's running good despite all the rain of late. Let us know what you think as I know one of the guys involved and I'm sure some feedback would be welcome.

bike-a-swan

can't wait to get home and have a go on that- the weavy bits look especially good

diy

I spotted the trail builders out today attempting to replace the summer lightning trail that is now half closed. I wanted to stop and help, but it was peeing it down.

Anonymous

What are they doing to Summer Lightning? Just repairing it or are they making changes to the route, and/or improving it?

Really wanted to get out this weekend but missed my chance what with the weather and stuff. Guess it was a mudbath out there.

diy

Ah.. you haven't heard then.. Its not good..

http://redlandstrails.wordpress.com/200 ... -can-help/

All the open scrub twisties are gone

Anonymous

I'm seeing a trend in various places where trails are effectively getting sanitised. Although many over H&S concerns which this isn't at least.

The best trails seem to be those that aren't official I'm finding.

Anonymous

Anyone been out this week and know what the conditions are like? I've missed the last few weeks due to heavy rain and other things.

Really want to get out this weekend, but forecast still isn't good. What's recommended for mudbath clothing?

diy

I've been out a couple times - its pretty cool.. but if you are using byways be careful of hidden hard core. I wiped out after hitting a brick and am now nursing a nice haematoma. At least it gave me an excuse to upgrade my wheels

Anonymous

Anyone out there tomorrow? Looks like it's the better day out of the weekend.

Anteater

just checked out the new ending to BKB.

To be honest, as a fairly new rider I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I couldn't ride the heavily rutted, semi-vertical last 200 yards, so am glad to see them go. But the new ending seems a bit tame - even for me. And perhaps also a little out of character with the narrow, rooty stuff which precedes it. The site dictated a series of switchbacks, but they might perhaps have been made a bit more challenging, with a few drops and steps in the turns.

In other news, Yoghurt Pots was very treacherous in the mud today. I found out the hard way that my new fork tames roots but not mud.


David

Anonymous

Muddy, but wasn't as bad as I expected today. Yoghurt Pots wasn't all that bad.

Not too happy with the new Barry Knows Best though. I don't think he knows best any more. The end section has some nice sweeping stuff but it's far too tame.

Also, it still dumps you on the road! I understood part of the reason for doing it was the locals complaining that it was dangerous with cyclists dropping onto the road, but this just does the same, except further down the road and the banks are higher making visibility of the road worse. I guess it's far enough away for them not to care.

Fair enough the old Barrys was churning up the hill, though they could have done a new descent in the new location. What's there now doesn't scare me, and these things should scare me

Still, it does open it up to a lot more riders as it's not as technical now.

There's a similar trail on Pitch which drops down to the car park at the end, and I think that trail is the better one now.

Anteater

which trail on Pitch are you referring to? I know Christmas Pudding/Clawhammer, which is ace, and another one which starts from the summit, is flat for a long time then goes mentally downhill (steeper than the old BKB) but none ending in a car park.


D

Anonymous

I don't know the name of it, but it starts part way up a bit like BKB. If you know the fire road that goes up from the church cemetery all the way up to the top, then it's maybe a third of the way up from that on the right hand side if you're going up (left going down) and goes parallel a bit, then when you get to the cemetery you dive off to the left and there's a choice of either a steep drop or a decent to the left over knotted tree roots which is quite lethal, and drops down to the car park. If you're in the bottom car park (Walking Bottom) before you go up pitch, then looking up the exit is on your left.

There are a couple of others that drop into that car park from the right. One is a long gradual descent along the ridge with a steep bit at the end which just runs straight into the car park. Another is you can bail towards the bottom of the steep bit and head left back up and that comes out to some quite nasty big drops (haven't had the balls to do it myself). Not sure where exactly it comes out but there's a very narrow plank of wood over a ditch which I think is one option. Again no idea what these are called.

mlindonb

Hi

I've just got myself a new HT and I'm looking for a good cycle route in Surrey. I'm a novice when it comes to off road biking but I’m fit and would like to do something fairly challenging this weekend. Can someone recommend a good area/track? I live in Walton-On-Thames but it sounds like the best places are around the Guildford area.

Your help will be much appreciated.

Cheers, Marc

Anteater

Go to Peaslake and follow your nose...

diy

More frustration due to taming of trails.. The stepped climb up to wolvens Lane has now had a tarmac class dressing laid, completely removing all the steps and turning an enjoyably technical climb and decent in to a tame gravel path as complex as riding up your avg driveway. Still I doubt it will last long given the amount of water that washes down there.

It also looks like they intend to do the same to wolvens lane also. I believe this is to make it safer for horses and walkers :x

IMO it will result in higher speed crashes as its now a 20-30mph decent instead of a 5-10mph set of drops.

Anonymous

diy wrote:

It also looks like they intend to do the same to wolvens lane also. I believe this is to make it safer for horses and walkers :x

They also had a sign up last time I was there about not using the track on the bank, which is what cyclists use to avoid clashing with horses and walkers. Can't win.

diy

Its funny how the council has no money to repair pot holes in roads, but is quite happy to waste money dressing what is essentially a stream bed, which will be washed away in months - I really don't get it..

Must be the national trust/bobble hat mafia influence again.

hhemmerde

Hi, I've moved to London about a year ago and am still struggling to find nice singletrack near London. I've heard a lot about the Surrey Hills and I'm keen on going there. Is anyone planning to go there this weekend? I can do earlish rides (9:00am and upwards). Can I interest anyone?

Cheers,

Henry

diy

What sort of distance are you up for riding? and where abouts in london are you based.

There are people here who meet Guildford way, I start out from Leatherhead typically do a run to leith hill Tower and back every weekend. Normally a sunday, but sometimes saturdays. My run is 25 miles approx. and takes 3-4 hours - its all off-road apart from approx 1/2 a mile total. Lately its been taking longer because of the mud and my stiky winter tyres.

I start out mostly XC and it gets more interesting as the ride progresses.

Anonymous

I'm not into long distance runs and roads bore me to death. Just mainly looking for singletrack with a bit of downhill. Mainly do Pitch and/or Holmbury Hill. I park in Peaslake and basically explore.

Might be over there this weekend. Not sure yet. Could be cold though and potential for snow, but could make it interesting .

hhemmerde

Thanks guys. Any problems regarding access, I've read that some trails are out of bounds right now due to erosion.

Any feedback on the rides organized by Nirvana Cycles?

I'm keen on doing any distance from short singletrack rides to longish 25 mile rides, as long as I'm not doing a huge amount of roads.

Anonymous

hhemmerde wrote:

Thanks guys. Any problems regarding access, I've read that some trails are out of bounds right now due to erosion.

There's been some maintenance to deal with erosion issues, e.g. Barry Knows Best being re-routed with a new ending.

I think Summer Lightning has been messed about with from reports earlier in the thread.

Other than that, I only know of stuff on Pitch and Holmbury Hills in the main, and nothing is blocked off from what I've seen. However a lot of it is probably unofficial.

Generally I do about a 10 mile ride for a couple of hours, but as I say it's not a distance thing for me. It's mostly loops climbing to the top of the hills, then find all kinds of singletrack to get back down, and then up again, etc. Just exploring and messing about really. There's enough just on those two hills to keep me occupied for a long time.

Leith is mostly an unknown to me, apart from Summer Lightning and Wolverns Lane. I've gone to the tower at the top on foot but not on a bike. Seems a lot more sedate around Leith, but I'm probably missing all the good stuff.

P.S. If you want some routes, try the guy in the bike shop in Peaslake. He'll sell you a laminated map for £3 and mark some good routes for you. Very helpful guy.

diy

There have been some recent restrictions - Wolverns lane and the ascent has been closed recently (properly with a traffic order and everything). However they have all now expired. They have done some quite nasty taming in places, but I was up last week and already the volume of mountain bike, motorbikes, horse traffic and rain has started to destroy the surface again. Ironically its even more dangerous than before because now people can descend even faster.

The big issue is summer lightening - a real loss, which is likely to be closed for several years. However, the forestry commission (unlike the evil National Trust) get the balance right and are happy to have new trails carved to replace those which are closed for planting.

Box hill is also quite good, but you are much more likely to come in to conflict with bobble hats. In addition the National Trust do their best to errect gates and fences to obstruct cyclists.

Have a look here for details of the more well known north downs routes:
http://www.diaryofamountainbiker.co.uk/ ... _downs.php

Anonymous

Fun at the weekend in the snow

Forget Yoghurt Pots. Frozen Yoghurt Pots more like. Lethal. Barry Knows his Frozen Best also. Nice bit of sliding down there

diy

Yep I was out too - it was lovely - really good fun riding on fresh snow

Richard2118

Leith is mostly an unknown to me, apart from Summer Lightning and Wolverns Lane. I've gone to the tower at the top on foot but not on a bike. Seems a lot more sedate around Leith, but I'm probably missing all the good stuff. [said deadkenny)]

I can gaurentee that you are missing loads up leith hill, Pitch and holmbury are excellent but there is just as much up Leith. I know I keep promising it but if you want the tour give me a shout in the new year, now that my bike is fixed and I am feeling fat I will be out loads in the new year.

Merry xmas

Helter

Hi all,

Am new to this MTB lark but am looking forward to getting muddy and building my experience to try the more exciting trails. Have done a bit of searching and Surrey Hills seems to be the nearest place to me, am in West London. Have looked at the Surrey Hills Cycling site though and disappointingly they don't have any rides planned for January.

Is anyone heading down there on the 16/ 17 Jan weekend that wouldn't mind me tagging along?

Cheers
Helter