Route advice - City to Surrey Hills

tgotb

Now the evenings are longer, I quite fancy the idea of an extended commute home via the Surrey Hills. Can anyone recommend a nice route from the City towards the Dorking area?

rjsterry

Not sure about a nice way for getting from the City to the outer suburbs, but try this from Mitcham:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Mitcham,+Greater+London+CR4,+UK&daddr=51.30656,-0.17603+to:51.2829905,-0.2462123+to:dorking&hl=en&geocode=FR1YEAMd53P9_yl_DenSEAZ2SDEoQ7ietVXTWg%3BFUDgDgMdYlD9_ymrdAl8KP11SDEAv8-qLa4OEw%3BFS6EDgMdPD78_ylFZEXul-N1SDFgqdCqLa4OEw%3BFY7ADQMd8Pf6_yl9Knr3FMJ1SDHtPOWwZCmv8w&gl=uk&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1,2&sll=51.292787,-0.190544&sspn=0.064032,0.077419&ie=UTF8&ll=51.367065,-0.267105&spn=0.509714,0.619354&z=11

There's a good bit of warm-up climbing up to Woodcote, then after the drop down to Coulsdon, a lovely ride through Chipstead valley to Kingswood (the road surface is dire in places though). Alternatively, head through Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches and Woodmansterne before dropping down to Chipstead valley. The lavender field near Woodmansterne should be starting to bloom by now.

bigmat

Just bomb it down CS7 then the A24. Not particularly nice route but quick = more time riding the hills when you get there.

SteppenHerring

rjsterry wrote:

Not sure about a nice way for getting from the City to the outer suburbs, but try this from Mitcham:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Mitcham,+Greater+London+CR4,+UK&daddr=51.30656,-0.17603+to:51.2829905,-0.2462123+to:dorking&hl=en&geocode=FR1YEAMd53P9_yl_DenSEAZ2SDEoQ7ietVXTWg%3BFUDgDgMdYlD9_ymrdAl8KP11SDEAv8-qLa4OEw%3BFS6EDgMdPD78_ylFZEXul-N1SDFgqdCqLa4OEw%3BFY7ADQMd8Pf6_yl9Knr3FMJ1SDHtPOWwZCmv8w&gl=uk&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1,2&sll=51.292787,-0.190544&sspn=0.064032,0.077419&ie=UTF8&ll=51.367065,-0.267105&spn=0.509714,0.619354&z=11

There's a good bit of warm-up climbing up to Woodcote, then after the drop down to Coulsdon, a lovely ride through Chipstead valley to Kingswood (the road surface is dire in places though). Alternatively, head through Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches and Woodmansterne before dropping down to Chipstead valley. The lavender field near Woodmansterne should be starting to bloom by now.

Instead of Chipstead Valley, after the Coulsdon lights bear left up Portnalls Road. That should warm you up nicely and also puts you on a more scenic route. After Chipstead, take a right down White Hill (nice descent but cars do come up the other way). When you reach the A217, take a right, then 1st left, left again and you're back on the original route.

From there, I'd go down Little Swizterland, across the A24 through Westhumble, hang a left to go up Ranmore, Down through Dorking, up Coldharbour lane, Back down to the A25, up Whitedown, take a right and back down Ranmore, Box Hill to finish and relax.

But I'm on the fixie today.

TheStone

BigMat wrote:

Just bomb it down CS7 then the A24. Not particularly nice route but quick = more time riding the hills when you get there.

This is the best option. Once you get to Epsom you can take the hilly country lanes up to the racecourse then over to Box Hill.

Clever Pun

Last year I rode out to bromley on the A21 then over biggin hill then along the A25 as a ride home..once

that's a proper commute right there