Ride Round Dorking Way/Surrey Hills 29/10@0900

Curious Yellow

Bit keen, but here goes.

Went riding around here with a mate who "knew his way around" and spent 4 hours in the hills around Dorking. Spent about 29 minutes climbing, 1 minute descending and about 3.5 hours lost and clambering over fences where we'd taken the wrong turns!

Was pretty frustrating, because it seems like there's a lot of riding to be had around here if you know your way. I'll be at Dorking railways station at 0900 on Saturday to see if I can find it. Would be great if someone from here would like to do it with me. PM me if you want to swap contact details etc.

Cheers.

cooldad

Have a look in London Calling - regular rides in Surrey Hills (were there today) and you are welcome to join in - we know most of the best bits between us.

Curious Yellow

Cheers, thought about posting there, but was hoping this could evolve into a thread to sucker someone into committing to riding with me weekly. My riding buddy's woman has tattooed her thumbprint onto his forehead and he is being a pansy.

Looks like you guys go riding round Swinley Forest mostly. Is that right?

I only have access to public transport. I can get to Bagshot which is supposed to be the closest railway station. Hope it is not too far away.

P.S: I am not a great rider, but I'll shut up and get on with it on the trails.

cooldad

We ride Swinley and SH mostly (probably a ride in each place most weeks) plus occasional rides in Wales etc.
Swinley is worth a trip, as it has some really good riding but in a relatively small area.
SH is huge, so unless you know where to go you could ride for days and miss the good stuff. Easiest station would be Martins Heron. But from Bagshot you can get in the back way from the top of College Ride, so it's easy, but you'll probably need a guide.
London Calling is a bit casual and I don't think any of us have a regular set ride, but quite a few people read it, so if you post a date and time, people who can make it will turn up.
That's how we arrange pretty much everything.

diy

Curious Yellow

I have a full weekend pass next week end and subject to weather will go riding saturday and sunday, might even do a night ride too. I know surrey hills well.

Do you live in dorking or is this just the closest station you think is worth going too?

I'm Leatherhead based.

I would say holmbury hill is best if you are not that good as its ok to ride a bit and wait, where as some of the other routes are more A - B which makes it more of a pain to wait for someone.

Anonymous

Curious Yellow wrote:

Looks like you guys go riding round Swinley Forest mostly. Is that right?

It's been more Surrey Hills overall but Swinley has been featuring a bit more frequently this year. Depends who's near what.

Myself Surrey Hills is the default choice as it's far superior and closer for me. Swinley is a nice place to blast around though.

Anyway, will be out in Surrey Hills at the weekend. Not sure which day yet, though likely I'll be out somewhere both days, and hopefully some rides in the week too.

If you went from Dorking, did you by any chance head up to Box Hill and/or Ranmore way? There's lovely stuff round there but it's a pain of a place to find things and it's more serious downhill stuff there. Nasty in the wet.

Peaslake is a great starting point. Great little village with easy access to Holmbury, Pitch and Winterfold hills and loads of trails. Holmbury is the classic start and gives you three well known trails that are pretty fine (though busy). Pitch has stuff scattered about, and some more raw or technical trails in places. No officially maintained stuff. Winterfold gets a bit more serious and a number of secret bits about.

Then you've got Leith hill with all kinds of fun all over the place and one official trail.

Anyway, loads of people ride the area. It's a mountain bike mecca. You'll find plenty of individuals, groups, formal rides by clubs or shops, informal rides, all kinds, and of course the LC thread bunch here as well (totally informal, it's just people saying they're off for a ride somewhere and people come along). Just riding along you'll bump into plenty of people, just get chatting and it goes from there.

Curious Yellow

Live in London, but near enough a mainline train station to get to most places in Surrey with no problem. Unfortunately I am limited by public transport at the moment.

I'm not sure what classifies as a fast/slow rider MTB wise. I'd say I was a bit of a plodder. It takes me about 35-40 mins to complete a 9km XC circuit (Ashton Gate). I'm unfit, no excuses. But hoping the only way is up.

popstar

CY what part of London do you live? Could team up with rider living near you split the cost of petrol and have personal taxi, result.

Anonymous

Got a few people without transport, who take the train to Gomshall and ride from there to Peaslake.

Obviously can get off at Dorking also and go from there to North Downs or I guess ride to Westcott and start from there to get to Leith (pain of a climb though).

Curious Yellow

Such a thing would be too good to be true. No issues with splitting petrol money and beer sponsorship!

I live in Acton, but more than willing to meet anyone to go riding to places that can't be done using public transport.

simon2names

Would it be ok to jump in on this? I'm down in Surrey for the next 10days or so and would like to be able to do some riding down here with someone who knows where they're going!

Is there a planned route/ride going?

Simon

Anonymous

As said, keep an eye on the London Calling thread in the Rides forum. Usually things are arranged there, at least between us lot and anyone's welcome to come along, and if you're off out somewhere just say and others may join. It's just a thread for people in the area to say where they're going and who wants to come along. That and talk about mindless drivel

Totally informal. So much so that there may not be much plan but we usually work out a good route and bit of fun anyway.

Big thread to wade though, but towards the end of the week things start getting arranged.

In general, someone's usually out at either Surrey Hills or Swinley, or both, at the weekend.

Oh and there's a Facebook group 'London Calling - MTB' where rides are arranged too. We try to copy to the forum thread.