Not on new ebuild section but waggledance and Summerlightning have plenty. The build process is scrape off mulch and replace from borrow pits with mineral…..which is sand with small stones we dont have a budget to import rocks.

Richard, first great job here, thank you. Second, also great that those folk who confused you with richmtbguru were wrong, I have only chatted to you in passing and a couple of times at WP (once you helped me with a rear clutch problem) and the whole thing didn’t make sense to me.

Looking forward to riding the new trail. Great effort.

Is the middle bit of SL still a bog?

Original summer lightning is running petty well. We did a fair bit of deberming before Christmas . The latter aprt is. Bit boggy but the vst majority is good. Not a regular on here so not seen richMTBguru posts…….guessing he is a bit outspoken! Hope I didn’t make your mech worse, be good to put a face to a name sometime,. See you on the trails.

Has this been done yet? Horse & Hound – new route is ‘an accident waiting to happen’

richardkelly – Member

For the record I don’t go by the alter ego richMTBguru

pffft! Just admit your trolling login got busted 😆

Went up there today and was a little disappointed the section by the tower was still taped off. More disappointed that people had torn the tape and ridden the trail anyway. Looks good and should separate cyclists from hooning down from the tower towards the cricket pitch. The section from near the cricket pitch to summer lightning was signposted and open. Quite nice, some bombhole type bits, bit pedally but a more interesting way to get across there. Could do with “one way” signposts as it’s quite inviting to ride back up it, which could be a problem on a busy weekend. As it was really quiet, I did it anyway! IMO there is just about sufficient signage to prevent someone running into a horse (thanks horse and hound), at least the bikes are off the bridle way.
Mildly off topic, anyone know if a nicer way back to Peaslake direction than green sand way to top of yogurt pots? Or a loop?

Descend all the way to the A25 using the wiggly trail next to the greensand way, go across the road and turn left onto a bridleway, follow to the bottom of Whitedown, ride these two trails of you want, then go across Abinger roughs and turn left at the end after a mile or so onto a road that drops down into Abinger hammer. Little bit of road to the car park at the bottom of telegraph on Holmbury then climb back up again.

@mountainofsussex, I think Greensand Way past High Ashes Farm is a decent enough way back to Holmbury from Leith Hill. There are a variety of other routes taking in some “features” on the way from top of Leith down towards the A25 then over to cycle path 22 before linking into Gomshall/Peaslake Village and climbing to YP, but these are longer than GreenSands. My normal Holmbury / Leith ride would climb via GreenSands Way and return via a bit of cycle path 22 having ridden a few trails on Leith, either Tower/Deliverence/Summer Lightening plus extension bit lower down then bridleway to bottom. Send me an email if you want a map/other suggestions but all my routes head basically North from the Tower to bottom of Leith as I ride Holmbury trails first and if want a final descent I link to top of Barry Knows Best/Golden Birdies.

@gee I think the wiggly track you are referring to is next to Wolverns Lane not GreenSands Way – @mountain there are a few options which link into this section @gee is referring to which is a twisting path above the sandy Wolverns Lane with trees/bushes one side and barbed wore the other, at the end of that section you cut onto a bridleway which has a few fun fast sections but note its used as an mtb climb too and by horses.

I rode SL2 a couple of weeks ago, along with some stuff in Redlands+Holmbury. Thought it was very well made. Certainly makes the most of the natural ups+downs! You could do with riding it slowly a few times though as a few blind hips can catch you out (I hit a tree!). Top part, by the tower was tapped off – I can certainly see why, no wonder Horse riders see it as a hazard, it cuts straight across a what looked like well used BP. A simple gate/fence/dismount+mount should suffice though.
Leith Hill has me completely lost though, always need guiding (Thanks Mr Jacobs!). Loads of stuff hidden away in the trees 🙂

Riding this tomorrow weather has been very wet over the last couple of days so should make interesting riding 🙂

There will be plenty of slop about on Leith Hill but the new stuff seems to be pretty good in the wet (so far) and there are other techy trails that drain and ride well if you know where to look.

Staying in Forest Green and riding to Leith Hill and following my nose hopefully will find the trails cannot find much info on locations though!

I’d go to Nirvana in Dorking at talk to the chaps there. Following your nose doesn’t work very well on Leith Hill as there is a maze of stuff you will miss.

Yes but it’s also easy and fun to explore. From the Tower start by exploiting all the stuff to N and NE – just follow your. One and the tyre tracks. Easy to pass a couple of hours there. Then follow new trail and explore all the stuff over by the cricket pitch (small bomb holes etc) before continuing to SL.

I haven’t ridden the new trail though, as I tend to ride winterfold, pitch and Holmbury more often.

Have a great day.

If you’re about this evening there’ll be a bunch of us riding from Nirvana at 6.30. You’re welcome to join us.

Great ride found loads of great single track was peeing it down but everything was rideable 🙂 might get up again this evening 🙂
Rich

Is the trail fully open? Might go up tomorrow if it is.

anyone care to volunteer guiding an exiled northerer round these here fabled surrey hills/north downs? im hoping to fetch my MTB down from the beginning of July… note it will have to be a weekday evening…

i would have to get the train over from Farnborough too, where would i get off, Dorking?

The new man made trails by the cricket ground just don’t work. There’s barely any flow and no fun. They’ve basically ruined the fun natural stuff that was there in the first place. There, I’ve said it!

i would have to get the train over from Farnborough too, where would i get off, Dorking?

Yep, use the Reading-Gatwick line, getting on at North Camp and off at Dorking Deepdene is probably your best bet as the fast trains stop at both of those. Farnborough North is the slow train only.

You could get off at Gomshall if you are aiming more at Pitch or Holmbury than Leith. But not many trains stop there, sometimes there is only one every 2 hours.

funkhouser, we ride from Nirvana in Westcott every Wednesday at 6.30 and we’d be happy for you to tag along.
http://dorkingcocks.freeforums.org/rides-f3.html

tasteslikeburning, not sure I agree. There’s no doubt the stretch from the end of what used to be Chicken skin review to the Deliverance area is a bit pedally but actually it just drives you to pedal harder because it’s smoother and a more defined trail. There’s plenty of interest before and after that.

Yeah, £££££££’s spent on a mostly uphill gravel path built over what was some fun natural terrain. Whatever!

tasteslikeburning,

I rode it last week for the first time and totally agree, save for one part that has 2 fade away jumps, it seems to be more to keep cyclists off the main bridleways (which is fair enough and more interesting i suppose) but little flow for the most part and kinda dull. Its a bit like Swinley forest if you ask me, good every once in a while for a pedal, but not really a laugh. good for newbies tho.

Doubt i’ll ride it much more to be honest.

It’s very difficult to get any flow – especially on the first part which is mainly trending upwards. I was hoping for something a lot more like Summer Lightning

Yeah, I think nearly all of the new Swindley is pants. I’m on a roll today!

It’s a bit pedally I must admit but still good a effort given the terrain.

Easy to follow though, signage is good enough and its great for newbies and separating bikes from walkers/horses etc.
I think the first section from the tower was built by a child given the fact most of the jumps have low branches hanging over them, anyone over 3foot will take their helmets off on them if they give it too much effort!

What are these Natural trails you speak off?

So start from the top (Tower) was called Personal hygiene – it was mullered from years of use, the new part of this is far better now. It stopped at the bridle track. From here it’s been extended all the way down to the crossroads.

Next bit, near the Landslip track – nothing used ot exists in there bar a quick cut through, so the “uphill” bit has actually gained you something decent to ride on other that the bridlepaths.

Next Bit, into the old (I think it was called) Moonbase – this was also mullered and no fun to ride in the wet. The track through there now is ver good, with some decent airtime to be had.

Then out to the Cricket pitch, into the old “Filbert Street massacre”, that too was mullered, and nothing like it used to be, again new trail, loads of improvement.

Then into what you would’ve know as Roller Coaster – this hasn’t exactly changed much with the exception of some hardcore going down.

So I fail to see exactly where the trails have been sanitised or not improved. it all flows a lot better than it used to.

Any news on whether this is fully open yet? Got the day off tomorrow and am planning to head to the Pitch Hill side but may have a look at this if it’s open.

Certainly appeared to be, loads of people riding it.

Don’t know if it’s officially open, but last time I was up there it was “well used” for a closed trail 😉

Cool, will take a look. Anyone know how it’s riding at the mo, well bedded in now I assume?

Is the start really obvious from the tower on Leith Hill?

Heading up there this weekend and haven’t been to Leith for quite a while

Pretty obvious!

If you head down towards cold harbour way, the track starts pretty immediately to your left.

When you get to the bottom of the first section, make sure you follow the little sign for summer lightning and it will take you up a sweeping left hander to the start of the next section.

Then when this is finished by the cricket pitch, follow on towards cold harbour again, and it is on your left just after the field.

They’ve done a great job! As good as any trail center!