Got a Christening on Sunday in the south east so I have negotiated an exit pass for a ride on Saturday, I’ll be in Leatherhead so I assume Surrey Hills is the obvious choice? As a humble Welshman where do I start? I’ll be driving to “the hills” so where is best start location / where are the best trails?
If anyone local fancies a ride I’m hoping to be there about 12, I’ll be the guy looking lost in a battered old 407!

Peaslake is the epicentre of it all, the trouble is that there are no waymarked trails. You could just follow your nose and you’ll probably find some decent stuff, but you could lose hours and miss everything worth riding.

It’ll be busy, you could do worse than hook up with a random group and ride with them, or ask for directions at least!

Sounds good, I’ll head there and try and become a tag along. Anywhere in particular to park, a pub or something?

Park at Walking Bottom car park in Peaslake – assuming you can find a space! If not, and if you don’t mind a climb back to the car, there’s a car park at the top of Holmbury Hill, too. There are not very many spaces in Peaslake to park, and it’s generally considered a good thing to stick the car in one of the Hurtwood Control car parks if you’re heading off for a while. HTH – and enjoy the ride!

pretty much what njee said.

Your best bet is to stick to Pitch Hill and Holmbury (Barry’s and Yogurt Pots are easy enough to find)

Pitch Hill has a myriad of stuff, you could swing by Pedal & Spoke I think they used to do a sort of trail map but I can’t be sure…

drop me an email

Car Park 2 is walking bottom, 3 is top of Pitch – both popular with bikers. 11 is near Barry Knows Best (and generally quiet/empty), 1 top of Holmbury and mostly walkers

Hurtwood Maps – Car Parking

Thanks for the info, especially the map jambalaya; I’ve sent you an email.

Any trails I should make a point of riding / any you would miss?

there is no email in your profile but if you want t ping me as well, happy to point you in the way of some of the good stuff

Emailed, I will update my profile now. Still getting settled in here, don’t get me started on my attempt to quote you!

You could always get a map from Nirvana cycles in Westcott. I tend to ride up to Leith Hill from Westcott, or drop in from top of Ranmore Common, less traffic and longer ride.

If you’ve got a GPS type thingummy this ride has most of the major trails on Winterfold/Pitch/Holmbury. Winterfold is a bit of a mess at the moment, I’d probably skip that depending on how much time you’ve got/how quick you are.

I’m wondering if I could be persuaded out now…!

go on njee you know you want too

If an email goes round ping it on to me as well, email in profile! I could do with being back earlier, but the weather looks good, so I’m tempted!

Just emailed you njee, if anyone else fancies coming out send me an email.

@njee – Strava tracks like that just remind me how slow I am 🙁

Njee, I’ve just looked at that gpx and realised it looks pretty rapid! There’s even a cup in there! 😕

S’ok, I’m happy to ride more slowly! That was a pretty hard ride. Gee of this parish is a bit of an animal, it’s never a slow ride if he’s there!

stick me on the mail list pls! bright I sent you a mail

Mega, your on the list (making 3 of us!) And I have forwarded you the email. If anyone else fancies it send me an email orbpost here.

Just replied Bright – I’m in!

Yep, could work for me too. Was planning to go out Saturday anyway, albeit earlier than this but we have nothing planned so should be fine.

Bloody hell, this is verging on becoming something organised!

I’ll warn folk now, I don’t own baggies, and will wear lycra 😉

Great stuff Gotama. Really looking forward to this, weather even looks OK!

Njee – I’m more worried about you tearing my legs off than your lycra to be honest!!

Haha, nah, you’ll be fine! You can all laugh at my mincing on anything downhill!

nothing to see here, I recommend Swinley.

I might be tempted out to play.
It gets dark pretty early so earlier is better for me if at all possible, even 30mins would be good.
usual rules.- If Im there , Im there . If Im not there then do not wait.

C’mon Rob! Meeting at car park 10 – just up the hill from Walking Bottom, it’s smaller, but generally far quieter.

Ah, I’d have tagged along, but I’m going on Sat instead.

Errr, this is for Saturday. Unless we’re all going for a ride whilst the OP goes to a christening 😀

Whoops! Misread that!

Might see you all there then!

Its definitely ride Saturday, christening Sunday. If I get that wrong, arranging time for future STW rendezvous will suddenly become a lot less difficult! 😕

Mid day, car park 10 then – just up the road from Walking Bottom on Lawbrook Lane.

Might join y’all if that’s ok – will be riding my Titus Fileline.

The more the merrier!

Hmmmm, tempting. Not sure if being ruined in the woods by njee is an ideal recovery from manflu or my current dose of fatandslowitis.

Have fun guys should be a good one looking at the forecast.

@bright may I suggest you bring a £1 and put it in the collection cairn at the entrance to walking bottom car park. Money goes to Friends of the Hurtwood, supports the work of the ranger etc.

Perhaps you and I should ride together @Nobby, my last ride there was 12km in 2 hours, clearly the mud was 2 feet deep, the climbs steep and technical the descents very tricky. I did stop a lot 😐

Not sure if being ruined in the woods by njee is an ideal recovery from manflu or my current dose of fatandslowitis.

That sounds a lot more dodgy than I’d like 😉

Two social gatherings in one month?!

Naaaah…