Have a day or two free on my way back from the south coast. Wanted to stop off and check out the South Downs.

Have got my van so am flexible when it comes to where I sleep/park/start. My only problem is I don’t know my way around.

I’m guessing that the trails are not sign posted.

I’ve downloaded a map of the area (about 8 mile radius of Peaslake).

Can anyone give me some pointers?

Alternatively, if you see a big black German plated T5, or a short bearded guy on a Strive say hello and let me tag along…. 😀

Any Info appreciated, cheers.

Peaslake isn’t the South Downs, it’s the Surrey Hills, presume you’re riding around Peaslake, rather than the South Downs? May help with route finding. Check Strava for routes, I can dig out some of my GPXs if of use?

Surrey hills maybe? Not the South Downs.
Lots of obvious trails to follow near Peaslake and plenty of linked runs on Trailforks etc:

Ok, I guess I mean Surrey Hills…. My geography is a little hazy 😆

I looked on Strava, but didn’t find anything obvious.

Trailforks a website?

Ok, Trailforks should see me right….

More trails than I expected.

Surrey Hills is North Downs side. Technically covers a big area, including the North Downs and goes right over to Hindhead. However in “MTB” talk Surrey Hills generally refers to the mecca of Peaslake and surrounding hills (Greensands ridge). North Downs itself is next ridge to the Greensands and different soil, which includes stuff like Box Hill.

South Downs is further down towards the coast, and a different kettle of fish. Scenic riding though.

Anyway, around Peaslake, tonnes of trails, and at weekends heaving with people, and the car parks get very busy mid morning, especially Sundays.

Park at peaslake as then you can get cake and tea from the post office post ride. Usually plenty of people about.

Park in Walking Bottom car park or other Hurtwood car parks, but don’t park in the village itself.

https://friendsofthehurtwood.co.uk/things-to-do/map

Do you want a tour of the area with a few well know trails or a trail centre type experience of shuttling climbs and single track ?

Can send some ideas. / gox but @deadkenny is more knowledgable than I

If you don’t mind some extra pedalling you can start / finish at Newlands Corner which may be more convenient for driving depending on wjere you are coming from/going to

Alpin; I think it helps to know the basic topography of the area to overlay with the Trailforks maps and know what you’re doing.

To the north of the area is the A25, passing through (W->E) Shere, Abinger and Westcott. These 3 villages then have 3 ‘door wedge’ shaped hills running south from them, with their tails at the villages and the heads in the south, with valleys between the wedges. The 3 named hills at the heads of these wedges are (also W->E) Pitch, Holmbury and Leith

So depending what you’re looking for – if you go from village to hill (N->S) you have long but ‘gentle’ climbs, equally descents in the opposite direction can be technical with gaps and drops, but broadly speaking not too steep.

If you go W-E or E-W you’ll be climbing and descending on steeper trails as you cross the ridges, and the further south you are the more extreme the gradients in general. So less distance but harder work.
And if you want to, going further south off the end of the wedges are some very steep and (to me scary) trails but the climbs back up are proper pushes and in some cases ‘throw down a rope and pull me back up’

In general most of the steep stuff’s on Pitch, there’s lots of heritage trails on Holmbury (Barry Knows Best, Yoghurt Pots, Telegraph Rd, Secret Squirrel and so on), and Leith Hill has a marked trail pretty much from the tower right back into Westcott.

Nope, you have to park at peaslake and have a pork lattice or cheese straw with a cup of tea. Some things are sacred.

Parling at Newlands you have a ride in – do one hill like say Holmbury then Peaslake Stores for the mid ride pit stop plus scope for a pint in Little London or Shere (far better than the Hotel in peaslake). Great bacon rolls at Newlands. Unless Inwas pushed for time I would always ride in to Peaslake from Guildford (about 20 mins from my house to Newlands over Pewley Down)

Choice choices, all good ones

Thanks guys….

I will, family depending, mosey there on Monday afternoon if Tuesday morning.

Just want to give the legs a spin and get the blood/adrenaline pumping…. Need to switch off for a bit.
The pub sounds good.
#EnglishAle