Hi all, I am planning a mtb trip for next year, maybe to Surrey Hills but also maybe somewhere like in link below:

https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/best-mountain-bike-routes-uk-2-322684

Do I need a full suspension or aggressive trail bike for this rather than a more XC bike like the Spesh Chisel I have just ordered?

Be interested to hear views.

Thanks!

Full sus, no. Hardtail will be absolutely fine on pretty much all of the trails.
That said, I find it much more fun on my full sus.

If you want to ride Surrey Hills you need to start with the basics. Do you own a Transporter?

Yes I have a transporter. What about the Chisel would it cope? Am not a complete beginner but it’s been a while.

Make sure it matches your log-burning stove.

Q2. Do you own a Santa Cruz?

Personally, being a Surrey Hills local, FS trail bike would be my choice. Ive a enduro bike (27.5 160mm) and I find that more than needed and Im looking at getting a 120-130mm FS 29er as I think that’ll be best suited for covering the ground but also good for the trails. Ive a HT 29er which is great for the XC miles but can be left wanting on the trails.

I guess it depends on what sort of a rider you are. Do you tend to go for the gnar option? (I’m guessing not because… Chisel)
You can roll almost all features in Surrey Hills, and there are chicken lines also on some of the jump lines.
I’m saying you can definitely ride Surrey hills on a chisel, but as above, it would be more fun/ a better experience on something with a bit more travel

Maybe take some advice from this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQyJeJgIw8

A route in the magazine, my choice would probably be a FS, prob 29er, mile muncher; there’s likely a lot of rolling and twisty singletrack but in magazine routes not much big stuff. My only bike currently is a Spearfish, and that is I think perfect. But you don’t have to go far off the track to find some bigger stuff with gaps and drops, where an enduro bike might be better suited

Would a Chisel do – absolutely, back in the day I’ve had great days in the Surrey Hills on a rigid ss, if you pick your climbs sensibly and don’t mind an occasional walk.

In normal year I would be over Surrey most/every weekend. I’ve got an enduro rig and a aggressive hardtail, I would happily take either but would say there is such a wealth of trails over there that you can make a ride to suit your requirements. I would say don’t ride there off a satnav but get a local to show you round with a ride to suit you

Thank you. Yeah I’m not massively into the big jumps and gnarly stuff (yet) and like the idea of doing some decent miles on a range of surfaces but didn’t want to be left wanting on rockier downhill stuff. Would ideally like a 120mm full suspension but bloody expensive right?

Where do you normally ride?

Surrey Hills, 160-170mm E-Bike, Shirley?

Just go for local spins in Kent- gravel roads, woodland trails, on roads for a bit, a few trails. But want to go for longer and further and stick the bike on back of car, take it away once or twice a year and have more scenic rides in Wales and Yorkshire dales/moors where I have family.

It’s quite varied terrain, people ride a lot of different bikes.

I was out and about this afternoon and saw rigids, fat bikes, a few gravel bikes, 150mm full sus, bunch of kids doing hardtail downhill.

I ride a 150m. travel hardtail, but probably could get away with less.

A slack but fairly short travel trail bike would cover everything. There’s a few steep, steep bits, but few big hits.

Bird Aether7 if full sus. Whyte 905 if hardtail

Specialized Chisel will be great for blasting around. If £££ no object is add a fast xc but as my daily driver.

Surrey Hills is quite different to Wales and Yorkshire though…..

it’s sandy, loamy, well draining soils mainly though pine and beech forests. There are some sandstone rocks but it’s not ‘rocky’ in any way like Wales or Peaks – big stones rather than rocks really.

Check out some videos to get an idea – Barry Knows Best, Summer Lightning, Yogurt Pots, etc:

Sounds as though you’ve bought a perfect bike for most of your normal riding.
You’ll definitely get away with using a Chisel in Surrey, as an occasional extra to your local riding. And if you do go somewhere that needs a bit more travel, you could always hire one maybe?
It’s nice to have a selection of bikes for different riding, but it’s bloody expensive!

They look good but hard to get at the moment. Don’t want too aggressive a bike though as had one recently and sold it because was too slow on the flats.

Think I may with the chisel and buy a lottery ticket.

There is very little in the Surrey hills or north downs that needs you to buy a full suss. That which does benefit is more because it’s very steep and/or jumps and drops, in my opinion at least. Unlike somewhere rocky or with long, long descents, where the squish keeps you on line and not battered to death over the course of the day.

I took my enduro bike there a couple of years ago and it was a mistake. Way more bike then needed for anything we found including the dh trails

I find my 100mm both ends Trek Topfuel to be perfect for this area. Also enjoy riding my rigid 29er too.

Back in the mid 80’s we use to ride the Surrey Hills on rigids, so I would happily ride anything from a gravel to trail bike there.

Any bike you can pedal easily is fine.

You’d probably need a guide to find all the trails though. Most of them aren’t official.

Any moderately capable bike should fine.
I’ve never had a full-suss bike and have ridden Surrey Hills trails multiple times.
Both my bikes are 100mm hardtails, one is a geared 29er and one is a singlespeed 26 inch steel model.
They are both great fun – but both different.
Just go and ride there (when it’s ok to travel that far) and enjoy it.

Say hi to Barry, for me.

I would agree that there is nothing that you absolutely need a FS for in the Surrey Hill, unless you want to be hitting the jumps at the bottom of Northern Monkey in a big way (which is way past my skill level).

It will make the days less hard on your body, but that’s about it.

I’m not the fastest, but my Bird Zero 29 is more than capable and a mate is rapid on his Cotic BFE.

Probably best to add that I know the trails well enough and a guy pretty much outran me on BKB on an older Epic HT with no dropper in mostly Lycra and around 120mm of travel. He pedaled most of the way and had no issues.

That video is amazing. You can ride Surrey Hills and have fun on anything. Don’t even worry.

If you are in your late 30+ double suss is nice on the knees going over branches / drops but I used to ride hard tail.

If I lived there and was buying a daily rider specifically for that terrain I’d get a Santa Cruz 5010 or Tall Boy.

Surrey Hills are fine for locals or if you’re in the area on business whatever – but never a destination!

I have a chisel and it works fine on the more pedally stuff in SH,
however I don’t think it would last long being slammed around on more challenging stuff. You just have to remember it’s not most aggressive of HT’s and ride accordingly. My other HT (Bird) will take the abuse. Not sure if a FS is a must for SH