Hi,

The above is my local riding (although I do more XC mincing then DH off the top of the Gibbet).

I also ride up at Blackdown a bit if I want something short and not too muddy.

Does anyone have any suggestions of loops to make a two (plus) hour ride locally? I often pedal up from Haslemere way up to Gibbet and then round the punch bowl, but I know I am missing on good stuff an due to time restrictions often end up doing the same old rides…

I was wondering if I can include any decent rides down Golden Valley or off the Gibbet on some of the less gnarly DH trails?

GPX files they can share for route guidance, or suggestions?

Send TeamHurtmore a PM or see if he posts here

Tried looking at Strava segments / heatmap ?

I can probably help you with that too, plenty of routes from Haslmere in most directions, go further than punchbowl and do Hankley/Frensham and even stretch out to Puttenham or do Golden Valley and either back over Ludshot/Bramshott commons via Waggonners, you could also do either Blackdown to Fernhurst and onto Bexley back via Milland/Marley/Linchmere or Liphook via Linchmere/Marley, Iron Hill/Milland/Rogate. PM me, I’m happy to help.

I find XC routes S tend to be boggy

My suggestion for XC riding would to extend N over thursley, puttenham and crooksbury and then back over hankley to pitch place and then up the punch bowl

Most of that is pretty dry

I can give more accurate details if you like. The tricky bit is linking thursley to puttenham without too much road.

You can do Thursley to Puttenham with about a mile of road via Shackleford.

Otherwise you can head towards Seale and pick up part of the North Downs Way up into Puttenham.

Milford Common could also be included in a loop.

South can be boggy in places but its a matter of learning what works depending on the weather, there is a lot that isnt boggy that is fun riding, older hill, chapel common, ludshott and bramshott and iping common.

For Puttenham from Thursley I’d tend to head more towards Milford via 3 ponds over A3 and up to Peper Harrow, minimal road just around Eashing and then come back via Tilford and Frensham.

As above really, I’ve got a mega route that takes in blackdown, gibbet, punchbowl, golden valley and waggoner’s/bramshott. It does take steeper trails, including some of the DH at gibbet, but nothing too crazy.

It’s a 45k/1400m loop – PM me if you want the GPX.

There’s a few local riders on here, Tuesday night ride and Saturday mornings are the usual formula, again PM if you want to join and I’ll pass along details.

^ what bugpowderdust said as he showed me a lot of this stuff when I turned up in the sunny south a few years ago (many thanks! 🙂 ).

Thanks all for the help.

I am working on fitness in January and February and hope to join some regular rides again.

+1 up towards Puttenham and Crooksbury. Not sure in 2 hours. Maybe if more direct but whenever I do it I end up exploring as many trails as possible and spend half the day riding 😀

I’ve yet to join up Hindhead though. I usually start from Farnham, go Crooksbury, Puttenham, down to Tilford and Frensham, and as far as Devils Jumps then realise I need to get home.

Gribble

Don’t have fancy links il afraid but will try to write a short summary on train home later

I know what you mean about getting bogged down at bottom of Gibbet

Unfortunately my standard route is both a bit of cheeky stuff and q hard to describe. But I will try

Have you tried trail break website as their event has a map with Xc routes of a lot of this area. It misses my cheeky fun stuff though

Post later

Top tip, if you take the newest cheeky DH trails to the left of gibbet, accessable from the quiet lane that cross the footpath over the A3 tunnel the climb out is pretty solid all year (minus the small but deep bog where said footpath meets the quiet lane)

Bonus points because the stuff below the footpath is hilariously off-camber, rooty, damp yet soft and accomodating for the inevitable low-down

What they all said. Happy to meet for a show around, gribble. I ride up from Haslemere too. Happy riding at a scenery-appreciating pace! email in profile.

Tuesday night rides tor5 talks about are good to join for seeing more of the trails. Saturday more so, more time for going further afield.

Tor5 and Ned; thanks for your tips. I have not looked on the trail break websites. Couple of questions if I may:

Tuesday night rides – where do these go from and who organises these? Is this just a local group here?

Tor5 – the DH trails you refer to. Which ones are more mellow (less drops/jumps so I don’t have to mince down them). I ride them all so infrequently that I don’t really know them that well. I often cycle up from Bunch Lane, up via Temple of the Four Winds and then up to Gibbet. When you say ‘left of Gibbet’, are you talking to the north of Gibbet (so if you have your back standing facing the old A3, it will be left of Gibbet)?

I know there used to be a viewing point down that way (to look over the new A3 tunnel entrance).

Map Gibbet Hill

Ned, sent you an email. Chris

@gribble The stuff Tor5 is referring to are steeper and loose than the main DH stuff. They are to the north west of your Google drop pin.

Gribble

Sympathise with GH and ending in bog. I normally just push back up. Alternative is to follow BW that is crossed 3/4 way down out to round and back up to Boundless car park and then back up old A3

I actually like the slightly hidden and less difficulty (until recent modifications) trails that are located further down old A3 from too – look for small trails on RHS just as road starts to bear right and downwards. 3-4 trails there that end on BW or beyond with jumps and you bear left to come out on old A3 by gate.

From there I go up hill opposite – over cattle grid and up track with a few big steps – for lovely view. Head north to tejoin BW and soon after bear left on fast narrow traverse of punch bowl. Carry on at the end x-tracks up little hill with threes. Follow track N (gets stoned) to BW then turn R and then left for fast descent down to Thursley.

Go thru T up past pub and then turn on to common. Head N on obvious wide BW for 400 m then bear R for sandy descent before little jump into trees. Head N thorough trees keeping to RHS. Then look for gate that takes you out towards Ridbirough common and out to Milford.

Take road towards Eashing past Stag over river and then either cross A3 by bridge or turn up past stables to head towards the Squiirel pub. On latter go west after pub, under A3 and they Norney to Shakleford Heath. Work you way North on BWs and out towards Rodsall Manor – you need to look at map for this. (Admire the manor – I know the owner!!) carry on up narrow track to streps on LHS. Go up then and cross road onto Puttenham Common

Lots of ways to cross common but you need to head towards ponds. Go between two big ponds and out on to Britty Wood and then Crooksbury. Head across the towards pylon and then up to top of hill for views of where you have come from. Drop of hill on one of two paths – not the steps – to cP and then tracks to side of road. You then zig zag ( look at maps) to head to Tilford

Then past cricket pitch and S on road until you hear left and out on to Hankley Commom. Work you way out to Pitch place then join rocky BW takes you back to punchbowl

If you can follow that you are a genius – but hope it gives you an idea.

Might be up there on Sun but depends on family commitments

awww….. Up there today and the end playground bit of the main DH lines is all taped up and being logged.

They’ve probably done about 30-40% of the work so far. At the moment both of the gaps are still there, and some of the trails in that section look like they might still be ridable. No machinery around as far as I could see.  Anyone know what’s going on?

@tor5 – would love to come along on one of those Tuesday/Saturday rides if they’re still running? Any chance you could let me know the details?

Hey @robingrant – the Tuesday and Saturday is still about, work and family means I’m not out with it that frequently at the moment. @nedrapier and @gribble should see you right though

Any good route that link Punch Bowl side to Ludshott/Bramshott side?

I can probably find a way through via Golden Valley but looks like got to get past houses on road in places. Or is it worth going south from Gibbet towards Haslemere and across to Bramshott?

I could park over that way, but like to base at punch bowl and get in a bunch of stuff round Gibbet / Hurt hills, maybe wander a bit north too, but make a loop down.

Trying to expand my range and seems a lot of areas to the south to explore. Not sure how much is rideable.

Any good route that link Punch Bowl side to Ludshott/Bramshott side?

Head across into Whitmore Vale – drop down to Whitmore Bottom and there’s a track that takes you back up the other side to Grayshott Hall Farm – turn right onto the Grayshott Road and shortly after a bridleway on your left onto Ludshott Common. You can then drop down into Waggoner’s Wells and up the other side onto Bramshott Common – there’s an underpass under the A3 to the other side near the Canadian Memorial.