[Closed] Cycling in Banstead & Epsom

It's all very XC but there's a fair bit as you're right on the North Downs so can hop on the North Downs Way and head in either direction. There's some stuff around Coulsdon/Happy Valley.

I tend to ride down to Coulsdon, up Ditches Lane and then jump on the North Downs Way east to Woldingham/Tatsfield and then back to Croydon or go west and head towards Box Hill.

Never rode with them (only lived there a short time) but I think it was their routes I found and had a couple I’d use for local loops. One went straight over the racecourse towards Headley.

Plenty on ranmore and box hill, easy enough to get over towards bigger hills if you have the time. Short drive to leith hill etc. From Epsom you can go through the common over to Ashtead, up farm lane mostly off road and be near box hill etc quite quickly. Nice road riding as well bit lots of short sharp hills.

It's really easy to generate off road routes from there. Look at OS maps for legal tracks, Strava heatmaps and ridewithgps routes and the heatmaps for where people are riding. If you search in ridewithgps you can get lots of possible routes.

Alternatively, if there's a few of us local that fancy some weekday evening rides, i'd be up for meeting up.

Could meet in Coulsdon or South Croydon. I'm more familiar with routes around Croydon.

Turned my usual 20k loop into a strava route: https://www.strava.com/routes/2749574602492969210 (you don't have to start/finish at our old flat).

You can go straight over the downs, pick up stane street and then on to Micky roughs - all off road. Don't go onto Ashtead common, it's a boggy mess when the rains start (it's not too bad at the moment, but it wil be).

Diary of a mountain biker is now on FB.

Thanks for the replies. I have asked to join the DOMB facebook site. I'd be up for a evening ride, and may go for a explore on Sunday morning. I have lived in banstead for 4 years but usually go to the surrey hills or swinley to cycle but with a 2 year old, i cant take so much of my day cycling so trying to cut out the commute and cycle from my door step.

Thanks for all the responses!

I assume you have been to Reigate hill?

I ride with Redhill CC on a Sat morning, 9:30 - you'd be very welcome to join us. Usual meet point is Reigate hill, but we also go to all kinds of different places. Tomorrow we are at Reigate hill and heading over towards Mickleham for example...

Hiya,

I lived in Epsom for 5 years, so know it well.

There is a great little bridle way just off Burr Heath Road that takes you to the top of the Downs:

Google this

51.327165,-0.256162

From there you go out into the county. Normally Stain Street, Juniper Wood, Ranmore if you've got the legs (Can take train back)

Banstead woods has some great riding, and now I live in Redhill that is my normal haunt. Lots of road action to get there from Epsom TBH. I'd drive to the junction 17 national trust car park and go from there.

Recommend Sportsman pub if making a day of it.

PM me if you want any more thoughts,

Alex

I was in the same the same position at the beginning of lock down when I bought a new bike to get back into riding.

Randomly met a bunch of guys in and around Epsom and we ride together at least once a week. We do dearly mornings, night bikes and recently did London To Brighton at night.

We’re mostly beginners and ride around Epsom, Esher and do head out to Peaslake and the Surrey Hills way.

Covered over 1000 miles since June or so.

@wildfires3 is that Road or Mountain bike? I'm not far away and often struggle for ride buddies but I'm either road or gravel now having given my under-used hardtail to my dad during lockdown

Ah, we’re on mountain bikes. Some of the stuff we do is gravel suitable, but you’d be far quicker than us and other bits probably not.

Thanks for all the replies, would be great to rise with a group in the area.

@wildfires3 I live near banstead station and can cycle over to a start point. Would be good to know the type of riding, have a singlespeed and a geared bike. I suspect a single speed will be ok as it seems pretty flat around here but if there are a lot of roads then I will be slow.

@bigdaddy would be good to join your next ride, let me know where you will start...

@zippykona I do not think I have been to reigate hill

@ajt123 will look into that loop!

I think I better get some new batteries for lights!

Answering for BigD

Club rides usually (used to?) crop up on the website but we had some problems with it a while back so it's a bit out of date.

Hi Chunkymonkey - this weekend (Sat) we are meeting again at Reigate Hill, I'm doing a ride from there out towards Caterham, you'd be welcome to join us! Obviously at the moment it's 6 max, so if more turn up we'll split up into sub groups. PM me if you want to come and I'll sort you out with more info...

The ride won't be flat by the way!

I live in Redhill and have in the past done the Redhill CC rides from Reigate Hill as mentioned above which are very good. Also try the Ross Cycles shop ride from Caterham, they usually go over the North Downs. I now almost exclusively ride with Nirvana Cycles near Dorking who stage a weekly Saturday and Sunday gnar fest.

I’m doing a ride from there out towards Caterham

ChunkyMonkey, if you’re there on Saturday you’ll probably see me too, pretty sure I’m reserve for overflow groups now bigdaddy is stealing sharing this route

Oh, and as mandog says Ross is a good bloke, I hear the rides are very good even if I’ve failed to make it out on one yet.