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Hello all,
My 14 year old girl has shown an interest to go cycling with me so I'm keen to encourage. Looking for relatively dry cycling routes local to me and just wondered if anybody has any recommendations within easy driving distance of Sutton/Morden.
The ideal would be something like the circuit of Rutland Water - man made paths, nice and dry, but it's a bit far to go from South London.
My thoughts so far are Horton Country Park, along the river from Ham to Hampton Court, and Richmond Park. Any other ideas?
Cheers.
Wandle Trail up to the Thames?
You can add Ashtead Common onto Horton and then through Princes Covert.
Then it's sandy over by Oxshott .Ashtead common has a lot more going on compared to Horton with it's big ponds and widlife.
Even Nonsuch Park is pleasant and if it's dry you can watch people on the jumps.
Forgot about the Wandle Trail. Good though it is, I always feel like it is riding down a back alley with a mugger waiting around every corner. Might be worth a go.
I've never done the Prince's Covert and I used to live in Chessington. Might give that a go, but a year-round horse riding route shouts MUD to me - happy to be proved wrong. I don't mind it, but I suspect the young'un will take offence.
if it's been dry then there are loads of straightforward trails on Banstead Downs/Banstead Common. Park near the prison and just explore.
it is chalky underneath hence my comment about the dry but as long as it hasn't been tipping it down then it's fine.
I used to ride there with Zippykona back in the day...
in fact using a little local knowledge you can get across to oaks park and up to woodmansterne and then chipstead but i would stick with Banstead downs for the time being
What about the common before Esther just off the a3 roundabout usually quite dry, parking and there’s a few swoopy bits - where nick from vulpine splattered himself You can hack quite a bit around there and over the a3 towards oxshott. Or just go to swinley
I missed out on the Nick splat - I always thought he always crashed when I rode with him, but turns out he always crashed. Could be good around there.
One day, she'll come out with us on a Box Hill CX jaunt, but I'll build her up to it.
Banstead downs not far so another good idea.
Thanks.
I use Princes Coverts as a cut through when I'm riding to the in-laws in Dorking.
"The Avenue" is virtually a road, very little mud, even in heavy rain.
You can run through nonsuch park to Ewell, pick up the path alongside the Hogsmill heading towards Tolworth, then turn left along the bonesgate to Chessington. There you can ride into Horton country park, and beyond that Epsom common/Ashtead common.
You can either turn left to Ashtead across the common, or skirt along the edge and cross into Princes Coverts with Oxshott, Esher and Arbrook commons beyond. And beyond that you can get to the thames path at Hampton court and head up to Ham and Richmond park, although there would be some riding on the road between.
Most of this are on relatively good condition paths, but you will encounter mud.
Deer's Leap Park or Swinley blue trail?