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I last rode in Friston about 10 years ago. What's it like these days? Is there still a marked loop?
I'm asking cos I'm trying to arrange my mate's stag do. He's flying in from Germany with a bunch of beginners and wants to go riding. So I figure I want something not massively technical but fun, ie a trail center. It needs to be nearish to Gatwick or Heathrow and near somewhere good for the rest of a weekend. Currently thinking of Brighton, hence friston.
(I know the obvious answer is swinley but I don't fancy going drinking in bracknell.)
Ta!
Friston is excellent, there's no marked route but trailforks is up to date, there's about 3 or 4 trails all starting at the same point, and the climb is a nice steady fire road.
The only tech stuff at Friston are the bomb holes but every one has a chicken line.
Closer to Gatwick is Surrey Hills but I'm not sure what there is for a stag do in Dorking...
Also, bedgebury might be perfect - they have ebikes in the hire fleet and you're not too far from Hastings, just down the A21. The red trail is about an hours worth, some decent sections. There's bewl water just down the road for some other watersports too.
Nice one ta.
Had considered the Surrey Hills/Guildford but moved away 15 years ago and am not convinced I won't get us horribly lost if I'm hungover, hence looking for something marked. Something that's graded and thus more of a known quantity would be good too, given the group.
Will need bike hire too if anyone knows anywhere.
Edit - cheers for the sneaky bedgebury edit! That crossed my mind too. Better for biking, maybe worse for the non riding stuff. Hmmm.
Many trails in Friston, most radiate from the top of the Fireroad or off the line of the top 3 bomb holes. A local can link these up for you in the least climby way so may be worth posing a date closer to time to see if anybody is willing to act as guide. Also Some good pubs on all sides of the forest.
There's QECP (Queen Elizabeth Country Park) as well, you're just down the road from Portsmouth and the blue trail is awesome - fairly sure they do bike hire there.
Closer to Gatwick is Surrey Hills but I’m not sure what there is for a stag do in Dorking…
Depends if you're likely to want to end up in a club which Dorking doesn't have but, aside that, Dorking has a fairly high quantity of pubs & restaurants. Then there's the pubs dotted around the hills... Stephan Langton, William IV, Wotton Hatch etc
You could hire a guide for the trails... flowtastic know the trails (& pubs)
Friston is great but not marked and quite easy to get lost in but you might be able to all chip in for a guided ride? Marmalade mtb do rides there.
Cheers all. Not looking for a guide, but thanks for the suggestions. Some stuff to think about!
NO bike hire at QECP afaik
Swinley is the place to go , fly to LHR then hire car . Tons to do in the area , we went hoverccraft racing up that way, or Horse racing . Ascot , Newbury, Big Oktoberfest beer festival in Blasingsmoke. Ascot beer fest as well .
Bedgebury.
Hire bikes on site.
Marked trail
Go Ape on site for afters.
Cafe
Easy parking
Friston is better for riding but you have to know the trails and it's more of a quick hour or 2 after work place or a night ride with mates etc.
Brighton would be great if you knew the local trails (you don't need to go to Friston) and had the bikes but otherwise it seems pretty impossible.
Friston will be very different to what you knew 10 years ago, there's many more trails now - google friston forest mtb routes and you'll find some maps of the trails. There used to be a 'red' xc route sign posted going through the forest but I'm not sure if that is still there but I think there's a more family type route still sign posted. If you're based in Brighton you could go up to the SDW and follow it to Friston, do some trails and then come back. There's a train station in Seaford if you've got tired legs to get back to Brighton, or do it the other way round? Not sure where you'd hire bikes though, but there are a few bike shops in Brighton so worth calling.
Friston forest is hour from Gatwick by car Heathrow 90min. Not sure nearest place for bike hire. Brighton is 30min by car from Friston. Surrey Hills nearer to Gatwick bike hire from few shops near by, then night out in Guildford. Bedgebury good call for cycling with bike hire & go ape on site but getting there not easy unless hire mini bus for everyone.