[Closed] Kielder replacement - Surrey Hills 100 mile ride...

That sounds fantastic. I would definitely be interested in joining in. I tend to ride from Farnborough to Newlands via Farnham and the NDW so it would be good to do something different.

Great. We probably need a Facebook group or something.

Obviously you'll be needing a GPS to follow the route - this is just a ride not a proper event.

Sounds like a good idea to setup a group on facebook. GPS is no problem, I guess nearer the time you will share the gpx file ?.

You can download it from the link in my first post.

Logging this. Good lord I only did 100 miles once and that was on road.

Drink stops at 25 miles (Shere), 45 miles (Peaslake), 70 miles (Peaslake), 79 miles (Newlands Corner). No bike shops directly on the route so bring spares.

Pedal & Spoke in Peaslake is directly on the route, Nirvana in Westcott and Beyond in Cranleigh only a small detour.

Be good fun, even I could be tempted!

Shere to Peaslake is about 3 miles, somebody needs to check their navigation! 😉

Pedal and spoke in Peaslake has been closed the last few Saturday and Sundays I've been over - seems to open randomly these days?

I guess I meant no shops actually on the route.

Don't think it will be a problem though judging by the amount of stuff I saw people carting round with them today in their mahooooosive rucksacks.

GB

Okay will aim to do this.

Pedal and spoke in Peaslake has been closed the last few Saturday and Sundays I've been over - seems to open randomly these days?

Really? It looked closed last couple of times I've been there, but was actually open.

Last time I looked into P&S Peaslake I thought it was now just a rental shed not a shop, they also were a bit grumpy when my SO asked to use their pump last year.

I wouldn't count on them as a source of spares.

A few of the Banjo boys and some others I work with are up for this. Sounds good.

pedal and Spoke was open on Sunday. I know, as my husband had to leave my bike there for a bit after I crashed on bkb and needed to leave in an ambulance 🙂 Thanks guys!

This ride sounds good - we might well be up for it and I need something to aim for when I'm allowed back on the bike!

I'll be in for this - hadn't planned to do Kielder but this looks right up my street

i'm interested.

I'm in and more than likely one or two others I know. looking at the complexity of the GPX track its a little worrying that we may struggle to stay on course given the nature of the terrain. I guess I could always just keep up with Gee and therefore make the GPS redendant (and potentially cause a self inflicted cardiac arrest)

Pedal and Spoke now largely moved down to their big new shop in Cranleigh...

Just be careful how big this gets if it takes off - remember the last farce of the DH / Enduro races that were called off. Might be worth talking to Friends of Hurtword or at least Howard at Pedal and Spoke to get some local buy-in.

Might be worth talking to Friends of Hurtword or at least Howard at Pedal and Spoke to get some local buy-in.

It's a hundred mile route, that's not competitive in any way. A) 'local' buy in is most of Surrey. B) in what way can buy in help, other than promoting it as an event, which it isn't really, it's just a ride, on a day when many hundred people will be riding the same trails, most at a quicker pace, it's not really anything like the "Leith Hill Mega".

From my perspective it'll just be nice to find out some trails that are local to me. Having lived just outside godalming for a month I've still yet to turn a wheel offroad in The Great Surrey Hills...

Really? That's shocking. Mayhem this weekend, but happy to show you around next weekend?

That would be awesome chap - I'll bring the MTB back with me this weekend so should be good for a ride the following.

I could well be up for this too (the 100 miler, not the njee/flange love-in)
although I'm doing London to Brighton offroad (70 miles) the following weekend so it won't exactly be tapering my training...

That would be awesome chap - I'll bring the MTB back with me this weekend so should be good for a ride the following.

Yep, drop me a mail, we'll sort it out.

although I'm doing London to Brighton offroad (70 miles) the following weekend so it's won't exactly be tapering my training...

That'll be a piece of piss if you do this!

BRAKES!!!! I saw that cheeky edit, you can come along too if you're feeling left out?

Nick - you have mail sir.

I could well be up for this too (the 100 miler, not the njee/flange love-in)

[flounce]Pfft, you're not invited to [i]our [/i]ride anyway[/flounce]

Yes - local buy-in to a ride with some friends would be an interesting one...

I am planning a route description - basic but it will probably help. A lot of the trails are pretty obvious - you don't really turn on/off trails a lot other than at the start and end - they tend not to have options down the trail, as it were.

If you end up ruined you can just short cut home from Peaslake (1hr 20mins)

GB

njee20 - Member
It's a hundred mile route, that's not competitive in any way. A) 'local' buy in is most of Surrey. B) in what way can buy in help, other than promoting it as an event, which it isn't really, it's just a ride, on a day when many hundred people will be riding the same trails, most at a quicker pace, it's not really anything like the "Leith Hill Mega".

You seemed to miss the key point of my post:

dashed - Member

Just be careful how big this gets if it takes off

If it's a mates pootle around Surrey then of course there won't be any issues. If you get a very large turnout and this really takes off (after posting on a public forum perhaps??) they there could be some bad feeling about it and you could come in for some stick (at the Surrey Hills end of things, rather than the "most of Surrey" bit!!). Don't underestimate the power of the internet to get the wrong end of the stick and blow things out of all proportion and trying to helpfully avoid you getting into that situation.

Just saying like...

Oh, and not referring to the mega, there was another "official" race event thing that got canned after a whole load of bitching on here and facebook. Can't remember the details but that did relations in SH no good whatsoever.

As far as I'm concerned it's a mates ride in Surrey. I don't do pootles. I doubt my group will be more than 3-4 riders.

GB

I will be starting in the same place as Gee, that's the last time I expect to see him...

I think this sounds like a good challenge and I don't really see a problem with it TBH. I think that due to the length of the ride it would put most people off joining in but it might be worth keeping it a little quiet so not to attract too much attention.

I was bored so just made the route guide...

Agreed on the length and challenge putting most people off. I really need to emphasize it takes me 8hrs of riding time, about 8hrs 30mins total time riding at a fair old pace with only about 20mins stopping in total for lunch in Peaslake. When I rode this at the weekend the trails were also in perfect condition - it would be a lot slower in the wet. I also rode home quickly from Peaslake as I wanted to make it to 100 miles without the Garmin going flat.

If you can't follow the exact GPS it doesn't really matter as you will always know vaguely where you are once you are on Winterfold/Pitch/Holmbury/Leith etc.

Be prepared for a very long day out and unless you really know the area I'd say a proper map is a VERY good idea.

GB

Cheers for this, I won't be able to make the 14th, as I'm in France for a wedding, but I've saved the course in Garmin connect and I'll be giving it a whirl at some point for sure.

Have you done the SDW in a day? Just wondering how relevant your 8 hour pace for this one might be for me!

Ta.

Yes I've done that. About 8hrs.

GB

Okaayyyy! Good work. I'm going to add 25% to your course time for starters. 🙂

The SDW is also a doddle by comparison - a lot easier riding as it's basically 100 miles of fire road. This is probably around 60 miles like that with about 40 miles on trails.

GB

still took you about the same time, though? Or did you stop for beer and ice-cream?

SDW was a lot more of a gentle pace. I'd reckon on 7.5hrs for SDW at a comparable pace. Also the start and end bits of this loop (c50 miles) are a lot faster as they are road/wide bridleways so can average 16/17mph. The middle 50 miles is extremely tough, hilly and on some very technical trails.

gee - don't suppose you have a GPX version of the file you could send me?

Garmin Connect doesn't seem to let you export as GPX any more, only directly to a Garmin device. I have a Satmap, so that's no help.

Email in profile if you aren't already feeling like this is all getting too much bother 🙂

+1 offthebrakes

It doesn't even save/store it to my account so am currently having to leave the tab open until I figure out how to get the GPX.

Ta

Hi

Here is the edited GPX route starting and finishing at the Country Park. Bikeroutetoaster was playing up a bit so it might not follow the roads precisely, but if you open it you'll get the idea. You can always tweak it a little.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10145663/Surrey%20Hills%20-%20the%20standard%20epic.gpx

GB

Cheers Gee. Downloaded so will have a tweak later.

Thanks George. Looks like even you've had enough of singletrack by the time you hit Clandon on the way home 🙂

8 hours is pretty quick. I'll be interested, how much is on Tarmac? I'll be doing woldingham to Eastbourne via ndw and sdw in June whilst the evenings are light, waiting for good wind. Attempted it last year but bailed at black cap, starts hard and ends hard with a boring but fast bit in the middle on the downslink.

SDW is nearly all on gravel/chalk/grass double track.

SDW is nearly all on gravel/chalk/grass double track.

I structured my sentence wrong, I meant that I'm interested to ride, and that 100 miles in 8 hours is very quick. I was asking about the Tarmac because I wondered if here was a better route with less Tarmac involved, maybe linking up leith, ran more and box hill? Not my ride so tell me to get lost, would still like to join in though.

Gee's route doesn't have much Tarmac at all?

Cool, difficult to tell on garmin connect with iPad.

The Surrey Hills loop up there ^^ doesn't have much tarmac at all apart from the bit between the bottom of Newlands and the canal in St Johns, which is about 5 miles.

There is a way home from Newlands which is entirely off road, but it is 10 miles further and a lot slower. It basically heads out to Aldershot on the NDW via the Hogs Back and cuts home via Ash Ranges, Tunnel Hill and Porridge.

There are also ways of linking up Leith, Box and Ranmore but I tend not to ride over that way much as by the time I get to Leith and start heading home that's far enough East for me... 100 miles is quite enough. I don't do driving to ride.

Yes, 8hrs is pretty quick for that distance, those trails and that much climbing.

GB

This looks great, very interested in joining in (won't be doing it in 8 hours though!) thanks for doing all the legwork!

that's far enough East for me... 100 miles is quite enough.

I don't do driving to ride

So are you Ligh****er based? Great for location for Swinley too then.

Count me in please

Me too. I've done the SDW in around 10.5 hours and was hoping for about 11 hours for Kielder (done it twice before). So if anyone is around that sort of pace it would be good to ride in a group.

Got myself a days holiday booked to do this, not sure that I'll be in any kind of state for it 'cos I'm not finishing work until 0100 on the Sunday morning 😯

What's the worst that could happen ❓

0100 Sunday? The ride was planned for a Saturday? 14 Sept?

0100 Sunday? The ride was planned for a Saturday? 14 Sept?

In that case I've probably booked the wrong day off work, I'd best check tomorrow when I'm back in 😆

As an alternative there is the excellent Margam Madness event one week later than the original K100 date. It's an 8hr event on 21st Sept.

Lots of climbing and techy singletrack. About 400m climbing per lap. See xc racer for details

Margam Madness looks ace, and has a shiny new website too - [url= http://www.margammadness.co.uk ]http://www.margammadness.co.uk/[/url]

Rode the route of this again yesterday. Was fantastically dry. Hopefully September 14th will be the same!

GB

Gee, that is an awesome plan. Need to think if I am up to it. A few of my bogey runs (N Monkey is the next to tick off clean!) but great collection.

How many are "in" do you think?

Need some moderate pace/older 45-50 groups for encouragement!! Have you thought about the straighter descent into Shere ie after you pass the round concrete water pit (?) where nDW crosses the road, you turn L towards the farm and there is a very fast descent right into the recreation park with a fun little rooty bit half way down !

You could do Wey Navigation instead of via the road through Send. Not sure which direction you're going, but Send, Wey Nav to Burpham and through the back and up to Newlands Corner. Or other way round.

Not mucking about Porridgepot? 😉 Just goes straight through by the look of it.

Not that I'm likely to do this. Distance just has me shaking at the thought of it considering how much Leith, Holmbury, Pitch and Winterfold would take out of me 😀

Hi

I think a few are in - probably about a dozen based on this thread. A few of my mates are in but that will be a very speedy group. It's probably best to ask friends/post on here nearer the time to arrange a slower group.

My plan is to ride en mass for the first few Kms then head off.

Yes there are many other routes you could take if you know where you're going - I just happened to ride that way the day I did that particular loop.

The canal loop would add distance - I figured long enough anyway... But feel free to adapt. Same goes for Porridge - yes just ride through it. Might do a couple of trails depending on the time.

GB

I've said it before but please don't underestimate the distance, the technical trails or the climbing. At a fast pace this loop takes me 7.5hrs riding, 8hrs actual time. I stopped in Peaslake for no more than 15mins. Don't underestimate how long it might take if you stop and chat every 10mins. I've asked around and estimates for a 'normal' pace loop range from 10-12hrs...

GB

I'm slightly pissed whilst reading this for the first time, not really digested it all properly but like the idea of tackling a 100 miler. My sister lives in Farnham... would that be near enough to start / finish? And would a 60 year old nancy boy be in with a chance - not having much local knowledge.. but reasonable endurance (if I can squeeze a few miles training in) to get round without getting lost. I did manage Kielder 3 years ago before senility set in.... maybe I'll reconsider in a day or two when alcohol is not influencing my decision making.
Steve.

A lot of the slower riders might struggle to get this ride completed before nightfall. The middle of september has sunset at 7.15.

This kind of ride could easily take 12 hours, throw in a mechanical and a long lunch break and you could be looking at 14 hours easy. Some decent lights and some knowledge of the trails might be useful for a lot of the people attempting this.

I am really interested in this as well as I have been clocking up the miles for kielder but as I am based close to epsom downs I might look into doing it on the same day but starting further east than you lot.

Good point, I might go for an earlier start. Anyone else fancy a 6am getaway?

Same reason that kielder always started so goddamn early

I thought it was to get going before the midges woke up

I did think about the start time. If it needs to be 6am that's fine with me.

GB

Me and and a mate had a go at this on Saturday. We started at Mytchett and sort of finished but had to miss out the bit that takes you over to Leith Hill from Holmbury as the heat had more of an effect than we expected and we were concerened about light if we had a mechanical.

120KM and it took 8 and a bit hours with breaks. Would recommend a earlier start than our 9:45 one. I will try again but I am away for the date the mass ride is starting at.

Route is basically brillant, Enjoyed the stuff out of ligh****er toward Woking more than i thought and was treated to some new to me surrey hills trails. route sheet was useful for some of the trails around winterfold where you are doing lots of small loops that I found hard to navigate with my Garmin.

Thanks so much Gee for the route and the effort it must have required to commit it to paper too.

Glad it worked ok for you :). The route sheets did take a while - I was amazed how much I had in my head!!

The bit you missed was a big but gentle climb up to Leith, then down Summer Lightening and all the way down alongside the fence to Westcott, then the truly horrid climb up Whitedown and down the two trails on there.

Worth trying again to ride those bits!!

GB

Was thinking of the Downs next weekend but might ride this as an option.

I've made a Facebook group for this [url=

Interesting.
Will have a think about this,
Based nr Farnham so could join en-route

Update - rode the route again today and the trails are in perfect condition. They had been getting a bit loamy but the rain from a week or so ago has glued it all back together.

So who's actually coming? 7am start... There will be a fast group of about 7 of us, but you are welcome to arrange your own groups and go at your own pace.

GB

I'll be there for a 7am start, will just see who is up for riding at a similar pace - 10 hour SDW sort of pace for me. Anyone else?

Not the best day to be doing it but chappeau to those of you that do!

Rode the Downs last night - the recent rain has done nothing but damp down the dust! No puddles and epic grip 🙂

Hopefully see people on Sat at 7am 🙂

GB

blimey this has come round quicker than I thought. I quite fancy doing this but not sure I can make Saturday now...

How fast is the fast group going to be?

rich

Fast group is 8 Elite XC riders, so very fast.