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Plan was originally for a group of us to head to Wales on Sunday but a few have dropped out (including the one with the van!) so now it's just the 2 of us looking for alternative suggestions a bit closer to home (near Southampton).
I've heard Surrey Hills has some decent terrain and trails. Are we likely to find much without any local knowledge? We are happy to do some searching but having never been any tips on places to start or rough directions to head would be great.
If you start in Peaslake and you're not too shy, you'll probably be able to get plenty of pointers from folk milling around between the pub and the village store, although maybe not as much as I the middle of summer!
There's also a little bike shop there who could doubtless give you some pointers.
Personally, I'd stay on Holmbury Hill, as I find it easier to navigate than Pitch hill. If you go segment exploring I Strava, look for Barry knows best, Telegraph Road, Yoghurt Pots, Reservoir Dogs... You'll have plenty of fun just following other people's tyre tracks!
Tom we might ride Sunday morning (we''re local) all depends what time you head up
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The first time I went the shop wasn't very helpful, they had run out of maps and the guy who prints the maps was on holiday. I'm not sure why someone else couldn't print some!
The second time my friend and I used Trailforks to find some of the different sections. Easier to use than Strava.
If you ride up to the viewpoint on Pitch there are several routes down the steep face which are pretty obvious. Turn right at the bottom on the road, then a u turn up at the next car park - try to get up past the roots in one go...
All over keep your eyes peeled for tyre tracks heading off the fire trials into the bushes...
The next hill on, Winterfold, has been a little ruined by logging, so a lot of good stuff has been flattened.
There's a car park just up past the shop and pub which is pretty much overflowing with T5 and Audis so you can always ask up there to tag along with a group..?
OP many people are frustrated when visiting the Surrey Hills expecting to find a trail centre type experience complete with signs ! The majority of the trails are not official and rarely signposted.
What sort of ride are you after ? One covering a bit of ground with a few trails and bridleways mixed in, eg "xc plus" or shuttling up and down man made trails ? I'd second fhe comment on Holmbury Hill which also tends to be the driest. Ride that a bit plus either a lap of Pitch or more miles under wheels for a trip to Leith. If you email me I'll dig something out for you
Your other option would be to go to QECP which is a shorter ride.
The freedom to ride is a bit of a double edged sword really. On the one hand, you can ride pretty much anywhere in the Hurtwood Estate (Holmbury & Pitch, mainly), but on the other hand, the vast majority of the decent trails aren't bridleways, so you can't plan your riding on an OS map.
When I first started to explore on my own I used Strava to pinch a few mates rides that I knew went there occasionally. I then did some searching on Strava for 'Peaslake' as a keyword and downloaded a few .gpx files. Loaded these on my Garmin and and a navigation app on my phone. With this I went exploring and now have a fairly good knowledge of the place and can piece together a good days riding.
If you can't download or use .gpx files, still use Strava to view the area around Peaslake to get an understanding of when the main concentration of segments are. From there you will just be able to see them from the fire roads and follow your nose.
As already said, don't expect signed routes but you will be able to see tyre tracks this time of year easily. The place is big enough to not bump into other riders for a while but don't be afraid to ask and tag along when you get the chance. Also, when in Peaslake the local shop is the main feed/coffee stop and you will be able to talk to riders there for most of the day.
Thanks for the advice guys. So you recon Peaslake is the best place to park up and explore from?
I'm just looking for a 20 ish mile loop with some nice trails thrown in. I'm not worried about doing a bit of trial and error type explore to find some fun bits. Seems like general consensus is to strava the areas with most segments and then head there on the fire roads looking for interesting tyre tracks heading off. Easy right...!? If anyone spots a guy on a Whyte looking confused at his iPhone then feel free to say hi/ shout obscenities
Peaslake is the hub for the masses. At a weekend it will be easy to just follow where others are going, ask about or hook up with others. Head up Holmbury and/or Pitch hills and you'll find trails. You won't find everything in one go as there's so much on offer but that's what's great about the place. Constant discovery.
Walking Bottom car park would be the easier place to start from and it's a big car park, although on a Sunday you'll find it rammed especially mid morning. There are a load of other car parks dotted around though.
There's a map with car parks marked here - http://friendsofthehurtwood.co.uk/things-to-do/map
The next hill on, Winterfold, has been a little ruined by logging, so a lot of good stuff has been flattened.
A little is an understatement....its pretty much completely ruined. I counted 6 trails destroyed/blocked off last weekend. Such a shame!
Did you get out today then, OP?
Contact Nirvana cycles in Westcott: great shop; great guys; and loads of rides going out from the shop; totally looked after me. (Simon's the man)
Yeah headed up pretty early yesterday and after a few tips from a group of really nice guys in the car park we headed out for 20 damp miles of exploring. There was quite a few dead ends and turning back and repeating the same fire roads but had a blast riding some really fun little trails and doing some exploring. We probably hardly scratched the surface of what is there but I'll be heading back for some more asap. Might even give an organised ride a go next time
tom199 - Member... but had a blast riding some really fun little trails and doing some exploring.
There are some cracking trails around there. I was amazed at the quality. Just takes a bit of patience to find them.
Planning on heading back before Xmas if time and commitments allow to do a bit more exploring.
So what sort of pace are the Nirvana shop rides? It's always hard to judge when riding with a group for the first time.
They are a mixed group, some in their fifties, and the rest of mixed age.....I'm 60 and average in speed and skills....they made sure I didn't get dropped/lost, and showed me some challenging and some fun stuff....there's an old blokes ride on Wednesdays as well....just phone up and ask Simon which will suit.
tom199 - MemberPlanning on heading back before Xmas if time and commitments allow to do a bit more exploring.
So what sort of pace are the Nirvana shop rides? It's always hard to judge when riding with a group for the first time.
I've been wondering about the shop rides too. I'm fine on the trails but slow on the uphills.
Pedal & Spoke will soon be starting up their weekend shop rides again but no dates as yet AFAIK.
I'll probably be heading to Peaslake a week on Sunday (20th Dec) if you're around then.