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NORTH DOWNS MOUNTAIN BIKE ROUTES
Thread your way through secret passages of sand, chalk and flint beneath canopies of trees. Emerge blinking at a main road and dive back into the network of trails that magically link together, offering you a radically different view of Surrey and Kent.
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Puttenham Common, West of Guildford
This ride explores the sandy tracks to the west of Guildford, starting with a bridleway playground on Puttenham Common, which you may find it difficult to tear yourself away from as there are bucketfuls of top grade tracks.
Route Grade: easy. Distance 19km |
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Shalford, Albury & Abinger
One minute you are in Guildford's suburbs the next you have escaped into a secret world of woodland tracks.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 27km |
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Shere & Polesden Lacey
From Shere up to a forested plateau. A descent towards Polesden Lacey, back up the ridge to Westcott and then easy tracks home.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 28km |
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Abinger and Leith Hill
Leith Hill is the highest point in South East England and as it is criss crossed with byways and bridleways it is a big draw for mountain bikers.This ride involves some tough climbing and good descents.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 24km |
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Reigate Hill, Stane Street, Box Hill
A ride with all the right ingredients. A good cafe in the (free) car park and a mixture of well maintained, well signposted broad and narrow tracks up and down through wooded countryside.
Route Grade: meduim . Distance 30km |
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Godstone & Oxted
Fine woodland tracks, challenging climbs and fun descents.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 24km |
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Ightham & Mereworth Woods
A ride with the most remarkable section of long bridleway through the sweet chestnut coppices of Mereworth Woods.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 25km |
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Wrotham & the North Downs Way
A ride that consists of many sections of bridleways, byways and lanes bolted together to maximize off road content. It may feel a bit bitty first time around but do it a second and third time and it will all fall more naturally in place. A top feature of the route is the quality of the North Downs Way here. From Spring to Autumn you will feel like you are gliding through a green tunnel under a canopy of vegetation.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 35km |
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Chilham & King's Wood
This ride, starting at Chilham sticks to broad forest roads in King's Wood. Chilham is a picture postcard village complete with castle, square, old timbered buildings and a good pub and tearoom.
Route Grade: easy. Distance 23km |
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Shalmsford Street & Chartham Downs
A fine little ride with a predominantly wooded (Denge Wood & Eggringe Wood) feel to it. Within striking distance of Canterbury.
Route Grade: easy. Distance 21km |
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SOUTH DOWNS MOUNTAIN BIKE ROUTES
Big skies, big views of the English Channel and Sussex Weald, granny ring climbs and swooping chalk and flint descents. Rides along the South Downs offer a sense of space that you don't expect to find in the crowded South East. |
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New Alresford
This ride is a quiet celebration of the English countryside, a gentle unfolding with no sharp edge.
Route Grade: easy . Distance 32km |
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Butser Hill & East Meon
No chance of a warm up as it's up Buster Hill, the highest point on the South Downs Way. A steep descent and onto East Meon. A long off road climb through stunning woodland, a steep challenge up to a plateau and a final grassy whoooosh back.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 20km |
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East from Queen Elizabeth Country Park
A steep grassy climb upto to the South Downs Way and time for some great views. Up and down through woodland & farmland and back to the start.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 24km |
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Goodwood & Hooksway
A South Downs classic that gives a real flavour of the variety of mountain biking in the area.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 31km |
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Eartham Wood, Duncton Down & Bignor Hill
Less than one kilometre of this ride is on tarmac making it one of the 'purest' off road rides in the guide.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 21km |
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Slindon & Bignor Hill
From the top of Bignor Hill you join Stane Street, an old Roman road that used to link London with Chichester. This is followed by several kilometres through pasture and woodland. And there is a jewel of descent down to Slindon.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 20km |
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Storrington & Kithurst Hill
Good quality singletrack that includes a testing climb and steep descent. Another wow factor is the steep descent into and climb out of the dry valley south of Amberley Mount - it is like entering a secret kingdom!
Route Grade: hard . Distance 28km |
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Findon, Cissbury Ring & Sullington Hill
A lovely ride with 400 metres of climbs and descents. Takes in the fantastic location of Chanctonbury Ring.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 26km |
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Findon, the Adur Valley & Chanctonbury Ring
Highlights include the Cissbury Ring & the ridge from Steep Down south east to Lancing. But head and shoulders above them is the ridge that leads to the atmospheric stand of trees on Chanctonbury Ring.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 26km |
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Clayton Windmills & Wolstonbury Hill
A ride that gives the possibility of three short diversions; Jack & Jill Windmills; a gawp at Devil's Dyke - and maybe fit in refreshments at the pub; and the Chattri war memorial.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 20km
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Ditchling Beacon & Stanmer Down
Ditchling Beacon is a popular mountain biking area with the superb spine of the South Downs Way running east and west from one of the highest points along the whole trail.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 22km |
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West of Lewes
A long ride with a lot of climbing, good quality tracks and some fast descents. One of the most extraordinary descent in the guide follows the old bullock track near Woodlingdean - a steady drop that seems to go on forever.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 35km
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Firle Beacon & a Taste of Toytown
This ride starts and finishes with a downhill; so there is a big hill in the middle of it! One to do on a clear day to get the stunning views across the English Channel.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 16km |
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Alfriston, Friston Forest & Jevington
Fast open tracks, a mixture of climbs and descents on a variety of surfaces, and the finale of one of the best open descents on the South Downs.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 21km |
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Plus
1 Top Ten Mountain Bike Playgrounds
2 Top Ten Climbs
3 Top Ten Downhills
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