First, for an overall planning book there is The Good Mountain Biking Guide: England & Wales. This covers much more than around London and is a great book to have ready to consult wherever you want to go mountain biking. Around London it includes info on Esher X, Epping Forest, Hainault Forest Park, Swinley Forest, plus basic route infor for all along the North Downs, Surrey Hills, and The Chilterns.
Mountain Bike Routes Maps & Guides
We are having a short break, shop back open 15th August
Around London
If you live in or around London then there is a good choice of mountain biking a short distance away.
On this page we have summarised the choices.
North Downs
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.
There are 10 North Downs rides in The North & South Downs South East Mountain Biking Guide.
1. Puttenham Common, West of Guildford
2. Shalford, Albury & Abinger
3. Shere & Polesden Lacey
4. Abinger and Leith Hill
5. Reigate Hill, Stane Street, Box Hill
6. Godstone & Oxted
7. Ightham & Mereworth Woods
8. Wrotham & the North Downs Way
9. Chilham & King's Wood
10. Shalmsford Street & Chartham Downs
And 20 rides in North Downs Mountain Biking
1. Puttenham Common loop
2. St Martha's Hill–Abinger loop
3. Hackhurst Downs–Polesden Lacey loop
4. Gomshall–Westhumble loop
5. Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill loop
6. Surrey Hills Grand Traverse
7. Oxted and Bletchingley loop
8. Box Hill–Banstead Heath loop
9. Warlingham–Biggin Hill loop
10. Oldbury Hill and Mereworth Woods
11. Meopham–Wrotham loop
12. Bearsted, Detling Hill and Blue Bell Hill
13. Bilsington and Faggs Wood loop
14. Wye Downs loop
15. Chartham Downs loop
16. Chilham and King's Wood loop
17. Rough Common–Blean Wood loop
18. Elham Valley loop
19. Alkham–Barham Downs loop
20. Temple Ewell loop
Surrey Hills
The Surrey Hills, located just 25 miles to the southwest of London (roughly lying between Guildford and the M25). Spectacular views, picture-postcard villages and literally hundreds of long winding woodland trails.
The Surrey Hills Mountain Bike Maps
Surrey Hills Map 1 : Leith Hill. Holmbury, Pitch Hill, Peaslake
Surrey Hills Map 2 : Pitch Hill, Winterfold, Blackheath
Surrey Hills Map 3: Netley Heath, Aldbury Downs
Surrey Hills Map 4: Ranmore Common, Box Hill, Headley.
Chilterns
The Chilterns are to the north west of London. Sail through sweeping woodland, negotiate tricky singletrack and blast along fast chalk tracks. There are 9 Routes in The Ridgeway & Chilterns South East Mountain Biking Guide:
1.Goring, Stoke Row & the Thames Path
2. Stoke Row & Woodcote
3. Henley & Stoke Row
4. Ewelme, Nettlebed & Park Corner
5. Watlington, Maidensgrove & Swyncombe
6. Stonor & Turville from Hambleden
7. Watlington, Crowell Hill & the Wormsley Estate
8. Chinnor, Bledlow Ridge & Crowell Hill
9. Princes Risborough, Hotley Bottom & Coombe Hill
We also have a 1:25,000 map covering The Chilterns.
The map is printed double sided and includes the area Aylesbury, Tring, Princes Risborough, Chinnor, Watlington, Stoke Row
Ridgeway
Fast tracks up, down and over the spine of the Ridgeway take you back and forth in time as you pass hill forts, take in the White Horse at Uffington and collapse at a pub exhausted but satisfied!
In the same book as The Chilterns you will also find routes for The Ridgeway, which is a continuation of the Chilterns towards Swindon.
There are 11 Routes in this book as follows
1.Avebury & Hackpen Hill, along the Ridgeway
2. Ogbourne St George & Ridgeway Lite
3. Marlborough, Smeathe's Ridge & Barbury Castle
4. Southwest of Aldbourne
5. Aldbourne & Littlecote
6. Lambourn, Wayland's Smithy & Fox Hill
7. Lambourn to Uffington Castle
8. East of Lambourn
9. West Ilsey & the Ridgeway south of Wantage
10. East Ilsey & Scutchamer Knob
11. East of Streatley on the Ridgeway to East Ilsey
Hampshire Downs
The Hampshire Downs is a more compact area, situated south of The Ridgeway. There are 4 rides in the same book as above:
1. Hurstbourne Tarrant & Inkpen Hill
2. Hurstbourne Tarrant, Buttermere & Combe Hill
3. Hurstbourne Tarrant & the Roman Road
4. Kingsclere & Watership Dow
South Downs
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.
There are 26 rides in the South Downs MTB Guide Book
including detailed route information for the South Downs Way
We also have a
Central South Downs mountain bike map packRoutes marked on each mountain bike map,
plus use the maps to make your own variations.
Sussex
Then we have Off-Road Trails & Quiet Lanes in Sussex. Twenty rides, between 4km and 28km, explore the quiet lanes and off-road trails of one of the most beautiful counties in the UK.
