or stop and make way for them to pass you (some riders use a bell, but experience suggests that some walkers and horse riders find bell-tinkling mountain bikers irksome in the extreme!).
This is more than a matter of politeness; if you approach walkers or horse riders at speed and/or fail to warn of your presence then you might cause a serious accident. There are already far too many walkers and horse riders with a low opinion of mountain bikers as it is and poor behaviour may mean certain rights of way being closed to mountain bikers in future. For example, a couple of routes in the Ashdown Forest (a large area of open heathland, just to the south of the North Downs) merited inclusion in this guidebook, however, the Forest is closed to mountain bikers because, several years ago, the Ashdown Forest Conservation Board rejected access for a variety of reasons including concerns about ‘biker behaviour’ and because of ‘considerable opposition from existing Forest users’. In this case the grounds for exclusion are contentious, but the fact remains that we are all ambassadors for our sport and for each other when we are out on the trails.
THE BIKERS’ CODE
Don’t ride on footpaths. It’s illegal, it can damage paths and sensitive heathland environments, and it’s really annoying for walkers. Furthermore, the bridleway and byway network on the North Downs is so extensive that there really is no need to use footpaths.
Only ride at speeds that are safe for the trail ahead. You don’t know what’s around the next corner.
Make other users aware of your presence by calling out a greeting if approaching walkers or horse riders from the rear.
Always give way to horse riders and walkers.
Be respectful and courteous to other users.
Choose your route carefully, especially when the ground is wet, to minimise erosion.
Avoid abrupt braking and skidding, thus reducing trail damage.
Make sure your bike is safe to ride and be prepared for emergencies.
Wear a helmet and protective clothing.
Waymarking
Waymarking on the North Downs is generally excellent, and you will find waymarkers on gates and signposts at regular intervals and at path junctions – where you need them most. Bridleways are indicated with blue arrows and in the case of the NDW those arrows incorporate the acorn emblem, which indicates long-distance paths (LDP) in England and Wales. Byways are indicated with red arrows. Footpaths are indicated with yellow arrows, which are, of course, out of bounds to mountain bikers and horse riders.
National Cycle Route signpost
Although paths and tracks on the North Downs are usually very well maintained and comprehensively waymarked, it is still quite possible to get lost. Signposts are occasionally removed or damaged, routes can be changed temporarily or permanently for a variety of reasons and it is also quite easy at times to go whizzing past a path junction on your bike, oblivious to any waymarkers. There are also a few places where waymarkers are not obvious or clear; where this has been the case, or there are good chances of going astray for other reasons, then these instances are noted in the route descriptions. Where bridleways and byways were without signage at the time of writing (spring/summer 2013 in most cases) then this is indicated as: (no signpost/waymarker). Bear in mind that in these cases signposts or waymarkers may have been installed or replaced in the interim.
National Cycle Route Millennium Milepost
Another situation where it is easy to get lost is when you are riding through managed woodland. Forestry plantations are often criss-crossed with tracks and forestry roads that are liable to change and therefore do not always correspond with the map. It can be quite easy to lose your bearings when all you can see are trees. Hence, carrying a GPS or compass and map can prove extremely useful.
Maps
Ordnance Survey provide map coverage of the North Downs in 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scales (see www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/leisure).
ORDNANCE SURVEY 1:25,000 EXPLORER SERIES
137 Ashford, Headcorn, Chilham & Wye
138 Dover, Folkestone & Hythe
145 Guildford & Farnham
146 Dorking, Box Hill and Reigate
147 Sevenoaks & Tonbridge
148 Maidstone & The Medway Towns
149 Sittingbourne & Faversham
150 Canterbury & The Isle of Thanet
ORDNANCE SURVEY 1:50,000 LANDRANGER SERIES
178 Thames Estuary, Rochester & Southend-on-Sea
179 Canterbury, East Kent, Dover & Margate
186 Aldershot & Guildford, Camberley & Haslemere
187 Dorking & Reigate, Crawley & Horsham
188 Maidstone & The Weald of Kent
189 Ashford & Romney Marsh, Rye & Folkestone
Harvey Maps publish two lightweight, waterproof 1:40,000 single sheet maps showing the whole of the NDW: North Downs Way (East) and North Downs Way (West): www.harveymaps.co.uk.
Digital Ordnance Survey mapping of the region is available from sources including www.memory-map.co.uk and www.anquet.co.uk.
The most up to date 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey mapping is used for the routes in this guidebook. At the time of going to press, the information on the maps included in this guide was accurate. A note of caution: the status of some rights of way may be changed over time. Most often – although not always – cyclists have been granted greater access rights with footpaths and other rights of way being ‘upgraded’ to permissive bridleways. Older copies of maps may contain information that is at odds with what is included here.
Roughly half of the 250km NDW National Trail is currently off-limits to bikes. However, at the beginning of 2013 the NDW National Trail’s Steering Group commissioned a survey to assess which parts of the trail and nearby rights of way that are currently off-limits could be made accessible.
Using this guide
Each of the routes included in this guide are graded according to the degree of physical effort they require. The grades are:
The grades reflect the length of the route, the number and severity of climbs and the nature of the terrain traversed. Aside from the dedicated downhill and free riding trails to be found around the Surrey Hills and elsewhere – route descriptions of which are not included in this guide – there is little ‘technical’ mountain biking to be found on the North Downs; hence there is no ‘difficult’ grade. The ‘hard’ and ‘very hard’ classifications in this guide focus on how strenuous the routes are. There are no ‘easy’ routes included here and, therefore, there is no ‘easy’ grade.
Splash down! Winter mud – not for the faint-hearted (Route 13)
Timings
Each route description has an estimated time for how long it should