Difficulty: 2
Distance
Ride Type
Ascent
Introduction to Mountain Biking on the Surrey Hills
£55.00 inc. VAT
We created this Brand New guided ride in 2020 and now in its third year, we once again look forward to welcoming the novice or casual cyclist and introducing them to the awesome world of mountain biking on the famous Surrey Hills. All this within an hour of London!
How to book
Firstly, if you need to hire a bike, scroll down to the ‘Bike Hire‘ section to book directly with our friends at the Surrey Hills Bike Rental.
Next step, select which group from our ‘Dates‘ drop down menu, followed by how many riders, then checkout to secure your place(s).
Fancy a custom intro to MTB?
Join us in 2022 for our Surrey Hills MTB for beginners. This is the perfect introduction for the regular cyclist or budding mountain biker looking for a sociable, relaxed but structured launch pad into singletrack riding. During the 12 mile ride we will share our expertise and knowledge, to provide you with the perfect foundation to take your off-road cycling to the next level. During the ride, we will stop in suitable places to share tips and advice on core bike handling techniques.
Our professional MTB leaders will provide a super relaxed and sociable day that will kick-off with the all important informative briefing. After the chilled start we will explore the woodland trails and bridleways that festoon the famous Surrey Hills. Depending on the overall level of the group, we will use our unrivalled knowledge of the trail network to dynamically adapt the ride to ensure your introduction to trail riding and singletrack, is all about high-fives and ear to ear grins.
What to expect!
For our Surrey Hills MTB for beginners, you will need to have a good level of fitness to be able to enjoy this day out. Although this is an intro to MTB, it is suited for active people who are looking to try off-road cycling under the expert leadership of a professional guide. The riding is a mixture of cross-country on double track bridleways to the super fun and flowing singletrack of the famous Surrey Hills. The terrain and trails we will use are not overly technical, however, they will provide an exciting mixture to inject plenty of fun and a sense of challenge for all levels, especially novice mountain bikers.
The Surrey Hills experience would not be complete without a mid-ride stop at the awesome Peaslake Village Stores for a famous cheese-straw or slice of cake and the traditional post-ride drink at the Hurtwood Inn.
If you are still not sure whether this ride is for you, then please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking here.
The area and the trails
The lush woodland that smothers these green sandstone hills is festooned with ancient bridleways and trails that have become synonymous with the Surrey Hills. This ride will perfectly link together the best introductory trails of Holmbury Hill and potentially Pitch Hill, depending on our progress on the day. We will show you sections of classics such as Telegraph Row and Yogurt Pots and many many more.
Riding with Marmalade
We pride ourselves on creating the perfect vibe that makes everyone feel comfortable and confident to maximise your enjoyment. Combine this super fun and relaxed atmosphere with our expert knowledge and professionalism we will guarantee you the best day out on your bike to discover the trails of the Surrey Hills.
- Duration: 3-4 hours
- Distance: 10-12 miles (approx.)
- Elevation gain: 1,200 ft (approx.)
- Technical Grade: Novice
(any questions, please contact us) - Meet time: 9.00 │ 9.30 am on bikes
- Meet point: The Riders Hub, Peaslake
- This ride is aimed at the novice off-road cyclist and the regular beginner mountain biker looking for a sociable and informative guided ride
- You are an active person who has the personal fitness to ride for at least 2-3 hours at a social and comfortable pace
- You will be confident in basic bike handling skills and proficient with operating your bicycle in the correct manner
- The trails will include features such as roots and loose rocks, along with small rollable drop-offs. All of which are rollable or can be ridden around
- All the trails will have options to ride around features that you do not feel comfortable riding
- You have your own suitable mountain bike (Hybrid and budget bicycles are not suitable for this ride)
- See the ‘Bike Hire‘ section below if you need to hire a bike (click Bike Hire)
- The ride does contain a limited number of undulating and in places challenging climbs
- You are aged 18 and over unless accompanied by an adult also participating on this ride
- If this sounds a little beyond your current skill and fitness level, please contact us for other options
Equipment, kit and clothing
- Suitable mountain bike in good working order*
- Helmet*
- Gloves and glasses**
- Backpack**
- Spare inner tube**
- Puncture repair kit and bicycle pump**
- Clothing & shoes appropriate for cycling and weather conditions on the day*
- Padded cycling shorts for comfort**
- Personal choice of drink and ride snacks*
* without these you will not be able to take part in the guided ride Our guides carry an extensive kit to assist with trail-side repairs
** these items are recommended, however are not essential. If you have any doubt please do contact us
What’s not included
- Bike hire – this can be booked via the ‘Bike Hire‘ section
- Personal clothing & equipment
- Overnight accommodation
- Pre, during or post activity refreshments
- Transfers to & from location
- Personal Travel and Accident Insurance
Bike hire selection
- From the system below choose the date and time to match our guided ride dates (e.g 26 Mar 23 & 9.00 am)
- We recommend the 4 hour duration as a minimum
- Select normal mountain bike or electric mountain bike
- Choose the size of bike, based on your height
- Go to checkout and complete the bike hire reservation
- Book your place on the guided ride from the ‘Dates‘ drop down menu above
Please Note:
The bike hire system below can sometimes have a delay before it has fully loaded. If it fails to show, then visit Surrey Hills Bike Rental direct to reserve your bike. Then return to this page to confirm your place on our guided ride.
(** Marmalade MTB is not responsible for the provision of these bikes. By using the system below you are booking direct with Surrey Hills Bike Rental.)
cynthia –
Had a brilliant time with Sean and his wife Rachel. A great ride and great teaching, very exhilarating. I will join another session again.
Alan –
A really good fun morning. V rewarding and informative. Paul was a great guide and made all feel welcome and confident with his easy manner. Highly recommended.
Christian Jennings –
Such a brilliant morning with Clive and the rest of the group. Being a proficient road cyclist I was nonetheless feeling very uncomfortable and lacked confidence on the MTB. A friend recommended Marmalade and I signed up on that basis. The Novice course in the Surrey Hill was on my back doorstep and was perfect – learn to handle the bike and learn the local trails in a safe and encouraging environment. I was drained by the end of the 3 hours or so but so proud of what i had achieved and the fears I overcame. Several days later I am still buzzing. I still can’t believe I went down trails i wouldn’t have dreamed of tackling on my own…..and it was anything but scary. I’ve now signed up to the intermediate Singletrack Adventure session so wish me luck.
JennyL –
Really enjoyed this Intro to mountain biking in the lovely Surrey Hills. Clive was an excellent group leader and really helped with establishing basic techniques and building our confidence. Clive also took us on some great trails and made even the intimidating looking parts completely possible for our whole group. I would absolutely recommend this Intro and I’m looking forward to my next day out with Marmalade. Thanks very much!
Adam –
The guide Clive was fantastic. Super approachable, gave us confidence and the skills needed to tackle everything encountered. Group of 5. No surprises, steady paced and just the right amount of push to get the most out of it! Sean was also really helpful in arranging the day and catering to our needs – including helping to find some hire. Will definitely do another ride.
Tony Pocock –
Sean and the Marmalade team provide a
fantastic service and make all the rides hugely enjoyable. I return for the intro to
MTB day on the eMTB to refresh my memories of the trails. Well worth doing at any level
Louise Pickles –
Brilliant morning in the Surrey Hills with Paul and a group of awesome, enthusiastic and kind people. Learned a lot and loved every moment. Thank you Paul for making my first group MTB event one to remember. Would really recommend.
Sara Green –
I was introduced to Marmalade MTB as part of a coaching weekend and after that I couldn’t wait to book on to one of their guided rides. Sean and Paul are fantastic bike guides. On my first ride they managed to coax me down terrain that I would never have tried on my own. They were patient, encouraging and most importantly positive regarding what I could achieve. On my second ride I was whooping all the way down the trail with the wind in my hair and a massive smile on my face. It’s fabulous to ride a new trail and not have to worry about getting lost of whether it’s within your capability. If you’ve not been on a Marmalade Ride then you are missing out! 🙂
ikomor –
Great birthday present from my daughter, really enjoyed the morning and thoroughly enjoyed the intro to mountain biking. Lots of great info and tips, great fun, and a great place to see and learn. What made it was Paul the instructor and the company of those also willing to spend a sunny morning in the Surrey hills, recommend this others
Paulo Gomes –
Fantastic day out with Paul – gave me the confidence and intro to some of the best trails! Cannot wait to go back and MTB the “Surrey Hills Singletrack Adventure” with Marmalade on the 9th May 2021!
Paul Hart –
A really excellent session with Sean. Although I’d done a bit of mountain biking before I picked up loads of useful
advice and tips. The trails were terrific and Sean has a excellent approachable teaching style. So good that I’ve already booked another Marmalade MTB day.
Jeff Grimes –
Brilliant morning. As a newcomer to mountain biking this provided just the right amount of challenge on my second go at single track. Clive provided useful instruction, helpful feedback and importantly knew where the trails are. Will look to see if I can book on some future Marmalade sessions.
Chris Marshall –
Many thanks to Paul at Marmalade. We had a great time in the Surrey Hills and Paul showed us lots of fantastic trails. Was good to have someone knowledgeable giving you tips as we went on the trails. Would definitely recommend!
Chris Marshall –
Many thanks to Paul at Marmalade. We had a great time in the Surrey Hills and Paul showed us lots of fantastic trails. Was good to have someone knowledgeable giving you tips as we went on the trails. Many thanks Paul.
Joe Powell –
I had a fantastic time doing the intro to mountain biking with Marmalade. The day had a really laid back feel but Sean still got us riding a host of trails and made what would otherwise be intimidating feel totally rideable. A great day which I highly recommend
Sara Bennett –
Many thanks to Sean at Marmalade for a great morning on the Intro to MTB in the Surrey Hills. Armed with his insightful tips and encouragement, I made it down some wonderful single track, feeling in control and wanting to go back and explore more. I look forward to riding with the Marmalade team again as they are really friendly and encouraging and happy to share their knowledge and passion for mountain biking.
Richard Grieveson –
Great introduction to mountain biking. We had a range of abilities in our group and the trails catered to everyone so we all had a great ride. Sean is a great instructor, made us all feel completely at ease. Couldn’t recommend it more!