Join us again as we close out yet another year of awesome mountain biking experiences across the South East and UK, with our Christmas rides on the Surrey Hills and all the fun it has become famous for since 2016.

Our Christmas rides and walk on the Surrey Hills – what to expect!

Each year we welcome a mix of new riders and old friends who are veterans of our popular guided rides to join together and create a simply amazing day of laughs and festive fun on the equally famous singletrack of the Surrey Hills.

Guided Walk – Brand New for 2024!

We have teamed up with the Surrey Hills’ very own walking, hiking and cold swimming coach and leader, Jude Palmer, to offer an alternative activity for anyone looking to experience our famous festive event. This could be your partner or a friend who needs some fresh air and time in the beautiful forests of the Surrey Hills.

Weather dependant, we will use our unrivalled knowledge of the best trails to create a sublime ride that will make the most of the conditions and guaranteed to have everyone smiling from ear-to-ear. The route is likely to focus on Holmbury and Pitch Hills and take in a hearty and warming snack at the Peaslake Village Stores.

Festive bling wins prizes

Another tradition of this annual event is the invitation to dress you and your bike up with festive bling and decorations, if you wish, providing it is safe and firmly fixed to your bike! This not only makes for awesome photos, but you will have the chance to win some prizes which will hopefully be donated by our friends across the MTB industry!

Festive lunch included

The Hurtwood Inn with it’s roaring fire and the delicious Christmas lunch will be our venue for the post ride festivities. The Hurtwood team will be there to welcome us to serve our food and the fine local ale or seasonal soft drink or two.

Accommodation

Why not make a weekend of it and stay a night or two with our friends at the Hurtwood Inn in one of their stylish and cosy rooms. This base in the quintessential village of Peaslake is oozing with rural charm and will be the perfect base for two day treat.

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 flowing and whoop inducing singletrack of Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill with the classics such as Yogurt Pots, Telegraph Row, Barry Knows Best, Supernova, Graveyard and many many more. The gritty and sandy nature of this area results in the trails draining well and handling the winter conditions much better than other areas. This is another reason why our festive MTB guided ride should not be missed and has been enjoyed by many shredders each year.

MTB bike hire

Visiting family and friends without your bike? Or simply you want to give this ride a go, but do not own a mountain bike? Then simply book your bike/s direct from our friends at The Riders Hub Peaslake below:

(please note, Marmalade MTB are not responsible for the provision of these bikes. By using the system below you are booking direct with The Riders Hub Peaslake)

E-bikes or manual mountain bikes are all welcome, whether you bring your own or hire from our friends at The Riders Hub.

This route is a traditional mountain bike ride. There will be fun bumpy descents, rooty forest trails and wide-open double tracks. So a hardtail or short travel full suspension mountain bike would be perfect. Big travel bikes are welcome – just be prepared for some extra effort.

This ride can be enjoyed on a conventional or electric mountain bike. If this ride is right for your level of experience and fitness, then bring your choice of machine. Marmalade rides have a friendly welcoming atmosphere, and e-bike riders who find themselves first up the hill are always patient and understanding of those relying on human-power alone.

Ensure your bike of choice is maintained and ready to ride, and please pack a spare mech hanger with your usual trail pack spares.

• Price: Ride: £85 | Guided walk: £65 per person (incl. VAT)
  • Maximum 32 places (x4 individual groups of x8)
  • Includes Christmas lunch at the Hurtwood Inn after the ride
    • £5 surcharge for steak
  • Fancy dress optional
  • Excludes drinks at the Hurtwood Inn and mid-way cafe stop
• Duration: 3 hours (dependant on the weather and overall group level on the day)
• Distance and Elevation gain:
  • Novice group: 8-12 miles / 1,000 ft (approx.)
  • Intermediate and advance groups: 15-20 miles / 2,200 ft (approx.)
  • Guided walk: 3-5 miles / 1,000 ft (approx.)
• Technical Grade: Novice to Advance
  (any questions, please contact us)
• Meet time: 9.00 am | 9.30 am start
• Meet point: Hurtwood No. 2 car park, Walking Bottom, Peaslake
  • If the car park above is full please use these other options and ride to meet your group in Hurtwood No.2 car park:
    • Hurtwood No. 1 (Holmbury Hill)*
    • Hurtwood No.10 (Lawbrook Lane)*
      * these are both 2-4 minutes ride to Hurtwood No.2 car park

Equipment, kit and clothing
(B = bike, W= walk)

Essentials:

• Suitable mountain bike in good working order (bikes can be hired in advance) – (B)
• Helmet (in good condition, with no damage) – (B)
• Clothing and shoes appropriate for cycling and weather conditions on the day – (B & W)
  • Strictly no jeans or open-toe footwear
• Personal choice of drink and ride snacks  – (B & W)

Recommended:

• Gloves – (B & W)
• Glasses, sunglasses or eyeshields – (B)
• Backpack – (B & W)
• Spare inner tube – (B)
• Puncture repair kit and bicycle pump – (B)
• Padded cycling shorts for comfort – (B)
• Change of clothes for the meal and your journey home – (B &W)

What’s not included

• Bike hire – this can be booked via the ‘Bike Hire‘ section
• Personal clothing & equipment
• Overnight accommodation
• Pre and during activity refreshments
• Personal travel or accident Insurance

Mountain Biking

• As with previous years will be guiding ONE group for cyclists that consider themselves at NOVICE or introductory level
• You will be at least an intermediate mountain biker
• You will be confident in mountain bike handling skills on red graded trails and proficient with operating your bicycle in the correct manner
• The trails will include features such as roots, small to long roll-able drop-offs and loose rocks. All of which are roll-able
• Certain trails will be steep in places which will require confident bike-handling skills
• 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)
• The ride does contain many undulating and moderately steep long climbs
• You have the personal fitness to ride for at least 3-4 hours at a social and comfortable pace
• You are aged 18
• If this sounds a little beyond your current skill and fitness level, please contact us for other options

Walking

• You are confident walking on uneven surfaces and mixed terrain and will include some small rocks and roots
• You are active and comfortable to walk up and down gradual off-road trails at a sociable and inclusive pace for 2-3 hours
• You are aged 18
• If this sounds a little beyond your current fitness level, please contact us for other options

How to book your bike:

1. From the system below select the dates to match the ride you have booked with us
2. Select the full day option
3. Select normal mountain bike or electric mountain bike
4. Choose the size of bike, based on your height
5. Go to checkout and complete the bike hire reservation for each rider

These fantastic bikes, and this booking system, are provided by our friends at The Riders Hub. If you have any questions or problems around booking your bike, just contact the Riders Hub team and they’ll help.