Rebooted for 2024, our classic Trailblazer now includes five exhilarating trails on Winterfold Hill.

Surrey Hills guided rides do not come better than the Trailblazer. Aimed at upper-intermediate riders, our aim is to show you the very best of Winterfold, Pitch and Holmbury Hills. From the tight and twisting to the flat out and steep – plus all the classics to link it all together! As with all Marmalade MTB rides, this is no race and no training camp. It’s a super sociable ride with laughs guaranteed. We want to show you everything and therefore, this ride is strictly for intermediate and advanced riders who have a good level of fitness.

What to expect

You’ll need to have a good level of fitness and strength to be able to enjoy this ride designed for upper intermediate and advanced bikers. This carefully crafted route takes in all the red-graded singletrack across Holmbury Hill, Pitch Hill and Winterfold Hill. Some sections of the trail will be off-camber, rooty with no clear line choice and therefore only suitable for confident and regular mountain bikers. There will also be jump features, though these can be either rolled or by-passed on a different line.

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 option of a post-ride drink or lunch at the Royal Oak.

If you are still not sure whether this ride is for you, then please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Riding with Marmalade

We pride ourselves on creating the perfect vibe that makes everyone feel comfortable and confident. Combine a super fun and relaxed atmosphere with Marmalade’s expert knowledge and professionalism we will guarantee you the best day out discovering the trails of the Surrey Hills.

Friends of the Hurtwood

This private area of Surrey is a special place, protected by the guardianship of a registered charity. Away from the public rights of way there is a vast network of unmarked mountain bike trails on private land. Through responsible and professional mountain bike leadership and coaching we are proud to be a supporting partner of Friends of the Hurtwood, with full permission to operate here.

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 singletrack trail ride. There will be fun, flowing descents, off-camber roots and committing tight, twisty, steep sections. So a modern trail hardtail, full suspension mountain bike would be perfect. This ride is as much about the rider’s experience level as the bike they are riding.

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.

• Duration: 4-6 hours
• Distance: 22 mi | 35 km
• Ascent: 3,600 ft | 1,100 m
• Level: +Intermediate – Advanced
  (If you have any questions about your level, just contact us)
• Meet time: 8.30am │ 9.00am on bikes
• Meet point: Royal Oak, Holmbury St Mary

Equipment, kit and clothing

Essentials:

• Suitable mountain bike in good working order (bikes can be hired in advance)
• Helmet (in good condition, with no damage)
• Clothing and shoes appropriate for cycling and weather conditions on the day
• Personal choice of drink and ride snacks

Recommended:

• Gloves
• Glasses, sunglasses or eyeshields
• Backpack
• Spare inner tube
• Puncture repair kit and bicycle pump
• Padded cycling shorts for comfort

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
• Personal travel or accident Insurance

• This ride is aimed at the experienced and the regular mountain biker looking for a challenging and sociable group ride
• To take part, you’ll need to be an active person who has the personal fitness to ride for at least 4 hours at a social and comfortable pace
• You will be confident in mountain bike handling skills on red graded trails and profficient with operating your bicycle in the correct manner
• The trails will include features such as roots, small to long rollable drop-offs and loose rocks. Some of which are not avoidable
• Certain trails will be steep in places which will require confident bike-handling skills
• This ride may contain undulating trails – and in places, climbs that may be challenging
• This ride requires a suitable mountain bike (Hybrid and budget bicycles are not suitable)
  • See the ‘Bike Hire‘ section below if you need to hire a bike
• Riders should be aged 18 and over
• If this ride sounds a little beyond your current skill and fitness level, please contact us and we’ll help you look at other options

Booking the Trailblazer as a private ride

To enjoy the Marmalade Trailblazer as a private experience, the base price is £340 is for one to four people. Add more riders for a group of five to eight using the ‘Extras’ drop down menu.
If you want a completely bespoke guided ride, then choose the ‘Custom Half or Full Day’ option from the ‘Experiences’ drop down menu.

Still not sure what experience is for you or have a question? Then please send Sean an email or call him on +44 (0)7840 724611.

Need to hire a bike? Then after you have booked your private ride, scroll down or click here to reserve your bike(s).

Meet point: Once you have booked, we can decide on the best location to start your ride. This will depend on whether you’re staing locally and whether or not you require bike hire. If required we can bring the bikes to you.
If you want to discuss this before you book then please send Sean an email or call him on +44 (0)7840 724611.

(All prices include VAT)

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.