wooded areas, and a compass can help prevent you heading miles off course.
Holmbury Hill, one of the many wooded hills in Surrey and Kent, where good navigation is all the more important (Routes 5 and 6)
Hydration
Always make sure you have plenty of water with you especially during the summer and on longer rides. Many mountain bikers use hydration packs – a water reservoir with a drinking tube, usually with two or three litres’ capacity, carried in a purpose-designed, small backpack. Hydration packs allow you to carry more water than water bottles carried in frame-mounted bottle cages – which are more popular with road cyclists – that can easily be dislodged when riding off-road. Be sure to be adequately hydrated before setting off on your ride.
MTB-specific backpacks, which are designed to carry water reservoirs, come in various capacities and are usually designed to carry the essentials (tools, pump, waterproofs, snacks, mobile phone, first aid kit, map) in internal pockets. They are also designed for a comfortable and stable fit for riding. If you are thinking about acquiring one, consider how much capacity you will need for the kind of riding you do.
Food
Carry enough food and/or make certain you can buy some food en route. If your energy levels dip when riding it is difficult to maintain output on an empty tank. When walking, hunger can be ignored to a certain extent, but mountain bikers and road cyclists are prey to the phenomenon of gnawing pangs that will not go away, which is known in some parts as ‘bonking’. It makes sense to carry lightweight, high-energy foods such as flapjacks, trail mix, ‘hi-energy’ bars and bananas – although try not to take a tumble if carrying the latter.
Fuel stop in Peaslake, Surrey Hills (Route 6)
Rights of way and other users
Mountain bikers have ‘right of way’ on bridleways, permissive bridleways, byways, green lanes and some white roads. This gives you the right to share the way with other users; nonetheless, you should always give way to walkers and horse riders. Do not approach walkers or horse riders at speed from behind or in front. When approaching from behind, slow right down and announce your presence with a ‘hello’ so as not to startle man or beast. When approaching from the front, slow down and give a wide berth 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
