In 2012, the whole world discovered the region south of London. The Surrey Hills an 'area of outstanding natural beauty' was suddenly full of images. During the London Olympics, Box Hill and Zig Zag Road became places everyone acutely wanted to visit. After that, the mythical status of this climb, and with it the region, only grew. This is thanks to the 'London Circuit' on online platform Zwift but also to its inclusion in the Prudential Ride, for example. From central London, you then take the underground to this hilly region in no time. We go in search of this mountain and nearby opportunities. After all, Surrey is the cycling area south of London.
Olympic route
You can start exploring the region from Leatherhead or from Dorking. The latter town is about an hour outside central London, while Leatherhead comes within reach 10 minutes earlier. From Leatherhead, you can nicely drive the Olympic circuit which includes the famous Box Hill climb. It's recommended anyway to stop on top of Box HIll for a photo and enjoy the view for a while. The climb itself is 'only' 2.5 kilometres long and, at 5% average, it also doesn't rival La Redoute or any other climb in the Ardennes. Still, it is the climb of choice in the region and, with 129 altimeters, there is certainly nothing wrong with it. The original circuit runs just south of Leatherhead and measures 16 kilometres in length. Nice to start or end with.
Box Hill (c) Surreyhills.org
Nice round
That this region has been labelled an 'area of outstanding natural beauty' is not surprising. The rolling landscape provides many beautiful views. Especially in summer and during the 'golden hour', this provides fantastic photo opportunities. So don't be fooled by 'it's only a 60-kilometre round trip' either, because if you head south from Leatherhead and choose the right paths, you'll soon have 1000 altimeters on the counter. You're definitely going to feel that. Coldharbour lane, Anstie Lane and Leith Hill are names you won't soon forget.
Dorking South
From Dorking, you can explore the south-west side of the area a little better. With a round trip of almost 70 kilometres, you'll also catch the North Downs. Here you also have the beautiful Barhatch Lane climb. The sign at the bottom of the climb already suggests that this is no fun, and at 21% you'll be in real pain here. White Down Lane, which is also in this route, you will also experience some pain and then fun. Added bonus: this region is really very quiet in terms of cyclists. You will encounter almost no people here. This is in contrast to Box Hill. That was still the busiest and one of the busiest segments on Strava in 2019 and 2020. The variety like here also makes Surrey the cycling area south of London.
