For two days in July 2012 the roads below Box Hill, near Dorking, hosted the Olympic road races. The men raced on Saturday 28 July and the women on Sunday 29 July, both starting and finishing on The Mall. Surrey took the middle of the course, and the climbs that made it famous are open to anyone with a bike and a free morning.
The Olympic route
From The Mall the riders went through Putney, Richmond Park, Bushy Park and Hampton Court, where they entered Surrey. According to British Cycling, they then made a large loop through Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, West Byfleet, West Horsley and Dorking, before returning via Leatherhead, Esher, Hampton Court and Kingston.
The men's race ran to about 250km, with nine laps of a Box Hill circuit of roughly 15.5km (Cycling Weekly). The women rode about 140km over two laps. Around 15,000 people watched at Box Hill itself, according to Zwift Insider.
You do not need to ride 250km. Surrey Hills National Landscape lists a Box Hill Olympic route of 8 miles that follows part of the race course. It starts near the Burford Bridge Hotel at the foot of Box Hill (RH5 6BX) or at Box Hill & Westhumble station (RH5 6BT). It mixes A and B roads with country lanes, runs alongside a dual carriageway cycle path for a stretch, passes through Headley Common and Boxhill Road, and is not waymarked, so carry a map or a loaded route. For a long day, Cycling UK describes an Olympic road race taster of about 98km (61 miles), which it puts at four to six hours.
Box Hill and the Zig Zag
The Zig Zag Road is the climb everyone means. The National Trust calls it one of the world's most popular hill climbs and puts the elevation gain to the top at about 200m. Published figures for the length vary with where each one starts the clock. Cycling UK describes it as under two miles at an average of 5%. Zwift Insider gives about 2.5km, 5% on average and 8% at its steepest. Climbfinder measures a longer segment of 4.3km at 3.9%, with the steepest 100m at 10.8%. The takeaway: steady rather than savage, with a few ramps.
The road was resurfaced for the Games. Cycling News noted the circuit then follows Old London Road through Mickleham, past tables outside the Running Horses pub, which it rated among the best spectator spots.
The top of the Zig Zag is not quite the end. Road Cycling UK says the road keeps climbing gently to Box Hill village, followed by the Headley drag and a twisting descent through Little Switzerland.
Where to stop on Box Hill
National Trust café and servery, top of Box Hill (Zig Zag Road, near Dorking). The natural reward for the climb. Cycle parking for 15 bikes is to the left of the café and in front of the servery, which sells snacks as you pass. Epic Road Rides describes it as good for coffee and cake among other cyclists. Check the National Trust page for current hours before you set out.
Ryka's Café, Old London Road, Mickleham. A long-running stop at the foot of Box Hill, listed by Surrey Hills National Landscape for toilets on the Olympic route. Surrey Live reported new owners and a revamped menu from April 2023. It draws more motorbikes than road bikes, so expect a mixed crowd.
Leith Hill
Leith Hill was not on the Olympic course, but it has featured in later professional races, and it is the other climb to know. Figures differ: Leith Hill Climb gives 0.9 miles at an average of 8% and a maximum of 18%, while Simon Warren's 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, via PJAMM, lists 1.3 miles at about 7%, with the steepest half kilometre near 9.1% past Leith Hill Place. Epic Road Rides describes a gradual start, a steep ramp, an easing around Leith Hill Place, then another kick up to the Abinger Road junction.
Plan around the National Trust notice: Leith Hill Place and Leith Hill Tower are currently closed, so do not count on the tower, its servery or its bookshop. Cycle parking is still provided in front of Leith Hill Place, and the Trust notes that cycle hire is available from several places in Dorking. The Summer Lightning mountain-bike trail is closed along its whole length and should not be ridden.
Other stops
Newlands Corner, near Shere (GU4 8SE). Surrey County Council lists an on-site café open daily from 9am, with closing times that vary through the year, plus toilets and a picnic area. It is also the start of the Downs Link and sits on the North Downs Way.
Getting there
Box Hill & Westhumble station is 2.2 miles from the National Trust site, and Dorking and Dorking Deepdene are about three miles away. If you drive, National Trust charges are £2 for up to an hour, £4 up to two hours, £6 up to four hours and £9 for the day. There is no phone signal at the site, so download the parking app beforehand.
Riding considerately
The Zig Zag is shared by cyclists, walkers and cars. Cycling UK reported hundreds of riders an hour on Sunday mornings around the time of the Games, which prompted a police review of cycle use. Surrey Hills National Landscape's guidance, written with off-road riders in mind but sensible anywhere, is a good template:
Avoid the busiest places at peak times, and park considerately.
Think about the people who live and work where you ride, and support local businesses.
Moderate your speed, give an audible greeting when approaching others, give way to walkers and horse riders, and leave plenty of room when passing.
Ride within your limits, wear a helmet and carry suitable equipment.
Avoid wet, boggy ground and do not skid.
Early weekday starts are the easiest way to enjoy the hill without the crowds, and a quiet lap of the Olympic loop followed by coffee at the top is hard to beat.
Details: Surrey Hills National Landscape route page, National Trust Box Hill and National Trust Leith Hill.
