Legs of Steel is a non competitive sportive ride that usually takes place towards end of September each year and takes in every major hill in the Surrey Hills area of outstanding natural beauty.

It was set up first in memory of Dave Aitkinson, a rising star in British triathlon and Ful-On Tri club member who died suddenly in January 2007 aged only 29.

I’m sure there are many who would like to think that Surrey doesn’t have that many hills but I can assure you that, lying on the ridge of the North Downs, there are plenty of nice 10% and greater gradients to kill the legs time after time.  That’s the thing about the Legs of Steel route, once you think you’ve recovered from one short-ish sharp climb and your lungs get a chance to think they’re alright you’e ban into the next sharp climb.

For my route I start about midway along the real route as I come out of Guildford on Warren Road, heading up White Lane to go over the east side of St Martha’s Hill and down into Albury where I pick up the route from there. The route then follows up to Little London, down to Shere, up Coombe Bottom, down towards East Horsley, up Crocknorth Hill, over Ranmore and down the back of Denbeighs Winery to West Humble then across the dreaded A24 and up to Box Hill. Back down Box Hill and back up the back of Denbeighs to the top of Ranmore and down into Dorking. Dorking up to Leith Hill, Coldharbour, Abinger Common, Holmbury, up and over to Peaslake, up and over again to Ewhurst, then up Barhatch, across and down Aldebrook. After this the route becomes a little easier back up through Shamley Green to Chilworth and up the little climb to St Marthas and back into Guildford.

85km (just over 50 miles) with 1,700metres of climbing.

Sponsor me here: https://mydonate.bt.com/teams/ciaranbeforethetour