Don’t spend your precious time getting lost and scratching your head over out of date OS Maps – maximise your time on the bike as we show you around the fantastic Surrey Lanes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Green what? Byway, BOAT, TRO… WTF?

The term Green Lane or Green Laning has no legal meaning, but is used as a physical description of lanes that are vegetated, gravelled or mud underfoot or enclosed by hedges – hence the ‘green’.

The term is also commonly used by Councils for unimproved unclassified roads, which are recorded on the List of Streets and adoption records. There are often similar rights on these as on BOATs – Byway Open to All Traffic.

Many are now shown on Ordnance Survey Explorer maps with green dots, and on Landranger maps with red dots. However, any particular ‘Green Lane’ might be a footpath, bridleway, restricted byway, byway or road. Even if it is a BOAT it can still be subject to a TRO (a Traffic Regulation Order) which may mean it’s legal to ride one weekend and not the next!

It’s an absolute minefield – let us worry about where we should or shouldn’t be while you concentrate on your ride!

So what do I need?

  • Well first off you’ll need a bike! This can be anything from a Honda XR125 to a BMW R1250 GS Adventure, but choose your ride according to your skill level. The smaller and lighter the bike, the less you’ll fight it and the faster your skill will progress.
  • Bear in mind that the green lanes are classed as roads so your machine must be fully road legal, taxed, MOT’d, insured and you must hold an appropriate driving licence.
  • A good pair of motorcycle boots, waterproof ideally. These should be strong enough to protect your feet, ankles and shins from rocks and tree stumps… and possibly your bike falling on top of you! Motocross boots are ideal.
  • You’ll also need a sturdy motorcycle jacket, trousers and gloves with all the armour in the relevant places. Textile gear is preferable to leathers (you’ll never get them clean again!) to protect you from overhanging branches, brambles and the inevitable tumble.
  • A few essential tools and some basic knowledge to carry out any running repairs necessary to your own bike as we go. An AA or RAC Membership card is also sometimes also useful!
  • Carrying some water is also a good idea – trail riding can be very strenuous, especially if it’s your first time, and you can easily become dehydrated.
  • It’s always worth carrying a freezer bag or two to act as waterproof cases for wallets, phones, cameras or anything else you need to keep dry.

When we ride and how much it will cost

We like to keep things simple, so we run our Full Day Tours on Saturdays and our Half Day Tours on Sunday mornings.

The Full Day costs £95pp and the Half Day Tour £55pp.

If you’ve got a special request, ie you’d like to do a Half Day Tour on a Saturday, or you’d like to do a ride on a weekday then Contact Us with the details and we’ll do our best to help you out.

I'VE NEVER RIDDEN OFF TARMAC – CAN I COME?

Absolutely! Everyone has to start somewhere, we’ve all been there, and it can certainly be daunting to begin with.

Riding on an organised tour means you don’t need to worry about where you’re going, whether the trail you’re on is legal, or whether there’s something around the corner that you’re not going to be able to cope with – we’ll take you on appropriate trails and give you the time and tips required to gradually build your skills and your confidence. No pressure, no heroics.

IF YOU ARE A TOTAL OFF-TARMAC BEGINNER, WE DO ASK THAT YOU LET US KNOW BEFORE BOOKING SO WE CAN MATCH YOU UP WITH OTHER RIDERS OF A SIMILAR LEVAL AND ADJUST OUR ROUTE TO SUIT THE GROUP.

Can you rent me a bike to use for the Tour?

Unfortunately, not.

With full time jobs and busy family lives we can only just keep on top of the maintenance of our own bikes, so our Tours are on a “run what you brung” basis.

Do you run the Tours for Road-Legal Quads as well as bikes?

The short answer is no, we don’t.

We’ve taken groups of quads around the route a handful of times in the early days, but rightly or wrongly we always draw the wrong kind of attention.

Our business depends on good relations with the local communities we pass through which in turn helps keep the lanes open for everyone to use.

Currently there are also several width restrictions in place along the route which means only 2 wheeled bikes can run the whole route.

Where do we meet?

For our Half Day Tour and combined Surrey & Hindhead Full Day Tour, we meet at Rykas Café just off the A24 between Mickleham and Dorking as it’s nice and central to many of the lanes. Unless otherwise arranged, we’ll return to Rykas after your tour.

There’s stacks of FREE parking available at Rykas so, if you want to bring your bike in the back of a van or on a trailer, that’s no problem. Just park and ride.

For the Hindhead MegaLoop, we meet at the Devil’s Punchbowl National Trust carpark in Hindhead. The National Trust do charge to park there, however there is some free on street parking available also.

Full details of where and when to meet will be sent by email along with your booking confirmation.

Our Terms and Conditions

By booking a place on one of our tours, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions:

  • I understand that we will be riding on a mixture of public roads including byways and I therefore hold an appropriate driving licence for my motorcycle and confirm that it is insured, carries a current MOT (if required) and is road-taxed as appropriate.
  • I agree that I will carry out the activity in accordance with the specific safety instructions that I will receive before undertaking the activity.
  • I understand that the activity requires a moderate level of fitness and can be physically testing. I accept that there is a risk of injury and or damage to my motorcycle when undertaking such activities.
  • I confirm that I do not know of any medical condition that I suffer from which might have the effect of making it more likely that I be involved in an incident which could result in injury to myself or others.
  • I acknowledge that I am responsible for my own safety, the safety of my motorcycle and equipment and the safety of my possessions when carrying out the activity. I understand that the activity will be undertaken without direct supervision following the safety instruction on the day. I therefore agree at all times to ensure that I wear all necessary protective equipment and to ensure that all safety instructions are carried out.
  • In the unlikely event of an accident, or loss or damage to my motorcycle or personal effects, I acknowledge that the Company will not be liable for any direct or indirect loss, damage or injury arising from or in connection with the Service and I waive all and any claims against the Company in this respect.
  • I acknowledge that I will be provided with the necessary safety instruction provided by the Company in relation to the activities.
  • I confirm that I have read and understood the above and my booking constitutes acceptance of the terms and conditions contained herein.

Cancellation Policy

Surrey Green Lane Tours operates its bookings on a pre-pay basis. Cancellations will be governed by the procedures outlined below:

In the event of Surrey Green Lane Tours cancelling a scheduled tour
In rare circumstances it may be necessary for us to cancel a tour, for instance in cases of extreme weather, closure of all or part of the route or illness of guides. In this case you will be notified at the earliest opportunity and an alternative date will be proposed for your tour. If this is unsuitable you will be entitled to a full refund.

In the event of the customer cancelling attendance of a tour
In the event you wish to cancel your booking you may either:

Cancel: You will be entitled to a percentage refund based on the amount of notice given of your cancellation.
Four weeks notice or more: 75% refund. One to four weeks notice: 50% refund. Less than one weeks notice: no refund.*

Reschedule: Surrey Green Lane Tours will arrange, where possible, to change your booking to an alternative agreed future date. Tours may only be rescheduled once and the new date must be within 2 calendar months of the original booking.

All requests to reschedule or to cancel a tour should be submitted directly by email (reply to your booking confirmation email) or by using our contact form.

*Please note that if you make booking for a tour one week or less in the future you will be entitled to a reschedule only.

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