Written by Max Darkins,
pb Rough Ride Guide Ltd,
www.roughrideguide.co.uk

A War and Peace sized guide to mtb’ing in the South East, with 51 routes dotted around the countryside from Cambridge to Dover, and from Eastbourne to the Marlborough Downs. It’s a fantastic idea and we think, for the most part, it works well; with most of the good areas covered and with routes for all ability levels, as well as optional extensions and short cuts to provide an even greater choice.
The maps are all drawn on OS 1:50,000 mapping, printed on weatherproof paper, and stored in a large ring binder, so you can simply detach the sheet you want and take it with you — a little like our route section. The descriptions make sense, and of course, if you want to take GPS coordinates from the mapping, you can do so.
The introduction to each route gives an idea of what to expect, but is a little woolly in places, effectively trying to sell the route to all riders rather than really pinning it down. And we’d like a little more information on the terrain and conditions we’re likely to encounter, especially as a lot of the South East areas don’t work brilliantly in winter.
The information section is incredibly comprehensive — a true bible to all things mountain bike, and there’s even an optional maintenance section that can be slotted into the folder too.

MBR RATING: 8/10