A 186.2km road cycling route from Gatwick over the Surrey Hills, the North Downs and Ashdown Forest, with 2,538m of climbing.
- Distance
- 186.2 km
- Elevation
- 2,538 m
- Terrain
- Challenging Endurance
- Type
- Road loop
Start and finish: Near Gatwick, West Sussex
About this route
This route was designed by the organisers of the King of the Downs, Evans Cycles, not by London Dynamo.
Sportive routes change from year to year, and this page follows the 2014 route. The event was run by Evans Cycles as part of its Ride It series and is no longer run.
On the route
The King of the Downs was a big day out from Gatwick. The full route is two loops joined at the start. The western loop heads into the Surrey Hills and the North Downs, over Leith Hill, Pitch Hill, Combe Bottom, Ranmore Common and Box Hill. The eastern loop runs south-east into Ashdown Forest and then back up to the North Downs, taking in Tulleys Farm, Weir Wood, The Wall, Yorks Hill and Titsey Hill.
It is a long, hilly day for any rider, so it suits members looking for a real challenge. The route measures 186.2km with 2,538m of climbing.
This page is for riding the route outside the sportive, on your own or with friends. There are no organised feed stops, so plan your food and water for a very long day.
Event names and logos belong to their owners and are shown for identification only. London Dynamo is not affiliated with these events.
Notable climbs
- Climb near 18km: 1.6km at 7.3% average.
- Climb near 29km: 4.3km at 3.6% average.
- Combe Lane: 1.5km at 7.9% average.
- Climb near 47km: 2.5km at 3.3% average.
- Climb near 57km: 4.2km at 3.8% average.
- The Wall: 1.5km at 9.8% average.
- York’s Hill: 0.7km at 13.2% average.
- Titsey Hill: 2.1km at 6.3% average.
Strava Verified Segment: length and average gradient come from the segment.
Route map and GPX
To download the GPX or TCX file, open the route on Strava with View on Strava below the map, choose the three dots menu, then Export GPX or Export TCX. A free Strava account is needed. Route checked against Strava on 26 October 2026.