Hit the Downs MTB – final joining instructions

On this page:

Use the quick links below to jump to relevant info:

Overview | Registration | Getting here and parking  | The finish line | The route | In case of emergency | Safety information | What to bring | Paying in your sponsorship | Contact info

Download all the information on this page – if you want this info to hand, you can download the PDF with all the information. 

Overview

We’re so excited to see you on Sunday for another great Hit The Downs MTB! 

• There are three route options, all are fully signed, and electronic route files are available to download for your devices.
• Hit the Downs MTB is not a race, though timing is provided, so you’ll know how long it took you to complete the challenge. Please don’t be tempted to race each other or ride dangerously.
• The ride is being run on a mix of public bridleways, byways and some roads – so you will meet walkers, horses, other cyclists and drivers along the route. Please be polite and considerate, slowing down, allowing space and communicating clearly with others. Follow the Highway Code and the Countryside Code.

If you need any help, just ask the events teams who’ll be there around the route on the day.

Have a great ride!

St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House events team, working with Marmalade MTB.

Registration

Your arrival time and start time will depend on which route you are taking on…

• 80km = arrival from 7:00am – 8:00am
• 60km = arrival from 8:15am – 9:15am
• 30km = arrival from 9:30am – 10:30am

You will have a one-hour window to arrive, sign in, and start your ride. You can arrive anytime within that window – please do not arrive before your allotted window, as you will not be able to sign in or start you ride.
Equally, do not arrive after your allotted window. Back riders for each route will leave the start area just after sign in closes. If back riders have already departed, you will not be able to start.

Changing your route

If before the day you decide that you’d like to change which route you want to take on, that is not a problem. If you are looking to go up a route length, do let us know before the weekend, so we can organise that with you, as there will be an extra reg fee to pay (e.g. if going from 30km to 60km, they’ll be an extra £5 reg fee to pay).

If looking to go down a route length, you can do this as you sign in on the day. Please be aware that you will have to arrive to sign in during the window for your new route length (i.e. if you’re wanting to go up to the 80km route, you’d have to arrive between 7am – 8am).

Late arrivals

You must be signed in by the latest time for your route (as above). Back riders leave the start area a few minutes after final sign in time. If they have gone, you will not be allowed to join the ride for safety reasons.

Finish line

The route officially closes at 5:30pm. If you are on the 80km route and still have quite far to go as we get nearer to 5:30pm, you may be asked by the back riders or marshals to follow the 60km signs for your own safety. If this is the case, you must obey this instruction.

We’d love for you to join us at the finish line! There’ll be a pop-up bar and pizza vendor, so you can relax after your mammoth challenge.

Getting here and Parking:

Public transport:
There are trains and buses that will get you to Shoreham by Sea (from both Brighton and Worthing direction) on a Sunday morning – although bikes aren’t allowed on buses. The bus route to look for is the Coastline 700 and the nearest station is Shoreham by Sea. Adur Rec is approx. 10min walk from centre of Shoreham (near the St Barnabas shop) and 10min walk from the station (or indeed a less than 10min ride).

Parking:
There is free parking on site for riders and their supporters. You can drop off / pick up people here too. You will be directed where to park by one of the event team. The car park opens at 6:45am (for 80km riders) and will close at 6:00pm. All vehicles will need to be off site by this time. When leaving site, we’d ask drivers to keep to a max speed of 10mph, keep their hazard lights on, and be mindful of event riders until off site.

The Route

All three routes leave Adur Rec the same way, going into Shoreham and then joining the path alongside the river. All three routes also return to Adur Rec the same way through the airport. Due to roadworks current taking place on the A27 near the airport, a junction that we were due to use to bring you to the airport is now closed. Therefore, for everyone’s safety, instead of you coming all the way down to Lancing Collage, you will cut back up through Botolphs and down the East side of the River Adur (the way you left). You will still go through the airport via Old Shoreham Toll Bridge. This change does mean that for the 30km and 60km routes, you’ll be riding about 4 kilometres extra and for the 80km route, you’ll be riding about 3 kilometres less.

We encourage everyone to aim for self-sufficient riding, but mechanical support and pit stops will be provided to help you. The route is sign-posted and there are marshals at various points along the route.

Download the GPX files for your ride:

• 30KM
• 60KM
• 80KM

Trouble downloading these files?: 

You should be able to download these files on your mobile and open in your Strava or Garmin apps. You should be able to download these files on your mobile and open in your Strava or Garmin apps. We have a step by step guide to opein the files below (these have been created to help with Garmin app, but the process for Strava and other location apps will be very similar)

• Open the step by step guide downloading the route files on Android (Garmin app)
• Open the step by step guide downloading the route files on iPhone (Garmin app)

If you want to view the routes on your desktop then you can open the files in a Google Map, just right click on the link and save the link to your computer – instructions to set up the Google Map is here.

In case of emergency

• If injured or unable to carry on once started, you can contact event control (the numbers will be on your rider number) who will send out first aid.
• We’d suggest, if able, to get to the nearest marshal, as it’ll be easier for first aid to reach and treat you there.
• For 2023, we’ve also identified 8 Pick Up Points around the route (they will be on the map link we send you). If able, get to one of these…they’ve been identified due to us being able to get to these fairly quickly.
• These designated pick-up points are not just for if you feel you need first aid, but if your bike breaks or you feel that you cannot carry on. They will pick you and your bike up.
• If you do manage to mend your bike / change your mind after calling event control and can carry on, please do call again so we can stand down our pick up team.
• If at a marshal point or pick up point, we’ll be able to give you an estimated arrival time too.

Full route with pick up points marked: 

Safety info

We have volunteers, directional signs, and back riders to keep you on track.

Additionally, there are first aid and experienced members of the events team who are roaming the whole route. Plus, event control will keep an eye on everything from Adur Rec.
Please be mindful of other South Downs users when you are riding. There are caution signs on route when you see these please slow down.

During your departure window, you will be called to the start line and set off in small groups. There will be a safety briefing before you set off – please listen to the briefing carefully, as there may be important information we need to make you aware of from our final route ride that morning.

Paying in your sponsorship:

You may have smashed your £50 minimum sponsorship already. But if you are a few pounds short or just wish to top up your sponsorship, you’ll be able to do that as you sign in.

We’d ask you not to bring any offline sponsorship you’ve collected with you on the day, as we won’t have facility to take this in. If you yourself are just topping up your sponsorship, that is different.

Please remember that this is a charity ride for St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House only. Your reg fee covers the cost of putting the event on. Your £50 minimum sponsorship is what makes the difference and for the local families that use and rely on our services.

If you haven’t met the minimum sponsorship as you sign in, we will kindly ask you to either show that these funds are being raised (it could be that you’ve been fundraising offline) or top up your fundraising as you sign in. If you don’t do this, you may be refused entry to take part in Hit the Downs MTB.

Contact details

Pre-event queries: Email: events@stbh.org.uk | Phone: 01903 706354