The Box Hill Circuit is no leisurely ride in the park. It’s only 12 miles, but a section of the route goes steadily up a 5% grade before plateauing at the top of the aptly named Zig Zag Road. The reward for your exertion is a panoramic view across the North Downs. In Jane Austen’s Emma, the story’s protagonists journey to Box Hill to enjoy a picnic in this same scenic spot. If you need to catch your breath, stop in at the National Trust visitor centre’s excellent café. Whether you zip through the circuit nine times anti-clockwise like the 2012 Olympic bikers did or let your car do the work, begin and end the trip at Mercure Box Hill.
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