Where to Ride
OK, so you’ve got a bike, and all the gear, but no idea……where to ride.
You’ve ridden the cycle path between Seaford and Newhaven, and ridden along the seafront until you hit the foot of the cliffs at Splash Point. Now where?
Just click on some of the routes below – they should give you some ideas.
Wherever you like to ride, make sure you treat yourself to a 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey map of your chosen area and a compass. That way you will know where all the minor roads and bridle paths are, and what the PH symbol stands for! And don’t forget one of our puncture repair kits – just in case!
East Sussex County Council have an interesting tool which shows all rights of way superimposed on a map or aerial photograph: HERE.
Not to be outdone, West Sussex County Council have an online cycle journey planner that calculates the best route for you from A to B: HERE.
Click on the pages below to see listed trail names with links to more information – including maps.
Take it easy
Cuckmere Valley, Seven Sisters Country Park (very short and very easy. Great for small kids, pushchairs, wheelchairs and lazy picnics) CLICK
Devil’s Dyke Railway (another short and easy one. Where would we cycle if we hadn’t got rid of all the branch lines?) CLICK
The Cuckoo Trail (11 miles of the old railway line between Polegate and Heathfield) CLICK
Centurion Way (former railway line between Chichester and West Dean, West Sussex) CLICK
Friston Forest (the flat track between West Dean and Butchershole! Improved route now between the car park and West Dean) CLICK
Beneath The South Downs (the old coach road between Firle and Alfriston. Discover the murals at Berwick church, or the bar at The Cricketers!) CLICK
The Downs Link (37 miles Shoreham to Guildford on old railway lines. You don’t have to ride it all in one go! Can be bumpy.) CLICK
Worth Way (7 miles, Three Bridges to East Grinstead, and then links to Forest Way) CLICK
Forest Way (10 miles, East Grinstead to Groombridge – continuation of Worth Way) CLICK
Shinewater Park (Eastbourne.– one for the kids) CLICK
Salterns Way (West Wittering to Chichester Harbour – a personal favourite. Wave to the cars as they queue to get to the beach!) CLICK
Chichester Harbour, Bosham, Pagham – flat rides by the sea CLICK
Barcombe Mills (WWII pill boxes, Roman ruins, steam trains and country pubs with real beer and food!) CLICK
Country Roads
Rides round Rye (It’s flat – in places!) CLICK
Rides off the Cuckoo Trail (are you ready to branch out?) CLICK
Pevensey Levels & Castles Circular (Visit Pevensey and Herstmonceux castles on this beautiful, easy-to-moderate ride) CLICK
Rye & Winchelsea Circular (Explore around the ancient Cinque Ports by bike. Moderately strenuous with both long and short climbs) CLICK
Something more challenging?
Bewl Water (14 miles around the reservoir situated 1 mile south of Lamberhurst on the A21) CLICK
Exceat & Friston Circular (varied on/off-road route, quite steep in places) CLICK
Ditchling Beacon and the Chattri War Memorial (a 3-hour plus ride that starts or finishes at the Jack & Jill Windmills or Ditchling Beacon car parks. The Chattri war memorial is dedicated to Indian servicemen who died in WWI) CLICK
Bedgebury Forest (various trails to suit all abilities – even some North Shore obstacles for the adventurous) CLICK
National Cycle Route No.2 (A detailed overview map of the National Cycle Route 2 in East Sussex, which runs from Brighton to Camber) CLICK
The South Downs Way (the big one) CLICK
The South Downs Way (alternative pdf leaflet) CLICK
The North Downs Way (like the South Downs Way but oop North) CLICK
Aston Hill, Near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Very slippery when wet… CLICK
Further afield…
Ten Cycle Paths in South West England shows a wealth of information useful to the trail-hungry cyclist heading to Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and all trails West of the New Forest. CLICK
Queen Elizabeth Country Park (4 miles south of Petersfield on the A3. If you tire of the park there’s always Butser Hill…) CLICK
Centurion Way (ex-railway path between Chichester and West Dean, West Sussex) CLICK
The Downs Link (37 miles Shoreham to Guildford on old railway routes) CLICK
Circular Routes Twixt Horsham & The Sea (a great cycling resource from Horsham District Council) CLICK
Shaftesbury, Dorset – in and around the Blackmore Vale. Cycle up the Hovis hill! CLICK
Frome Valley Cycle Trail, Dorset (Evershot to Dorchester, 14.3 miles) CLICK
Purbeck Cycle Route Map (cycle routes around Purbeck between 8 & 47 miles) CLICK
The Ridgeway (follow in the footsteps of Ancient Britons 43 miles along the Downs from Overton Hill to Streatley) CLICK
The Camel Trail (no sand dunes, just a nice, level 17-mile route along a disused railway track beside the River Camel in Cornwall) CLICK
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire (The Family Cycle Trail is a 17km circular route that takes you around the heart of the Forest. This route has been especially surfaced and is suitable for all ages and abilities. Explore the forest, ride the routes, devour the picnics) CLICK
Haldon Forest, Devon (Lovely flat trails for all the family and great views over Exeter and the River Exe) CLICK
Devon (Cider, clotted cream teas and Tarka the Otter) CLICK
Wales (mb-wales.com)
The Isle of Man (off-road across the island on the End-to-End Challenge) CLICK
The 7 Stanes, Scotland CLICK
SUSTRANS (on-line mapping – find National Cycle Network routes) CLICK
GPS Cycle Routes (have GPS, will travel. Also includes OS maps) CLICK
Switzerland (3,300 km of cycle routes 130 mountain bike tours with downloadable route descriptions, maps and GPS co-ordinates) CLICK
Tour Divide – Dodge bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes and scorpions to complete the route followed by our sponsored rider Paul Howard in the world’s longest, most challenging mountain bike race. We’ve prepared two bikes for this race – both finished with no mechanical issues. CLICK