Routes around Arundel? Mixed terrain is fine.

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  • I'm looking for some ideas for routes around Arundel.
    I've ridden there from London via the North Stoke/South Stoke valley connection crossing the river at the Gurkha Bridge, so i know it's a fantastic area to explore.

    I would be riding a tourer with 700x28c tryes, but I'm not very precious about it and regularly take it off road, so provided the terrain is not too steep or too rough, I'll usually give it a go.

    Any ideas for good bridleways or gravel routes to explore in that area?

  • What sort of distances from Arundel station?
    You'll see when coming down on the train everything between Pulborough and Arundel is pretty much underwater (and there are not many tracks there anyway)
    The area around Parham House is ok I hear.
    If you rode over to Steyning you could use the Downs Link back towards London.
    Details of other routes in the area can be found here...
    https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/walking-horse-riding-and-cycling/cycling-routes-and-maps/
    I've just knocked up this route as an example. Are you using gravel tyres? Much of the suitability of the ups and downs would be the weather/tyre combination. I'd probsably go and ride this myself on my mtb before saying it was totally ok on 28's, I've ridden most of this route and walked the rest but the riding was on a MTB and I walked it some time ago and didn't give any thought to what it would be like to ride. But my best guess is that this would be rideable on 28 gravel tyres with a good positive mental attitude and I'm pretty sure none of it is more difficult than the section around the bridge over the Arun which I remember being pretty rutted with a lot of cows last time I walked it.
    The woods up at Houghton Forest have lots of tracks, some are mtb specific (drops/jumps etc) but there's some flattish pine needle type stuff too.
    https://www.strava.com/routes/23504395
    I may give this a go in the next couple of weeks if I get the chance and then could give a more accurate assessment.

  • I wasn't planning on riding anything until the weather improves. I guess I'd be waiting for spring anyway.
    I guess I'm usually fine for 60-90km rides from a central point, so 30-50km loops are OK.

    Thanks for the link. I've done a route last year linking the Downs Link via approximately the route you suggested. Unfortunately I tried it on the hottest day of the year and ended up overheating so badly I was forced to bail on the way home!

    I really enjoy these mixed trail rides.

  • Pretty sure that this won’t be on the agenda for a while but I have been walking in the woods around Eartham and riding in the Slindon estate. Loads of gravel riding in there. I’m planning a few hours up there next Friday so I’ll bung a link to my strava route on there.
    In the meantime this is the OS map of the area. All the white tracks are gravel/chalk/flint as are most of the footpaths.


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  • Thanks!
    Once things get back closer to normal, I'll be happier exploring further afield again. I'll definitely keep this in mind.

  • This thread title reminds me of Reel Around The Fountain, by The Smiths.

  • I'm going to be around this area soon and may do some of these routes, i.e the Strava route above and also some of the SDW on a different day. Will be riding a genesis vagabond have a choice of 40mm gravel tyres or proper 29er MTB tyres. Any recommendations as to which is best?

  • 29er would be my preference for SDW

  • yes, thinking MTB is the way to go on the SDW - always glad when going for higher volume tyres there. On the other route though it seems more mixed. My gravel tyres are actually 43mm gravel kings which in dry weather wondering whether might be an option.

  • Until I picked up some 650b wheels, I was riding all the bridleways and SDW bits between Amberley and Brighton on 700x38 G-Ones, during all that dry weather at the start of lockdown it was no problem at all with lower pressures (tubeless ofc). Now that I've tried 650s and v light mtb tyres though, i've been leaning towards those just because there's almost no compromise on tarmac

  • I’ve ridden in the woods around Slindon a few times in the past couple of months (map above) Nothing there there that can’t be covered by a gravel bike with 650 42mm tyres. There were loads of full on mtb’s including ebikes so they may have been off somewhere different as I know there are some trails and jumps around. It’s great fun for fast, safe genuine gravel riding.

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Routes around Arundel? Mixed terrain is fine.

Posted by Avatar for Alex_B @Alex_B

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