West Wittering Beach

I'm looking for the best long sandy beaches within cycling distance of south london.

Has anyone ever checked out West Wittering Beach
http://www.westwitteringbeach.co.uk/

What would be a good route down? Its fairly close to brighton, so maybe the london to brighton route and then cut across.

Unless anyone knows of a better more direct route via Chichester?

never been but the beach looks allright on photos, could be rammed on a sunny day though?

quick google returns this, think that's any good?

http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/London_to_Chichester-Cycle-Route-3650.html

i have shot on the beach. it's a nice area, tide goes out a long way so if you want to dip your toes in you could in for a walk

Yep, its one of the routes in my eBook (shameless self promotion). It's an awesome route with plenty of quiet roads and the beach at the end is worth it. Set off nice and early because otherwise you'll hit it an nightfall and then you kind of miss out. Worst part is heading out of London, once outside the M25 circle roads get more welcoming.

My parents live down there, beautiful beach, but rammed to fuck in hot weather.

You want to go via Guildford,then Petworth, then Goodwood, through Chichester and on to WW- however on a hot day the traffic is backed up for about 5 miles into WW, which is a pain when cycling as road is narrow.

Great ride though - i will do you a google map, and post it up in a bit - involves hills though.

Edit - Andreaskams route is good actually, though i prefer going through Petworth to Midhurst.

Basically its the same route, but when you get to Shalford, you take the Hambledown, Chiddinfold, Northchapel, Petworth, Duncton, Halnaker route. Probably busier roads though, and some steeper hills too

This bike shop is at the start of the road from Chi to WW - Head for there and you cant go wrong

http://www.gearedbikes.co.uk/contact_us/

Great thanks for your help Villian.
A Guildford route sounds good, I head down that way a far bit going up and down boxhill on a weekend, s0 the more hills the better! - I love em!

I'm doing a triathlon in September that involves a 30km beach run, wittering looks ideal for some brick cycling to sand run training.

I will be going stupidly earily oclock anyway - so traffic's less of an issue.

not sandy at high tide.

If you contact teh bike shop i mentioned, they sponsor the local cycling club, and they can probably advise you on the best route - or try the clubs website

http://www.southdownvelo.org.uk/

I was there yesterday, cycled from Brighton. Not the best roads to be honest. Better coming down from north as advised.

Nice beach, good soft sand and clean water. Had a group of teenagers doing MDMA next to us on a big inflatable air bed, they were pleasant enough though I guess. I expect it gets packed weekends/sunny days.

It closes at 6 I think.

Yep, its one of the routes in my eBook (shameless self promotion). It's an awesome route with plenty of quiet roads and the beach at the end is worth it. Set off nice and early because otherwise you'll hit it an nightfall and then you kind of miss out. Worst part is heading out of London, once outside the M25 circle roads get more welcoming.

If you want to send me the route - if it proves as good as suggested
They'll be an new ebook order coming for the rest.

haha! my 'rents live round there and i have many a childhood memory of going there for a day at the beach. probably the best of the bunch in the area, parts of it are not sandy and sometimes can get quite windy - the last time i went i got a scratched cornea :-o

can't say much about the route but i was out on some of the country roads around chichester today and they are quite nice.

I live in the Witterings, there is only one road in which is the A286 which is fucking dangerous, lots of traffic and poor drivers and the road surfaces? Don't get me started...

As aforementioned it has a tendency to be very windy, oh and the beach shuts at 8 in the summer.

Look out for me on a beaten to fuck Paddy-wagon or else a Boardman roadie.

Try Hayling!

Heres my Adhoc version of the best suggested route in google from boxhill

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=A24&daddr=51.213067,-0.568113+to:Petworth+Rd%2FA283+to:Church+St%2FA272+to:West+Wittering,+Chichester,+West+Sussex,+UK&geocode=FdEaDgMdBA37_w%3B%3BFbJSDAMdsCf2_w%3BFVj_CQMdZK_2_w%3BFd7ZBgMdYlXy_ymP4bLhv1B0SDF2bXSagULd_A&gl=uk&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0,1&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=2,3&dirflg=w&sll=51.214572,-0.563049&sspn=0.02613,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=51.269219,-0.374908&spn=0.208789,0.617294&z=11

Looks like you are taking in Duncton Hill on that route, very steep!

Try Hayling!

Hayling Beach is a bit okey, nothing special though, and a bit to many stones if you ask me. Lovely little nine hole pitch 'n' putt though, much better than the one in Portsmouth.

Looks like you are taking in Duncton Hill on that route, very steep!

:) thanks for the warning - it was.

That's a horrid route unless you like riding on A road the entire way.

Its not to bad - though this weekend would have been busy with the Goodwood Festival of Speed

That's a horrid route unless you like riding on A road the entire way.

I'll admit the Aroad part of the route isnt relaxing, however its is nice and fast & hard to loose your way - always open to alternative suggestions, it was a great ride all in all though so planning to do it again.

Its not to bad - though this weekend would have been busy with the Goodwood Festival of Speed

yeah, didn't realise it was such a big event and would still be going on during sunday, the good thing about being overtaken by Lamborghini's is they don't dilly dally.

anyone got any better amendments to my route

Andreaskams never got back to me

Think I'm gonna do this ride this weekend and sleep on the beach.
My folks live that way too (Petworth) so can always surprise them if its not the romantic sunset beach scene I'm imagining...
Did you ever get a good route from anyone?

The beach is part of the estate and is closed from 8:00pm with security supposedly operating so be careful mate. Coming from Petworth you could do some of the South Downs into Fishbourne and then straight down the A286 to the Witterings. Will you be doing it fixed? Low gearing needed if so...

Riding from London - Petworth is a backup option if I do get chased away by security... But I recon I could sneak in - there's only that flimsy barrier...