FNRttC recce to Bognor 29/30 June 2009

[dellzeqq]

FNRttC recce to Bognor 29/30 June

I'll be accompanying (as in drafting) ilovebikes to Dover on the 28th, so I'd like a day or two for recovery/transplants before an almost-full-moon recce to Bognor. No provisions en route, and there'll probably be only a handful of us at most, but if the weather is fine this could be really really good. You need to be up for a few miles, and have some patience for this one, because there may be some faffing around with alternative routes, particularly round Gatwick, Horsham and Amberley

 

[Flying Dodo]

Count me in for this.

When I've been down that way, from Amberley*, I just carry on up the B2139 to the A29 roundabout. then left onto the A284, which is a lovely wide downhill to the outskirts of Arundel, then through Ford, and then right onto the A259. If you wanted to miss a bit of that out, you can go across to Yapton, and then down, and then drop down into Middleton.


* It's a shame we'll be through there so early, as the Working Museum there is a real treasure.

 

[dellzeqq]

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=10724&page=256 - ah-ha. We're going to be checking out the route southeast of the Museum...

 

[Flying Dodo]

Isn't that the A24?

 

[dellzeqq]

Isn't that the A24?

fear not. We're going to forage for a route between North Stoke and Burphan. It could all get a bit Captain Henry Fawcett. Bring a machete....

 

[Flying Dodo]

Aha - the search for the fabled north-west er I mean south-east passage. I'll stock up on malaria tablets.

 

[mangaman]

fear not. We're going to forage for a route between North Stoke and Burphan. It could all get a bit Captain Henry Fawcett. Bring a machete....

I'm pretty sure you can't get from North Stoke to Burpham on road. In fact I know you couldn't last summer because I went from Burpham to North Stoke last summer and bits of it are off road and quite tough (I was on a MTB) - of course things may have changed

I'm with Flying Dodo's route

(Not that I'm volunteering to do the ride - too tough for me I'm afraid )

 

[GrumpyGregry]

only route from North Stoke to Burpham is via bridleway, and it is proper track thru a field bridleway not a white road, unless you ride a huge tarmac loop of many miles. Two routes depending on which way you fork, one involves a mentalist climb up and over peppering high barn, t'other goes via peppering farm iirc and is flatter. not for highly strung expensive road bikes made of eggshells and glass.

some highly unscrupulous law breaking sussex MTB'ers have been seen to take the public foot path that runs from north stoke to south stoke and cross the river by a footbridge; you can then go south via offham to Arundel.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

more doable on road ish bike would be to leave the ?A283? in storrington heading due south up the chanrty to chanrty hill. White road bridleway/footpath from there iirc to burpham. pause to check bikehike and the satellite photos on google map

yep white road all the way I know I've ridden it a few times but so long ago maop shows a big chunk is a footpath. tsk. tsk.

 

[mangaman]

some highly unscrupulous law breaking sussex MTB'ers have been seen to take the public foot path that runs from north stoke to south stoke and cross the river by a footbridge; you can then go south via offham to Arundel.

I have to say I've been known to do this

It does cut a huge chunk off the journey (not really rideable on a road bike though)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

offstage cry from Dellzeqq "This is a Cheam and Morden CTC ride and you will obey...."

 

[dellzeqq]

the OS map shows three off-road routes from Amberley through the Arun gap - I've done one (the riverside walk), tried another (the footbridges, which are being repaired, and are closed) But I haven't yet tried the North Stoke to Burphan route, which, on the map is a kind of zig south, zig east, and zag south again - which we've got to give a go, because not a few of our regulars are going to find the ascent to the roundabout tough going......

A bit of offroading adds something to the ride. We've done the nunnery route through Woldingham, and that was fun - and, before the gravel disappeared, the wallaby path at Haroldslea.

 

[clivedb]

I'm sorry this is a weekday ride as I would have liked to have been involved in that exploration round Arundel/Amberley (assuming I could keep up..). I lived in Amberley for a short while as a baby - many many years in the past, and then when older in the area. The floods were spectacular. And are you going near Ford, which used to be a RN/Fleet Air Arm airfield? My father flew from there and there is a memorial garden to Fleet Arm service personnel. Anyhow I'm looking forward to the Bognor ride down into that area. I used to go to school in Bognor and around the age of 12 used to cycle from Westergate down the A29 to Bognor. I think we'll be coming in more from the east though.

See you later for Whitstable, the weather certainly seems to have improved.

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm sorry this is a weekday ride as I would have liked to have been involved in that exploration round Arundel/Amberley (assuming I could keep up..). I lived in Amberley for a short while as a baby - many many years in the past, and then when older in the area. The floods were spectacular. And are you going near Ford, which used to be a RN/Fleet Air Arm airfield? My father flew from there and there is a memorial garden to Fleet Arm service personnel. Anyhow I'm looking forward to the Bognor ride down into that area. I used to go to school in Bognor and around the age of 12 used to cycle from Westergate down the A29 to Bognor. I think we'll be coming in more from the east though.

See you later for Whitstable, the weather certainly seems to have improved.

We will be going through Ford, which I find mortifying. The memory of Ford (which is a level crossing and a prison) beating Aylesbury United still hurts

 

[stoatsngroats]

Another way to skirt the climb to Hikers Rest and the A29 RAB, maybe from Amberley, Bury, Bignor, Barlavington, Upwaltham, then A285 to Halnaker, Boxgrove, Tangmere, Oving, Bognor, Felpham.

It's a long way around, but I think the climb to Halnaker would be more manageable. Can't vouch for the enjoyable roads - I'm OK on them....