Just moved to West Sussex, dont know anything about MTB tracks in the area, and am v-keen to find some exhilerating single track/trails around Chichester/South Downs. Guess Im used to quite high quality trails (Halden Forest, Thetford Forest, Rowney Warren, Afan, Coed y Brenin etc etc), and am hunting for the same/similar around here. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Kind regards

Blimey, you are going to be lucky to match that lot.

The good news, you are closer to Wales / Surrey Hills / Swinely. The bad news, South Downs is about it…..

Try looking at Rogate, in Petersfield (DH), Tilgate Forest (Crawley), QE Park in Pompey (XC), Lordswood in Southampton (XC, little bit of DH), UK Bike Park, Shillingstone (DH).

I shouldn’t knock the downs, great rolling singletrack in the summer and slippery muddy slog fest in the winter. It’s got it’s good bits, so worth digging out an OS map and exploring the Bridleways.

West sussex is a big county. Where in it are you?

worth contacting these guys for some local knowledge;

http://sussexmuddyarse.wordpress.com/

plus brightonmtb if you want some woodland singletrack stuff plus xc riding in the Brighton area

Eartham is the nearest area i know of near to Chichester although you may want to hook up with some locals who know the area. Head further East and you’ve got Whiteways at the top of Bury Hill just outside Arundel then there’s some good stuff on the North side of the downs between Chantonbury Ring & Steyning Bowl and even further east you have Stanmer Park at Brighton (best of the lot IMHO) where you could spend all day riding the trails if you know where you’re going.

Have a look at this forum, sign up and introduce yourself. Always rides going on which are posted up so just join in the fun or post one up yourself. The guys really know the area and have a laugh while they are at it. 😀

http://www.southdownshosting.co.uk/smtbsite/forum/

You lucky lucky man! Beautiful part of the world. Great place to mtb!

Oh and forget QE country park. Why would you bother with all that the Chi area has to offer.

Did big 20 mile walking loop Nr xxxx last summer and saw plenty of potential, bw and single tracks leading off. go explore.

i moved to east sussex 15 months ago. there’s some really good single track around. plenty of woodland , you just gotta get out and explore. you might need to ride a few cheeky footpaths but i’ve had no problems from walkers, the opposite in fact… but then i’m very polite, always pull up to the side of the trail and let them pass… horse riders (not all but at least 50%) on the other hand have been complete knobs!

The brick you don’t want to tell too many people!! Ssshhhh

sorry edited just in time

Fantastic!! We don’t want them Champagne hippies from Brighton coming over do we?

They’ve already cocked up a local wild camping treasure.

Rocking up in their ‘jamie oliver’ middle class image wagons.. Lol.

I live in Chichester and while the trails do not match what is available in wales, there is some good stuff nearby. I am happy to show you around some of the local trails. Send me an email worldeliteAThotmailDOTcom

Me and a friend are going for a night ride tomorrow after work, if you fancy it, let me know.

Champagne hippies

Ha!

spellchecker woods with adventure man would be good 😉

Theres some stuff around Kingley Vale KingleyLoop, some good XC routes around South Downs, and further east from you towards Storrington Wiggle Southern Roughride

QE park is not as bad as people say. Although its not often that I stay on the marked routes…. 🙂

For good purpose built trail centre type riding you need to try Peaslake/Surrey Hills or drive back to Afan!

There’s some decent trails at Whiteways on the top of Bury Hill. If you go there and have a look around you’ll find them.

The Denture is fast and fun and not a secret – if you go there in evenings or weekend when there are other riders are about ask and you will get shown it. Basically head W from whiteways car park when you get to bottom of valley start looking for a big bombhole on the left, push up that then follow the trail back up towards bignor then ride back down it very fast in the top ring.

Put whiteways and denture into YouTube and you will find a few headcam vids

The woods at bury hill (Houghton Forest?) used to host the Butler Bikes (now Wiggle) XC races, I rode in a couple a long, long time ago (my dad even entered one lol!). I’m sure they were part of a purpose built MTB track. Are these the woods where Whiteways is? I might just go and have a venture

Bury Hill/Houghton Forest/Whiteways its all the same area.

The Denture is heading West and there are some good trails heading into the woods East too.

Watch out for all the benders in leather.

Then you also need to be mindful of homosexuals hanging out around mens toilets (unless you are into that of course, takes all sorts, dont like to judge, just like making cheap shots at 50 year old CEOs on ninjas and Ducattis)

Singletrack is a bit hidden in west sussex but it is out there and its pretty good too.

There are good trails on Kingley vale plus a pretty good DH(ish) trail, QECP has some built trails and some hidden singletrack too.

The trails on Whiteways: TBH the trails in the Denture are not that cheeky and the main singletrack run is pretty well known by allthough there are some new trails that are both a bit hidden and are bedding in nicely now..bit difficult to explain where they are though) Eartham and Rewell Wood north of Fontwell and Arundel. Some corking trails over at Glatting Beacon too. A bit further east there are some good trails on the north side of the downs above Steyning and some really good singletrack near Brighton at Stanmer.

Otherwise, lots of ace downland and woodland bridleways that are all legal and good for big rides and long days out.

Oh, and there is the Goodwood spring challenge mountain bike race on the goodwood estate next month (april 17th) 🙂

Don’t think there’s any long singletrack sections that can match swinley. QECP is ok but you’ll be bored after half hour. There are good areas to ride around Chichester though but you won’t have the hills that you’re used too

I live on the Weald nearer Surrey but have to drive down thru Petworth to various places on the Coast a couple of times a week.

Every time I drive or ride the road bike up Duncton Hill the mind wanders and thinks about getting a mattock and seeking advice from Surrey’s most able trail pixies. The N facing slope of Duncton is steep long chalky and deserted – so gagging for it…

Winterfold – You need to explore that area a bit. Don’t think you’ll need a mattock 😉

Taff – You’ve never been to Stanmer Park then have you? Ok so its not been surfaced like some of the trails at Swinley but its equally as good to ride & without the 90+ min drive each way 🙄

I’m down that way later in the week, er, not that I’m expecting to find anything.

winterfold you dont have an email address in profile, get in touch ref north facing duncton
cheers
burt

The best option Chichester way would be to hook up with the Quest people, someone put the (strange) link above – something about southdownshosting.

Other than that:

Stanmer singletrack outside Brighton is excellent. Recommend Brighton MTB rides for the inside track. This is where we ride mostly.

Friston is good for mini DH and an OK XC loop.

Tilgate is the same IMO – good miniDH and OK/poor XC.

We tend to mix this stuff with regular trips to North Downs and occasionally to Swinley, or better – Wales 🙂

you have to admire the cheek of some people 😉