Going to be in this area at the weekend. Anyone know it? Any good bits in the area? Mountain bike or CX bike?
Cheers for any help.

There’s plenty but depends on how much time you have, what type of riding you prefer etc.

Should add that I live locally so ride there a lot. Know the area very well.

from Hassocks there’s a bridleway alongside the railway that comes out at Clayton Tunnel. From there either up the hill and turn left for the windmills and lots of south downs way stuff until you get to stanmer or trundle along underhill lane until the bottom of ditchling beacon when you have a choice of either a bridleway or road climb.

Lots of rain yesterday but should be dry enough for cross by tomorrow if you just want bridleways…

wwaswas I think that’s a footpath
Alternately head East down the road into Hassocks and follow up the hill into Keymer
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then head South (before Greyhound pub) follow the road (as per map link) to the bottom of the Downs. The bridleway ahead of you is steep… the bridleway slightly eastwards is (arguably) slightly less steep and more technically interesting.
They both take you to the Keymer post crossway, so you can pick your route from there.

We should have all of Sunday afternoon. I can take a 150mm full sus or the CX bike. My mountain biking Britain book recommends a Hassocks to Brighton ride and then get the train back. Is that any good?Personally I like easy, quick DH but am happy for a scenic cx ride if that’s more suited to the area.
We are camping at the South Downs way site. If anyone wants to recommend a good food pub for Saturday night dinner.

You could take the cross bike and head west – it’s Shoreham airshow over the weekend so lots to see in the skies above there.

Could make a decent road/off road route from Hassocks and back if you just follow the SDW and then the path by the river there and take a road route back.

Try the Ginger Fox near Hurstpierpoint or the Royal oak at Poynings – although both a drive from the campsite.

If you stick more to the South Downs Way / want to get into Brighton then perhaps the CX bike.
If you want more technical stuff then take the full susser and visit Stanmer park (get to Keymer Post, turn East towards Ditchling Beacon, halfway up the hill to the Beacon turn south on Heathy Brow which takes you to the top of Stanmer park.

The Bull in Ditchling is good, the Thatched Inn in Hassocks is more your traditional pub grub, the New Inn Hurstpierpoint has the same owners but the food’s not as good.
The Sportsman, Goddards Green (a bit North of Hassocks) is halfway house between The Bull and the Thatched Inn.

Cheers.
We’re going to the Airshow on Saturday 😀
Will look up Stanmer Park on the OS map.

Last weekend’s big dog route is clearly visible in stanmer mud making an easy xc route to follow (it was raced on everything from CX to fat bikes to enduro rigs)
The more entertaining stanmer stuff starts around high park farm (TQ326116 if coming up ditching road) and runs down to the uni. Loads of single track although can take a bit of searching.

Random bump – but I recently(ish) moved to Keymer, wondering if there’s any nice riding around here other than Stamner park/SDW/more towards Brighton? I’d prefer singletrack and used to live in Brighton so I know most of the trails around there, just wondering if there is anything worth getting to that’s a bit closer (save going up to the SDW then slogging over to high park farm)

Problem down in the Weald there is that the soil’s on clay and gets so sticky.

I used to do lunchtime rides round Burgess Hill – you could virtually circumnavigate the town on bridleways in an hour.

Problem was that there’s a fair amount of horse traffic and with the soil types it just all turns into a mess as soon as it’s been raining for a bit.

I did some running round the Western side of Burgess Hill towards Hurst way and there’s a lot of footpaths but they’re edge of field type stuff withe styles very 200yds so not great for riding. You could have a nose round on Strava and see if anything comes up though?

I think the Downs and Stanmer are really your best bet for non-quagmire riding in winter 🙁

or get a road bike – there’s some lovely quiet lanes round there 🙂

Check your email Hugh!

thanks both – wwaswwas that pretty much confirmed what I thought – I do have a road bike (was commuting to Brighton on it over the beacon daily for a few months, but that’s stopped so I’m investigating some of the stuff out towards plumpton or wineham/twineham), its nice to have some more techy things to find from time to time as well though

I live in Burgess Hill and there are fairly well surfaced bridleways out toward Plumpton that come out on the south side of the racecourse and then carry on towards East Chiltington. They do get full of puddles when it rains but so does everywhere and you can always ride around them. Often carry on after there up and around Blackcap Hill/Offham/Street Hill. Plenty of options in that area for more technical riding. Some purpose made trails on Blackcap if you look for them plus the descents down the north facing slope of the downs are very fast, and great fun as a result.

Other places to look at are the woods around Scaynes Hill. Strava will show you where. I occasionally ride the bridleway out towards Shermanbury but not much else around Twineham/Wineham way really. Some nice routes around Warningly but best avoided in Winter.

Hope this helps a bit?