# Great cycle route for families



## icowden (12 Jun 2020)

Probably loads of people know about this, but if you are in the South East we have just discovered the downs link.

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisu.../walking-horse-riding-and-cycling/downs-link/

37 miles of traffic free cycling on a reasonably good (towpath quality mostly) surface. There's a route PDF which breaks it up into 6 sections so you can choose to do a particular bit.We did part of the 3rd section a few weeks ago, and I think me and the older daughter will probably do the whole route one weekend.

UPDATE!

My daughter and I did the whole route yesterday. This bit from the Website:-



> *Terrain*
> All of the Downs Link is surfaced and largely follows the route of the disused railway line from Guildford to Shoreham-by-sea. Some sections are on the road network.



is *NONSENSE.*

*IF* you start at St Martha's Hill as indicated, you will start on 2 miles of fairly tough extreme mountain biking terrain. Steep rocky gullies, deep patches of sand, narrow deep trenches worn into the hillside etc. If you have road bikes or gravel bikes you will be doing 2 miles of walking until you hit the road. Once you get to the road, someone didn't bother to put signs up. The *actual* start point of the railway line is accessed from Broadford on the A28. Follow the Wey downstream until you reach a world war two pillbox. *That* is where the old train line starts. Alternatively Bramley is a lovely place to start, just make sure you go the right way!

Most of the route is lovely although there is some very dodgy signage here and there. Stick with signs that say "Downs Link Bridleway" and when the trail is lost look a *long* way round to find the Down's link signs as they aren't always obvious. At South WOod you have to head for the car park, go back on yourself and Ignore the massive PRIVATE KEEP OUT sign on the linkway as it pertains to the property next door.

At Christs Hospital ignore the Downs LInk sign that wants to sent you off down the hill and follow the bridleway sign instead.
Finally - at 10 miles to go - make sure you stop at Stan's Bike Shack Cafe. They have amazing chocolate fudge brownie muffins. Not to be missed!

As you can tell, we went wrong a number of times and did 45 miles instead of 37, two of which were trying to follow the route from St Marthas Hill.


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## Slick (12 Jun 2020)

I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea but I love trails like this. 

Couldn't get much further away but during a conversation about something totally unrelated I discovered my next mini tour route as anything much further away is looking pretty doubtful this year. 

https://johnmuirway.org/


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## stoatsngroats (13 Jun 2020)

We’ve done the lower half of this, from Christ’s Hospital to the coast, and along to Worthing.its a lovely ride, although some quite off road sections in the last 6 miles. We’ll do the top sector sometime, probably on our Bromptons.


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## icowden (15 Jun 2020)

Slick said:


> I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea but I love trails like this.
> 
> Couldn't get much further away but during a conversation about something totally unrelated I discovered my next mini tour route as anything much further away is looking pretty doubtful this year.
> 
> https://johnmuirway.org/


Oo that looks fun. Another one for the list!


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## icowden (6 Jul 2020)

Just FYI - I have updated the original post. We had a great cycle yesterday but fraught with difficulties!


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## stoatsngroats (6 Jul 2020)

@icowden thanks for the update, I haven’t done the northern section between Guildford and Christ’s Hospital, and wondered if it was a made up surface or not! The little section between Shalford and Guildford we have done, 2 of us on Brompton, and for just a few miles the off-road sections were unmade track but no bother on a dry day. 👍


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## icowden (7 Jul 2020)

Essentially they should just be clearer that the "surfaced" old railway does not start at St Marthas, and that that path is a footpath to link the South Downs way into the Downs Link. The daughter was not amused at having to fight through the foliage and drag her bike down gullies for 2 miles. Once you hit the railway line it's all fine and reasonably well surfaced although a little gravelly in parts.

We met a couple biking the same route toward the end of the off road section, they were having similar problems and had already sustained a puncture early doors. At least it was good to know that they were having the same problems with signs and getting lost that we were having!

The plus side was that the weather was lovely, the route was fairly quiet and most people had a smile. I even stopped and fixed some handlebars for a lady and her small daughter who had had to start a long walk back to the car due to loose screws.


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