Group Information Cycling Routes Forthcoming Rides Recent Rides
Lockdown Map ViewRanger Primer Contact Group Leader
Cycling for Pleasure Group Information
In normal times the cycling group meets twice a month on the second and fourth Thursday, all year round (unless the weather intervenes). The rides we do are varied: many start in or near Chichester and enjoy the beauty of the coastal plain, while for more variety we sometimes take a train and explore a wider area (when Southern Rail is reliable!). Occasionally we plan a 2 day event – in the New Forest or the Isle of Wight for instance.
We prefer to avoid main roads and cycle on quieter lanes, dedicated cycle paths and well maintained bridle ways. Rides are typically 12 to 16 miles, starting at 10:00 until lunch-time, and punctuated by at least one refreshment break; and we normally end at a pub giving an opportunity to finish off with lunch for those who want to stay.
During Coronavirus we are now cycling in groups of 6. If there are more than 6 the groups are separated by time to follow the rules. In line with Government requirements we have a published Covid-19 risk assessment (click here to view it) and we keep a register of attendees for track and trace purposes.
The group currently has vacancies so if you are looking for an enjoyable way to keep fit tempered by some pleasant social interaction this is the group for you.
Back to top
Cycling Routes
If you can’t make one of our official rides, here are some links to a few local routes for you to follow on your own or in family groups. They all start in or around Chichester, and there are some alternative route for a bit of variety.
Routes based around West Dean and the Centurion Way:
Tesco via the Centurion Way to West Dean – 5.6 miles
West Dean via East Ashling to Bosham – 7.94 miles
Lavant via Funtington to Bosham – 7.55 miles
Lavant via Chichester Walls to Fishbourne – 7.1 miles
Routes through Woodmancote:
Tesco via Woodmancote to Bosham- 10.5 miles
Woodmancote to The Deck, Emsworth – 2.94 miles
The Deck, Emsworth to Bosham – 4.5 miles
Routes via Sidlesham (Pagham Bird Sanctuary):
Chichester Station to Pagham Bird Sanctuary- 7.75 miles
Tesco to Chichester Marina – 3.3 miles
Chichester Marina to Pagham Bird Sanctuary – 5 miles
Routes through Itchenor:
Fishbourne via Itchenor (ferry *) to EastHead and home via Birdham – 19 miles
Tesco to EastHead via Birdham – 10 miles
Fishbourne via Itchenor (ferry *) and home via Birdham – 12.24 miles
* The Bosham-Itchenor ferry runs weekdays from May to September (check web-site)
Forthcoming Rides
Hooray, the corona-virus rules have changed and we can now go out for rides in groups of up to 6 people. If there are more than 6 the groups are separated by time to follow the rules. In line with Government requirements we have a published Covid-19 risk assessment (click here to view it) and we keep a register of attendees for track and trace purposes.
Recent Rides
Emsworth – StauntonPark – Rowlands Castle Ride, 22nd October 2020
Just one group of six riders for our ride this week. The ride started with a minor irritation for those arriving by car – the railway bridge in Emsworth was closed for repairs so the route to the car park meeting point included an unexpected diversion. Still, the sun was shining.
The route from Emsworth through Havant and Leigh Park, though apparently urban, used surprisingly few busy roads and featured a large number of schools and green park areas, finishing up at the site of Staunton House, recently preserved with the outline of the original walls of the building and its rooms, sitting above a commanding view of Staunton Park and its feature lake.
Staunton House may be a ghost now but its Coach House still exists, converted to a cafe which provided us with a welcome refreshment stop.
Our ride then continued through Staunton Park and into Havant Thicket before branching off into Rowlands Castle – again avoiding major roads. From there we followed the Woodberry Lane until we picked up the West Sussex Border Path and returned to Emsworth by way of South Leigh Forest and Holly Bank Woods.
Back in Emsworth we enjoyed an al fresco lunch at the Kings Arms to round off an enjoyable day’s cycling.
Salterns Way and the Itchenor/Bosham Ferry, 11th October 2020
Emsworth – Stansted – Racton Monument, 24th September 2020
Brockenhurst – Bucklers Hard – Beaulieu, 10th September 2020
Langstone Harbour Loop, 27th August 2020
Chichester Canal Basin – South Mundham – Pagham – The Walnut Tree, 13th August 2020
Meon Valley Railway Path, 23rd July 2020
Emsworth – Thorney Island – Prinsted – Bosham, 9th July 2020
To contact the Cycling for Pleasure Group please use this form.
Security Code: For the box ‘Please enter the security code:‘ all you do is copy type the letters that you see in the ‘Security Code:‘ box above. This is to confirm that you are a real person and not a computerised spam bot.