Cycling
Cycling is one of the best ways to explore the South Downs & Chichester Harbour. Find out about wild camping with your bike at Oakwood West, guided bike tours in the South Downs, self guided routes & bike rentals.
Wild Camping with your Bike
Bring your bike when you come wild camping at Oakwood West Estate. Travel here on your bike down beautiful country roads, or explore the area from the campsite. There are coastal routes, great road cycling, and off road mountain biking to suit all abilities.
We have these facilities for cyclists:
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A safe place to lock up your bike
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Hot showers to refresh after a ride
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Clothes lines to dry out wet gear (no washing machine is available - we're off grid)
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Bike washing
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Close to food shops
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2 miles from a bike shop
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E-bike charging by arrangement
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Guided Bike Tours
We run guided mountain bike tours of the South Downs from Oakwood West Estate. The tour can be a full or half day and you can choose the pace and difficulty level with the help of our guide. There are so many different routes to choose from. Head over Kingley Vale for expansive countryside views to the English Channel or follow the Salterns way to the sandy beach of East Head.
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Contact us to find out more about taking a guided mountain bike tour near Chichester. Your guide will be Ivan, a keen cyclist on both road and mountain bikes. He's friendly, has great local knowledge, and is a good bike mechanic, everything you need for a fun ride out! A guided bike tour does not include hire of a bike, so either bring your own or scroll down to find out how to hire a bike locally.
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Bike Hire
Hire a bike from Southern eBike Rentals, who have a pop up bike rental collection point (2 bikes min, & 12 hours notice required) a short walk through the woodland from Oakwood West, or they can deliver to the campsite. You can also collect bikes from them at Queen Elizabeth Country Park (a 25 minute drive away). They have e-bikes and standard pedal powered mountain bikes to choose from. E-bikes are great for all levels of fitness, but they really open up the terrain for beginners (and those a bit out of practice!), making even the steepest of climbs easy. The staff will guide you through to choose the right bike for you, based on your riding ability, height, and the type of trail you will be riding on.
Bike Trails
The Salterns Way
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Pick up the Salterns Way at Fishbourne, for a flat and beautiful ride down to the sandy beach at East Head. The trail starts in the centre of Chichester and runs for 12 miles, through the National Landscape of Chichester Harbour. You can also shorten the route by hopping on the seasonal ferry that runs from Bosham to Itchenor.
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Kingley Vale
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Ride out to the top of Bow Hill from the campsite, it's a short way on the road to West Stoke and then it's a climb up to the top, you'll be rewarded by panoramic views of the countryside from atop ancient monuments. There are single track sections and wide paths to choose from, perfect for all abilities.
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The Centurions Way
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Perfect for families and beginners, the Centurions Way is a relaxed place to ride on gentle, flat tarmac paths that follow an old railway line route from Chichester to West Dean. The 5.5 mile path winds around Chichester, with ample opportunities to pop into the historic city, and then heads out across the countryside to Lavant and West Dean. If you make it all the way to West Dean, you'll be rewarded by sights of a quaint village, an old pub to visit and a lovely cafe and village shop.
The South Downs Way
It's a rite of passage to cycle the South Downs Way. Challenge yourself to take on a section of the rolling downland path, that extends for 100 miles and leads from Winchester to Eastbourne. It's well signposted and you can get easy access to the trail at Cocking, Buriton, or Harting Down. If you want a big day out on the bike jump on the train at Bosham to Amberly and ride back along the South Downs way, choose to head south at some point along the way, either to pick up the Monarchs Way or to make your way cross country to Kingley Vale, (there's a network of trails you can use) where you can then head downhill to West Stoke and then back to the campsite. You'll be glad of a hot shower and a peaceful place to relax after that!
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Discover New Routes
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Komoot is a great free app that has lots of local cycling and walking routes on it, you can set your route and use it as GPS on your phone or watch.
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