Monarchs way Findon to Arundel - rideable ?

[dvines]

I am wanting to do a short section of the Monarchs way in sussex from Findon to Arundel - is it rideable on a tourer ?

I am prepared to walk a bit on any partic steep or rough sections, but am more concerned about stiles - I don't like having to lift the bike over.

Anyone got any experience ?

[Ugly]

The first and last parts of this section are footpaths, so no cycling. the rest of the route is on bridleways but quite alot of which is a surface of Sussex mud. A touring bike can be taken just about anywhere but if it is pleasure or purgatory is in the mind of the rider. I would consider it fit of ATBs for normal mortals and touring bikes for the dedicated roughstuffers of the old school

[stoobs]

This area is my playground. Having said that, I'm not completely familiar with the exact route that you want to take, so in addition to the other advice here about the footpaths, any bridleways that you use are unlikely to have stiles (for obvious reasons), although you might find the odd gate or a couple of railway sleepers on edge which you have to lift over. Judging by the chainwheel marks you see on some of them, some people obviously think that they are low enough to ride over. In addition to Sussex mud, you will find a lot of chalk, which is fairly deadly (slippery) when wet, and which can cake your wheels as a big claggy mess in certain conditions. As such, slicks or approximations are out in those conditions. When it's dry, you might encounter the odd washboard stretch from tractor tyres, but you'll find it otherwise smooth. One other factor is the flints which can pop out anywhere. The first ever set of tyres I used came back looking as though I'd been to a Stanley Knife party. Make sure that your tyres will be up to that.

There are plenty of bridleways, so you might like to modify your route slightly to follow those and be in roughly the right area as opposed to exactly on route.

From Findon, you can soon get onto east-west bridleways, and for good views, if you head over to North Stoke, you can cross over the Arun to South Stoke (you might need to walk through the wood for a few hundred yards), and then ride down the side of the river to Arundel. Or you can head to Burpham and Warningcamp which is a good laugh, too. Lots of lovely scenery, and really not many people considering how many people live close to this National Park (from last week).

In summary, I don't think that I would ride it on a tourer on anything other than a dry day. I'd be more inclined to use wider-section knobblies if you can fit them.

[workhard]

I tried riding parts of the middle -bridleway- bits of this winter on my tourer.

I am reknowned for my stupidity.

I intend to revisit once the ground has dried out