Routes in and around Lewes
Latest
See Cycle Lewes's favourite routes in and around town on the Cycle Lewes Map, available free from the Tourist Information Centre, Lewes District Council offices and other venues in and around Lewes. On the town side you can see a detailed view of Lewes; on the District side you can see how Lewes fits into the network of country lanes and off-road routes surrounding the town as far as Ditchling, Uckfield and Alfriston.
See our Issues pages for news and background on particular routes, e.g. Lewes to Ringmer.
In town
Cycling in Lewes isn't as hard as it might look at first. The town is only about two miles across in any direction. Yes, there are hills and busy roads, but there are also ways to avoid most of them. Sometimes you may want to push your bike up a steep section or along a stretch of footpath, but cycling around town will often be quicker than a similar journey by car.
Out of town
Lewes is surrounded by a wonderful network of country lanes and some of the best off-road cycling in England, with dozens of interesting places to visit, eat and drink - but the first couple of miles out of town can be busy with traffic on the main roads. If you can, avoid the worst of the traffic by setting off early at weekends, or after the morning rush midweek.
You can avoid the first few miles altogether by taking your bike on the train to a country station such as Southease, Berwick or Glynde.
The byway going north out of Lewes from Landport provides a mostly level traffic-free route to the lanes around Offham and Hamsey, but it can be muddy.
Rides
Cycle Lewes doesn't currently run a programme of rides, though it is looking into it. Meanwhile you have a choice of touring rides run by the local CTC groups Brighton and East Sussex, faster club runs and training rides with the Lewes Wanderers, and a range of on and off-road leisure rides for different abilities promoted by East Sussex County Council in their booklet 'Cycling East Sussex', from April to September each year and available in the Tourist Office. Pedal East Sussex started in 2010 with a summer programme of rides for the over 50s, starting from railway stations.
Brighton and Hove
For route maps and information on cycling in Brighton and Hove see www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/cycling