It started with mud on my tyres before I'd even left. A rogue Garmin routing decision sent me straight into a forest track: not exactly the smooth tarmac start I had in mind for a 170km day in the saddle. But that's cycling, isn't it? Sometimes the adventure begins before you're ready for it. Once I shook the Hampshire dirt off and found actual road under my wheels, the south of England opened up in all its understated beauty. Rolling countryside, quiet lanes, the occasional aggressive hedge. And then, eventually, the moment every long ride earns you: the first glimpse of the sea. Worthing was everything you want after 85km on the bike. Its Victorian pier anchors a seafront lined with a wide promenade, gardens, and cafés, and on a sunny May bank holiday weekend, the whole town was out for it. The beachfront was heaving with people, kids racing for ice cream, couples on benches staring at the Channel. I sat there for a while, took it all in, and then remembered I had 85km to get back. The return leg had its own character. A cycle lane absolutely reclaimed by nature, overgrowth pushing in from both sides like the road itself was being slowly digested, gave the ride an almost comic quality. And then Arundel appeared. Grade I listed, Arundel Castle dates from the 11th century: Edward the Confessor began work on the original motte and bailey before it was continued in 1067 when Roger de Montgomery received the area as a gift from William the Conqueror, making him the first Earl of Arundel. Seeing those battlements rise above the River Arun from a bike saddle is one of those quiet moments that makes long days in the saddle worth every kilometre. Arundel's skyline is dominated by a gothic Cathedral and the majestic castle, seat of the Dukes of Norfolk, set in 40 acres of grounds and gardens: and all of it visible from the road as you roll through. You don't need to stop. The view does the work! From there, it was a matter of putting the head down and riding home. Which I did. 170km. One terrible routing decision. One perfect seaside afternoon. Zero regrets.
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