Ride on, Into the Heart of a Turner Sunset

All it takes, I guess, is for the sun to go down in the west. A camera or cell phone, a little sultry river Ganges-like stillness, and you could be transported wherever your imagination takes you.

Things have really stopped here for the day.

A lot of beauty, not far from a busy provincial county seat, and seemingly no one around to savor it.

And you can get here by bike — I'd recommend one that does well on a dirt trail as on a road; one of those in-between bikes. Maybe a crossover trail-road bike or a cyclocross bike or a well-shod, hardy-tyred tourer.

And if you're going to go late, well you're going to need some good lights, a bit of local knowledge and a map. Barreg Bicycles in Fishbourne (https://www.facebook.com/barregcycles) will help you out with just about all your needs in that regard.

It's not that the trail is excessively rough, but a little flint here and there can be harsh on sensitive tyres. I guess you could take the road route, but it's a bit on the dicey side here, and there's much more to like by bike path, farm trail and bridleway.

I did see a few cyclists turn around at key junctions, either unawares of the delights beyond the veil, or under-rubbered. You never want to be under rubbered when exploring the wild, or even just a bit wild.

Where? Bosham Hoe and Dell Quay in Sussex, but if you know of any places like these near you, accessible by bike, do share.

They call this — Chichester Harbor — an "area of outstanding natural beauty."

I'm not sure they are exaggerating, either.

There are a few eco rules. And some of the true coastal paths are off-limits to bikes, despite the irony of the bike in the poster below. But there are plenty of paths that are rideable.