Let's preserve this bridleway

IN the article concerning the ilex bridleway in the Worthing Herald (February 26), I am surprised to read the comments from the Excelsior Cycle Club members.

My family has used the bridleway for leisure cycling for the last nine years at all times of the year and without problem.

There has to be a sensible approach and give and take between cyclists, walkers and riders for all to enjoy this precious asset.

Part of the attraction of the bridlewav is simply that there is no regular hard surface for the majority of the route - it is a part of the countryside adjacent to an urban area.

Don Lock states that 'thousands' of cyclists would have liked to use the hard-surfaced bridleway.

This amount of cycle traffic would have completely changed the character of the bridleway to the detriment of all users.

This will no doubt be resisted in future by those sensitive to the preservation of our amenities for future generations.

The only place for this volume of cyclists is the road and there are quiet roads connecting Sea Lane, Ferring, and Aldsworth Avenue if safety is the prime concern.

I suggest that the cycle club members and others try the bridleway as it is, in small numbers, not en mass, and enjoy the surroundings rather than using it as the most direct route between A and B.