This month’s bike ride with Nick Marks is a brief excursion into the beautiful wild area between Whitehawk and Woodingdean. It’s fairly short, the roads aren’t too busy, and you can use almost any kind of bike, so it’s ideal for a family bike day out.

1 - Start at the Palace Pier, and follow the cycle path down Madeira Drive until the road starts to rise. Look for the underpass that takes you up on to Marine Parade. Once you are there, cross over at the lights and go up Arundel Road, past Lidl, then right at the roundabout and up Bristol Gardens to the lights.

2 - Go over the crossroads, then ride another 100m up to the entrance to East Brighton Golf Club. Turn left up the drive, go across the car park, then follow the bridlepath that leads up past the golf course over Red Hill. After about 250m take the right hand fork, leading you east and over the top of the hill. You then have a long, steady descent down into Ovingdean.

3 - Take the second left up Ovingdean Road, and ride up a narrow street bordered by traditional Sussex flint walls. Continue up to the junction with Longhill Road, then a little bit further until you see a bridlepath leading off on your left. Then it is a simple question of following it all the way to Woodingdean, which is about a mile and a half. It’s a very slight incline, which you will barely notice, but you are slowly gaining height which will be useful later.

4 - The path turns into a lane which runs past a primary school and up to Warren Road. Turn left and follow the road uphill until it starts to run alongside the racecourse.

Just after the right-hand bend leave the road, cross over the racecourse, and turn right.

5 - Follow the path up round the racecourse and down past the grandstand. Cross over Manor Hill Road, and continue down Whitehawk Hill Road, past the allotments, and back into town. From here you can pick your way back down through Kemp Town and on to Marine Parade. Turn right and follow the road back down to the Palace Pier.

This ride is suitable for adults and children of average fitness, with some experience of riding on the roads. I would recommend that children complete Bike-ability Level 2 before trying this circuit. Some points to remember when riding with children on the road: the temptation for adults is to ride in front and lead the way, whereas it is in fact safer to ride behind them and slightly out into the road, creating a safe space for them to ride in. Make sure your bike skills are up to scratch too – you need to be able to perform emergency stops and swerves if necessary, and to ride in a confident and assertive manner that establishes your position on the road.

* Time: One and a half hours, eight miles

* Difficulty: Easy to moderate

* Your bike: Any kind of bike

* So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer map 122, or the Brighton and Hove Street Map

* Thirsty work: The Redroaster café at the western end of St James’s Street serves the best coffee in Brighton, and the cakes aren’t bad either.