I’m thinking about doing a little loop around the Chilterns, but really don’t know it very well

Thinking maybe tomorrow or Thursday, have heard lots of good things but don’t know which bits I should be doing. Not after anything gnarr, just a nice few hours on the bike. Maybe somewhere in the order of 25-35 miles, ideally something fun and pretty so I can appreciate being outdoors

Does anyone have any recommendations or routes they can share? Something with a GPX would be massively appreciated as I can just follow the line (I’ll have OS maps too)

I live in North London so something at the Bucks end – around Amersham, Chesham, Tring, Great Missenden etc. Obviously there’s the ridgeway but I’m after a loop ideally, not an out and back

Start from Watlington, just off the M40. Ride from there to Turville and back in a big loop using an OS map. You will find it hard to end up on a crap trail.

There’s loads around Tring in both Ashridge and toward Wendover, but it’s more – erm – discreet and would benefit from a guide. For the more technically legal stuff you would do a lot worse than head out towards High Wycombe from Wendover, possibly popping into Chequers for a cuppa on the way.

@Trimix Hoping for something a bit further North and East if possible, can get caught in killer traffic getting round there (from where I live)

Off the A41 or maybe off the M25 a bit is fine

That’s the problem, the discreet stuff is discreet. And while I can pootle about looking for trails, a GPX track would make life a lot easier. I know I can plan a route out on the maps, but I’m hoping to nip out tomorrow so don’t have masses of time

For GPS try this – http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=9960244 covers a lot of the better areas around Tring, can be started from the train station in Berkhamsted also. Add some time for a focus on the area directly south of Wendover cafe in the woods (use OS or just ride whatever looks fun) and skip the southern Cholesbury-Berkhamstead part of the loop if needed, it gets better past Hastoe on that route. (not my route btw)
You can get past that southern bit in a better way, PM me if you need a pointer.

http://www.bucksmtb.co.uk/index.php/en/trail-guides

few options on there, depending exactly where you want to start/finish

You can cut out the more boring bits by Wallingford

https://www.strava.com/activities/523754100

Thanks for all your help

jameso, thanks. I’ll reverse that route and do it anti-clockwise, then I’ll know what time it is and how my legs are feeling before I do too much exploring

Just to round this off, I did 30 miles around the Chilterns based on most of the route that Jameso linked me too

Was really good fun. Jameso, thanks again!

Some pics

few cheeky trails there 🙂 nice pics

Good stuff, glad it worked out 🙂

Did see a few cheekies on that route, all ok on a weekday ..

Definitely a couple of cheeky bits, but as you say, it was very quiet

It’s a lovely part of the world and is only 40 minutes in the car if the traffic works out, I’m going to try to get out there a bit more

if you want some local knowledge there’s evening rides leaving Berkhamsted Tues, Weds, Thurs, evening, Sat, Sun morning and JamesO knows his way around 🙂

If you’re doing that route again you can miss out a chunk of road round Tring/Aldbury by using the canal towpath and some bridleways – a quick look at an OS map should give you the idea. And there’s loads more stuff to do past Wendover and towards Princes Risborough if you keep going beyond the Gruffalo (last pic?) – again an OS map is your friend but best to wait until conditions are drier before venturing too deep into the woods!

I’d like to avoid more road if possible, there a little bit more than I’d like, but I also didn’t follow the route fully

I parked in a car park with a 4 hour limit, I didn’t think I’d get a ticket but also didn’t fancy risking it and needed to get back anyway. I ended up cutting the ride short a bit, came back on the canal. Thankfully I’d taken an OS map so was able to ride a quick way back, my GPS has an OS map but planning is a pain on the smallish screen. This was the final ride – https://www.strava.com/activities/524644955

@andylaightscat – didn’t realise there as that much riding going on there! Saw a few road bikes, and a couple of MTBs bikes, including a Santa Cruz, parked outside a pub in Aldbury (I think). Getting there after work isn’t easy though, going to try some riding in Epping after work as I’m more likely to get there for a reasonable time (train there from work, then ride home). I definitely want to ride there more though

@Rio – yep, last pic is right by the Gruffalo. Will have to take the kids there, we did the Gruffalo trail in Essex and they liked it. Only hit one muddy section, just after Wendover Woods, most of it was dry. Lots of the woods near the cafe was roped off for maintenance work, and I was running a bit late by that point so didn’t have time to explore

Met an interesting bloke near Ivinghoe Beacon. Has a 30 year old steel tourer, knew his bikes, used to cycle about 10k miles a year, was a CTC member and was part of the Rough Stuff Fellowship. Doesn’t ride much now though