Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)
  • Somewhere to ride near Oxford, perhaps Swinley?
  • shteve
    Free Member

    Im looking for somewhere to ride within an hour or so of oxford. I've heard some good things about Swinley Forest, and as i have a day off tomorrow, i thought i might make the most of it. Any tips on how to get a good day's riding at Swinley?

    soobalias
    Free Member

    get guided round.

    Chilterns is more local, and route choice is a little easier with an OS

    If you do go to Swinley on your own……

    take a compass so you know which direction is back to the carpark, then just ride any likely looking bit of singletrack – there is loads to choose from.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Buy the permit from the cycle shop there and a map – it doesn't show all the trails by any means but it's a good start.

    Munqe-chick
    Free Member

    Do you live in Oxford>? Or just visiting? as we have a series of Tuesday night and weekend rides around Chilterns etc which is all people who have met on this website mainly! If interested drop us an e-mail.

    Spud
    Full Member

    I was after similar info over the weekend. I am working near Didcot and will be staying there tomorrow night. Anyone recommend a route to me or are all BWs OK?

    shteve
    Free Member

    i do live in oxford. what sort of riding do you do around the chilterns? I usually do most of my riding around Glentress when i'm back home so mainly into stuff like that.

    sheldona
    Free Member

    Cotswolds is an hour away. Again an OS map should see you OK for most. nothing like GT though!!

    shteve
    Free Member

    I had a look at the Chilterns and found aston hill. How does this compare to Swinley or Glentress/Inners/Fort William?

    poppa
    Free Member

    Ridgeway?

    Mattie_H
    Free Member

    Shteve

    Like Munque-Chick says, there's a group of us who ride out of the city centre every Tuesday evening. We're usually out most weekends in the Chilterns or further afield as well. You're welcome to join us–email me on mhoulb at hotmail dot com

    Cheers
    Matt

    shteve
    Free Member

    Hi Matt. I will drop you an email at somepoint today! What sort of riding do you mainly do?

    Mattie_H
    Free Member

    Hello Shteve

    It varies. The Tuesday night rides tend to be fast and furious in short bursts with regular stops to push your lungs back in. They start from the city centre and head out either to Boars Hill or Shotover. There doesn't look to be much when you're first up there but we've put together some pretty good loops with sections of rootsy, steppy, rutty singletrack, bermed trails and the odd bit of boardwalk. On the weekend we're normally out in the Chilterns though occasionally venture further afield to the Malverns, Cotswolds, Long Mynd etc. Those rides are normally more of a 'social' pace so anyone can join in–four or five hours, a few stops and finishing up at a pub.

    Let me know if you're interested and I can add you to the mailing list.

    Cheers
    Matt

    soobalias
    Free Member

    how does swinley/aston hill compare to GT/Inners/Fort William?

    oh dear you are going to be hugely disappointed.

    Swinley – Flowing Singletrack XC, one or two drops/jumps to be found, day passes available for a couple of pounds. Could spend all day here quite easily if you know where to look.
    Aston Hill – 3 x DH tracks (bear in mind this is southern england) steep, rooty, chalky – treacherous in the wet. 1 x XC course – good fun 5-7miles. 1 x 4X track, in serious need of work. Day passes now available online £6, open 7 days a week. Unless you really like pushing a big bike up a hill, you will probably only spend half a day riding IMO.

    shteve
    Free Member

    Hey Matt,

    Sounds quite good, especially the Tuesday one. Just not quite sure I would be able to keep up on the pedally uphills! I will email you and if you could add me to the mailing list that would be good. Any more info such as times etc would be helpful to find out if i could make it and if i could get away riding without lights. Not sure tonight is possible, but maybe later this month!

    Cheers
    Steve

    shteve
    Free Member

    thanks for your info soobalias. if you were used to riding GT for example, where would you choose to ride out of swinley or aston?

    Macgyver
    Full Member

    I'm an Oxford local and would like to tag along one night if possible if that's okay. Not sure how fast and furious I am at the moment but there's only one way to find out!
    Macgyver

    soobalias
    Free Member

    So GT is "groomed waymarked gravity assisted" trails?

    swinley is groomed trails
    aston is marked and gravity assisted.

    however if i was used to riding GT, I might seriously think about keeping my fitness up by riding fixed round oxford!
    If you stay off road, pick the right bike and get used to a different kind of riding.

    Mattie_H
    Free Member

    @ Macgyver no worries–it would be good to have you along. Just drop me an email and I'll add you to the mailing list. 'Fast and furious' in very short bursts…

    @ Shteve–I reckon you'll be fine. It's Oxford, so the pedally uphill bits are never that long! Normal meet time is 7.30 on a Tuesday. We're just at that stage where you need lights by the end of the ride.

    Macgyver
    Full Member

    Thanks sounds good. Where abouts do you meet up?

    Mattie_H
    Free Member

    @ Macgyver: drop me an email and I'll share the details (address in profile)

    Silverspeed
    Free Member

    Having just invested in the Maxx-D front light I would love to cycle with like minded peddlers on your Shotover/Boars Hill blasts.

    I live and work (JR hospital) in Oxford and would like to fit in a night ride around my weekly routine of taking my kids to various sports clubs.

    I ride the Ridgeway around Watlington and would love to swap routes and find out other local rides I've missed.

    scott_mcavennie2
    Free Member

    shteve – Member

    thanks for your info soobalias. if you were used to riding GT for example, where would you choose to ride out of swinley or aston?

    Neither are like Glentress – but lets face it, GT is the best trail centre in the country.

    However, if I was in Oxford I'd go a bit further down to the Surrey Hills, where you can put together hour after hour of the best natural singletrack in the south east.

    Then I'd vary that with the odd day of push up at Aston Hill, which although only has 3 DH trails, they are superb fun.

    Swinley is also good, but I always need guiding round there to find the best bits.

    Woburn and chicksands must also be reachable from Oxford as well?

    nickc
    Full Member

    However, if I was in Oxford I'd go a bit further down to the Surrey Hills

    What? And go right past the endless trails of the Chilterns just on the doorstep? I've ridden both and TBH, the Surrey hills aren't worth the schlep over the Chilterns.

    singletracksurfer
    Full Member

    agree with nickc – the chilterns has lots of fantastic riding.

    Leith hill etc is superb but big drive when you have the likes of Swinley nearby & the Chilterns just out the door.

    singletracksurfer
    Full Member

    p.s. from Oxford, Watlington & Woodcote are straight forward to get to and in the heart of some great riding.

    scott_mcavennie2
    Free Member

    However, if I was in Oxford I'd go a bit further down to the Surrey Hills

    What? And go right past the endless trails of the Chilterns just on the doorstep? I've ridden both and TBH, the Surrey hills aren't worth the schlep over the Chilterns.

    It was in response to a comparison of either swinley or aston hill as a choice. I couldn't comment on the chilterns as I've never ridden there.

    nickc
    Full Member

    Aston Hill is in the Chilterns.

    soobalias
    Free Member

    http://www.bucksmtb.co.uk/trailguides.htm

    plenty of local info on there.

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Silverspeed. Email Mattie_H and he'll put you on our mailing list. We're actually riding to the west of Oxford tonight from the carpark by McDonalds on the Botley road at 7:30 if you can make it?

    Throctukes
    Free Member

    I ride out Long Hanborough/Stonesfield way and was massively surprised by the amount of fun to be had – at least for a newbie like me – right on my doorstep. If you can make it out as far as Witney, the Witney Mountain Bike Club meet Tuesdays and Thursdays and weave around the local bridleways and woods. I've not been to Shotover since I'm in Eynsham, and the stuff mentioned above is conveniently close (planning to at some point, though) so I have no idea how it compares.

    badnewz
    Free Member

    I used to live in Oxford, was a member of the uni mtb club, and for a quick short blast, Shotover rocks. The main loop also keeps fairly dry. If your going up from the city centre, you can string together some off road by going up the right hand side of south parks (where the trees are), then there is some fun singletrack starting at the junction at Warneford Ln / Roosevelt D (next to the Warenford Churchill street sign).

    Stopadoodledoo
    Free Member

    I too live in Oxford (been here for about a year) and unless I have totally and utterly missed the decent stuff, Boars Hill is completely and utterly gash for riding. I have only ventured up there twice, mind; first time in the wet and found nothing apart from mud; second time in the dry and found nothing but baked hard horse hoof prints.

    Shotover seems okay although it depends on what sort of thing you want to ride, really. There are some of the gayest dirt jumps (and I use the term 'dirt jumps' loosely there) over towards the east of it, and a couple of okay but very short DH runs further across towards the car park – at least that's what I've found so far.

    The only place I've ridden in the Chilterns is Aston Hill a few years ago and as mentioned, it's a slippy, greasy hellhole in the wet, and doesn't deserve it's self-given monicker of "best DH location in the SE". Don't get me wrong, it's a decent place for a dick about and some of the DH races used to be a good laugh but don't expect to find a chalky Innerleithen.

    I tend to drive to the Surrey Hills a fair bit, mainly because I know the trails and I know people who ride there. I think the slippyness of chalk has put me off trying out the Chilterns, as well as lack of knowledge.

    With all the above taken into consideration, I would be happy to be shown better stuff around Oxford so may also email and join you for a night ride, if that's cool? If I am slow up hills, you'll just have to wait.

    uponthedowns
    Free Member

    Lambourn and Marlborough Downs and the Ridgeway are within easy reach of Oxford. Not that technical but there's loads of trails

    Stopadoodledoo
    Free Member

    So, is there a ride this Tuesday and if so, what time and where from? Would be interested in coming along…

Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)

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