Currently working in Bicester, been down her for two weeks, Ive been exploring around the Watlington/Stokenchurch parishes and well, Im more than impressed, theres plenty to go at and most of the b/ways seem to be adequately marked, this evening found a few lovely downhill runs just off the A40 at the top of Aston Hill, if Im back next week I may be bringing the bouncy bike down.
The balance of climb > flat > downhill differ from the up or down of East Lancashire and makes a nice change especially with the dry evenings 🙂
Yep a rather underrated location with lots of fast singletrack. Good on all bikes, just get to go faster with suspension.
Grim's Ditch near Wallingford is a great example that you don't have to have lots of height gain to make a great trail.
There's trails all over the place south of the M40 to Reading, so much decent singletrack that is in good shape at the mo.
Just hoping I can stretch the job out a bit longer, getting used to dry trails going to be hard going back to wet, peaty, gritty Pennine stuff 🙄
What Singletrack surfer says. Not been there this year. No better trail on a summers evening. Hmmmm..
The downside is that in the winter a lot of those dry hard trails turn into sticky clay mud-fests.
If you get bored down the M40 way you could try going down the A41 to the "real" Aston Hill, Wendover and Princes Risborough, plenty of good riding there also.
Some good trails linking Henley and North out towards Stokenchurch. Also head over Goring way, some good if a little cheeky stuff out that way. Its a cracking part of the world to be a cyclist to be fair, great road rides as well.
Very under-rated are the Chilterns - very rideable trails plus lots of singletrack all the way from Dunstable to Goring. Worth getting the 1:25000 maps and following the bridleways (while looking out for the off-piste stuff).
even better is that it is sooo quiet as everyone drives to Swinley.
That's my neck of the woods. there's some really great singletrack if you leave from Wendover and head up the hill towards princes risborough. if you're savy you can then drop into wendover woods and then hastoe. down towards tring and up the hill into Aston Hill bikepark (you have to pay to ride here) and do the proper downhill runs which are great fun.
If you check you maps it can certainly be a good day long ride if you get a bunch of runs in at Aston.
proper English countryside views as well.
[I'm near Wallingford. It's a great area and I love the riding esp for training without traffic but I don't recognise there being 'loads of singletrack'. I'd say 99% is double track and non technical.
I really hate the phrase 'cheeky'. There is enough bridleway in South Oxfordshire that to ride on footpaths is selfish and idiotic.
sssshhh
adsh - agree that most riding is non-technical and qute flat too, but there is loads of singletrack. Particularly around checkendon, woodcote and stoke row.
Chilterns has more mid-ride pubs than Swinley too 🙂
I live to the Southern end of the Chilterns, and yes, it is definitely best ridden on an XC-ish bike; There is plenty of twisty singletrack,especially the Stoke Row/Checkendon/Woodcote end, both bridleway and more 'creative' options, but it doesn't tend to be very technical, apart from wet roots.
North of Henley is very good too- hills are a bit steeper and some great long Bridleway descents.
Cheekyboy- (Or others interested) We have a regular Wednesday night group, loosely affiliated with AW cycles in Reading, as well as some regular riding other nights and weekends. email in profile if anyone is
interested in joining.
thread reported for damn lies
there is no riding in the chilterns, move along, nothing to see.
It is indeed a great summer riding location
Its not that far from you to the nearest Cotswlds. You could also get to Woburn. Which holds up better year round
[i]There is enough bridleway in South Oxfordshire that to ride on footpaths is selfish and idiotic.[/i]
Show me a footpath in the chilterns that doesn't have hoofprints on it, and I'll agree with you.
I've had my ride today so I'm a bit less uptight. I do however hate trespass who ever does it whatever they ride.
I love Chilterns riding but it's not exactly Tunnel Hill/Porridgepot. I do know of bits of single track but you generally have to generate quite a bit of speed to make them 'technical'. Grims Ditch is great but being elevated and with walkers about I give it a fair bit of respect.
I certainly don't recognise it as being flat
My area too. How nice to hear it get some praise! Hard going in winter mind.
I did think I was the only rider in the Chilterns..........!
Rode from near Newbury to Pangbourne, Goring, woodcote, Caversham on Sunday and until I went over the bridge at Pangbourne was a dusty dry ride. Over the river I have never seen such trail destruction from a big storm that locals told me about , which hit on Saturday evening. Lovely trails but the woods near Woodcote were a bogfest, almost like riding in the winter time
The bike shop in Marlow does trail maps for the area, brilliant place to ride. Watch out for the flint though!
[b]
For me its a real bonus, normally stuck in a Hotel so to be able to get out and pootle for a pair of hours on a nice summer evening is Brill !!
Ive even had a friendly nod from the odd roadie 😆
Will look up Grims Ditch.
Cheers all
Cheekyboy- the top section of Grim's is footpath, festooned with no cycling signs and is designated as an ancient monument, so should be avoided- (and it's full of stiles) the bottom section is a ribbon of glorious 12" wide XC singletrack.
Send me an email and I have GPX. Alternately, we'll be out tomorrow.
I was raised in the Chilterns but now have the pleasure of living and riding in Wales. When I returned for a ride a while back I had such a great time at Wendover Hill.
The winter return trip was a bit different though. Slippy claggy clay, slimy chalk and nasty sharp slicy flints. All good fun 🙂
I live in wendover. Tend to do a loop around Coombe hill and wendover woods along the ridgeway bridleway. Lots of little technical sections if you know where they are!
Show me a footpath in the chilterns that doesn't have hoofprints on it, and I'll agree with you.
I could show you quite a few but I'd obviously have to kill you afterwards...
Good to see a post on chilts. It's my home patch too and I love riding around here. Normally ride everything from Pangbourne to the M40 and over to Henley. Very rarely see other riders when I'm out, but always say hello when I do!
Nant do you have a GPX I could steal? I've just moved to tring and am trying to sniff out the local trails.
I've had such fun in the Chilts over the years. 8)
And you have a Soul.......!
This thread's making me nostalgic. Used to get to ride the chilterns allot visiting family in Wallingford. Haven't got to ride there for 3 or 4 years.
Grimms Ditch is probably my favorite bit of trail ever and probably my most ridden. Riding it is like playing a 2000 year old playstation game. Nothing too technical and no great elevation but so much flow if you can keep the momentum going. The perfect bit of trail to fine tune bike set up.