[Closed] Beaconsfield / Chilterns riding?

Are you kidding..?

The Chilterns are just lovely, I mean OK it's not going to set your world on fire if you want Joann Barelli levels of gnarr...but really it's really the last word in woodsy singletrack. get an OS, and join up the bridleways

There are miles of woodland bridleways, stretching to Princes Risborough, Wendover, Henley etc, you can easily string together 2-3 hr rides. Its chalk/clay so gets muddy and slippery in winter (or right now). Best riding in my opinion is around Risborough, Wendover and Christmas Common south of the M40.

Lots to do in the Chilterns!

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/chilterns-mtb-riders-good-trails-sections/

https://www.komoot.com/guide/672354/mtb-trails-around-chiltern

https://www.bikemaps.co.uk/se-england-mtb/ridgeway-chilterns-mountain-biking.htm

Are you kidding..?

No, my name is Chris.

Anyway - yes i'm aware there is good riding in the Chilterns - but like, where ya know? I've put in my hours chasing random deer tracks looking for trails over the years and these days I'm hoping someone else can do the work for me and point me in the direction of some good riding!

Thanks Andos, Tonyd - i'll check those areas and links!

and btw if you are looking for a house the area, check out the h2s route...

and btw if you are looking for a house the area, check out the h2s route…

..and be prepared to sell your children and internal organs to cover the cost of a one bed flat

Have a look on the OS map of the area, any bridleway with a decent elevation gain will likely be good fun.

On the viewranger app, Mountain Biking UK magazine have published a large number of trails with several in the chilterns. I've ridden this a few times an enjoyed it

I found this #OffRoadBiking route and thought you'd like it. http://my.viewranger.com/route/details/NTM3NzY= Via @ViewRanger http://my.viewranger.com/route/details/NTM3NzY=

I'm Amersham / Chesham way, so not too far. I've recently joined up with these guys - member rides seem to be bigger days out, but they're a friendly bunch and will help establish a network of local riders to help with the more informal group rides or learning where the local stuff is.

BucksMTB

If you move in the summer its easy. It's all ride able. The strava heat map will show what's popular. Lots of great loops in books including

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Mountain-Biking-Guide-England/dp/095591910X

The winter it's much harder ad basically will involve trial and error. It might be worth driving to Woburn or Swinley in the winter or buying a road bike for the winter

I live close to Beaconsfield. You will struggle to find good trail riding down this end of the Chilterns. There are few bridleways, so it takes quite a lot of tarmac to join them up. If you're up for cheeky there's a bit more, but the local Penn House Estate is very anti-cycling and has recently erected large no cycling signs on most of the local footpaths. Penn Wood is Woodland Trust and they won't want you either (apart from on the boring permissive bridleway through the middle).
As said above, the property prices are eye-watering.
The riding gets better as you head northwest. You might want to look around Holmer Green or Tylers Green, both an easy drive to Beaconsfield and a better start point for riding out towards Ibstone, Watlington, Christmas Common etc.

Drive to Christmas Common, its at the top of the Hill above Watlington, just off the M40.

From the top of that hill in any direction will be great singletrack for you to explore. Get an OS map and any trail from Christmas Common to say Turvill village will be good. There are so many if you don't like the one you are on take the next left or right. Sooner or alter you will find one that's ace.

That's just for starters, anywhere along the Chiltern hills East or West of there is good. I've been riding round there for 35 years and still find new bits to enjoy.

oh and if you go riding at night around Chequers, take some ID with you, in case you get tailed and stopped by their security guards in a black Discovery...

Awesome, thanks all.

Re: Beaconsfield itself, we are moving for the quick train commute back into London now we're after a bit more space for our money. The houses are eyewatering indeed, but there are a few we've seen in our price range that we would be more than happy with. The area itself seems lovely.

I've ridden Swinley a number of times and thats down the road also, so yeh - more than happy to hop in the car for a 30/40 min drive to Swinley in the winter. It's a shame to hear there potentially isn't much around Beaconsfield itself but reassuring to hear there is lots nearby.

I'll look up Christmas Common! Sounds fun. I guess I'm looking for a bit more trail/gnar than bridleways but not expecting/looking for Lake District descents either. Just some technical climbs and descents rather than hooning around bridleways.

Have you realised that your not that far from Aston Hills? That has more technical stuff. Just gets muddy in the winter

Have you realised that your not that far from Aston Hills? That has more technical stuff. Just gets muddy in the winter

Aston Hill is actually closed for the forseeable due to 'dangerous' trees. I hope I'm wrong but I would be slightly surprised if it ever opens again, sadly.

Blimey. Now I know

I live in Hughenden Valley - I used to commute to Beaconsfield I can show/tell you a way to get from Beaconsfield to miles & miles of trails - there are few small sections of road but once you get to where I am & Naphill/Walters Ash you can go all day. DM me.

That sucks - I've walked around Wendover Woods a few times and had spotted that park on Google maps. Never ridden it though. Certainly is hilly around that way though!

I live in Beaconsfield and there is plenty of fun riding from the doorstep if you know where to look. Theres even a small jump park.

Aston Hills is closed due to ash dieback. Contractors will remove the dangerous trees - it'll probably take the rest of the year. I'd be surprised if it doesn't reopen.

Lived in Penn/Hazlemere in my youth but moved away over 20 years ago. Looking at a friend's strava feed, who still lives in the area, looks like there are some jumps around Hodgemoor Woods, just to the north of Beaconsfield off the road to Amersham.

As others have said loads of bridelway bashing and some good loops up towards Risborough and West Wycombe.

Oh and make sure you pronounce Beaconsfield correctly, it's pronounced "Beconsfield". Weird I know.

Theres even a small jump park.

Yes, i've seen this on Google Maps I think - glad to hear there is good stuff nearby. Now I just gotta find a house I can afford...!

Oh and make sure you pronounce Beaconsfield correctly, it’s pronounced “Beconsfield”

Hilariously, a friend who lives in the area has already told me off and promptly corrected me on this one!

@plyphon Yeah pronunciation is odd. Always seemed normal to me as I grew up in the area. But when you look at it the locals all pronounce it oddly. Reading is the same.

I live in Cookham and there's a few surprisingly decent steep trails (though admittedly quite short) in Bisham woods nearby. Happy to show you around or just drop some Google maps pins at the top of the trails for you to find them yourself if you want to DM.

The Chilterns Gnar factor just depends on your speed 🙂

There are some good little bits here and there. Some of the tracks round Princes Risborough are rooty and steep. Especially in the dark, when the chalk is wet.

Thanks Appltn, it might take us a while to move to the area but I'll certainly be in touch once we're on the way! Would love to have a ride!