I’m trying to get back into my riding a bit this year and explore the trails around the Ridgeway, so far I’ve found some nice little rooty, technical sections and miles of rutted, flinty bridleway. I’m at the Tring/Ivinghoe end of the trail, but are there any nice routes or sections worth pedalling a bit further afield?

Also I started a Chilterns Strava club because I’ve got no cycling friends – hopefully this link works:

https://www.strava.com/clubs/TheChilternOpen

I ride the Chilterns a lot and my favourite start point is either above Princess Risborough or Watlington.

From Watlington I normally head out to Turville – loads of trails to choose from, non of them poor.

Risborough I normally ride to Wendover woods and back, again so many trails, just keep exploring. They are all pretty good.

I suggest getting an OS map and just explore.

Hi Jim,

I’ve joined your Strava group.

I’m based near Reading and know the Chilterns area south of the M40 pretty well.

I’d probably disagree with what is said above at least for the area south of the M40.

This area of the chilterns is full of bridleways and miles and miles of good CX trails, but in my opinion there arent actually that many great MTB dh’s.

“I suggest getting an OS map and just explore.” again this good but I have wasted alot of time exploring trails that turn out to be boring fire road.

In my opinion the best way to ride the chilterns is

Summer/Dry Weather – 29er Rigid with very light quick rolling tyres. Quickly
buzz between the best bits of trails. The rigid bike, makes the fairly tame trails more interesting.

Winter/Wet Weather – dont bother go to Swinely/Cannock/Elsewhere or for a road ride instead.

———-

Here is a route I did where I took in alot of good trails ->

route 1

This is a route I did which took in Grims Ditch which as you say is good

Route 2

This is a good example of some Routes I like to take in on my commute home ->

Commute

———-

Ok some DH’s I like

This includes the Up but the DH is one of my favourites in South Chilterns

Nuns Gulley good

Is a footpath but my favourite descent in the south Chilterns

Grims Ditch

Very Difficult Climb guess would be Good as descent mind

Quite difficult to follow this the whole way but good and varied

———-

Other bits I like

Pack and Prime Lane

Warburg hill

Furze Platt Single Track Good !

bluebell run in spring

Lambridge Wood DH

Young Offenders

Dame Alice

I still havent done them 2 ! Have been meaning to for ages will try to get in this summer.

This is why I dont think the OS map is that good. There are soo many bridleways its difficult to pick out the good ones.

Blackmoor Wood

Is a FP though, so some discretion required

Big Dipper

some more…

See I wouldn’t be including Big Dipper here.

The entrance off the road is good, but then it just turns into a long flat drop.

I’d class it a good CX route. In the wet if its slimy and you get enough speed it can take some skill even on MTB. But alot of the time its just rolling down a hill.

It is a useful path I use it on my rides but to me its just a linker to get from one place to another.

but then it just turns into a long flat drop.

Aye, but this is the Chilterns it’s not exactly over endowed with tech… I’ll pop some more on in a bit.

Great stuff, just having a dig through some of the routes now; I’ve found sections of Grim’s Ditch up this way that are pretty good too. I’m on a full-sus 29er which does feel like overkill for the terrain (worse still, I can’t stop looking at Fatbikes!) comfy though.

I’ve never been over to Swinley I might have to give that a look, also been a long time since I went to Aston Hill, even though it’s 5 mins up the road – bit concerned I’ll be the only one riding the XC loop and getting in the way of gnarly dudes on the red run section.

Joined your sTrava group as well Jim. South Chilterns as well close to scu98rkr and regular fatbikist as well. Mainly do big loops in south chilterns. I dont expect tech as i dont think thats what the chilterns are about. Just big days out in pretty. Countryside.

Some interesting segments posted here that ill need to explore!