Im possibly visiting my lad in Oxford this weekend , he lives in the new headington area and am thinking of taking my/his bike. Is there much xc riding that side of Oxford ? What about Shotover estate ?

Shotover is ok for a quick blast -but you’ll ride around it twice in an hour.

Errrrr

Short answer is no.

Shotover won’t keep you interested for more than about 15 minutes!

I spent 5 years living in Oxford, mainly Headington, and have never ridden a bike as little as I did then. Would long to get out of Oxford just to go ride my bike…

Don’t have to travel too far for some riding though…

the ridgeway and white horse area is nice

so is there anywhere in rideable distance ?

Not really. I’m in Headington and always just stick the bike on the car and drive to the Chilterns. M40 junction 6 is less than 15 minutes away and there’s no shortage of good routes starting from there. Let me know if you want some route ideas.

Either along the M40 to the Chilterns, down the A34 to the Ridgeway or west into the Cotswolds.

ah I think y’all give shotover a bad rep…
I grew up in headington an now live in wales
came over to visit the folks and went up there today…
sure the downhills are mostly sub 30s
but its fast and dusty atm and there s some fun bits to be had
some new jumps up on horspath common since I was last there
maybe it was just a memory lane thing…..

Chilterns +1
There’s not really much close to the city – unless you’ve got a road bike 😉

The Ridgeway is just OK IMO: it gets really greasy if there’s been any rain. The Chilterns is my recommendation.

@pdw: I’d be interested to learn any routes that you’d care to share – I normally go out round Nettlebed.

i’d like chiltern routes too if poss please

cheers chaps.

Here’s a few:

20 miles from Watlington.

25 miles from Kingston Blount.

16 miles from Ibstone (ignore the missed turning!)

(Hit “Toggle Map Sizes” to see on a more useful OS map)

All three ridden clockwise.

I’d be interested to see any routes others have got.

I’d be interested to see any routes others have got.

The southern part of your Watlington route is very familiar to me – some good bits in there. There’s a nice little loop to extend that on the other side of the A4130 from there, but bikehike won’t let me post it…

knottie – have messaged you on FB.

pdw, cheers for posting those routes! Will be checking those out from Goring soon!

pdw – there’s only one way to ride Pyrton Hill and that’s as a descent!!

Or the cheeky footpath descent opposite it but only in the evening mind you!

It’s great as descent, but always seems to be over so quickly! And as a climb it’s more interesting than coming up the byway from Lewknor or the road to Christmas Common. Works both ways 🙂

+1 for nettlebed. MBR did a nice route out there a few years ago. I still love it. Not esp. taxing or technical, just darned good fun, in the wet or the dry. a fair number of good pubs, too! Have got many friends hooked on biking thanks to that route!

(I’m fairly sure that other, higher quality mags have also done routes there at some point!)

make sure you have a puncture repair kit though, I nearly always find thorns in my tyres! : (

I grew up in Headington ,but was a BMX’er then, still go down there quite often to visit family who live in Shotover so usually take the bike. Shotover OK for a mess around but try to go early\late to avoid all the walkers/families, I quite like the ‘cheeky’ run down into Risinghurst, just go and explore.

If you want a proper ride then you’ll need to drive.

I’m based 45 mins away in Tring – loads around here from the techy XC loop at Aston Hill to flat singletrack and good pubs around Ashridge, or traditional Chilterns rolling hills and chalky singletrack heading over towards Chequers.

Alternatively the Cotswolds start around Woodstock – not fantastic riding, but you can get a reasonable loop in.

Drop me a line if you want to know more.

pdw – you’ve got me worried now. 😯 The only folk I look out for are walkers on that track and they would have to be pretty daft to chance it! It’s a “must do” descent for mtb’ers.