Hi Im trying to put together a decent south Chilterns ride.

I get up there from time to time but I dont know every path, my original route is this ->

Original Route

I’ve tried to improve it but I wondering if any one could give me some advice.

Improved Route

Basically I want to do as many good descent as possible.

Things I dont like.

1. Descents which just go straight down the hill. Ie the bridleway to the south of Stonor. In my opinion this is a complete waste of time yes its steep but its just straight down (I once sneakily used the footpath in Stonor Park this is a great descent in comparison but the gardener was there and I got in trouble).

2. Losing height so slowly it doesnt feel like your going down ie M40 though hailey wood this should be an up.

Things I do like.

1. Descents that make good use of the height by being wigggly. Ie footpath near Watlington Hill Road.

2. Anything that has a few stones (rare in Chilterns) ie Bridleway at back end of Hanger wood.

On my improved route I dont know the bit north of the M40 but someone suggested I try that bridleway is it worth it ? Any one know any better routes off the scarp side of the chilterns ? ie near Christmas common.

How does the Grim’s ditch descent compare to say the back end of Hanger wood (my favourite Chilterns descent) ?

Any other descents I should fit in ?

Any help/advice appreciated, thanks guys.

Ive been riding that area for over 20 years and have tried out loads of / most of the tracks.

Looking at your route there are some bits that can add some fun to it, mostly cheeky though. You skirt round some of my favorite bits and use road too much (which you have to do if you stick to Bridleways)

Lots of tracks that look rubbish on the map sometimes turn out to be really good. Ive also spent ages riding them in both directions to see what flows better – its not always obvious, but I agree, the better decents are not the steepest ones, they are over too soon. The less steep ones I find are way better.

I still find good bits to ride, even after 20 years. Loads in the other parts you mention.

If you fancy meeting up for a ride sometime Id be happy to swop my best bits for your best bits 🙂

Hi trimix,

Thats exactly the sort of advice/tracks Im looking for. To be fair Im just trying to use the road for ups and to move between locations quickly as some of my mates may struggle with that distance all off road.

I was planing to do a ride on Sunday morning with a few of my mates.

I dunno if your about then ?

Or my email is scu98rkr at gmail . com if you fancy emailing me a few tips.

Or MTB trails.info ->
MTBtrail.info
Is just waiting for someone with your experience to add a route :). You dont even need a GPX file can be built from hand best MTB route website I’ve come across.

Also whats you opinion on the down north of the M40 worth doing ?

The bits just to the north of the M40 are great, I normally use that as an opportunity to ride up and down the steep bits till my legs drop off,(dosent take long). But, its bloody good, then when Im good and knackered I finish off with some of the less steep trails to the east.

Ive ridden most of it between Ivinghoe in the NE and Newbury in the SW.

Im riding in the Chilterns tonight – are you free then ?

Email me if you like and I can list out some bits I like or arrange a ride.

as above, my area of expertise is north of the M40.

but i will remember your map, next time we venture to Watlington.

I’ve been learning a few routes north of Princes Risborough up to Ivanhoe Beacon – quite a lot of cheek. It was initially taught to me by the lovely BR off of here.
I agree about not losing all your height (what there is of it!) , too soon.I’ve been doing what Trimix has done -reading maps a lot,then I go and get lost.great fun – The Chilterns are highly underrated imo.

nice route btw – will use that for reference,rarely do south of the M40 these days.

Yeah should of done my exploring when I was a student. Tend to just explore the area’s close to me now ie Bowsey/Ashley hill.

When I do a big days ride in the Chilterns proper, Im normally leading a mates ride so I tend to stick to what I know. Explorings great but you do spend alot of time finding bad routes.

The drop down to the Turville road (to the left of Manor farm) is good fun.

And the Skirmitt/Convent BW is good as a descent.

Neither of these are epic descents in terms of height lost, but they’re cracking little blasts…

Thames path – Whitchurch to Goring
The swoop down out of Woodcote, along the edge of College Wood

EDIT: Not sure either of these will pass the “losing height so slowly it doesn’t feel like you’re going down” test. In which case I guess you need to be heading further north

Thames path – Whitchurch to Goring
The swoop down out of Woodcote, along the edge of College Wood

yeah these used to be on my circular route from Reading when I was student there.

Whitchurch to Goring is actually pretty good fun on a barmy summer evening.

And college wood is good on a dry day if you can get some speed up. Might actually have been more fun when bikes were’nt so good and it was harder to stay on at speed.

Can never seem to fit in such long evening rides now adays 🙁

The drop down to the Turville road (to the left of Manor farm) is good fun.

I’ve done the bridleway here which isnt a bad descent maybe I should try and route it in, but are you on about the footpath ?

looks like it follows the contours quite well, will try and route it in, good suggestions cheers br !:)

And the Skirmitt/Convent BW is good as a descent.

Yeah got this on my route, its a good descent can really get some speed. BR dunno if you’ve done the bridleway out of the back of Hanger wood ? Its pretty close and I reckon its the best descent in that part of the Chilterns even got some rocks (well large stones, ok pebbles really).

strava segment

It’s a bit futher south but the descent from Cookley green to the nature reserve can be a blast in good conditions. Simmilarly the Chiltern way just North of the Young Offenders is good but might not pass your gradient test.

There’s quite a lot of stuff South of Nettlebed but would take some exploring.

Mind you – not ridden there for almost 4 years so take advice with pinch of salt.

My faves:

Dame Alice descent
Convent (or Nuns Run) as mentioned
Young Offenders (from Park Corner)
and the one from the Oxfordshire Way down to the Stonor valley road

Cheers guys looking up the routes, will try to fit them in sometime.

I know quite alot of the stuff south of nettlebed from uni.

The stuff round Park corner is new to me.
I think i’ve seen people coming down Oxfordshire Way down to the Stonor valley road but never got round to it.

No idea what Dame alice descent is though ! 🙂

ta for info.

spotted dame alice farm on the OS map

Yeah its the bridleway from the top of Pishill down to Dame Alice farm

The descent of Grims Ditch from Nuffield all the way to Crowmarsh is both off limits due to being a footpath whilst also being one of the best descents in the area. Just be mindful of its status and when you ride it, not that I would advocate such behaviour…

Young Offenders & Dame alice 2 of my favourite descents in Chilterns, YOI is brilliant I just whoop and holler all the way down whilst pedalling like an absolute demon!

The descent of Grims Ditch from Nuffield all the way to Crowmarsh is both off limits due to being a footpath

The second (Western) part is bridleway, yes?

I’m glad I’m not the type of person to think that cancels out the FP.

(I’m bookmarking the hell out of this thread, keep it up!)

I always remember the Wellplace Zoo descent being really good, but I rode it recently and it was a bit poo. Maybe I just caught it on a good bluebell weekend.

Trimix has it.

The best way to get the most out of The Chilterns is to go cheeky.

I don’t have an OS map to hand so can’t give you grid refs.

For sure every now & then you meet someone who grumbles but TBH I just ignore them, the majority aren’t bothered.

I used to live in Chinnor. Miles of hidden and/or cheeky stuff thereabouts.

Too much road !!

I would suggest you MTFU and do the Stonor descent, then climb back up the road to Maidensgrove and do the Oxfordshire way descent into the nature reserve, turn right at the bottom and follow bridleways all the way through to Cookley Dean. From there you can get to the Dame Alice descent then take the ridgeway. Make your starting point be the carpark at Cowleaze Woods rather the Christmas Common.

The trails are har dand fast at the moment, this weekend should be good. I might see you around Sunday morning.

I would suggest you MTFU and do the Stonor descent

Hmm in a word No.

The stonor decent is a total waste of time, really dont like it at all.

If we could use the footpath through the estate it would be fine part of the route.

Dunno if there is a better route through balhams wood to the north, been in a couple of time and there always seem to be alot of machines and cut up tracks about.

Cheers everyone else for the advice plenty to think about.

Too much road !!

then climb back up the road to Maidensgrove

lol

Here’s mine from Freith. Not cheeky I dont think. Some road but not too much, trails are hard and fast right now, its an exhilerating spin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/217447183

Just started riding regularly in the Chilterns, agreed it would be nice if some of the descents were more twisty but thats the character of the area I think, Surrey Hills more trailcentrelike. Chilterns such a huge area, I just want to explore it.

edit – if you are using the roads to climb I think thats your problem. The off-road climbs on that route arent all lung busters, a fair few of them are lovely and gradual, you can ride them hard standing in the pedals…..more fun even than riding down them.

More fun to treat Stonor as a climb.

I’ll let you know when I ever clean it

More fun to treat Stonor as a climb.

I’ll let you know when I ever clean it

Could be a good idea would be hard though ! 🙂
One I normally climb is the bridleway up to ibstone common. Never managed to clean it as there is a big rut. What to try it as a down one day.

Cheers McBoo lots of that route I recognise. Some else has also put a similar one on MTBroutes.info.

Fingest Route

South Chilterns Page

You should put yours on there too much easier to read/remember when u have an OS map displayed.

Ok this was my attempt at a 3rd route ->

3rd Chilterns route

My thinking was add young offenders + dame alice as people seem to rate these.

However its just turned in a 42 mile roadfest. Need to think about what descents I really want and cut some out.

Need in

young offenders
dame alice
hanger wood
Convent/Hachett Wood
Ibstone Common/Bowlets Wood
Footpath near Watlington Hill

Maybe its not possible to include all the good down without turning the route into a real epic.

Back to the drawing board.

The week before last I tried Stonor as a climb, failed within sight of the top 🙁

Im riding a Transition Covert, uppy downy post, 1×10 CCDB and super tacky fat tyres (Overkill for the Chilterns I know)

Then last week with some mates to goad me on I did it, its amazing how an audience can force you to try harder.

Its a good challenge for sure, but as a decent in the daylight its all over too soon. In the dark its a bit better.

However, there is a good FP decent down from there just to the South of the BW, or continue South along the farm double track and into Hanging Wood. Then you pop out on the road and can climb back up to Maidensgrove Scrubs. (which is a blindingly brilliant decent)

scu98rkr – dont make it too long. Ive found my best routes are the ones that have steep challenging climbs and less steep but longer decents.

So much depends on conditions though, at the moment its dusty and dry. Last night was anyway.

You could factor in finishing at a pub for lunch – that will give you a time / goal to aim for. The pub at Maidensgrove is very good.

Cheers scu98rkr, I might have a go at that South Chiltern Sixes route on Sunday afternoon. It’s another 7km on mine so a good 45km spin, will report back.

Hey McBoo, that south chilterns Six’s is my route. There’s a few things Im not happy about with it so trying to improve. Which what this thread is about !

Obviously the ride down to Hambleden was just cos I was parked there no much need to do that bit unless your parked there.

As said not keen on the Stonor descent and I reckon the ibstone common climb should be a descent (mind it is an amazingly challenging climb).

I like the footpath descent by watlington hill though 🙂

This was my attempt at an improved route

improved route

still maybe not a bit too much road.

Rigth stop it now you lot, or the whole world will realise the Chilterns are great and it will end up like the Surrey hills 🙂

I put the Fingest loop up last night, but hadn’t had the chance to post a link here yet. I have some others with cheeky(ish) sections that I’ll add over the weekend as I get time, most are further south though. I think the best riding is just south of the M40.

So does anyone have a Garmin/gxp of the mother of all Chiltern XC routes?

I want to do something 40-50km, bit of road fine but lots of fast flowy forest runs up and down, and all or most of the must do downhills……

Show us what you’ve got?

Theres the Summit 100K route (65mile) they have it on Viewranger if you want to create an account u should be able to get the GPX.

if not get viewranger app download route and then convert on ur phone.

summit 65

I do think it misses some good stuff and obviously has to stick to bridleways

FYI tomorrow, September 16th, there will be road closures due to the Henley Triathlon, right the way through Christmas Common and up to the A40 by Stokenchurch tower.

http://www.challengehenley.com/content/bike

Steven