Oxford routes

jonnyboy66uk

Hey all,

Just got myself a new trek ex8 and am looking for some new routes in and around oxfordshire.. getting a bit bored of hitting the ridgeway all the time!

Really interested in the more technical stuff..

Thanks

scale20

I work down that way during the week. I did put a post up ages ago but got no replies.

Be good to get some good routes down there.

KonaKurt

To be honest, I don't think that Oxfordshire is well known for any technical trails. Maybe a few short ones near Chinnor/Christmas Common or towards Brill Hill, near me.

I often just hop on a train into the Chilterns and ride there.

KK.

stomith

The trouble with this area is the distinct lack of things made of stone and large up and downy bits. My ridgeway climb is only ~120 metres at best and the 'downs' tend to go down rather than along.

The technical trails, which are few and far between are often just mud and roots, or worse...long grass and 4x4 channels.

I know of a couple of "sections" (not quite routes) that would constitute 'bloody good fun', tricky or interesting...but nothing around here with 80 miles that would qualify as 'technical'. (Not including the Christmas Common area of the Chilterns as it is next on my list (Have map in hand))

I get in the car...drive 2 hours over to Wales and do something likes White Level if I want 'Technical'. But then - I have an irrational addiction to Afan Forest

For your reference - I'm sat just under the Ridgeway too, in Wantage.

Best tip I can give it to use the Ridgeway to find those litte gems...and they are out there.

weeksy59

stomith wrote:

The trouble with this area is the distinct lack of things made of stone and large up and downy bits. My ridgeway climb is only ~120 metres at best and the 'downs' tend to go down rather than along.

The technical trails, which are few and far between are often just mud and roots, or worse...long grass and 4x4 channels.

I know of a couple of "sections" (not quite routes) that would constitute 'bloody good fun', tricky or interesting...but nothing around here with 80 miles that would qualify as 'technical'. (Not including the Christmas Common area of the Chilterns as it is next on my list (Have map in hand))

I get in the car...drive 2 hours over to Wales and do something likes White Level if I want 'Technical'. But then - I have an irrational addiction to Afan Forest

For your reference - I'm sat just under the Ridgeway too, in Wantage.

Best tip I can give it to use the Ridgeway to find those litte gems...and they are out there.

See thread in 'Rides' section.

there's literally miles and miles of both good, tricky and techincal stuff less than 35 mins riding from Wantage

valheru

There are some really good routes in the Chilterns - around Fingest/Ibstone Common, as well as Christmas Common.

I tend to plan my route in www.bikehike.co.uk, looking for interesting BWs - then go and ride them, sometimes they are good sometimes not. This slowly builds up a route around the interesting BWs.

You can definitely find some 'Red' technical descents, though if you are looking for 'Black' stuff, then Wales is probably your nearest destination!

borntobemild

This isn't a bad route in the Chilterns. Mix of on and off road but quite hard work.

You can always stop and watch the red kites

http://www.chilternsaonb.org/place_deta ... siteID=154

stomith

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3284201

The lines cross on the pretty picture, so the direction of travel is...

Start at Sainsburys in Wantage (free parking)...
Passes thru the Market Place
Leaving Town via Newbury Street and then going right at lights down Ormond Road
At the end of this straight section there is a lane angled at 45 degrees from the road. Follow that lane up past the scout hut/air training corps and thru the bollards.
At the end go uphill (right) for 50 yards and then take the left through the attractive houses in Springfiled Rd.
At the end of Springfield - go left back down the hill for 75 yards and take the wide footpath on the right. Its long and straight for a mile and then joins a road.
Follow the road round to the right and then on the next left bend, you bear straight on, ,straight through the farm ...up, up and up a bit more. Follow you nose here heading 'up'.
Approaching the 4 mile marker, you'll want to head 'up' the grassy field in front of you (not the left - which is your return path)
Alternatively, take the easier path to the left, then join the tarmac and go up the hill and then join the track at the top by bearing left. It should all be uphill.
Either way, at the top, go left along the Ridgeway.
Following the Ridgeway either on the flat or up hill slightly...at 6.25 miles, you're looking for a left turn just past the trees. There is a signpost on the right hand side, pointing left. It will look like the edge of a field as that's exactly what it is.
You're now on the top of the Treacle Pits, it's fast single track downhill and you lose a fair chunk of height here.
At West Ginge - you can chop a whole tarmac section & grass track by heading North toward the 10 mile marker.
From 11 mile marker to ~13.5 it's tarmac and a long steady climb, back on to the Ridgeway.
14 miler is a downhill gravel track. It's fast BUT it can be devilishly dangerous at the bottom as sand seems to build up there and at pace...it ain't funny.
15-16 is hard work singletrack uphill. Don't try and race this, just plod. It steepens as you progress.
Once at the top...the pace picks up and you approach the silly stuff
You'll speed through some very fast compacted path in the woods. Just stick to the used path...even if the underused seems to be the natural route. These are Bluebell Woods and like many others - present a stunning blue carpet in Spring.
At the end....join the road..for 100yds and then peel off to the left as the road goes to the right.
Spin across the field and join the track directly in front...pace should be 'potent' by now.
Find the left turn into the woods. It's not far along at all.
Another 100 yds or so...the trees clear briefly...then you dip into Old Street proper. This track has a very strange feeling about it and it is FAST. It can also catch you out. njoy.
Right at the end...after swearing loudly (unless you were lucky) the sharp turn and little incline leaves you at a T junction. (There are usually sheep in the field directly in front of you, on the hillside - I can see them on Google!) Go left at that T junction...and bear right when the 'sharp left' appears. Very soon after that junction with the sharp left...you need to be looking for the left turn. It is quite a sharp left turn and rolls off 'down' and away from the track you were on. You have to find this track If you skip all the rest...FIND THIS TRACK! This trail is best attempted FAST. New swear words are made on this little trail. Just when you think you've got the right line.....doh!
The silly bit tails off, you cross the road and head upwards. Your landmark (The A34) is over on your right.
Follow up the hill and rejoin the ridgeway. It is slow and steady from the sillyness.
Tip Here: At the road (19 mile marker)...go left and follow the road up the hill and dooooown the hill into West Ilsley. Just glide straight through the village as the PUB is on the same road, but other end of village.
To rejoin the Ridgeway...just past the pub in a gravel lane leading of on the right hand side at 45 degrees to the road. Stick to the white/chalky gravel until it turns into grass. These are gallops leading back up to the ridgeway to the 22 mile marker.
22 to 24 miles in along the Ridgeway...nice and simple.
When you pass by your 5 mile marker... you should be on the lower of the two paths. Or - you could do the grassy track downhill from the Ridgeway.
Either way, markers 4 & 25 take you alongside the gallops. Only this time - you'll need to find the left turn onto a straight track (It's on the slope)
Down that track and turn right at the end.
This is a 1.5 miles of straight track, down & rutted, along the grassy ruts and up and over the shingle trail.
The rest is just bringing you back to Sainsburys.

28.2 miles

You should be able to average ~8-10 miles per hour. 2-5 miles are optional. It was still not too bad tonight in terms of strength. We've just not had any rain properly for months, so everything is holding together quite nicely.

I hope it is of some help to someone.

When I get some proper time...I'll break this into 10-20 milers, try to use Sainsburys as a kick off point.....and I'll keep searching for those little gems. Also will work out how to use my Memory Map s/ware.

Sorry for syntax & grammar. tired.

KonaKurt

Wantage is a great place to be if you ask me. As well as the Ridgeway itself, there are quite alot of interesting trails leading away from it in all directions. Some especially interesting and challenging ones lead to the south around Lambourne. Have fun!

Half the fun is discovering trails in unexpected places.

KK.

ride_whenever

some rather tasty technical stuff at shotover, it's small but rather dense. Fantastically difficult technical climbs as well.

singletrack mind

Hi there,

I've been going over to Bracknell for most weekends for a ride - there are some pretty tech sections that can be ridden in the wet easily and i'll happily show ya around as they can be hard to find - no proper trail maps.

Aston Hill (nr Wendover) is tech but a bit dodgy in the wet sometimes due to all the chalk but it's good fun in the dry or when it's frozen. It's more for DH (5 DH runs and only 1 XC course) but there are some good climbs on the XC course that you can link to from the end of the DH runs.

I tend to ride most weekends at Bracknell if you wanted to arrange something?

forgotrafe

There's the croft MTB trail in Swindon. Obviously not Oxfordshire, but it's not that far and the wife can drop you off whilst she goes shopping at the outlet centre

http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/

Otherwise get an OS map and go exploring around the Ridgeway. There are some downhill sections in Badbury Clumps (near Faringdon).

stomith

Free Car Park, 23km, 40% tarmac (5% A road), 35% grass/mud trails, 5% sticky mud, 15% gravel track, 5% grass/mud field.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3307217


Got some memory map htm pages&jpg for this stuff...but not sure what to do with them.....yet

forgotrafe

stomith register www.mbwantage.co.uk and do as I have with www.mbwantage.co.uk?

Joking aside, give me a shout if you're interested. I spent over 10 years in Grove and am only 10 miles away now.

stomith

For my next little trip i was going to plot the Wantage <> Abingdon route

...and...

The Wantage > White Horse > Canal Path > Wantage (trying to pop in Betjemin Park just to promote it).

I'm still undecided where to go tomorrow morning...I'm stuck between that forest in Bracknell (outlook or somin), the Chilterns or Wales.

Decisions, decisions.

stomith

forgotrafe

10 miles in which direction did you move?

I'd be keen to probe your memory about any local routes. The "same old" can be a demotivator and i don't need any more of those

forgotrafe

stomith

I must have been drunk or something... I meant register www.mbwantage.co.uk and do as I have with www.mbswindon.co.uk Sorry first attempt must have read like gibberish.

I've moved to Watchfield, which is between Faringdon & Swindon on the A420. It's still in Oxfordshire & indeed VoWH - shame neither really respect that, we get a rough deal being tucked away in a corner, but that's a different story!

I didn't cycle when I lived in Grove, only recently got back into it. But I did do a lot of greenlaning in my old land rover before the Ridgeway was closed off so know lots of lanes around there. Best advice I can give is to, if you haven't already, get a 1:25,000 OS map of the area and look for anything with RUPP/Byway/Bridelway/Restricted Byway/UCR status as you can legally ride any of them.

Have you been on a ride with Ridgeway Cycles in Wantage? They might help improve your local knowledge.

stomith

Ridgeway Cycles? ...I've been in there twice today, so yes - they know me very well and vice verca. They are my LBS seeing as I live within a few hundred yards of them.

I have worn my OS map out, but I do get your point. I tend to pick a route and follow it until something catches my eye and I do that "Shall I", "Can I", "Is anyone watching" kind of thing. I think that is why Bracknell Forest is so appealing..it just oozes those tracks that go off in every direction, all the time...it is too easy to just follow your nose for ever. (Well, let's face it...It's not the inclines or terrain that sells it - That would be where Wales comes in).

Haven't been out with the one person in Ridgeway Cyc that goes out regularly, but we do seem to pass each other quite often..and I do talk a lot when in the shop. I think there is a different motive, pace and ability between me and 'him' and I don't want to get cold waiting for him.

Note to self: Order new titanium impregnated, teflon coated OS map.

stomith

Whenever I talk about biking on here...I get REALLY itchy feet and want to go out. Thursday night was a scream on the Ridgeway...It is so muddy! Loooooovely!

I discovered I can go faster when I can't see anything (Glasses were plastered in mud and thrashed with rain).

On my two trips to the bike mender man today....I swear I was almost horizontal at one point, for a brief moment. Windy, is a gross understatement.

Bums! I'm going to clean a bike to get my 'fix'.