Cycling Chilterns, High Wycombe, Marlow, Thame, Oxford, Abingdon

A weekend of cycling in the Chilterns offers a serious test in the saddle alongside some of the most rewarding scenery in southern England. Two circular routes from a base near Stokenchurch take in Thame, High Wycombe, Marlow, Oxford and Abingdon, mixing tough climbs with flat country lanes and long, fast descents.

The Base

Cadmore End, about two miles from Stokenchurch, makes a practical starting point. It is a small settlement with no shops and only a handful of houses, plus one other pub about a mile away. The nearest alternative for eating out is Stokenchurch.

Accommodation was arranged at a pub, restaurant and hotel in Cadmore End, which has a block of rooms at the rear. The menu leans towards Indian food but offers a good choice of other dishes. The rooms were a little dated and could do with modernising, though the owner and staff were friendly and welcoming throughout the stay. With so little else in the village, dinner each evening was taken at the hotel.

Planning the Routes

The first day’s route came from Great British Bike Rides: 40 Classic Routes for Road Cyclists, a collection of circular road routes. The Chilterns ride in the book runs to 83 miles; cycling to and from the hotel added another seven.

The second day was planned by a member of the group using MapMyRide and several Ordnance Survey maps, producing a shorter circular route towards Oxford and Abingdon.

Both days were navigated with OS Landranger sheets 175 (Reading and Windsor), 165 (Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard) and 164 (Oxford). A handlebar-mounted GPS unit proved its worth, allowing the group to keep moving without stopping to check paper maps and reducing the chance of wrong turns.

The group rode mountain bikes with road tyres and one cyclocross bike. The surfaces are mainly road, with a couple of short bridleway and track sections and a stretch of the Phoenix Trail.

Day One: A 90-Mile Loop

The longer of the two routes was saved for the first day, ridden clockwise. Rain made for a wet start. The route was picked up south of Cadmore End with the tough climb at Gussetts Wood, then looped north towards Stokenchurch.

It was a fine day out: hard climbs balanced by plenty of flat country lanes and wide views. The group split in the afternoon, with two riders following the exact route via High Wycombe and Marlow towards the end of the day. The remaining rider took a slightly less hilly final ten miles back to the hotel on quiet roads and through villages running parallel to the M40, crossing the motorway back and forth perhaps seven or eight times.

Despite the split, all six riders reached the hotel at much the same time, around 7.30pm, arriving from various directions.

Day Two: Oxford and Abingdon

The second day followed an anti-clockwise loop from Cadmore End via Bledlow Ridge, the Phoenix Trail, Thame, the southern suburbs of Oxford, Abingdon and Wallingford, before returning to Cadmore End.

Bledlow Ridge brings a tough climb followed by a fantastic descent. The Phoenix Trail, a traffic-free path between Princes Risborough and Thame, provides a gentler interlude. Abingdon is a lovely town and well worth a return visit.

Mechanical trouble struck near Thame when the front brakes failed. The clip, which resembles a hairpin, had become displaced or broken, producing a horrible clicking sound as it rubbed against the disc. The cause was never established, but the bike had to be walked back into Thame, where a local cycle shop did a great job of replacing the clip and pads.

The rest of the group was caught up with later, after they had taken a wrong turn, and the ride finished together. The closing miles included a really tough climb on road and then track near Ibstone, only a few miles from Cadmore End.

What to Expect

This is a demanding trip. The first day features some hard climbs, and the distances mean two long days in the saddle. The rewards are considerable: great scenery and a succession of delightful villages. The Chilterns deserve their reputation as a place to ride and explore, and anyone planning a similar weekend should give the area a try.