Hilly – Cycle routes in and around Oxfordshire

Let’s Cinnamon Roll

Distance: 74km, altitude: 678m

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31027415

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Bakergirl. So in due course I will need to check out their cinnamon rolls.

One-and-a-half Brill

Distance: 60km, altitude: 496m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30251520

Because just Brill is not good enough.

Anouk’s Yurt 95

Distance: 95km, altitude: 877m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30011716

Anouk fancied a different stop, and Google came to the rescue. Turns out you can have coffee/cake/lunch in a YURT! Anouk made the route, I made one edit and managed to add a bit of my signature shitty gravel road to the route. I just love CX.

The stop is early on in the ride, so ideal for breakfast! Or a late start, with early lunch.

Charlbury and the White Horse Century

Distance: 162km, altitude: 1323m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29739312

When you are planning a (imperial) century, but want to go to the Old Shed, so have to loop-round just to make sure your cafe legs don’t kick in too early.
This ride includes one of my favourite hills out of Charlbury (twice) and the hill I hate most (Dragon Hill/White Horse). At least I managed to get to the top without touching the floor last time.

Hilly Brill

Distance: 47km, altitude 474m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29642575

Short dash to Brill, with some additional hills on the way and back.

Cog Cafe and Phoenix Trail

Distance: 133km, altitude: 1277m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29624905

This route takes in Brill, to warm you of for some more bumps on the way to the Chilterns. The return journey follows the Phoenix Trail, an abandoned train track, which is partially paved, and partially crushed limestone. When riding it early April, it was absolutely fine on a road bike. It may proof more of a challenge in the winter.

Chilterns 110 [reverse]

Distance: 111km, 934m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29156526

This route is the reverse (how did you guess) of Chilterns 110. I wanted to ride the original route in the winter, but as my winter bike (CX bike with road tyres) didn’t have the gearing to do steep climbs, I decided to go the other way round. I refer to this alternative as “the easy way round”.

Chilterns 110

Distance: 111km, altitude: 933m

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29156547

Credit for this route should go to Matt Wicks. If I remember correctly this route was born out of a discussion amongst volunteers for the traffic count on Aston Hill (required to be able to host the Condors’ hill climb here). Cycling out to Aston Hill, and posting on Strava would lift the cloud of mystery surrounded the new location of the hill climb. Cycling out, and not posting on Strava is of course a big no-no, so a route was born taking in all of the best climbs in the Chilterns.

Turville Heath via Aston Hill

Distance: 69km, altitude: 632m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28960000

Who doesn’t like Aston Hill? After climbing the Chilterns for a second time you can reward yourself with a delicious bacon bap at the Barn at Turville Heath.
This route has a tricky descend, see the Ride-with-GPS link for more details.

It’s Christmas (Common) all the time

Distance: 126km, altitude: 1376m.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27654394

Fancy taking in some hills? This goes one better than hill-reps. If I am not mistaken, this does not follow the same stretch of road twice (at least not in the same direction), but does tackle the Christmas Common from all directions.
This route includes a tricky descent, see Ride-with-GPS for details.