Cycling in Oxford and Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire's a great place to cycle - not too hilly, not too flat, peppered with the unexpected - from a magnificent Palace to a Maharaja's well, from stately homes to prehistoric stone circles, from a pioneering canal to ancient drovers' roads. Amid the rolling green countryside picturesque villages are dotted about, often sporting a village shop, tea room or pub to welcome and refresh you.

Just about everyone in Oxford rides a bike to explore those hidden, unexpected parts of the city - or just to get around. Bike lanes and commuter routes cut through the city's busy roads.

There are plenty of opportunities for bike hire in and around Oxford so you can explore Oxfordshire's countryside at your leisure. And most market towns have a cycle repair shop.

If you'd rather let someone else work out a route and navigate, you can take a guided cycle tour, either with Bainton Bikes or with Capital Sport. You might also get a helpful commentary.

Here are just a few suggestions for trips in the saddle:

Pub Trawl
Survey Oxfordshire's village pubs, maybe starting with the famous Perch at Binsey, the Trout at Wolvercote, the White Hart at Wytham, etc etc Public Houses are shown on OS Landranger maps as PH
Oxford's Secrets
Discover Oxford's 'secret' places like the Binsey Treacle Well, Godstow Nunnery and Bartlemas chapel by bike. Ask at the Oxford Tourist Information Centre if you don't know where these places are.
Oxford Canal
Ride up the Oxford Canal - you can get as far as Coventry. There are canal-side pubs and villages along the way. Look out for signs. Since the railway follows the line of the canal, you might take your bike on the train, cycle a section, and catch the train back. (Check first that you are allowed to take your bike on the train). But beware - the canal towpath does get very narrow in places.
Oxfordshire Churches
Many of Oxfordshire's churches are architectural gems. Dating back hundreds of years, they are often adorned by medieval wall paintings and carvings. At harvest festival time, Christmas and Easter, many have wonderful decorations of greenery, fruit and flowers and most are open to visitors. The Cotswold Churches Festival on 14th to 22nd May 2011 celebrates this unique heritage, with churches offering a warm welcome to visitors as well as refreshments, flower festivals, activities for children and the like. You can plan a cycle tour around them.

Other Cycling Suggestions
Follow the Hanson Way to Abingdon and Didcot or the Phoenix Trail from Thame to Princes Risborough or another Sustrans route. See the Insider's Blog for accounts of the Hanson Way (August 2009) and Phoenix Trail (October 2009).

Ride the The Ridgeway National Trail which lies to the south of Oxford. Mountain or dual purpose bikes are recommended as this ancient green road can be ploughed up by tractors.

Browse all the cycling routes from the link below.

You can trace the routes on roads or bridleways using the Ordnance Survey (OS) Landranger map No. 164 or use an Ordnance Survey (OS) Map to devise your own route. Pubs are marked on the map (PH). Landranger 164 covers most of Oxfordshire; the Explorer series 180, 170, 191 and 171 show more detail. There are also suggested cycling routes on the Oxfordshire Walk and Cycle website.

Bikes on Public Transport
Take your bike on the train (check first) to the Cotswolds - it's certainly the best way to see the area. Or take the Oxford Tube (2 bikes per bus) to Lewknor to explore the Chilterns.
The Oxford Bus Company's X90 Espress service takes bikes in their hold (no limit on numbers) if you'd like to cycle in London. This can be a very pleasant way to explore the capital. The Espress buses don't stop at Lewknor, however.

FYI: bridleways are rights of way for cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians. Footpaths are rights of way for pedestrians only.