Routes in the Thame area

[Steam Pig]

I'm looking for some route ideas in the Thame area, suitable for both mtb and hybrid bikes, pereferably avoiding busy roads. looking at mainly longer, leisurely rides suitable for a newbie cyclist rather than anything too technically off road.

 

[mjr]

For the hybrid, it looks like there's an old railway line to Princes Risborough and quiet lanes into Oxford signposted as route 57, or the Icknield Way at Ickford signposted as the national byway almost to Milton Keynes. I don't know the area so I'm going on http://cycle.travel/map

 

[Globalti]

Here's what you need: modest cost, no batteries, fits in a jersey pocket and shows you the entire area at a glance: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/explorer-map-chiltern-hills-north.html

Look for white unclassified roads, geen dashed bridleways, green diamond BOATs and yellow minor roads. You'll be amazed at what's out there waiting for you.

 

[Steam Pig]

I han't thought of looking at a map,
I just wondered if anybody knew of any particularly suitable routes / places of interest / places to avoid etc.
The area is completely new to me, but our friend lives locally, knows the area but is not bike experienced.

 

[Globalti]

You live in the best mapped country in the world!

When I was a child in Chinnor I used to cycle along the Lower Icknield Way in summer, when the chalky clay wasn't sticky.

If I was you I would read up on old drove roads and packhorse routes; they are a fascinating part of our history and have fallen into disuse except by walkers and horse riders. They are fine for a mountain bike because the slope never exceeds what a loaded pony could manage. Every town, village and settlement was connected by a network of packhorse routes, most of which have now been relegated to footpath staus so you have no right to cycle on them.... although you may care to argue that that doesn't prohibit you from riding on them....

Old OS maps like this will give you an insight into the pre-motorised transport network of the area:

 

[mjr]

Old OS maps for that area are currently viewable online at http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-england-and-wales/oxfordshire.html

 

[morrisman]

As above the Phoenix Way is a very good traffic free route

http://www.chilternsaonb.org/ccbmaps/351/137/phoenix-trail.html

 

[Steam Pig]

Thanks for the input. Taking on-board your reccomedations and a bit of research online, I guess The Chilteerns are the obvious area to look at.
Out of interest how much of the route from Thame to Oxford is on road ie not dedicated cyclepath ?

 

[Steam Pig]

For the hybrid, it looks like there's an old railway line to Princes Risborough and quiet lanes into Oxford signposted as route 57, or the Icknield Way at Ickford signposted as the national byway almost to Milton Keynes. I don't know the area so I'm going on http://cycle.travel/map

That cycle travel map is excellent

 

[morrisman]

Thanks for the input. Taking on-board your reccomedations and a bit of research online, I guess The Chilteerns are the obvious area to look at.
Out of interest how much of the route from Thame to Oxford is on road ie not dedicated cyclepath ?

Most of it

The bit alongside the A418 is cyclepath, then it's on road the rest of the way.

 

[morrisman]

This is a better/more cycle path route to Oxford. The on road bits are all on fairly quite roads and the cycle paths are all good.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6880309

 

[steveindenmark]

Download Plotaroute and work your own off/ on road routes out.

 

[morrisman]

Download Plotaroute and work your own off/ on road routes out.

Or use any one of the online tools, I use RideWithGPS

http://ridewithgps.com