Description
Chilterns Mountain Biking
The Chiltern Hills carry a wide mix of natural mountain bike riding across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, from woodland singletrack and chalk bridleways to a 280km off-road adventure route running right through the region. The terrain has a clay base and is very rooty, so it turns muddy and slippery in the wet months and rides best in drier weather. This is natural terrain that is not waymarked, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off. There is also downhill riding in the region. Check out Aston Hill Bike Park.
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Route Guides
- Cycling UK's Royal Chilterns Way is a 280km off-road adventure route through Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, including Henley-on-Thames, split into three loops with a free GPX download.
- MTBTrails.info has GPX guides for the South Chilterns starting from Hambleden, including South Chilterns Sixes and The Teeth of Fingest.
- Chilterns National Landscape has an interactive map covering walking and cycling routes across the region.
Gravel Riding
- The Chilterns is criss-crossed with bridleways and byways that suit gravel and adventure bikes alongside mountain bikes. Cycling UK's Royal Chilterns Way, above, is the standout example, running off-road through the region via Henley-on-Thames. The Ridgeway National Trail also runs through the region on rideable bridleway and chalk track, and organised gravel and MTB events such as the Chilterns Ridge Trail Ride take place across the wider area each year. Local operator Wild Cycles also runs guided gravel tours and self-guided routes in the Chiltern Hills.
Getting Here
Mill End Car Park, Skirmett Road, Mill End, Henley-on-Thames RG9 6TL is used as the reference point for this listing because it is the trailhead named in MTBTrails.info's South Chilterns route guides, above. This is a large, natural network spread across four counties with no single official hub, so treat this as one of many possible starting points rather than the only way in: plan your specific route and starting car park before you set off.
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- If you have visited the Chilterns MTB trails, please share your reviews, photos, and videos to this listing.