The Oxfordian

A fast gravel route from London to Oxford.
Long, flowing sections along the Thames Valley, broken up by a single push through the Chilterns before dropping into the city.

One of the most direct and rideable gravel routes out of London, with a downloadable GPX for easy navigation.

Ride Details

• Ride Level: Blue - Intermediate
• Distance: 133 km / 83 miles
• Terrain: Natural, gravel, cycle paths and single track (60% off-road)
• Bike: Gravel/CX or mountain bike
• Includes: GPX file and printable Ride Guide

The Route

Starting at Clapham Junction the route follows the Thames towpath to Kew, where it crosses the river to pick up the Grand Union Canal at Brentford. The canal winds through the endless swathes of suburbia until reaching the Colne river.

Did you know there's a nature reserve under the M4/M25 junction? Neither did I. The area's reassuringly scruffy as you ride into Colnbrook: look left and there, amidst a scrap yard, is a forlorn mill dating from the 1600s. The High Street is, of course, the old Bath Road, home to two coaching inns with a history worth stopping for (more on that below).

On past Slough, which isn't as bad as Betjeman portrays, as Windsor Castle hoves into view with a chance to wave at the King. This part of the ride stays flat as the route follows NCR4 around Dorney Lake, the site of the 2012 Olympic rowing events.

From Bray the route follows a network of wide, sweeping gravel paths, making for some fast, exhilarating riding as you cross the Thames on the picturesque bridges at Sonning.

After Sonning the route turns away from the river and starts to climb. This is where the ride finds its legs: a network of bridleways and byways carries you up through beech forest, the kind of gravel that makes the earlier towpath miles feel like a warm-up. The first real climb comes around mile 48, a steady pull onto the ridge to briefly join the Ridgeway near Watlington.

From there it's a long, gentle drop back down through more beech woodland and quiet field-edge tracks into the Thames Valley, rejoining the river for the run into Oxford.

The Oldest Pub in England (Allegedly)

The Ostrich Inn at Colnbrook has been serving travellers on the old Bath Road since 1106, which makes it, depending on who you ask, the oldest pub in England. What's not in dispute is its history: in the 14th century, the story goes, the landlord fitted a trap door under the best bed in the house, tipping sleeping guests into a cauldron of boiling water below and relieving them of their belongings. Ask at the bar about the restless spirits said to still wander the dining room.

Along the Way

27 miles: Windsor Castle

Finish

Finish at Oxford Station, ideally with enough daylight left for a pint before the train home.

Start and End Points

Start: Clapham Junction
Finish: Oxford Station

Ride Details

• Distance: 133 km | 83 miles
• Climb: 715 m | 2300 ft
• Percentage off-road: 60%
• Trail surface: Natural | Gravel | Cycle Paths | Single Track
• Technical Grade: Blue - some challenging sections
• Mudometer - Difficult, stretches aside ploughed fields - definitely a dry Summer ride.

Is this ride for me?

At 133km this is one of our longer Blue routes. Expect five to six hours in the saddle for most riders, more if you stop in Windsor or Sonning along the way. The climbing stays gentle until the push through the Chilterns near Watlington, nothing technical, just a proper effort. Treat it as a full day out rather than something to rush.

Read more about our grades here.

Is my bike OK for this ride?

The route is best completed on a gravel/CX bike or a mountain bike.