A point-to-point ride from Islington to Oxford through the Chiltern Hills: about 124 km with roughly 1,300 m of climbing, finishing at Oxford railway station. The first half is a steady escape north-west out of London, and the second half is where most of the climbing is.
Where it goes
You head north through Holloway and Highgate to Finchley, then climb to Mill Hill and roll west through Elstree and past Aldenham towards Watford and Rickmansworth. After crossing the Colne valley the route climbs into Buckinghamshire through Chalfont St Peter and Jordans to Beaconsfield, then drops to the Thames at Cookham. A short climb over Winter Hill brings you down to Marlow and across the river on the town's suspension bridge.
From Marlow the route climbs into the Chilterns proper, drops into the Hambleden valley near Fingest and Turville, climbs out, dips again to Stonor and then makes the long climb to the ride's high point, about 240 m, near Christmas Common. From there it's a fast descent off the escarpment to Watlington, then a flat 25 km across the Oxfordshire plain through Chalgrove and Stadhampton and past Garsington into Oxford.
The hard bits
- Mill Hill (km 11–15): about 80 m, with a steeper section near 8%.
- Out of Marlow (km 72–80): a long climb of over 100 m in stages.
- Out of the Hambleden valley (km 84–86): about 105 m in 2 km, steepening to around 10%.
- Stonor to the top of the Chilterns (km 90–97): about 140 m, mostly steady, and the last real climb.
Planning
There are plenty of towns for food in the first 70 km, with Rickmansworth, Beaconsfield and Marlow all on the route. The Chiltern section after Marlow is quieter, with small villages, so top up in Marlow before the hills. The Chiltern lanes are narrow, sunken in places and often muddy and leafy in autumn and winter. Late spring to early autumn is the best time, and the beech woods look great in spring and autumn.
Weather: this ride heads west-north-west, so the prevailing south-westerly usually comes at you from the front left as a crosswind or quartering headwind for much of the day. On the flat, open run from Watlington to Oxford there's nowhere to shelter from it, and a strong one can make the last 25 km drag. The descent off the escarpment to Watlington is steep, so take it carefully in the wet.