Recommended routes/hills in the Chilterns

[ChrisMCoupe]

Slightly out of my usual territory of the Surrey Hills, I'm planning a route into the Chilterns this weekend from the South (Wokingham direction). Having never been over the way, some good recommendations on routes or climbs to incorporate into my route would be much welcomed.

The plan is only a 100-110km route with a few climbs and back to Wokingham, so realise I can't explore the Chilterns to any great extent.

Thanks

[mikees]

Whiteleaf Hill - Princes Risborough
Wardrobes Lane - Loosely Row

Or this

http://cyclechilterns.co.uk/steepest-15-climbs-on-...

[z4RRSchris]

look at the Chiltern 100 sportive route.

[Herman Toothrot]

z4RRSchris said:

look at the Chiltern 100 sportive route.

Yes Wiggle Chiltern Classic gets most of them in, I rode there today getting in some of the steep ones.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1087693618

The best area to focus on is between Henley and the M40.

[anonymous-user]

https://maidenheadcc.org.uk/torture40

I bet you don't make it around first time. There's a challenge!

[g7jhp]

z4RRSchris said:

look at the Chiltern 100 sportive route.

This ^

I did the Chiltern 100 on Sunday. Well organised event.

Download the route maps from here under the maps tab.

[Vorix]

From the Wokingham direction you should head up to Twyford then Wargrave then you have some choices. If you want an in initial climb and descent to get you warmed up then head up Wargrave Hill to Crazies and then out to the top of Remenham Hill for the descent into Henley - with a clear run in the dry you should hit 45mph/70kmh down but slow for the junction at the bottom. alternatively head straight to Henley.
Through Henley i'd recommend heading up the Fair Mile out and then up towards Stonor where you can climb up Pishill towards Christmas Common. You can then head further across towards the M40 and drop down to the valley. Then head SE towards Watlington and climb back up either Howe Hill or Britwell. From there head back to Henley via Nettlebed.
To get back you can head back along the river through Remenham and Aston then back to the top of Remenham Hill then down to Warren Row for coffee and cake at Velolife.

[ChrisMCoupe]

Excellent suggestions thanks chaps, especially Vorix, sounds ideal. Velolife has already been incorporated into the route

[Rob_T]

using part of vortex's route, i would def take the climb up britwell hill then at top turn right and left towards christmas common, head down holloway lane, through turtle, fingest, down towards skirmett, up rotten row (hehe), chisbridge lane, left onto frieth road, back through fingest, up dolesden lane then down balhams lane, and head back out to henley on the B480 through middle assendon.

if you don;t like the route, you can come back for a refund...

[yellowjack]

ChrisMCoupe said:

Excellent suggestions thanks chaps, especially Vorix, sounds ideal. Velolife has already been incorporated into the route

I have followed the route back suggested by Vorix a number of times now, yet I don't even remember seeing Velolife. What the blazes am I doing wrong???

I checked Strava and it says I've ridden a few segments which pass Velolife five times each, the last time in May 2016. Is Velolife a new business, opened after May '16? Or do I just need to open my eyes and pay more attention to my surroundings?

[outnumbered]

Velolife moved to their current location in Warren Row sometime last year.

[yellowjack]

outnumbered said:

Velolife moved to their current location in Warren Row sometime last year.

So that would make sense then. It simply wasn't there yet when I last rode that way.

I tried to head that way yesterday. Plan was to cross the Thames between Aston and Mill End/Hambledon, do the "Torture 40", then head back via Velolife. Sadly, laundry day got in the way, and I left home later than planned. Plus I'm not sure my knees are up to the "Torture 40" hills just now, so I had a bit of a random explore west of Reading on bits of NCN 23, and NCN 4 along the Kennet & Avon canal, looking to avoid hills for a big chunk of the ride.

I'll probably head south today, so as to gain a bit of a tail-wind for the return half of the journey. I'm pretty sure the Chiltern Hills will still be there next week, and possibly even next month...