Author Topic: Quiet route into Oxford from West.  (Read 11131 times)

Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« on: 22 April, 2021, 06:28:25 pm »
Anyone know one please?  I tried riding in via Botley but it was horrendous.


Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #2 on: 22 April, 2021, 06:44:32 pm »
Ta  :thumbsup:

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #3 on: 22 April, 2021, 06:44:49 pm »
If you ask cycle.travel it takes you in on a more northerly route, via Eynsham and Wolvercote then down NCN5.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Chris S

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #4 on: 22 April, 2021, 06:49:03 pm »
Must depend on the time of day, the Poor Student and Dean both return via Botley. What was "horrendous" - the traffic?

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #5 on: 22 April, 2021, 07:05:35 pm »
Actually, having checked the map it was Swinford and Eynsham road to Botley.  IIRC by Botley it wasn't too bad. Those earlier bits were too narrow for cars to overtake and we ended up with huge queues behind us. Keep having to stop to let them pass.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #6 on: 22 April, 2021, 07:09:24 pm »
The route marked 8a is about the quietest although Willow Way and Oatlands Park is prone to flooding. It also comes past my front door....

Botley Road is always congested although there is a bus lane for a lot of the way in. There’s also several roadworks along it at the moment which makes it worse.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #7 on: 22 April, 2021, 07:14:59 pm »
Actually, having checked the map it was Swinford and Eynsham road to Botley.  IIRC by Botley it wasn't too bad. Those earlier bits were too narrow for cars to overtake and we ended up with huge queues behind us. Keep having to stop to let them pass.

You can avoid some of that road if you turn right at the mini roundabout in Farmoor and come through Cumnor. But the Swinford part is horrendous.

Where are you starting from? If you come via Witney I’d come down the A415 and then turn left just before Kingston Bagpuss and come in via Appleton

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #8 on: 22 April, 2021, 07:19:16 pm »
Actually, having checked the map it was Swinford and Eynsham road to Botley.  IIRC by Botley it wasn't too bad. Those earlier bits were too narrow for cars to overtake and we ended up with huge queues behind us. Keep having to stop to let them pass.
That road is basically the rat-run that avoids the A40 on the way out of/into Oxford. There's not really any good alternative as far as I'm aware.  Once you get to Botley it all gets wider and traffic starts limiting itself. The Cumnor road involves more climbing and is a similar sized road, and there's a giant gap then until you get to the A420.

What's the A40 like at the moment?  I've ridden along the cycle path there and while the road is always busy the path wasn't too bad.

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #9 on: 22 April, 2021, 08:49:39 pm »
Thankyou everybody


Where are you starting from? If you come via Witney I’d come down the A415 and then turn left just before Kingston Bagpuss and come in via Appleton

Starting from Stroud, coming through Lechlade, then picking up lanes through Clanfield and Bampton. We headed NE after Stanton Harcourt...so I guess we could head SE from there to avoid that hell route.

Anyway, whole purpose is to ride our fixies to Dosa Junction near the station, have a biryani then ride back.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #10 on: 22 April, 2021, 09:06:56 pm »
I've always gone Cumnor, Cumnor Hill (past Cumnor Rise Road  :D) then Botley.  No problem but it's generally been about 9am at a weekend.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #11 on: 22 April, 2021, 10:30:32 pm »
IMO, the quietest route from Bampton is up Buckland hill, then Gainfield, Longworth, Appleton, down Cumnor hill into Botley, but that probably adds 5km, compared to Eynsham- B4044 into Botley.  I think if I was going to be on the Eynshan Rd B4044 farmoor to Botley at a very busy time,  I might go south on the A415, Standlake, over Newbridge (Rose Revived) and then through Appleton.  A415 can be busy e.g. w/e lunchtimes etc, and vehicles can't pass cyclists up the hill, so sometimes a queue might form for a bit.  You could go via Eynsham, see how busy Swinford Toll to Farmoor is (I take the lane through the double solid white line section), then if necessary divert up Cumnor hill through Cumnor, and down into Botley, having worked up slightly more of an apetite.  If B4044 is not too busy, perhaps just sprint it into Botley.   :)
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #12 on: 22 April, 2021, 11:08:17 pm »
I've got an authorised 200k DIY by GPS that goes from Inchbrook to Oxford station and back.

So the route has detours you wouldn't like. Tetbury, Malmesbury, Fairford, Bampton, Buckland, cross the A420 to Charney Bassett, then cross back to Longworth, Appleton, Cumnor, down Cumnor Hill to Botley and have fun along there.

The most exciting thing was being pointed at by a local in a cafe in Brampton, then he got hit by a car as he crossed the road without looking. (Voodoo dolls are very handy on DIY Audaxes)
It is simpler than it looks.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #13 on: 23 April, 2021, 05:44:28 am »
IMO, the quietest route from Bampton is up Buckland hill, then Gainfield, Longworth, Appleton, down Cumnor hill into Botley, but that probably adds 5km, compared to Eynsham- B4044 into Botley. <snip>

That would be my choice as well.

Geriatricdolan

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #14 on: 23 April, 2021, 07:39:38 am »
How about north west?

This was fine up to Oxford... the way out of it was a bit shit

https://www.strava.com/activities/2302672082

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #15 on: 23 April, 2021, 09:00:25 am »
How about north west?

This was fine up to Oxford... the way out of it was a bit shit

https://www.strava.com/activities/2302672082
Oh yah, Banbury road. I always preferred Woodstock Road, my college being sandwiched between the two as a student. As busy as Banbury, but the surface won't remove your teeth! Then go along the Ring Road to the Banbury Rd roundabout for Kidlington - it's a 30 mph limit with two lanes in that direction, in fact I once got speed gunned there :thumbsup:

If you really want a quiet route to the North West head off into Port Meadow and go up the Thames path. Bumpy, but doable on a road bike, at least in nice weather. And it's only about as bumpy as Banbury Road... or maybe the canal path, but I never went that far up it.

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #16 on: 23 April, 2021, 11:04:59 am »
Bampton, Buckland hill, Gainfield, Longworth, Appleton, but when you get to the mini roundabout in Cumnor I wouldn't then go left down the hill because you end up in Farmoor and still have the horrible section into Botley.  Instead turn right at the Cumnor roundaobout and carry on up the hill bearing left at the top.  Then you can go down the hill into Botley (very fast).  Its a nice route - I do it all the time.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #17 on: 23 April, 2021, 11:34:49 am »
Going out to the north was always worst - I was always passing through on my way up to Bedford.  After Summertown* there is one of those totally substandard pavement bike paths where you face instant death at any one of about 50 driveways and side streets.  And if you ride on the road, some twunt will pass closely while telling you to get on the fricking cyclepath

*hipster central
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #18 on: 23 April, 2021, 06:32:19 pm »
Bampton, Buckland hill, Gainfield, Longworth, Appleton, but when you get to the mini roundabout in Cumnor I wouldn't then go left down the hill because you end up in Farmoor and still have the horrible section into Botley.  Instead turn right at the Cumnor roundaobout and carry on up the hill bearing left at the top.  Then you can go down the hill into Botley (very fast).  Its a nice route - I do it all the time.

Yep.  Officially "Cumnor Hill" is the road from Cumnor village straight down into Botley, and the road from Cumnor down to Farmoor is Cumnor Rd / Tumbledown Hill, but also known sometimes/unofficially as 'Cumnor Hill'.    :)
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #19 on: 23 April, 2021, 07:07:04 pm »
Bampton, Buckland hill, Gainfield, Longworth, Appleton, but when you get to the mini roundabout in Cumnor I wouldn't then go left down the hill because you end up in Farmoor and still have the horrible section into Botley.  Instead turn right at the Cumnor roundaobout and carry on up the hill bearing left at the top.  Then you can go down the hill into Botley (very fast).  Its a nice route - I do it all the time.

Yep.  Officially "Cumnor Hill" is the road from Cumnor village straight down into Botley, and the road from Cumnor down to Farmoor is Cumnor Rd / Tumbledown Hill, but also known sometimes/unofficially as 'Cumnor Hill'.    :-)

Unless you’re an estate agent in which case it refers to the area between Botley and Cumnor :-)


And for those of you who like to go down Cumnor Hill “very fast” as of this week we have a 30mph speed limit.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #20 on: 23 April, 2021, 07:47:24 pm »
Tripping the speed camera at the bottom was always a highlight.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #21 on: 26 April, 2021, 09:48:21 am »
Tripping the speed camera at the bottom was always a highlight.
I never managed the damn thing! I swear I went through it at 40 mph once...

And for those of you who like to go down Cumnor Hill “very fast” as of this week we have a 30mph speed limit.
Good news is that speed limits don't apply to pedal cyclists anyway, only applying to motorised vehicles (not including legal e-bikes). I went into a 20 limit at north of 40 yesterday, before prudently slowing down for the upcoming bend.  :thumbsup:

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #22 on: 26 April, 2021, 10:57:07 am »
Tripping the speed camera at the bottom was always a highlight.
I never managed the damn thing! I swear I went through it at 40 mph once...

And for those of you who like to go down Cumnor Hill “very fast” as of this week we have a 30mph speed limit.
Good news is that speed limits don't apply to pedal cyclists anyway, only applying to motorised vehicles (not including legal e-bikes). I went into a 20 limit at north of 40 yesterday, before prudently slowing down for the upcoming bend.  :thumbsup:

Just because you can doesn't always mean you should...

HTFB

  • The Monkey and the Plywood Violin
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #23 on: 26 April, 2021, 02:42:14 pm »
Actually, having checked the map it was Swinford and Eynsham road to Botley.  IIRC by Botley it wasn't too bad. Those earlier bits were too narrow for cars to overtake and we ended up with huge queues behind us. Keep having to stop to let them pass.
There was a campaign to get a cyclepath built alongside this road, the B4044, but it doesn't seem to have come to anything. A shame. It's quite unnecessarily horrible.

From Lechlade you might want to head a bit more southerly, cross the river and aim for the Hinton Waldrist -- Appleton road, which is pleasant. I used usually to make for the ford at Duxford in the summer, but other bridges are available. Or Lechlade - Faringdon - Hatford - Pusey. I think I failed to die on the A415 at Newbridge; not so sure about the A420.
Not especially helpful or mature

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Quiet route into Oxford from West.
« Reply #24 on: 26 April, 2021, 02:53:18 pm »
I don't use the A420, having been run off it by a convoy of "travellers".
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.