Start Point: Rickmansworth Station (Metropolitan Line and Chiltern Railways)
Finish Point: The same as the start
Meetup Time: 07:45
Start Time: 08:00
Route: Rickmansworth to Bicester
Alt. Route: Rickmansworth to Silverstone
No. Days: 2
Day 1: Circa 100 km
Day 2: Circa 100 km
Options: If 100km +100km is a bit much why not do 62km + 50km by starting at Cheddington and finishing at Chinnor. Though more realistically subject to the Chinnor train times (a tourist line) you would need to do the 45km from Bicester to Aston Rowant then make your own way to Princes Risborough which is another 12km. See below for other options.
Overnight: Individuals book their own accommodation in Bicester (or Buckingham for the alternative route) such as a Premier Inn or Travelodge. Bicester is exactly halfway.
Hotels
Bicester Premier Inn, in 2025 a room on a Sunday night was £47 though prices vary.
Average Speed: 10-11mph
Stops: Every 20 miles (32 km) on average. As this is designed to be a comfortable tour extra stops are possible.
Suggested Café Stops:
[Bold distance markers indicates suggested stops for a relaxed tour)
Glebe Café, Ashley Green (18km)
Curiositea Rooms, Pitstone (32km)
Daisychain café, Ivinghoe (33km)
Nanna's Cakes café, near Mentmore (41km)
Twigs Nurseries, Thornborough (72km)
Meadow Row Tea Rooms, Buckingham (75km)
Many other cafés, Buckingham (75km)
Bicester (100km)
Base Coffee + Kitchen, Long Crendon (121km)
Waterperry Coffee Barn, near Waterstock with an off-road diversion (132km)
The Old Red Lion, Tetsworth (142km)
Coffee on the Green, Stokenchurch, closed Mondays (147km)
Marlow (164km)
Daisy Love, 23 Station Parade, Cookham near Cookham Station. (167km)
Parea Artisan Cafe & Delisserie, Cookham, near the river, closed Mondays (168km)
Shorten the outward route using the train:
Start from Chesham Station and pickup the route at Lye Green which is a 10-minute bike ride. This reduces the day 1 distance by 14km. Lye Green is about 16km from Rickmansworth so the pickup time is an hour after the start time. The precise Lye Green pickup is at the bottom of Two Dells Lane where it meets the B4505, this road is also named Ashley Green/Orchard Leigh/Rushmere Lane. You could ride on to Ashley Green village if you want to wait at the café.
Start from Cheddington Station and get picked up there or arrange a pickup at the Daisychain café in nearby Ivinghoe or Nanna's Cakes near Mentmore. Cheddington Station reduces day 1 by 38km.
The Daisychain café is 33km into the ride which means 2 hours of riding plus a 30 minute break meaning a 10:40am pickup if it was an 8am start.
Nanna's Cakes is 41km into the ride which means 2 hours 30 minutes of riding plus a 30 minute break meaning a 11:20am pickup if it was an 8am start.
Shorten the return route using the train:
Chinnor (50km) which avoids the Chilterns
Princes Risborough (57km), 13km off route
Marlow (64km) is convenient
Cookham (70km) shortly after Marlow
Gerrards Cross (88km) near the finish
Suitable Bikes:
Any, though bare in mind distance, pace and your abilities.
Surface:
Tarmac, though there may be gravel, rough surfaces and potholes on lanes
Mechanic:
None
Support Vehicle:
None
Broom Wagon:
None
No Drop Ride:
Yes, no-one gets left behind, though note the rider requirements.
Rider Requirements:
Be responsible for your own safety
Follow the highway code
Carry equipment to repair a puncture
Dress/pack for the forecast conditions
Be comfortable maintaining 11mph for about 20 miles of continuous cycling
Be self-sufficient with regards hydration and fuelling; on hot days this means drinking on the bike and possibly eating on the bike as well
Be self-sufficient with regards to navigation
Be prepared to take a turn up front navigating
Organiser Tips:
Premier Inn and other chain hotels typically do lower Sunday and Monday night rates, higher Saturday rates. Silverstone events can elevate rates dramatically in Buckingham so it's worth checking the rates for your dates. Check café opening times for your chosen dates and timings.
The organiser might sensibly pack:
- Power bank for any charging
- Toolkit to deal with non-puncture mechanicals
- First Aid kit
- Spare lightweight rain jacket
- Arm warmers
Rider Tips:
Pack light. Packing should be the same as for a day ride plus any overnight essentials. Seriously, pack light. If you have any questions ask the organiser.
In contrast to shorter rides the person navigating may not be familiar with the whole route, there may be roadworks and diversions so be aware and look after your own safety.
Premier Inn, for example, allow clean bicycles in rooms though some don't have lifts so phone ahead and request a ground floor room if this might be an issue for you.
Save some strength for the final quarter.
Dining Options:
There are some options as you are in Bicester. Places close to the Premier Inn are listed here with Sunday closing times.
Brewers Fayre 10:30pm Sunday
The Bosphorus Turkish and Mediterranean 11pm Sunday
Grand Village Imperial 9pm Sunday
McDonald's 24-hour
Bicester Shopping Village restaurants are generally open until 9pm Monday to Saturday and 7pm on a Sunday.
It is a 20-minute walk to Bicester centre where there is a wide choice.
Bicester Premier Inn logistics:
Bicester Premier Inn benefits from both a lift which is just suitable for a bike and a suitably broad staircase.
Suggested Timings:
08:00 Depart from Rickmansworth Station
09:10 Pickup from Lye Green for Chesham Station riders, though they could ride on 10 minutes to the coffee stop
09:20 Coffee stop at Ashley Green (30 mins)
11:20 Coffee stop at Nanna's Cakes near Mentmore and pickup point for Cheddington Station riders.
Route Guidance:
The route and associated .GPX file includes some turns as prompts to stop at the suggested coffee stops.
As you approach Bicester there are some poor cycle paths alongside roads which are best avoided until you get close to Bicester Village Shopping where there is good quality cycle infrastructure which you should use to avoid the multi-lane complex road network on the approach to the Premier Inn.
Just past Waterstock on the return there is an option to branch off to Waterperry Gardens for coffee or you can continue to Tetsworth which is another 10km.
Past Waterstock the A40 is closed to cars due to road works but pedestrian access is still possible do don't be put off by earlier "Road Closed" signs.
