THE Oxfordshire Drinker is a free monthly newsletter from the Oxford branch of Camra (the Campaign for Real Ale) and is widely distributed around Oxford.

Until recently, the magazine only featured journeys around Oxfordshire pubs via foot, but now my partner Kevin Moreland is championing the joys of cycling around our county’s pubs on a bicycle with his monthly Bainton Bikes beer lover rides.

His first article last year detailed a ride he organised from Oxford to the Wychwood Brewery in Witney for Bike Week.

The day was such a success, with glorious weather and a good turnout that he has gone on to write a series of articles following routes such as the canal towpath from Oxford to Heyford and Oxford to Abingdon along the Thames Path.

Last week I joined him on a midweek expedition through Cumnor, Appleton and Eaton, following the Oxfordshire Cycleway to Eynsham. We certainly sampled a lot of ale and cycled some 25 miles.

Speaking to Kevin about the dangers of cycling and drinking he would readily admit it’s not for everyone, however, if you enjoy cycling and visiting pubs, his guides are written with you in mind.

He carefully details the best route by bike keeping you off busy roads, recommends the best type of bike for the journey and lists cycle parking facilities at each pub, as well as the real ale on offer.

He has also done his research and tells me that cycling and drinking is perfectly legal but cycling drunk is not, so if you the take your time to enjoy the day and drink sensibly, you should have no problems.

And what an enjoyable day out I had. The sun was shining, the riverside pubs offered great views and we even spent longer than we anticipated in a few pubs because the welcome was first-rate.

My favourite stop was the Red Lion in Northmoor, where the pub dog decided we were his playmates for the afternoon.

And eating on such expeditions is no chore. It seems the standard of food in our British inns has taken a turn for the better; my tip is to take the ride on a Sunday when there are no end of decent roast dinners on offer.

Kevin and I have been cycling in Oxfordshire for years and invariably our rides incorporate a stop somewhere for refreshment, normally a pub.

With English pubs going out of business so regularly, we feel like we need to get round them all before they are gone forever.

Saving our traditional ale houses should be something everyone is interested in and promoting a route which enables you to reach more than just your local is Kevin’s way of contributing.

If you want to sample some of the great pubs Oxfordshire has to offer and not worry about the car cycling is ideal, cyclists have always favoured the British pub as a good stop-off on a ride and I am certainly glad I visited those pubs last week, as they provided warmth, refreshment and nourishment to some happy cyclists.

If you want to join Kevin on his next Bainton Bikes Beer Lovers’ ride, email him at kevin@baintonbikes.com and look out for his rides detailed monthly in The Oxfordshire Drinker.