Lost Lanes: 36 Glorious Bike Rides in Southern England by Jack Thurston (Wild Things, £14.99) promises rides “within easy striking distance of London”, but also takes in the Cotswolds, Isle of Wight and the Suffolk/Norfolk border.
Three are easily reached from Oxford — two are around Reading along the Thames and up to the Chilterns, and the other is in the Cotswolds, starting from Hanborough station.
The latter includes some of my favourite ‘lost lanes’ around Enstone, and returns on the classic cycle route along the Windrush to Burford and Minster Lovell.
The author — a journalist and cycle campaigner who presents a radio bike show on Resonance FM — is a self-confessed Mamil (middle-aged man in Lycra) and the rides are not for softies.
But each includes a sketch map and suggestions for stops, so could be adapted for those who prefer more relaxed outings.
The book also includes details of files to turn your smartphone into a cyclist’s satnav. See www.thebikeshow.net
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