The Official Oxford Cycle Tour

Known for its beautiful, historic architecture, Oxford still retains the ability to surprise us with its with its waterways, its parks and its hidden streets and gardens.

As well as seeing the university from close up, our tour shows you parts of the city that most visitors do not see, and travel by bicycle allows us to slip away to visit quiet waterways and meadows with wildlife and views of the city that will remain with you long after leaving.

Key Facts

Tour Length – 8 Miles / 13 Km
Difficulty – Very Easy
Tour Duration – 2 hours – 3 hours
Suitability – Family friendly
Bikes – All bikes, child seats and trailers available
Standard Price – £2 (£3 with Audio)

Purchase Route

Follow the link to buy a copy of this bike tour.

Purchase Map and Guide

Purchase Map and Guide - With Audio

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Highlights
Starting Point
FAQ
Rent a Bike

Highlights

Exploring the beautiful city of Oxford

Visit the spot where the Oxford Martyrs last stood
Ride under the Bridge of Sighs
Look out for the wonderful grotesque gargoyles watching over you
Ride some of the oldest paths inside Oxford city walls
Ride to the meeting place of the famous literary group The Inklings

Slip away into the peaceful countryside

Ride through historic Jericho
Visit the largest university press in the world; Oxford University Press
Ride through the historic Port Meadow
Ride along the River Thames, where Lewis Carroll began to spin the tale of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland
Visit the original burial place of the Henry II’s mistress – Rosamund the Fair
Ride along the historic Oxford Canal

The inspirational residents of Oxford

Ride to the home of J.R.R. Tolkien
Visit Lady Margaret Hall where Benazir Bhutto studied and was elected as president of the Oxford Union
Ride past the University Parks and its cricket ground
See the distinctive college designed by William Butterfield
End the tour at Christopher Wrens ‘Jewel in Oxford’s architectural crown’

Starting Point

Bainton Bikes
78 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6EA

Where do the tours start?
The start and end locations will vary depending on the cycle route you are conducting, the routes are structed in such a way that points of interests and directions are numbered and on the circular tours there is no reason why you cant start and end the route at different points on the route.

How difficult is the route?
Each route is graded per difficulty, which can be fund within the route description, the difficulty is graded as follows;

EASY: Relaxed cycling, ideal for beginners and for families looking for a cycling adventure. You will have plenty of time to relax, enjoy the sights and stop whilst on your trip. The terrain will likely be mostly flat
EASY TO MODERATE: Perfect for the occasional rider: mostly Easy but may include longer Moderate stretches on generally flat terrain with some occasional moderate uphill/downhill sections.
MODERATE: Suitable for more regular cyclists who have an active lifestyle. Moderate grade include longer cycling and steeper ascents and descents. May include longer stretches of uphill climbs and descents or several shorter steeper uphill and downhill sections along the route.
MODERATE TO STRENUOUS: Suitable for very active cyclists with an excellent level of fitness looking for more demanding and challenging cycling. Moderate to strenuous itineraries involve extended steep ascents and descents along routes.
STRENUOUS: These are challenging itineraries, great for keen cyclists who have solid long-distance cycling experience and are in perfect shape. These are typically road cycling tours but may include gravel / off-road sections.

Can I bring my Dog?
Yes, no problem but let us know so we can book a dog trailer for you.

Can I bring a bag with me?
Yes, you can either carry your bag or some bikes do have baskets you can fit it in. If you have luggage or bulky bags, we can make arrangements for you to leave these at our shop.

What do I need to bring with me?
Mostly nothing except yourself! But here are a few ideas to help keep you comfortable (depending on time of year)
Suitable clothing for the time of year
Camera
Sun cream
Bottle of water
Comfy shoes

What are the safety issues?
Our routes are carefully planned, which will keep you away from busy traffic and were possible using pedestrian crossings. Our hire bikes are regular maintained by qualified mechanics.
Parents are politely reminded that they are responsible for their children.

Are these tours appropriate for children?
It really depends on the cycle route being selected, read the summary or key facts for specific details.

Do you provide helmets?
We do keep some helmets in the shop we can lend you but cannot guarantee their safety
For safety and hygienic reasons Bainton Bikes do not hire out helmets. Apart from no legal constraints compelling a rider to wear one we also believe we cannot guarantee the hygiene of the prior user or the care given to the helmet. A helmet’s safety is deemed compromised if it has been dropped to the ground as the inner shell must be intact, the only way to know this is through thorough examination using x-ray which we are unable to do after every hire. Please bring your own helmet if you are worried, alternatively we do also sell helmets in our shop.