Oxford City – Biker acclimatised and rolling in history
After spending so much time in the highlands of Scotland over the last 3 years, it seemed right, to head south for the winter and get to know England a little better (despite the lack of enthusiasm from various Scottish friends) . It has also given me a chance to get some proper training miles in (since the windtrainer and I had formed a too closer bond while it snowed in Aviemore), and base myself in what has been described as one of the most ‘biker friendly’ cities in the UK, as well as one of the most beautiful and historically renowned places. Oxford city has a similar feel to Amsterdam, in terms of the biker vibe. I have almost taken out and being taken out by student cyclists every day since I arrived, and it feels more like the bikes dominant the streets, rather than cars or pedestrians; well that’s fine by me, I had always hoped that bikes would rule the world one day, and its looks like its made a start here in Oxford.
The town itself is pretty small, but the buildings and architecture are so impressive that you can let your imagination get carried away with visions of medieval people running rampant on the main streets; this is also helped by the continual guided tours that take place here. A friend of mine who is studying at Oxford gave me a tour of the University as well. It’s pretty incredible, and there is definitely a sense of prestige walking through the grounds that have been educating students for hundreds of years. I also got to see a sneak preview of the area in which part of the movie Harry Potter was filmed, which is located in the Christchurch halls at Oxford. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed into the long dinning room and had to peer from a distance like overly eager tourists…
There is a very strong road racing/cycling scene in Oxford as well. On Saturday I went out with the Oxford University Club for what they described as an easy 3.5 hour spin. I wouldn’t say it was easy, it was more like high tempo, as my heart rate started climbing to the 160’s, but at least there weren’t as many hills like Scotland to potentially get dropped on. We meandered around various back country lanes, in which I tried to note the route we had taken in case I needed to turn back, but it was fairly hopeless, and I soon realised I would be totally lost without the bunch. Luckily the Club President was able to show me the way back to Oxford, and I was very happy to avoid navigating villages in the freezing cold for hours on end.
I am hoping to be based here in Oxford for at least the next 1.5 years, which should give me ample time to scope out all the trails (hopefully some mountain biking as well). I am really, really looking forward to summer arriving again next year, as the sun disappears around here at 4pm most days, which is a little depressing, especially with the lack of vitamin D.
If you want to checkout the riding scene here, have a look at the website for the Oxford University Club: http://www.oucycling.co.uk
