This route puts fun singletrack within easy rail reach of north London. The Chilterns could be described as one big rooty trail and combined with the clay soil they’re best ridden in summer or after a deep freeze – it’s the waiting for the right conditions that makes them so appealing though.

Classics come in all shapes and sizes. After all, we can’t all ride the Lakes or the Dales every weekend. Fortunately there are also a few real gems down in the south too, as this short but very sweet tour of the Buckinghamshire Chilterns admirably proves. Less than 20 miles outside the M25, and just a short train ride from Marylebone Station, this little pocket of wooded hills is packed with plenty of thrills and spills — more than enough to keep any London-based mtb’er happy between trips further afield. Highlights come thick and fast really, with plenty of sinuous forest singletrack as well as a few tough climbs to keep the lungs working, and the legs oiled. But perhaps the finest section is above Wendover, where the left-hand side of the trail includes a few whoopee-doos that can throw up the odd surprise if you’re not careful.