Here’s a quick afternoon ride around Reading, inspired by a recent run to see a friend. I knew the sensible thing to do would be to rush there on the M11, M25 and M4, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead I headed west from Norfolk, into the edge of the Cotswolds near Oxford, before swinging south and east.

 

Getting home should have been a sensible time-saving motorway run, but it was getting close to rush hour – and that’s the worst possible time to hit the Magic Roundabout (M25). I was about to retrace my steps when it occurred to me: I’d missed one of my favourite roads on the way down here. Better put that right on the ride home…

 

Heading out from Reading took me zigzagging on some nice roads I’d found when researching routes for my book A-Z Britain for Bikers. Then I swung north, across Burford, to pick up the road that inspired the ride: short but fabulous B4437 – the Charlbury TT.

 

Heading out of my way just to ride this road made no sense for my route home (it made excellent sense for my smile!), but it makes perfect sense to link up with the roads on my outward journey, completing this circuit to Reading. An ideal afternoon rideout.