The Bike Route

The Hairy Legs bike course is a varied route of 20 Hairy Legs Kilometres (around 24km/15 miles) and covers a huge variety of terrain and scenery. The ride has two distinct characters, at first a fast and straight blast along the side of the river Thames on narrow, undulating single and double-track, followed by a change in pace (and gradient) as the course takes to the Chilterns ridge. The course is accessible to riders of all standards and is a safe and fun route, taking some of the best trails in the western Chilterns. On event day, the course is fully marshalled and you won't need this guide, but the map and directions below should give you a chance to get some practice in and hopefully improve on your time!
Parking
Parking can be found either in the small car park by the playing fields (at the start of the route) or at Goring station. On the weekends, the playing fields car park can get busy. Please note that the station car park is pay-and-display
Map
	Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
Route Description
From the playing-fields car park, head out to the junction with the road and take a left turn, heading towards Gatehampton Manor. The road continues out of the village, through open fields until you reach a forked junction (waypoint 1): Take the right hand fork down towards the distant buildings at Gatehampton. Once you past the first buildings you will come to a crossing with a track (waypoint 2). Continue straight on past a post with red and white stripes. The track turns from concrete to a mud-track within about 50 feet. Follow the obvious single-track along the side of the river as it climbs up into the woodlands along the steep North bank of the Thames. The well made track rolls along, with great views to your right through the trees. As you become level with Beale Park on the opposite bank, the track takes a couple of steep climbs until you reach a second small band of woodland and a gate across the track. Follow the track until you reach a sign alerting you of a set of steps. Although these steps are rideable (if you are an expert rider) it is recommended that you dismount and carry your bike down the short flight until you reach the lower, level section of track. Another set of steps awaits and you'll almost certainly need to carry your bike back up these. At the top you'll reach a metalled track. Follow this for around a mile until you reach the T-junction with the B471. Carefully turn right onto the road, descending for about 100 yards and take the first left into the houses of Whitchurch. Follow this road as it opens out into fantastic views across the countryside, passing Bozedown farm. Look out for the Llamas in the fields to your left! Eventually you will reach a track junction by a couple of small houses and a large gateway. Go through this onto a wide stony track until you reach a fork. Take the left hand fork (ignoring the steep climb up to to your left), continuing along past Hardwick Stud-farm and on towards Mapledurham. When you reach the Mapledurham road turn right and travel approx. 300 yards until you reach a left turning and a sign marked 'Private Road - Bridle Path Only' (opposite a traditional red phone-box) Take this wide track heading further towards Reading. After a little over a kilometer, you will come across a junction and a house with green fencing waypoint 3). Turn left and climb steeply up the hillside on a well made concrete track. As this crests the hill, continue along trending leftwards towards Lilley Farm. At the junction with a minor road take a left turn, followed soon by another left which leads into a steep road descent back towards Mapledurham. As the road opens and flattens a junction appears by a sign marked 'passing place' (waypoint 4). Take a right turn and follow the concrete track . This turns into a narrow single track across a wide grassy valley. At the end of the valley the track passes through a gate into dense woodland. Follow the track along the valley floor (you can take a number of side-options) until you reach an obvious opening and a junction of a number of paths. You should see a large beech tree with a white arrow marked 'CW' pointing to the left. Turn right towards a large clump of laurel trees and take the left hand fork. You should find yourself on a steep flinty climb that winds up the hill in an obvious gulley. If not, return back to the tree and the junction for another look. The climb soon opens out onto a junction with a concrete track. Turn left and climb upwards past a cottage on the right, past an unusual table carved from a tree. Continue on and over a crossroads, until the track takes a sharp right (waypoint 5). You should see a track heading left, with a 'square' log with a green bridleway arrow nailed to it. Take this track and follow it through the trees until you reach a road junction by the old Goring Heath post-office. Turn sharp left and head along the narrow road, following this for a little under a kilometer. As the road takes a right turn and starts to get steeper, watch out for a bridleway turning on your right hand side (waypoint 6). Take this bridleway and climb on a wide track up and over until you reach a junction with a road. Turn left and then at the signpost for 'Hill Bottom', take the right hand fork. Climb up into the village and continue to the junction with the B471. Carefully cross this and continue straight on, following the narrow road towards Coombe End Farm. After approx. 1.5 kilometers, the road takes a sharp right towards Gatehampton farm and you should notice a bridleway leading off left (waypoint 7) into some trees. Take this and descend steeply on some terrific single-track until you reach the junction with the Gatehampton manor road. Turn right and head back towards Goring. Continue straight on until you reach the turning back to the playing fields and the finish of the route.