Oxford - who and what

just having a look on the forum and wondering how many people here ride fixed in oxford and what you ride really

I'm currently living in Newbury but looking to move to Oxford at the end of Feb/start of March. So I'll be about on my (shit) converted Falcon. Will be commuting to Reading, hoping to do 2 or 3 days a week on the bike.

battered old Giant peleton lite road frame rescued from a Grundon in Homerton (now called North Viccy Park probably) back when I preferred/could only afford "edgy", bent to 120mm and fixed up with (formely) white Formula hubs. Alternatively, a black Canondale Bad Boy (Im sorry!) frame featuring OCLV red carbon fork, 27" wheels and an ENO hub - nice high BB. Principal route: OX2 to OX4 business park via Cowley Road or preferably Ring Road cycle path - often seen on Cumnor hill doing reps. I genreally nod or wave at fixies

i'm taking the missus to oxford for valentines weekend, any good fixie spots / shops? i have to leave my bike at home so i'll have to get my fixie-fix, any help guys? (didn't want to start a new thread)

There isnt much in terms of bling fixie Window shopping to be honest, but Walton St bikes are into refurbs and The Oxford Cycle Workshop (OCW) are definitely into that and may well have recycled frames of interest. A few OTP fixies have appeared in the last few months at Beeline and Bikezone (right in the centre). The latter is probably your best bet for some window shopping, they have a few nice parts. A new place has opened up recently, Cycle Center, right next to Walton St bikes and I saw a Kona Paddy Wagon through their window as I pushed my sleeping bairn around at some ungodly hour of the moring (i.e. when I should be out riding). The colour-scheme is "individual." Enjoy!

cheers! i'll be there shortly

you might see me flying round oxford on a gray charge with orange parts on it :)

i'll keep an eye out! apologies if i shout!

ahaha

I was in Oxford yesterday to view a flat, cycled from the train station, through the city centre up towards Headington. There were LOADS of cyclists! Saw a few fixies about too, one bright orange with chrome stays locked outside a cafe, and another guy on a black FG with a shopping bag swinging from the handlebars are the two I remember.
Anyone on here? I was on a white and yellow FG with a rack on the back.

there is so many people on fixed and ss now, i see one pretty much every time i go in to town an quite a few OTP as well as conversions!
I'm on a converted vindec not great bit shitty.

There is plenty of stuff going on in Oxford if you know where to find it. S'pose this isn't a surprise seeing as there are loads of cyclists and loads of bike shops.

Bike polo every Wednesday night: http://www.bikepolo.org.uk

Oxford Cycle Workshop offer workshop access if you become a member for very little money if you wanna use posh tools and a nice workshop: http://www.ocw.coop

These videos might give a flavour of some of the events and rides: http://www.vimeo.com/cycleoxford

Well I have found a flat and will be moving to Oxford this weekend. Would be good to meet up with some local people, so if there are any rides happening soon, I'll be up for it!

There aren't many organized rides i think the next thing would probably be the alleycat on the 17th of march. There is always bike polo, for more info go to cycleoxford (i think its called) on twitter.
Was it anyone on here that i saw last night on the woodstock road, shouted do a skid and they did quite a good one!

Hmm, I've never played polo so I guess I'll be a bit crap. Might pop along to watch and have a chat with a few people though. When and where is it?

This wheel building course looks good, but as I have to furnish a new flat I don't think I can afford it :(

umm, bike polo is every wednesday except when its wet! *www.bikepolo.org.uk there is the link.

*Is that with Oxford cycle workshop? there really good and very friendly, you should pop by. Where abouts are you moving to?

We're moving to Rose Hill on the main road. Not the best location but we got a decent sized flat for a good price.
Cheers for the polo link, will look into it! Do you play?
Yeah the course is with OCW, I've only had a quick look at their website but it looks like they do some good stuff.

Yeah i play polo but only started last november i think, it would be a bit of a cycle from rose hill its do-able, i just looked it up its actually only 5miles not too bad.
Hopefully see you there, oh also i gave you the wrong date for the scientist themed alleycat its the 19th not 17th.
What bike(s) do you have other than the white and yellow fg? i'll keep an eye out.
I'm on a green vindec ventura, its an old racer basically.

I've also got a dark red Cannondale 2.8 Series and a Marin XC that I built up last summer. Won't have the Marin with me though as I'm not sure if we will have enough space yet!
Just had a look on the bike polo site and it looks fairly straightforward to get to.
I'm commuting to Reading and hoping to do a couple of days a week by bike. Anyone know what the A4074 is like to cycle along? I'm looking to head along that and turn off onto the B471 to aviod the "7 corners of death". My girlfriend has heard horror stories from people at work and has got herself worked up about how dangerous cycling is. Are they that bad?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/features/article716874.ece

you could trade the 7 corners of death for the '13 bends of death'
I rode down the A4074 once, and stopped, and walked across a field carrying my bike, and muttering to myself what a lucky escape i had.
avoid!

B480 FTW!!!!!

When I get home I'll dig out my normal route to Reading, not a short commute that...

Ah my mistake, the 13 bends of death it is. In this case it looks like it's worth avoiding!
I looked at a few different routes, at the moment it looks like my options are:

1. A4074 -> B481
   2. B480 -> B481
   
2. A4074 -> A4130 -> B481
   Anyone with any experience of these routes?
   They are all further and hillier than my current commute (18 flat miles along the A4 between Newbury and Reading) so I think I'll start off doing just 2 days a week and see how it goes.
   

used 2 alot.
its a good un. i'm jealous of your commute.
i used to do that route for fun a fair bit whilst studying for exams.
the hills are not that bad.
the first one out of oxford gets v. windy and drivers are the least nice there. as the ride progresses things calm and so do drivers.
the scenery is excellent and on a sunny morning it is one of my favorite rides ever.
there is still 1 other route, but will find it later.
avoid the fucking A4074, just out of Oxford is fucking shite.
rejoining it at a much later point in the journey is ok though.

I would go with option 2 - quieter but hillier (the Chilterns)! Do that a few times a week and you'll have calves like rocks! Another option would be to take the slow train and get off halfway. I hope you have some serious lights and reflective stuff - when I still lived in London, I did Oxford to Didcot after work many times - can get pretty hairy in the dark - potholes and fast drivers. Stay safe

Cheers for the advice guys. I'm now glad I asked rather than just going out along the A4074. Doesn't sound nice at all.
I have plenty of lights domski, but nothing that will light my way. So will look into getting something a bit more powerful for roads with no street lights.
I had thought about getting the train to Didcot or somewhere along the way but I'd much prefer to cycle all the way. Plus everyone in the office would be impressed.
How steep are the hills? I looked at the B480/B481 route and it looks like it has a pretty big climb about half way in. Do-able fixed? I can gear down to about 60" if need be. Or I could just take the geared bike...

I'm afraid i cant give any advice on the route to take but going via the Chilterns would be horribly hilly! calves of steel for sure!
Didcot isn't too far it would definitely be do-able!