Top 10 Places To Cycle around Reading

Reading and its surrounding countryside makes for some great cycling, with a number of national cycling routes and shorter rides starting, or joining, at Reading. Whether you're looking for a short weekend meander with the family, or a keen cyclist looking for your next big adventure, there are many great places to cycle in Reading. Here are some of our favourite local and national routes to inspire your next cycling trip in and around Reading!

King Alfred's Way 
Reading is well-placed as an overnight stop on the latest long-distance cycling route to open in the UK, the King Alfred's Way. In the printed guide to the route, Reading is the finishing point of  Part 5, the Avebury – Reading leg and the starting point of Part 6, the Reading – Farnham leg.  

Reading to Stoke Row 
A short ride up into the Chilterns is a popular ride for Reading-based cyclists. The 25 mile round route can be broken in the middle at Stoke Row, where the Maharaja's Well is worth a visit. The Stoke Row Store has outside seating, as well as good coffee and lunch options for that much-needed pitstop.

Thames Path
If you fancy a shorter, riverside ride, there are many options along the river. Reading has the longest Thames frontage of any local authority area along the river's length. You can cycle from the picturesque riverside village of Sonning (east of Reading), to the site of the Reading Festival in just half an hour along the river, making it a great route for those looking for a shorter option.

The Warren / Mapledurham 
Cross Caversham Bridge into Caversham and head west along Reading's most expensive address - The Warren with its Thames views. Once out of Reading, you can follow the route parallell with the Thames to Mapledurham, location for the film The Eagle Has Landed. 

Kennet & Avon Canal 
The Kennet & Avon Canal flows through the heart of Reading town, until it joins the Thames. But head out along the townpath west of Reading and you can cycle to the Cunning Man pub for lunch, or even on to Aldworth. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can continue cycling all the way to Newbury where you can explore the town or grab a bite at its many pubs and restaurants.

Green Park 
Green Park Business Park is just two miles south of Reading town centre. The area is cycle-friendly and there are lots of quiet roads running through the park, which link to the bridge over the M4 where you can explore quieter country roads. 

Lower Earley to Shinfield
For those looking for more of a suburban ride, you can cycle from Asda in Lower Earley and head downhill towards the M4. Cross the pedestrian/cycle bridge and you can explore the lovely countryside of Shinfield on quieter roads. 

Reading - Goring
Backroads north of Reading town centre take you across countryside and up above the Thames Valley through Nunney and Whitechurch Hill, before descending to picturesque Goring on Thames.  

Around Stonor Park 
Just 13 miles east of Reading is the stunning area around Stonor Park. You can cycle for miles around the picturesque Oxfordshire villages of Turville (spot where Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was filmed), Christmas Common and Nettlebed. 

National Cycle Network 23 - Reading - Basingstoke
Locally known as the Calleva Trail and forming a key section of the National Cycle Network in Hampshire, this route is largely traffic-free between Basingstoke Town Centre and Chineham, and then follows quiet lanes passing Silchester and then through West Berkshire and on to Reading.  

National Cycle Network Route 4 - London - Wales
Reading is located on the main east - west cycle route in the South of England. To the east of Reading, the route mainly sticks to small roads through countryside villages such as Crazies Hill. To the west, the route follows the Kennet & Avon Canal a lot of the way to Bath.