If I were to move to GB, where would you recommend living. I like all types of riding really, but would put DH, dirt jumping and ramp riding at the top of my list, with swoopy single track a close second. Cycling up hills would be at the bottom of this list. 😳

Any suggestions to which county/town would be worth moving to?

peebles

Somewhere around Edinburgh.

Cycling up hills would be at the bottom of this list.

Nowhere. Surely all the best riding in the UK involves riding up big hills. There are a couple of places where you could uplift on a regular basis, but you'd be missing 99% of the best riding if you're purely downhilling.

Joe

dirtjumping and ramps? south east england

West yorks near ilkley I would say.

Steer clear of east anglia and east of durham

either fort william/glen coe for the dh or the south, sounds like you dont want mountains though

South Wales/Bristol for access to DH and all that jumpy stuff as well?

Singletrack and hills there too of course.

Rossendale aint bad

Cheers fellas.

Don't get me wrong about cycling up hills, it's a necessary evil and i'll happily ride to the top of a mountain if the run down is worth it. I just wouldn't want to live somewhere were the majority of riding involved cycling up the way.

I just wouldn't want to live somewhere were the majority of riding involved cycling up the way.

Not sure if the uk is the place for you then! 😛

what's wrong with cycling up hills? I love it 😀

essex mate thats why the olimpics is there in 2012 🙄

Do you mean moving to a city or large town where there are actually enough jobs and facilities to support living – or just moving anywhere?
If the latter Aviemore or its surrounds would have you spoilt for choice.

Ally, minor details include finding a job and convincing the lady and kids to move too 😆 (she won't go to Canada as it's too far for relatives to travel). I had thought about somewhere in Europe but my profession requires me to be fluent in the 'home' language and i'm as multilingual as your typical irishman.

It's just an idea at the minute, but I'd hope to take a little holiday to any prospective spots to check out the riding (and job situation).

I'd say Sheffield, or somewhere near, but you'd hate it.

I just wouldn't want to live somewhere were the majority of riding involved cycling up

I don't know where to start. Is this a failure to grasp physics or geography? Or have you looked at too many Escher paintings?

Here in Aberystwyth's just fine…… You've got Man made like, Nant yr Arian a short ride away, Climachx just up the road, Brechfa just down the road, as much natural riding as you can take in the Cambrian mountains, and great beaches such as Ynyslas only 10 minutes away…..

What more could you want ???????

Oh and crimes low, so bike's don't tend to get nicked like they do in them there cities

It depends on your priorities to a great extent.

Edinburgh – nice city to live in but expensive. Ok local stuff – GT / Innerleithan less than an hours drive away – real mountains not much more.

Sheffield – good access onto the hills with plenty of good riding – Not a lot of trail centre type stuff. Nice place to live as well.

Tweed Valley – good access to the trail centres and other good local riding – somewhat provincial and uninspiring towns.

Wales I don't know and nothing further south bar perhaps the south west is worth considering from an MTB point of view.

One of the magazines tried to work this out a year or two ago and Edinburgh was their answer.

I thought Edinburgh was always the final answer when this question gets asked.

Here in Aberystwyth's just fine…… You've got Man made like, Nant yr Arian a short ride away, Climachx just up the road, Brechfa just down the road, as much natural riding as you can take in the Cambrian mountains, and great beaches such as Ynyslas only 10 minutes away…..

You forgot Dirt Jumps, a Pump Track, Active night-ride scene, road club with 10 and 25 mile TTs, locally built DH trails and Caersws an hour away 😀

Pump Track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsur0xJ4syk
Local dug DH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD7nFESAWIc
DJ and Freeride spots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ujLPbrGrbU

It's pretty much damned perfect really 😀

i don't think any town/city in Britain can really offer it all.

but here in sheffield i'm within striking distance of scotland/lakes/wales/west country.

the local riding is ok too i suppose…

if i lived in scotland i wouldn't be able to pop down to devon for a weekend of surfing.

if i lived in devon i wouldn't be able to pop up to scotland for a weekend of biking/surfing.

Bristol sounds like fun tho.

Edinburgh? Your joking surely.

Aviemore or Fort William or Stirling.

The trouble with Aviemore and Fort Bill is that there are no jobs there.

Perth might be a good option though.

Thanks again for the suggestions. Plenty to mull over.

Surfr, gold star for you man, that a very useful post. 5thEle, a swift kick in the dingdings for your contribution. 😉

"The trouble with Aviemore and Fort Bill is that there are no jobs there"

Yeah everyone is Unemployed! 😀

Inverness is great and there's jobs!

Dumfries
best place imo
DH

What kind of work are you looking for?

Steer clear of east anglia and east of durham
I'm from Durham & even I steer clear of anywhere east of it!

ahwiles – Member

if i lived in scotland i wouldn't be able to pop down to devon for a weekend of surfing.

If you lived in Scotland, you wouldn't want to.

Scottish surf is indeed crap.

Sheffield.

Middle of country ish, large variety of riding…

Buy a caravan and you can live in all the right places. 😉

If you lived in Scotland, you wouldn't want to.

True, the weather in Scotland is shite…

Depends where you live in Scotland regarding the weather…..massive difference in rainfall between east and west coasts.

Bristol is for you Euro, I'm a country lad but have lived in Briz for the last ten years and cant @ present imagine living anywhere, else a great cycling vibe. I love the local riding: Ashton Court/Leigh woods, great x country between Briz & Bath, under an hour from the Quantocks, ditto for Cwm Cann, 1.5 hours from Afan, big riding in the Brecons/Black mountains an hour away….all you need plus a good music scene

I surf too and 2 hours from Croyde/Woolacombe if that floats yer board!

Massive difference between biblical and merely torrential, yes 🙂 And if it ever threatens to rise above freezing, loads of little beasties try and eat you alive.

that wave is rubbish and small….he has to crouch down and everything …………………………..

That may be, but this one isn't – same place.

Pah, that's photoshopped