I’m moving oop north for better hills as my job allows me to be pretty flexible in terms of location as long as I’m nearish a motorway.

Narrowed down to near the peaks, and I reckon Glossop looks pretty good for stuff on the doorstep, though is it a bit quiet and is there much of a riding scene? The other option is West Sheffield, but I’ve never lived in a real city, and can’t be arsed sitting in traffic all the time and having my stuff nicked.

Anyone got any strong opinions, tips, hints, awesome riding suggestions?

Cheers!

Sheffield, everyone I know from glossop now lives here. plus if you don’t like being stuck in traffic then glossop really isn’t for you

Matlock!

I’ve pretty much binned the driving to Ladybower, Hope, Cannock etc for what’s on the doorstep. Once you find the gems they’re easily linked and there’s plenty of unexplored green left on the OS map. Plus there’s active clubs, although I just get out with mates as my shift pattern would make me the most sporadic club rider ever!

15mins from M1 and further south than Sheffield in case London was on the work agenda. My folks live Maidstone way and the drives sub 3hr and not so sad. I wouldn’t move for the world.

And if you climb as well……….

That said Sheffield and Glossop have excellent trails too. I’d go Sheffield, personally especially if you could locate out to Totley or Dore, i.e just inside the Peaks.

buy my house – that’s Dore.

😉

Glossop is grim. Sheffield for the win.

Glossop.

.

Sheffield. I ride from Glossop most weekends because that’s where my MTB club meets and yes the riding is great, but i prefer Sheffield. I reckon you’d have more traffic issues in Glossop than Sheffield tbh.

I’m moving oop north for better hills as my job allows me to be pretty flexible in terms of location as long as I’m nearish a motorway.

this is a little bit vague as Glossop is Near a motorway (M67), but doesn’t lead anywhere other than to manchester’s answer to the M25

i’m leaving sheffield in less than 2 days. The riding is great and peaks are easy to access.

If you need to get onto the M1 easily, best go to Hillsbro or Kelham Island area. I used to live in Crookes and it’d take a fair 40mins to commute from Rotherham -> Crookes by car between 8-10 and 4-6pm. It took the same on bike w/ train, so you can see how slow traffic can be at rush hour.

I’ve driven through glossop plenty of times, it’s always a nightmare for me. Busy, cramped and narrow single roads. Much like driving in a city centre.

What about looking at Chesterfield, and south peak area? Or macclesfield?

Sheffield is a great city, feels like a town, most ‘stay-on-after-graduating’ city, greenest city in europe. I live 1 mile from city centre and the trails start 1 mile from my front door, offroad all the way to Stanage Edge, 6 miles away.

The M67 was supposed to go all the way to Sheffield…

The M67 was supposed to go all the way to Sheffield…

is that what the League of Gentlemen was based on, do ya think?

Glossop sounds properly awful, is it really that bad?

You’re an exception to the suggested rule BWD.

Sounds like decision made ey!

Cheers.

Sheffield is indeed the answer. Glossplop is never the answer. According to my friend who lives there and wishes not to.

I’ve taken a friend from Loughborough out for an xc ride today and he couldn’t believe the sheer quantity and quality of trails I have right outside my door. Sheffield is also the city that doesn’t feel like one, I hate cities but love living in Sheffield.

They still point at aeroplanes in Glossop!

I can’t comment on Sheffield, but traffic in and around Glossop is terrible particularly if you plan on travelling west towards Manchester.

As a native it has got to be Sheffield. Like any city it does have scrote patches, in fact according to the govt it is the most polarised city in England, but if you pick the right spot e.g. west/south you can’t go wrong. We keep threatening to move to where my wife comes from – Northumberland- but I don’t think it will ever happen. Too comfy here.

“Glossplop is never the answer” 😆

This thread is great, I climb/mtb and have plans to get up to W. Sheff after my degree. I’m in Brighton, the rock is sh*t and the South Downs just don’t cut it for me.

Where’s recommended for riding in/near Sheffield? I’ve seen some fun looking lines around Stanage Edge, but it would be very very weird being there without climbing as an objective!

For what you need Shefield is the better option.

But I quite like Glossop, pop in for work a couple of times a month, it’s not as bad as New Mills!

I hear on of Switzerlands best riders is originaly a member of the Old Glossop Massive so it can’t be all bad.

*waves to cupidstunt*

Sounds like decision made ey!

Sure about that? 😉

I was in a similar position in 1998…

I lived in Brighton and was a regular South Downs rider (which is good fun, despite the earlier post)…I then got a job offer in Milton Keynes or Sheffield.

Pondered it for a while and upped sticks with the other half to SW Sheffield. 13 years later, 2 kids later, 3 bikes later, we all look back on it as one of lifes finer decisions.

Firstly the travel – I sometimes drive over to Warrington over Snake Pass and the road from Glossop to the M67 (or more accurately the bit around Mottram) is a nightmare and usually delays me for 30 mins.
On the Sheffield side I can get to Jct 36 or 29 of the M1 in about 30 mins. Its probably easier to get some where east of the Pennines (via M1 etc) than somewhere in the West and vice versa for Glossop.
It only looks 30 miles on the map, but it really takes a long time to get over those hills in a car.

Finally the riding is truly excellent – from where I live I can take a 1hr lunch break and get 900ft of climbing and a ride out to Fox House over Houndkirk Moor and back on bridleways and minor roads. I see about 1 or 2 people durig the week and you can gaze down on Sheffield and hear nothing but the wind.

You can also do some great family cycling on the Tissington, Monsal, and High Peak trails.

Sheffield people are very friendly, despite me being a Midlander and the missus a Southerner and we live in a nice little terrace amongst loads of stay on graduates, young families and nice old folk.

Move to Sheffield – you really will never regret it.

easiest fight ever.

people i havent seen a while use phrases like ‘you still live in sheffield?’

well yeh i do. because there isnt anywhere better.

imagine a city, that feels more like a town, with the biggest riding community you have ever seen, that covers all aspects of riding not just road, mtb etc.

now plonk that city in the peak district.

epic.

PS i’d strongly suggest the article here:

BadlyWiredDog – Member

Sounds like decision made ey!

Sure about that?

says more about a jaded individual fondly remembering the past/commenting on the general downfall of society rather than any specifics of sheffield.

although meadowhall is indeed ****.

I think BWD has been very restrained on this one – assuming he still lives at the house where I met him once!

Sheffield. No more needs to be said

My vote goes to sheffield, more on your doorstep and access to a couple of good bike shops on your door step. The roads are awfully designed but traffic isn’t that bad to be honest.

also, check out http://thisisheffield.co.uk/ great place to keep tabs on local stuff.

In my experience towns and cities with a university usually offer much in terms of cultural life. If you enjoy that sort of thing then you should choose Sheffield; even if you don’t, choose Sheffield.

And please lay off with the ‘oop’ north nonsense as it’s not at all endearing and nobody says ‘oop’, it’s ‘up’ with a strong and honest flat vowel 😉

I think BWD has been very restrained on this one – assuming he still lives at the house where I met him once!

I don’t have anything against Sheffield, nice city if you like cities, one of the better ones. I just get a bit tired of people slagging off Glossop as if it’s some sort of inbred horror hole. The reality is that it’s an unpretentious, friendly, northern town on the edge of the Peak District National Park and with some ace riding on the doorstep.

Yes, the road link into Manchester is dire at peak times, but it keeps house prices down and you can get into central Manchester in 35 minutes on the train if you want culture. Road links the other way are fine, across the Peak to J29 of the M1, up to the Lakes in a couple of hours, Dales in 90 minutes, North Wales about the same.

As far as locals in Glossop go, around 50 per-cent of the population are from outside the area, lots work in central Manchester, quite a few at the University and people generally are friendly. There’s plenty of local mountain bikers, a half-decent LBS, all the shops normal people need etc.

I kind of like being able to be on Middle Moor in 15 minutes from my front door, run onto the top of Bleaklow in 30 minutes, ride stuff that only locals know and is awesome, have a load of classic road climbs on my doorstep etc and as I don’t often have to drive into Manchester, I don’t give a stuff about the traffic congestion on the A57.

Oh, and the Globe is an ace pub by any standards.

I love the way people who basically have driven through somewhere a few times or have a disillusioned mate who used to live there or once saw the League of Gentlemen on the telly and thought it was a fly on the wall documentary feel qualified to spout a load of crap. But then what would you expect here?

Peterboghorror on the other hand…

Glossop bad? You’ve never lived in Doveholes!

Always quite fancied Doveholes, though not on the main drag. Quality hills that near no one visits on the doorstep.

Oh, and Glossop vs Sheff, likewise I’d settle for less populace, remote(ish) riding should you wish over coffee shops.

(Oh, and the Globe is an ace pub by any standards.)is the lift club still upstairs? 🙂

Mmmm glossop traffic yes is indeed a nightmare, however if you live here you end up knowing all the rat runs to cut this down to a minimum. Having lived in both Sheffield and now glossop i would choose Glossop simply because im a bit over city life, however i wouldnt let anyones prejudice effect you as its simply your decision. There is quality riding on your doorstep in either location so thats not really an issue either. Just on another note of travelling etc i race DH all over the UK and have a lot of friends from Sheffield, however most races they have to come via glossop/Woodhead to get to the Motorway network they need, perhaps its just the venues we use! If you do move to Glossop check out High Peak Cycles for ride details etc, they have recently moved premises and been bought out by thier mechanic Jamie, he will hook you up with all the guys that ride here. 🙂

Sheffield traffic isnt half as bad as Glossop.

I’ve lived in Sheffield for 3 years until recently and now moved to north Bradford. I prefer the riding around Bradford! The Peaks have the wow factor in terms of scenery, but there are not the easy accesable trails ie the BW’s all tend to be linked by road sections.

Up Bradford way there are alot more cheeky trails, which to be fair most walkers etc dont mind you being on, it all appears alot more relaxed up here where as go on a path in the Peaks and you get chucked off!

go on a path in the Peaks and you get chucked off!

Never happened to me in the Peak and I live here. I do wonder what some of you people are doing, I stay off busy footpaths at weekends, slow down for walkers and say hello and chat with a smile and I’ve never had any problems on footpaths. Maybe you look guilty?