In the process of moving to Halifax (renting), to have a good availability of trails to ride from the front door.

2 Options – Copley or Ovenden

Everything being equal I know Copley would be the best option, but Overden is the significantly cheaper option and as a tightfisted Yorkshireman i’m torn.

Any thoughts?

Not wanting to be the first to say it but I would not live in Ovenden, if not for the fact you can ride straight out of Copley and onto great trails, but that when you return home and want to go out again your bike will still be in the shed!

2 things to point out

Equally good riding options from both. Halifax is great for MTB.

Buying in Ovenden is cheaper – but the money you save will be quickly spent replacing all the bikes that get knicked from your house.

Lank45 beat me to it

Why just those 2 places chew? If it has to be one or t’other then Copley for sure 🙂

As per Woody2000, if it is between just the two – don’t go Ovenden. Have you looked further afield?

Looked at other areas, but need to be a reasonable distance to Leeds work wise, so dont want to go further west. Places which are bike friendly are a bit limited as well.

Sowerby Bridge is a bit too far, no real options in Brighouse either, and really want to be north of the M62.

Copley has more good local riding out the door and is nicer, though be warned it stinks in summer close to the sewage works. This may be reflected in property prices. The drawbacks of Ovenden have already been noted.

Copley. Up Sh*t Spreader Hill and you’re away across the tops all the way to the M62 or hop on the towpath and you’re in Hebden in 30 minutes. Plus you’ve got a really nice local shops up in Skircoat Green and you’re the right side of town for easy access to the M62 etc.

I am biased but south Halifax is fkn awesome.

Also look at Claremount – great for the motorway and plenty of riding directly on your doorstep.

Good safe area with sensible rents.

@DBW – once Jase has finished his house renovations, we need to come over your way for a ride out with you.

Simon – correct!

bear me out.. you want to live in halifax because your going to be working in leeds..?

anywhere in calderdale close to a station would do you.. if your really tight nip over to keighley trains and cheap..

ovendon isnt that bad..

As long as you don’t move to Illingworth or Gibbet St/Queens Rd then you’ll be fine!

And the Leeds commute thing… are you going to be train’ing it? If so, Copley or Ovenden aren’t exactly close to the station. Skircoat Green/Savile Park is 15/20 minutes walk and personally I’d want to be within that kinda distance. Copley would be a horrid walk to the station as you’d have to walk up Copley Bank first. I’d reckon a good 35/40 minute walk from Copley to the station. That said, there are buses and IIRC they go right past the entrance to the station.

Sowerby Bridge is pretty cheap as another option. Only a mile or two down the valley from Copley but theres a railway station. Less frequent trains to Leeds though but its an ok little place – some cracking pubs and restaurants and the riding is pretty much the same stuff on the doorstep as you’d get in Copley.

Cheers guys. Train isn’t an option as I work well out of Leeds city centre. Yes I know the M62 can be a real pain but driving to work is the only option (and works just off the M62 anyway). Fingers crossed when the new systems in place it’ll be a lot better.

I’ll only be renting for 6-12 months, so it’s just a short term solution until I get to know the area better. Copley seems to be the best option so far.

Might cheekily ask for a bit of a tour around as well when everything’s sorted 😀

What’s putting you off Brighouse? Other than the fact that I’ve just moved there!

Biking wise, you are a short blast on the canal to the same riding area around Copley and Elland.

Access to the M62 and railway is great. The most suprising thing for me is that this ugly, little industrial looking place is actually a bustling, attractive little town with every kind of shop* you could need. It’s got a great park, canal to Sowerby/Hebdon, good trail running, great real ale..

* in a no nonsense Yorkshre kinda way rather than a London high fashions styley!

Mugboo. – Monday night rides, 7pm start at the Ritz 🙂

Chew – I’m in brighouse too, my mate is just in the process of renting his house out here, drop me a mail if you want his details. Whereabouts in Leeds do you work?

We also ride on a Wednesday from The Watermill at Salterhebble – http://www.halifaxmtb.co.uk/

How about Elland?
Lived here for 10yrs now and its great. New supermarket due to open, good access to motorway.
Elland, Bradley, Copley & Brighouse woods all very close by.
Some nice cheap houses to rent too

Woody – I’ve been off the bike since Nov due to house renovations. I’m just feeling my way back into it with the odd hour and some running. Still lots of house stuff to do so I can’t be arsed night riding yet…. But I do intend to have a ride or two with the Ritz Monday night fast boys 🙂

The most suprising thing for me is that this ugly, little industrial looking place is actually a bustling, attractive little town

Same applies for most places around here I reckon. Unless you’ve actually been to Halifax/Brighouse/Sowerby Bridge/Elland and got to know them, you’d just write them off as holes. But they’re not.

Chew – if/when you want a pedal around, let us know. Sure woody and mugboo would come for a pootle as well. Trails drying out very nicely around us at the moment!

To add to the discussion … West Vale, Holywell Green, Greetland, Outlane, Elland, Sowerby Bridge, Brighouse, Southowram, Copley, Skircoat Green (where I live!) are all good places. Also Shibden, Hipperholme, Lightcliffe, Queensbury and Northowram. All of these have great riding available from the doorstep and have roughly the same commute time to Leeds give or take!

Dave – when you come from a place as successful and attractive as Bratford, most places look pretty crap 😉

Trails drying out very nicely around us at the moment!

a bit damp this morning…