Life expectancy is 4 years higher for men in the South West than in Scotland. There really aren’t many reasons Scottish cities would win over Bristol that I can see!

You’re using averages for all of Scotland to apply to Edinburgh, which is of course bollocks.

Yep, but it’s a superb way to wind up the Scots! The best solution:

If you want good riding on your doorstep… Don’t live in a city.

Don’t live in a city.

depends where in the city you are and which city it is. I’m a 5 minute bike ride from Hove beach and only ride for 200yards to get to off road riding that takes me up and out onto the Downs.

Another vote for Inverness:

Plenty of employment
Cheap housing
No traffic
Lowest crime
Beautiful, car free, commutes
Good state schools,
All the MTBing you could want (Puffer & Learnie are 10mins from my house & I have a forest at the end of my garden)

If you want good riding on your doorstep… Don’t live in a city.

I live on the outskirts of Edinburgh (Balerno) and have good riding right from the door.

access rights maybe?

have a look at the OS map of the peak district, note how few bridleways there actually are.

now consider that lots of the few are at best a bit lame/not worth the effort.

(descent off shatton moor down to bradwell – i’m looking at you)Think I might have ridden this last w/e – it was a total quagmire and turned into a bit of a circus, but if it was drier it looked like it would be quite good? The one from Brough lane down to Bradwell.

I live on the outskirts of Edinburgh (Balerno) and have good riding right from the door.

Good for you, it’d be better if you lived in the middle of said riding.

Good for you, it’d be better if you lived in the middle of said riding.

There are only about 2 houses actually in the middle of the riding area. I can be on trails within a few yards of the house and can follow those for the mile or so until the Pentlands proper starts.

Golly, you’re argumentative today. My hypothetical situation was not specific to you.

Few of us are looking for the best urban riding. Ergo urban areas will not yield the best riding. There are many urban areas (of which Edinburgh is a good example) where the riding from the city is excellent. However the riding is better from those 2 houses that are in the middle of it. That’s not to say that the quality of life would be better or you’d be best off living there, but purely from the riding perspective the house 200 yards closer to the riding is better for riding. That’s a basic principle.

njee20 – Member
Yep, but it’s a superb way to wind up the Scots!

Especially the English ones…

…Think I might have ridden this last w/e – it was a total quagmire and turned into a bit of a circus, but if it was drier it looked like it would be quite good? The one from Brough lane down to Bradwell…

that’s the one.

when it’s dry, it’s alright, but still totally not worth the MASSIVE, BORING, UNENDING CLIMB OF DOOOOOM.

Ergo urban areas will not yield the best riding

pop round for a cuppa, bring your bike, i reckon i can change your mind 🙂

pop round for a cuppa, bring your bike, i reckon i can change your mind

Good lord, people really are taking that too literally! Unless you want to ride street you need to head out of the urban areas to ride. This may be 50 feet, but if you start outside of the city then you are in a better place. Of course there are places you can ride to that are just outside cities, and thus very easily reached from said city. However, if you take the city out of the equation altogether it’s better!

If you like sailing, then living somewhere with half a mile of a lake or whatever is great. Living adjacent to that lake, with your own boathouse is even better.

See?

After the referendum Scotland isn’t going to be in the UK, right ?

Brighton isn’t even the best place to live in Sussex.

This list reminds us why we don’t read MBR

Brighton isn’t even the best place to live in Sussex.

Brighton isn’t in Sussex any more, Brighton & Hove is a unitary authority 🙂

Which Sussex city is better though, out of interest? I can only think of Chichester.

What’s this rumour of mountain biking in Scotland?

I refuse to believe such drivel.

Brighton & Hove isn’t even like a city, only in name, nice place though

Id agree with previous poster about the best riding I’ve done in England being the Lakes, not sure about Uk though, Scotland gets that nod for me

njee20

I can do a 20+ mile loop around edinburgh remaining well in the city that is more than half singletrack – I could do a shorter run that is mainly singletrack

can do a 20+ mile loop around edinburgh remaining well in the city that is more than half singletrack – I could do a shorter run that is mainly singletrack

And from where I live, which is the very edge of Edinburgh I’ve already in the hills (my house is 600ft up on the edge of the Pentlands) and singletrack pretty much from my door leading in most directions, includng into town.

Here’s a video of my commute to work (which is further into Edinburgh:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0FeIxTg-AY[/video]

600ft up – is that all??

That was a guess – is it higher?

585ft according to my Garmin!

My Garmin says I’m at 676ft – but I’m upstairs 🙂

I can do a 20+ mile loop around edinburgh remaining well in the city that is more than half singletrack – I could do a shorter run that is mainly singletrack

I’ve done a 75mile route that, apart from a few hundred meters, is covered by the Bristol A-Z wall map. There are a few road links but not much, and you could link it up with dull off-road I you wanted.

I know it’s not part of mbr’s criteria but

Best weather in UK
Most beautiful race course in the world
Two world famous motoring events each year
World famous theatre
Great variety of mtb trails
Superb trail running
Kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing Mecca
Superb old roman city
Great kayaking and canoeing rivers to multiday explore
A University, cathedral, and teaching hospital
An airfield
A world famous motor racing circuit
A summer of festivities and festivals
Access to London on less than 90 mins
Isle of Wight 45 mins
Surrey Hills 45mins
Gatwick airport 90 mins

ahhh lovely Chi

My Garmin says I’m at 676ft – but I’m upstairs

Is your house sinking? I’m sure it was over 700ft a few minutes ago…

@epicsteve

Great vid, but are you sure those aren’t Thunderbird arms you have controlling your bike? 😉

Ok, for the Glasgow community. Which bit of singletrack above Milngavie is the picture on page 62 taken…..I can’t work it out

These were taken on bike rides that started off from Inverness. Theres heaps of natural stuff.

inverness in distance from track above dochfour

clouds and trees above loch ness by martinxyz, on Flickr

loch ness from secret viewpoint by martinxyz, on Flickr

F.H.L pass switchbacks by martinxyz, on Flickr

looking down loch ness by martinxyz, on Flickr

dig sunday ride loch duntelchaig sparkle 2800w 26 05 07 by martinxyz, on Flickr

dig sunday ride loch duntelchaig singletrack sign 2000w 27 0 by martinxyz, on Flickr

marin at gate 2 by martinxyz, on Flickr

& you can also do a bit of Nessie hunting..

dig loch ness zoom double branch crop insects flash 890w 14 by martinxyz, on Flickr

I live on the outskirts of Edinburgh (Balerno) and have good riding right from the door.

I used to live at castelaw farm in the pentlands, first bit of singletrack was 30 feet from the house door, and I could be in work in the city centre in 25 minutes. Do I win?

These were taken on bike rides that started off from Inverness. Theres heaps of natural stuff.

I grew up riding on Ord Hill by the bridge at North Kessock – it was great, not sure what its like these days but you should check it out. Loads of narrow rooty singletrack.

If you want good riding on your doorstep… Don’t live in a city.

So with those pics taken from rides leaving the house,where should i move to then? ;O)

Jim,yeah Ord Hill is rooty and also rocky with not only a good track skirting around it for xc training (used that in the 90s loop after loop!) and really good short climbs and descents. Dog shit can be a bit of a pain in this day and age along with logs placed across trails.

Craig Phadraig is good too. Its recently been cleared up the top giving nice views. It used to always be sheltered with trees but now you can look up the Beauly Firth towards Contin.

As for the mast,check out descent world/scottish scene No2 (i think)for DH action within 2 miles from the city centre.

If anyone plans to move to another location and counts this area out because theres no decent jobs,then its probably worth staying in the bigger city to be honest. ;O)

But did you climb the mast Jim ??

Ord Hill is rooty and also rocky with not only a good track skirting around it for xc training (used that in the 90s loop after loop!

Ha, I probably used to see you! I rode it several days a week 92-95 and then in the lots summers after that until about 1999, good times! Didn’t do any riding over the water though. There is some great singletrack around Loch Lundie too, a bit north of ord hill, and some bits around Drumderfit hill.

No I’ve never been to the mast, is that the one on the hill behind town at craig dunain?

I think it’s great to see Exeter on the list. Dartmoor, Exmoor and the Quantocks are all amazing places to be within an hours(ish) drive from.

Saleem, do you remember riding over to Munlochy bay to try and find the cave? We rode through a field of rapeseed and arrived home yellow! Hummin o the stuff. I would have guessed 93.

Did you ever ride out past that loch lundie to the bay,Jim? Great rope swing on a tree (even for adults,its that high!)

Yeah been to the bay, can vaguely remember a swing, and goats?!