I am moving to the area and know very little about it, need to be within 5-6 miles of the M5. A town preferably thats not too small, mountain biking from the door would be nice but not essential but no more than half hour drive away. A good bike club and nice pubs, where would you suggest?? and why??

Taunton. Fits all your criteria

somewhere near taunton, but not bridgwater.

given the current situation i’d just move to the highest ground you can find…

(Taunton. Exeter if you can handle the ‘big’ city).

It’s a pretty big area. Can you be more specific?

Why do you need easy access to the M5 presumable to travel up the M5 on a regualr basis. I travel up the M5 with work most weeks but if I had to do it daily I would want to live closer to Bristol than Exeter.

Do NOT go to Bridgwater. You have been warned.
I wouldn’t live in WSM either. Taunton is pretty good, otherwise just go to Bristol.

Taunton, or any of the surrounding villages. Dont go to Bridgwater, W-S-M, or Burnham!

Exeter: Haldon, N. Dartmoor
Taunton: Quantocks, Exmoor
Weston: Mendips
Bristol: Avon valley trails, Mendips, FOD, Cwm Carn

Bristol is definitely the best place for you, Devon is crap. Especially Exeter.

Actually, toys isn’t wrong. Exeter is pretty crap.

I live in Exeter……………….yes it’s crap 🙁

see told ya. sucks balls.

Exeter is crap to live in, very few nice places and when you find a nice place, be prepared to pay through the nose on rent/mortgage etc. There are some good people here though and the ridings not to bad.
Dartmoor,haldon and Woodbury less than half hours drive away.
Also, lock your bike up good and proper, scummy little **** in exeter love to nick em.

Kona dawg primo and Gary fisher hifi deluxe both stolen less than 4 weeks apart. 👿

FWIW we lived in Dulverton for a few years and loved it, a great wee village. Not as close to m5 as you would like though

Clevedon – right on M5, 20mins from Bristol, pretty decent local riding plus Mendips, Ashton Court, CwmCarn all within 30mins, plus Quantocks,Exmoor, Dartmoor, & Afan within 1 1/2 hours.
Few decent pubs, restaurants, cinema and even a night club if that way inclined. Good schools if important.
No bike club but good LBS who does regular rides, plus plenty of locals willing to hook up (Thurs 6.30 at All Saints Church/Old Inn from about 9.00).

Plus its not Weston Super Mare! Or Bridgwater.

I can see Exeter being crap if you want loads of bars/clubs/theatres/museums but otherwise it’s ace – I say this having done the London thing for years and decided South Devon is better than South London to raise a family. If you think parts of Exeter are rough you’ve not experienced much.

As with most things, it all depends what you’re looking for.

The nice bit between WSM & Bristol = Nailsea, Clevedon, Portishead.

I lived in Weston for quite a while, I really liked it. Should have taken the permanent job there really.

Nightmareish in summer on the front though when the hordes descend.

Devon’s beautiful and loads of fun.. you’ve got to have a serious lack of imagination to think otherwise..

I’d pick Exmouth or Exeter if I was you.. good musical/creative/pub scene that’s not too hard to find if you put your nose to the ground..

Exmouth’s a bit murdery at the moment though but it adds to the charm IMO.. 😕

I’m a Londoner born and bred, I moved to exeter 6 years ago, I have experienced rough places, Exeter is not rough. It’s stupidly overpriced.

I’m Exeter born and bred, I have experienced rough places, and i’ve experienced the rough places of Exeter.. Exeter is definitely not rough..
It’s very very nice..

a bit murdery

Lovely phrase there 🙂

And sellisnba, you’re right about the over pricing but it’s the cost of being down here I guess.

Taunton sounds like the place you want, or somwhere just outside it and closer to the Quantocks Kington St Mary (nice but pricey), Cotford St Luke (cheap, if you like living in a shoe box) Bishops Lydeard (just right) 🙂

I grew up in Taunton. It’s perfect. I’d happily move back there anytime.

Well I was joking about Exeter, it was supposed to be an insular yokel comment. It’s a bloody excellent place. If it wasn’t I certainly would not be here.

Dartmoor,haldon and Woodbury less than half hours drive away.

Haldon and Woodbury are also only about 45mins ride away from Exeter city centre if you want riding straight from the door instead of having to drive.

and yeah, Exeter is ace, but we’re full, no more newcomers allowed 🙂

Wrong about Clevedon having no bike club .Road based I will grant you but it has had a club for a long time

http://www.cdrc.cc/

See topic heading.

which part of devon or somerset is

Bristol Nailsea, Clevedon, Portishead

?

Lived in W-S-M for some time. People used to ask why I drank so much, until they visited. Hated that place. I understand it’s had some cash spent on it, so may well be better now – it was certainly fun during big storms, and the views to Wales were pretty cool. But if it still dies out of season, then avoid at all costs.

Depends on where you’re moving from – that would be a good reference point for us to work from. W-S-M would be a good call if moving from Barry or Croydon or……

+1 for Taunton. Plenty of good riding rather local. Close to the M5, has an okay night life, usual standard of chav peasants as with everywhere but kept under control by the local Commando unit based there.

Has a top notch school there also & if you look towards Norton Fitzwarren, its just outside of town but lovely housing around that area.

NO dont go to taunton, were already full up 😆

See topic heading.

which part of devon or somerset is

Bristol Nailsea, Clevedon, Portishead

?

WHAT? 🙄

N,C and P are Somerset (North). See a map.

Clevedon has a very active mountain bike club that runs out of Bike Style cycles.

clearly deluded.

google ‘map of somerset’ amd ‘map of avon’

Ain’t no such place as Avon now.

Another +1 for Taunton and -1 for Bridgwater.

Is OP going to reveal need for M5 proximity? Fair few miles ‘twixt Brizzle and Exciter; I’d be keen to minimise my time amongst the grockle boxes and artics on such.

cheez0,

Like how you tied in my username, clever that 😀 🙄

As drlex has said Avon doesn’t exist, and hasn’t for about 15 years!

N,C & P are towns in the unitary authority of North Somerset, within the ceremonial county of Somerset … so, I think that’s Somerset!

yep Taunton area is not bad at all ( after 20 years in Swindon )

But avoid the Devon Villages cos you will always be an outsider large towns are ok

WSM sorry tis a toilet I work there occasionally tis not nice in the town centre

Important things are Quantocks, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Haldon and the mendips are not far away there is alot of superb riding in the area

WSM a toilet what a load of bull sure the oldmixon and bournville isnt the best and there are a few strange types wandering around but a toilet no

some of you guys must live a very sheltered/pampered life

getting back to the original post where abouts on the M5 do you need to be near most

Isn’t Exeter full of kids just back from their gap yah? 😆

Serious answer now. There are many choices, most will be lovely apart from Bridgwater. Just avoid Bridgwater. I’m not the first to say it, so it must be true.