, Reading being the potential centre of the universe that it is…
Yup its great here…
OP I would maybe draw a triangle between Reading, Newbury (A4 forming the bottom line basically) and Streatley. West Berks/South Oxon that’s your golden zone IMO, but do NOT choose to live in either Central Reading or Newbury, suburbs fine but battling traffic on the weekends is not worth being in the centre of either town…
Within that area you can strike out from your door round Goring heath, find some cheeky woods in the tilehurst, Mapledurham, whitchurch area or pick up the ridgeway trail from the back of Streatley… And of course you are sat right on the M4 so long day trips and full weekend “road trips” are a real possibility…
Nice days you can do the car thing, swinley is 40 mins away or Astonhill is maybe an hour and a bit, if you’re downhill inclined…
Having said that I do quite like the area a bit south of my suggested search zone too; Mortimer, Tadley, Kingsclear way, but I’ve not explored that way much with the MTB…
Essentially what I am saying is it ace Round here and why the Frigg would anyone want to live in that there London?