I grew up in Cheshire and had some great riding on the doorstep. I live in Melbourne Australia now and the riding of any decent calibre is a drive away in any direction. 45 minutes gets me to my “local” trails, an hour and a bit in the other direction gets me to the manmade trail centre, and 3 hours drive up north east gets you to Mount Buller for really decent riding. Road riding isn’t bad here especially during summer along the beach road.

Urban sprawl

If I lived somewhere that would require me to drive before I ride, I’d never get out because, I’d say, 95% of my riding is night riding after the kids are in bed

Started riding mtbs in Scunthorpe (Lincs) and the only thing it had going for I was the old mines and slag heaps moved to Cannock Chase area then partner @ the time wanted to move jobs I said fine as long as there is somewhere decent to ride my bike.She got a job in the Lakes!!!!! I married her 😀

Lemon Drizzle Cake eater!!!!! by Richard Munro, on Flickr

DSCF3492[1] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

I live in Leamington. Decent riding is a bit thin on the ground, go to Cannock Chase at the weekends, occasionally Wales and up to Glentress once a year for our anniversary.

I live and work in Neath, South Wales, and The riding here is great. Neath Port Talbot is the most heavily wooded area in England and Wales, and I have tidy local riding a minute from my house, which can be sewn into other great local built and cheeky trails in several directions. I can get up to Afan and Kilvey in 30-40 minutes on the bike – 15 in the car – and Gower, Brechfa, the Beacons, Bike Park Wales, and Cwmcarn are all within an hours drive, plus many more less known riding spots along the M4 corridor.

Reading some of these posts has made me realise how lucky I am, even though the employment prospects are awful, and we have consistently sopping weather. I’ll never be able to afford top-of-the-range bikes living here, but at least the rents are low. 😉

Been living in Oxford for 1.5 years and it sucks for riding, having lived in mid Wales for 7 year previous the Chilterns just don’t compare IMO and I don’t really enjoy riding flat or rolling hills. On the plus side, moving back to Wales in about 5 months… Won’t be in a hurry to move somewhere without good riding again…

Used to live extremely close to Swinley Forest and did miss it when I moved away. However, following its change of use to a trail centre, I definitely don’t miss it although sad that so many of the fun trails have been lost.

I live near hairyscary. I very rarely drive to ride. I can do a loop that takes me from door to 500m to beach and back in a few hours. The stuff out the door is awesome and the further you go the better it gets. Real variety too. There’s not many places I’d rather live and none of them are in the UK. If I did have to live where most of you live, and had to drive if I wanted to bike, then I’d just give up. That would never happen though.

My local rides could easily be done on a CX they’re that tame. Still enjoy them though.
The Peak or Dalby is best part of two hours drive but that’s ok for a day out.
Plenty of advantages to me living where I live, so I stay.

Well, look at what I had to leave to live in London 🙁
Top at 2120m, gondola from the city outskirts to 1800m and chair lift to 2000m from one of the suburbs with public bus connection…

Moving from there almost made my cry

Funny consequence of such geographical and topological situation + lifts is that most of the active mountain bikers there are on 180+ travel bikes (:

@moridinbg are you mad, and where is that?

Wild horses couldn´t take me from where I live now

Photo credits to Basquemtb.com

Moved from Stirling to Ulverston in the South Lakes… a mistake on the riding from the door side of things, it is rubbish. The next move will be more considered! I think I managed to pick the one place with rubbish trail access in the area….

I lived in Manila (Philippines) for 5-6 years. No MTB riding to speak of and road riding made road riding in London look tame. It was rubbish.

Moved to Thailand in September, bought (and brought) a new bike and love it. I’m healthier, happier and my little boy screams with joy when he sees the Wee Ride being fitted.

Was born and grew up in Malvern riding tracker bikes, BMX then MTB, never short of riding. Have lived in Bolton for past 20 years, just round the corner from Binners, great riding on my doorstep, live at the foot of Winter Hill.

Access to riding would be a consideration in any move, but that is unlikely as missus is local and doesn’t want to relocate.

Myself and my partner moved up to the Lakes three years ago, me for the riding and fell running, her more for road cycling and walking.
We left promising jobs behind because we weren’t enjoying life.
We’ve both now settled into jobs with good prospects and have a nice place in keswick. I don’t earn as much but I need need as much either 😀

[/url] 20130610_065649 by doom_mountain, on Flickr[/img]

It was a risk but worked out well.
It wasn’t just the riding that brought us to the Lakes, it’s a nicer, quiter pace of life as well.

I live near Malvern also- superb. Followed a job to Warwickshire 2 years ago- lasted 8 months before coming back. extra money just wasn’t worth the flat claggy field edge slogging. Locals loved it though.

Been living in Portsmouth for the last 6 years or so, which entails a car ride out to the South Downs. We will be moving to the Norfolk Broads in August, which is even flatter although I’m led to believe there are a few good places to ride near the North Norfolk Coast. However, the other love of my life takes up massive amounts of time (see the what have you made recently thread for more details!) and the requirement to live closer to the boat are just outweighing the need for easy access to hilly trails.

Would love to live somewhere with riding on the doorstep, having spent time in SE British Columbia with a view of the Rockies from my living room was ace but anywhere along the England / Wales border like Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire etc would be my ideal really.

Like ska-49 I live in Colchester which being north East Essex is a bit flatish but do have a large military training ground right on my door step no brideways or cheeky footpaths BUT shed load of trails in the woods just needs to be ridin at speed(and on a 29er IMHO)
Have lived else where(High Wycombe and near Oakham Rutland) but more and better work here in South East so that’s where I came back to.

It’s interesting to read what places some people consider rubbish for riding and some others ok. I grew up in Norfolk, then spent 4 years in Southampton. For the past 8 years I’ve lived up north (Chester and more recently Stafford). While I’ve never been able to ride from my door I’d consider both pretty good. I still feel smug when I’m mountain biking or climbing on a summers (or even winters!) evening after work. I guess if you’ve spent any time living somewhere where mountains/big hills are a full weekend only destination then anywhere with decent riding within an hour of home is a good place to be.

Of course it would be very different if I couldn’t drive or afford a car/fuel…

Moved from Bristol to Peter-bog-horror.

My job is hectic so road bike and gym only.

My contract runs out in Sept, so would like to move back instead of staying in the fens
if I can find the work…

Capt Kronos, is Ulverston that bad? I’m from there, but have never ridden MTB there. Always thought I’d take or hire a bike one time I’m visiting the fam but maybe better to go straight up to the Lakes. Or stick to the road bike.

I moved to the Basque Country about 6 years ago (same place as Sunnrider above) and don’t think I would be here now if not for the riding. Much rather have that, than a career 8)

The real question is where does mountain biking factor into your list of personal priorities in selecting a location to live

I would love to be near the woods and hills, before getting into MTB it would have been for wild camping and bushcraft (and still would be). If I could the hills closer to home then I’d be overjoyed, but I live in London and I love it

Things like employment prospects, financial security and family are more important to me.

Ironically I could move out of London as I drive 16 miles away from London to get to work, but still having no desire to move somewhere else

Just for the record, MTB aside, I think I’d go insane living somewhere without hills and trees, even if I’d never ridden a bike

It played a large part in me applying for jobs when I graduated from uni. A lot of the chemistry jobs at the time were in new science park developments centred around Cambridge or Oxford or in industrial centres like Runcorn, none of which filled me with anticipation.

Fortunately, I found a job in Lancaster – great road riding out of the door and the Lake District a short drive away for MTBing. Left there after 5 years for a job on the edge of the Peak District. Again, location played a major part of the job hunting.

Grew up in West Virginia USA. Did a bit of mountain biking and bmxing while growing up. There were no real mountains 3k high like Colorado, or southeren france, but they were 1.5/2.0km high and on the other hand, there was no flat areas. If you look on google maps, WV is almost one large forest.

10 years ago I moved to Denmark. Denmarks highest point is only around 150M ASL. And for most, there isn’t any woods to speak of without pulling out the car. I slowly picked up biking, first commuting, then road biking (road biking is more enjoyable than in WV I dare say. and with an ocean view it’s great in the long summer days). Getting into MTB here as well the last year or so in order to keep riding through winter months. I have about 20km flat coast ride to the nearest forest, which means I choose to keep my 3rd chain ring setup, even with the 2×10 and 1×11 fad running crazy.

I also have a quick ferry trip to Sweden, where there are more than enough trails.

there are always places to ride. there are always fun ways of riding wherever.

I moved from Cambuslang near Glasgow to Appin in Argyll last year. Unbelievably the road and mtbing opportunities are thin in Appin. A few roads to cycle over and over again, and mtbing is up and down a bit of fireroad or bog portage.

For everyone criticising my choice of beer, I feel the need to quantify it. That particular commute home it was mid July and about 27 degrees, and I’d just slogged up Rooley Moor Road, which is about 1200 ft of bloody steep, demoralising climbing on an old roman road, in one go. It’s great because I’ve then got an awesome descent home down Owd Betts and the Singletrack past the Fishermans retreat. I text the missus from the top, and she walks down to meet me in the pub at the bottom. Our life is hell! 😀

Anyway…. The last thing you want after that is a pint of scruttocks old nobrot, or whatever hideous crap you lot drink. Actually…. Thinking about it, I should have had a cider.

I’m really jealous if Sue w who has my absolutely favouritest ride – drum mountain – on her doorstep

I only got into cycling when I was living on the outskirts of Edinburgh, with the Pentland Hills on my doorstep. As others have said, being able to just jump on a bike and get into some decent countryside at short notice and with no driving was important with a young family to cater for.

Since then I’ve moved to Aviemore – and being able to ride “from the door” was an important consideration. We looked at various West Coast options but the balance of work availability, convenience and variety of riding made the Cairngorms a no-brainer.

This is an easy cycle away

P1000761 by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

I even have a beach nearby 🙂

Loch Morlich Beach by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

Having trouble with the rubbish riding concept. No time on a bike is rubbish to me. Time off the bike however…..

Having trouble with the rubbish riding concept. No time on a bike is rubbish to me. Time off the bike however…..

Absolutely, absolutely this.

1. Step out of your front door.
2. Ride in any direction for (maximum) a few miles.
3. You are in the countryside.
4. Explore.

Absolutely, absolutely this.
1. Step out of your front door.
2. Ride in any direction for (maximum) a few miles.
3. You are in the countryside.
4. Explore.
[/quote]I lived in London for a while. Time spent getting out of town on a motorbike was frustrating enough.

scotroutes – Member
hebdencyclist »
Having trouble with the rubbish riding concept. No time on a bike is rubbish to me. Time off the bike however…..

Absolutely, absolutely this.
1. Step out of your front door.
2. Ride in any direction for (maximum) a few miles.
3. You are in the countryside.
4. Explore.
I lived in London for a while. Time spent getting out of town on a motorbike was frustrating enough.

I knew someone would play the London card 🙂

I’ll add to my list:

5. If countryside/wilderness/adventure sports are that important to you, don’t live in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world.

😉

That’ll be a “no” to the OP then 🙂

That’ll be a “no” to the OP then

You raise a good point though. Perhaps Londoners should cut their cloth according to their…their, oh, whatever the phrase is.

There is plenty of cycle sport going on in London, and plenty of interesting places to ride. Just none of it is gnarly MTB riding. If I still lived there, I’d be out on a cross bike or hardtail exploring riverside paths, canals, bits of dockland, reservoirs, parks etc*

*yes I have a beard and listen to Radio 4

No, once lived somewhere less good, never will again.

If any expansion is needed; I grew up within half an hours ride of Hayfield and got into MTBing because the local trails were so good. Spent my mid 20’s to early 30’s living elsewhere with less good local riding but still within reach of a (long) days ride out to the Peak Distict and back. I now live back within a couple of miles of where I grew up and still love the local trails.

Mrs FBJ’s family live either side of the Humber on the east coast and when we visit I wonder what on earth I’d have grown up doing as riding round there holds no appeal at all. Even on the road.

I used to live in Colchester, the ideal place to own a 5″ travel do it all bike. Not.

I did manage to eke out a reasonable loop with some short hills and a few fun bits though. I now live in Kent, with plenty of hills but the chalky soil around here is treacherous during the winter months and clings to your tyres like nothing else so riding during a wet winter is a colossal chore. If I could have the topography of the Downs with north Essex soil, I’d be happy.

I’d be bloody ecstatic though if I lived somewhere like Yorkshire, Wales or Scotland.

Three miles to the top of the Quantocks and eight miles to Exmoor, it’s rubbish here. 😉

There is plenty of cycle sport going on in London, and plenty of interesting places to ride. Just none of it is gnarly MTB riding. If I still lived there, I’d be out on a cross bike or hardtail exploring riverside paths, canals, bits of dockland, reservoirs, parks etc*

Born in London, but moved to the south western burbs, plenty of midweek riding with a couple of royal parks, the river, canals and lots of local woods, weekend Surrey hills/Tunnel hill, and Swinley before they ruined it, lot’s of road riding if you are into that sort of thing(I’m not), and if I feeling energetic, I can ride from home to North downs/Surrey hills 3/4 off road. It’s a 40mile round trip though. 😯

I like London, I like busy.

Some decent local beer and yah boo sucks to you Binners. 😉

I live on the eastern side of the New Forest which a lot of people on here seem to think is rubbish but there’s loads of woodland singletrack even if it is a bit cheeky, plenty of pubs next to the trails and I can ride from my door to the beach in an hour and a half 70% off road (an hour on the road). True, it does get a bit crowded in the summer but then I can head north up the Test Valley on virtually deserted lanes or drive 20 minutes to the trails surrounding Winchester which are good. There’s a good biking scene in the area too.

I think big hills are very overrated on this forum.

7 minutes by bike to quality singletrack or 12 minutes to the local “trail centre”. Yes life does suck sometimes….