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Anywhere West Midlands seems good to me - Wyre Forest/Ribbesford, Bringewood, Hopton, Long Mynd etc, then not exactly a long drive over to Wales. East Midlands/Anglia is probably one of the worst!
In the words of Feeder
"Buy a house in Devon, Devon, Devon. Drink cider from a lemon????????"
I live in Wigan and feel spoilt rotten with choices, N Wales 45 mins, lakes an hour, peaks and hour, rivvy 20 mins, Lee/Cragg Quarry half hour and loads of other routes within an hours drive. Quite often dash up M6 for two hours and then into the 7 Stanes places like Mabie, Ae etc..
No problem but there's lots of really good riding around Ross too. If you send me contact I could take you on local trails - we normally ride very early on weekends (6-7am)
I might be down in a fortnight or so! Id really appreciate a tour. I cant see your email address but mines Adam_Marsland at hotmail dot com 8)
Isle of sheppey
😆
+1 though.
Wigan.
Apart from Pies and the rain, it is pretty good for getting to some lovely MTB locations.
Wales 1 hour, better bits of Wales 2 hours, Lakes 1.5 hours, Peaks 1 hour, Rivington 20 minutes.
Close to Liverpool airport for Sleezyjet flights to Geneva too.
Lucky to live near North Downs in winter/autumn and South Down spring/summer.
Having never lived anywhere else (as a rider) I can't compare anywhere else, but TBH I'm still not disappointed with the riding around the Guildford area after a good 10+ years of riding it. Miles and miles of trails within easy reach of my house - I think that's the key, as long as you don't [u]have[/u] to drive to ride (Sometimes I choose to)
No matter what Loddrik says......
Lickey End and not just for the comedy name and looks you get when you tell people
Being able to ride from your doorstep onto any type of trail that makes you grin = win.
After spending last weekend in Dumfries and riding around there, I can safely say that I'd have rather give up the 3 hour each way drive and have another 6 hours riding on my local trails...
Calderdale. The End.
I am holed up in the South Lakes too - it's rather good really, although I still miss Scotland and the enlightened access legislation 🙁 The riding out of Ulverston itself isn't brilliant, there are still a couple of local bws that I haven't had a try at yet... but if you drive for 10 - 30 minutes that brings most of the Lakes classics in range.
For riding I would probably have been better off somewhere around Kendal, but I quite like the quality of life in Ulverston (some good pubs and not the hoards of tourists!)
Oh - and being close to the Duddon Valley is rather nice 🙂
Stroud area always looks like its got loads of local potential & less than an hours drive in most directions gets you Quantocks, South Wales, Mid Wales, Salsbury plain etc
Dorking surrey for the best in the south (if you need London access for work for eg)
Hadleigh.
I spent 4 years in Sheffield, it's not great.
You could probably cover all the legal trails in the Dark Peak in one loop given sufficient fitness, and they're overated, most of the decents are about as much fun/technical as riding down the stairs from our flat to the car park.
Wokingham isn't bad actualy,
Chilterns for a 'natural' day out on bridleways,
Swinley for when everywhere else is mashed,
Tunnel Hill, Cesars Camp, Porrisge Pots for night rides.
Surrey hills close enough for a day out.
M4 to South Wales
Wages are higher (so more bling for bikes)
But I'd still prefer to be in the Lakes.
Maybe this should be what is the worst area as there seems to be lots of good places.
I love living in the North West, been here for nearly three years now after living in the South East (Surrey) for 4 years and being from the North East. The North West (IMO) has the most variety of riding and yet you still have the big city lights of Manchester (20 mins from me) If you want it.
Having North Wales/Peaks/Lakes/Dales all within 1:30 mins is awesome, what more could you want? 🙂
South Manchester:
Rivington 40 minutes away,
Peak District 30 minutes away,
The Lakes 1-2 hours away
North Wales 1-2 hours way,
Calderdale 1 hour away.
Yorkshire Dales 1.5 hours away.
Sounds shit, why not just live at one of those places listed and be 0 hours drive away.
I would say you'd be pushed to live anywhere better than the Lakes!
North Bolton myself which has good trails and is 1 hour driving to peak dist, lakes
Not the New Forest. No topology here. Purbecks is close but a little too far to ride to and from to start a ride. I hate driving to ride unless it's for a few days away.
Calderdale, home of STW. It's Britain's best MTBing area by a long shot. Cheap beer too.
Can't say about anywhere else but if I didn't care about increasing my commute a significant amount but still needed to work London-ish, I'd move to Dorking.
Not Lincoln, which is why I'm driving up to Guisborough tomorrow for a weekends worth of riding out on't moors 😀