Another vote for Hebden Bridge / Upper Calder Valley.
Following up on some of the earlier comments...
There is fantastic riding straight out the door if you're fit and keen, but it's a crap area for friendly, easy family riding with young children or unfit partners. If you're not fit you'll need to go elsewhere, get an ebike or be happy to walk and push at times (no hardship with the nice views round here). I'll stick my bike on the roof if we're going away somewhere, but 99.9% of my riding is from home. Mid-week riding is better than weekends if you can do it, quieter and fewer issues with other trail users (there's a fair bit of trail conflict round here, the area's become a victim of its own success with too many dicks about on mountain bikes).
Job opportunities very dependent on your line of work, but loads of commuters use the rail links to Leeds and Manchester. Commuting to Leeds or Manchester would be a time-wasting nightmare, friends have tried it but they gave up and moved elsewhere.
Culture wise there's more going on here than you'll find in most small towns, and the big cities aren't far away (about half hour or forty minutes on train to centre of Manchester, Leeds a little bit more). Hebden, Tod, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd all got different character (and house prices). If you don't know the area then worth a few visits, or renting until you find what you like best. Personally I wouldn't want to live right in Hebden itself, but it's a great spot to have right on the doorstep.
The Rjukan / valley fever factor is definitely something to consider. If at all possible you want to avoid living on the dark (south) side of the valley unless you're high up, the valley bottom where it's narrow is gloomy and depressing. If your job / commute allows and you can actually find a suitable property available, then I'd go for one of the hilltop villages where you'll get hours of extra daylight every day, especially in the winter. The flood risk is usually a lower up the hill as well.
The ice in the valley certainly isn't as good or reliable as the riding, but when conditions are right there's some good climbing to be had round here!
Edit:
Commuting to Leeds or Manchester BY CAR would be a time-wasting nightmare
New Mills is particularly good from a transport point of view with 2 train lines and decent doorstep riding.
I like New Mills from a geographical point of view, but it's not really over-endowed with nice pubs or restaurants and there's a choice between a Sainsbury Local, which is okay, but small with quite a limited range and a massively over-priced , small to medium-sized Co-op. The nearest large supermarket is Tesco in Whaley Bridge.
On the plus side, Sam at Sett Valley Cycles is ace. The Torrs is genuinely impressive. And there's good riding out of the front door on roads and/or trails. On balance though, I'd pick Glossop over New Mills every time. I just think it's a nicer place to live and, as a bonus, seems to have a more reliable rail connection into Manchester than the shambolic service from either of the New Mills stations.
Also, for some reason, a fair proportion of the drivers in New Mills think they're extras from Fast and Furious - Death on the Streets. Either that or they're shooting it locally and haven't told anyone...
Great places to live with riding from the door that have decent job opportunities, good transport connections (ideally rail, if we’re trying to ditch cars) and a decent amount of liveliness to them?
We seem to have drifted from the original brief (above) and are now discussing which part of the northern powerhouse is least crap. I guess that shows that the main demographic of the forum and mag is now northerners who enjoy a good old fashioned xc ride. (On a MTB because gravel bikes are too modern, and you know, old achey bones!) Some of the places being suggested now have so few good points that the only way they meet the original criteria is by having a bridleway nearby and good access to a motorway. 😀
We seem to have drifted from the original brief (above) and are now discussing which part of the northern powerhouse is least crap.
Tbf, I think that's just me being grumpy about various bits of the western edge of the Peak District rather than a more general trait 🙂
In Hampshire, Petersfield has to be up there for road and offroad riding. Right in the middle of lovely lanes/hills, plus Rogate and QECP very close.
Tbf, I think that’s just me being grumpy about various bits of the western edge of the Peak District rather than a more general trait 🙂
No, there's been a few places mentioned that I vaguely know and have wondered wtf? 😀
Just to boost New Mill's cultural appeal and to balance out the Fast and Furious element...it has an arts theatre!
How's the Fox at Brook Bottom these days? Used to be a good post ride pint spot.
Just to boost New Mill’s cultural appeal and to balance out the Fast and Furious element…it has an arts theatre!
I've just googled it to check it's Decent Amount Of Liveliness score. It has Ali Baba running for a few weeks, then a Bon Jovi tribute, then Roy Chubby Brown. I'd say that's quite a low DAOL score? I'm not moving to New Mills to be nearer to Roy Chubby Brown's gigs.
(I'm quite bored in work today. 😀 )
I know a couple who've just moved to Hebden Bridge and they aren't even cyclists.
Göteborg is good, but you know. Brexit put paid to that...
(and i don't even live there)
Within the UK the Stirling area is hard to beat, though depends on what you do job wise of course.
Could always move a long way - Rotorua keeps coming up but Nelson at the top of the South Island NZ is better IMO - and why I moved here two years ago! Loads of biking, a great MTB community and a lively small city.
How’s the Fox at Brook Bottom these days? Used to be a good post ride pint spot.
It's a curious journey back in time to an indeterminate point in the last half of the 20th Century, but it's still there and still serving beer. It's a nice place for a summer evening pint with a view across the valley, but I've not been inside for a while now. They still do the mulled wine and outside bar thing on Boxing Day with added Morris dancing...
For me, for somewhere to be a truly great place to live it must have good riding from the door of the non mountain bike kind as well as good riding from the door. <br /><br />
I am lucky enough to live in a great place that has pretty good from the door riding… of a hills woods and bridleways kind. I didn’t chose to live here as this is where I come from and I like it. In fact apart from applying for jobs and going to uni I have never made an active choice to live somewhere. This thread has made me think about how that would feel and it’s quite an interesting exercise.
Anyway, what sucks about Gower is that hardly anyone cycles for getting about. There is no ‘utility cycling’ culture here at all. It’s full of people who have moved here for the sea, landscape, surf, schools, etc. and they all drive everywhere all the time. My friends, many of whom work in right on green jobs, drive everywhere. My colleagues drive everywhere. It’s bonkers as the place is tiny and you can cycle round it in no time… I get why you need to drive lots if you live in rural mid Wales but not here.
So… if I was going to move somewhere truly great with good riding from the door I’d also want to be able to use my bike for all local journeys on nice quiet roads where other people do the same, or at the very least have fewer cars on roads that I have to use.
Surpsised Hebden Bridge or Todmorden haven't been heavily mentioned. Local riding is amazing (if a little niche) and both towns have stuff going on (again, a little niche) and commutable on the train to Leeds or Manchester.
Well, Skipton has just been described as the 'Ibiza of Yorkshire' in the Mirror. Is that lively enough for you? And we definitely have riding from the door... 😉
Does it have to be in the UK?
Sheffield IS good. Riding out through the parks is pretty bland and you end up at Lady Cannings etc but pick somewhere like Crookes and you can ride out through Rivelin which has numerous options and little descents and you end up on Stanage which is fantastic. New stuff constantly being built too.
I ride out the door and in under 5 minutes of quiet back streets I'm on Bole Hill DH, from the bottom of that I can head up the Rivelin valley or navigate Hillsborough and ride out to Wharncliffe along the river.
It's a slog back up the hill at the end of the day but views and starting on a brilliant DH make it worth it.
East Lancashire has loads of good riding and cheaper house prices than the Calder Valley. The downside is the local towns though. Trains and buses to Preston and Manc though. I lived outside Burnley and had loads of bridleways and permissive paths onto the moors and into town. I now live near Penrith in the Eden Valley and the local off-road cycling options are practically nil. I prefer the Rith to Burnley though!
what sucks about Gower
Access in general is a pain in the arse. You can't get in our out without going through Swansea in some form or another and you either drive miles around or get stuck in horrible jams. Or both. And the riding is quite limited, unless you do one of the above mentioned drives 🙂
Access in general is a pain in the arse. You can’t get in our out without going through Swansea in some form or another and you either drive miles around or get stuck in horrible jams. Or both.
No worse than getting in to central Cardiff, as we've discussed before. It's just that you use the worst way in at the worst times! I drove back from Cardiff on Sunday with no issues at all. Of course, if you're trying to reach a popular beach in south Gower on a sunny, warm weekend morning then you're going to have problems, as you would in Cornwall, etc.
And the riding is quite limited, unless you do one of the above mentioned drives
Gower has a decent amount of riding for a small area, not just the one classic ride that pops up constantly. But, as a small peninsular with only a few roads off it, steep climbs over it, and being an AONB and so on, there's not going to be miles of off-road riding. It's only, what, 12 miles long and 5 miles across? The fact that bikepackers generally take two days to ride it says something.
Having said that, he accessible riding in and around Swansea far outshines that of Cardiff. From where I live in central Swansea, I have two areas of trails (Clyne and Kilvey) about 3 miles in each direction, with Troserch about 10 miles away. The trails at Briton ferry are a 9 mile ride each way, mainly along a canal. I can ride to Afan for a slightly longer day out. There are unofficial trails up the Swansea valley, over above Skewen, pretty much in every direction except south because of the sea! And you can surf that, or SUP, or just sit near it drinking beer. 😀
Edinburgh fits the bill. surprisingly good riding from your door and a great place to live
Abergavenny should get an honourable mention. Seems to be an influx of bikey types moving in from Bristol (who previously moved out of London). The road bike scene was always strong in the town with great local sponsorship leading to many events in the town and our own Olympian. Goes without saying that there is great MTB straight from the town (which also has a station), and within a 40 minute radius you get most of the South Wales valley, BPW, Dirt Farm FOD, The Gap, The Beacons and the Black Mountains. Road links are good with Dual/motorway straight to Bristol, Cardiff or London (2 hours pre-speed cameras!). Big Foodie culture if that's your scene, Hay Festival, etc. Only thing missing is a thriving Beer Scene.<br />Biggest issue is finding somewhere affordable as everyone and his dog wants to live here!
Big Foodie culture if that’s your scene, Hay Festival, etc.
And two Nepalese restaurants! Two more than down here!
Good shout @welshfarmer
I'd go for Abergavenny or Crickhowell anytime, despite the influx of gentrification. The Black mountains and surrounds are one of my favourite places - great riding to be had and a stunning place.
Göteborg is good, but you know. Brexit put paid to that…
(and i don’t even live there)
100% agree, the trails are excellent bedrock nadgeriness 10 minutes ride from the door, and it is lively well connected and loads of jobs. But obviously not in the UK... Also I missed riding anything bikepark-ey when I was there
Those stirling vids look very tempting.
On topic for me as it's my turn to choose the next move. Anywhere within 45 mins of west Edinburgh. My priorities have changed a lot, and out the door is right up there. I had assumed options would be mostly pentlands or there abouts, but perhaps stirling is in range.
You say north of stirling, but any tips for nice quiet villages perhaps slightly south ?
Edit: sorry apparently don't know how to quote!
