Wondering about when might be nice to live and I’m thinking about south Devon. My wife and kids like the sea and I like riding bikes so I thought maybe the area between Plymouth and Torquay might be good.
Near the sea for them, near Dartmoor for me. The question is, what kind of riding is there? Will I find enduro-ish stuff or is it more long xc style rides?
Where else has the sea and good off road riding?
Everything you want from long xc to stuff that’ll scare most people.
Sounds ideal, thanks!
Where else has the sea and good off road riding?
South Wales. Better beaches and far better off-road riding. (I love Dartmoor though. Used to live near Haytor.)
I think we should clarify whether the OP is open to riding footpaths.
between Plymouth and Torquay
That covers a lot of ground!
If by the sea, then bear in mind the South Hams looks close to Plymouth, but in reality it takes ages to drive anywhere, especially in the summer (grockle-tastic!)
Some parts of the South Hams are the most expensive in the SW too - second/holiday homes and retirees moving in push the prices up.
Dartmoor is excellent riding though - everything from XC to full on DH.
I think we should clarify whether the OP is open to riding footpaths.
Yep, I’m okay with that.
between Plymouth and Torquay
That covers a lot of ground!
Yes, remote work means that we’re in the lucky but also surprisingly tricky position of not being tied to any particular area. We have lived in Exeter before though so at least we know we like Devon.
South Wales. Better beaches and far better off-road riding.
I like this idea but the other half isn’t so keen unfortunately.
How about Exeter again then? Haldon, East Dartmoor and Woodbury on your doorstep, and Exmoor and Quantocks an hour away. The family will love The coast from Dawlish Warren all the way along to Dorset
That’s actually a great idea, though we don’t want to be in the city any more. I wonder what the areas to the south of Exeter are like though.
I remember Topsham was fancy and expensive in the early 00s and I’m sure it hasn’t got any cheaper!
Have a look at the Teign Valley. Great riding of all types locally. Half hr drive to Dawlish/Teignmouth/Torbay. North coast just over an hour drive. Dartmoor nearby.
Don't discount east/south east of Exeter...
Ottery, Honiton, Whimple, Feniton, Exmouth, Sidmouth, etc, etc.
Cheaper than Exeter, and a lot of the places south of Exeter.
Lovely MTB riding from the doorstep on Woodbury, lots of beaches all the way along the coast to Lyme Regis and beyond.
20ish mins to Haldon, 30ish mins drive to edge of Dartmoor, 40ish mins to the Quantocks.
Good travel links with M5, A30 and main train line to London.
I'm in Newton abbot, which isn't glamorous but has excellent travel to Moors, sea, Exeter, London, etc. Its worked out to be a good base for us, being big fans of outdoor stuff but with young family and appreciating benefits of the amenities in a small town.
Have a look at the Teign Valley. Great riding of all types locally. Half hr drive to Dawlish/Teignmouth/Torbay. North coast just over an hour drive. Dartmoor nearby.
This is where we live. Majority of my riding is Haldon off piste out the door. I'd love to ride on the Moor and places like the Quantocks more but the reality is I mainly just ride locally, partly because time is limited but also because the riding is good enough that there's less reason to go further afield than there might otherwise be.
I also think it's just a really nice place to live and for children to grow up. Some lovely villages, quiet, dark, and yet nice and active community and it's easy to get into Exeter.
As per Luket, we live in the valley too and its lush. BUT - good luck finding much choice of property here - zero rentals available and to buy stock is very limited. Several good schools and pubs and in terms of dartmoor-ish living (one side of the valley is in the park the Eastern side isn't) its very accesible - you're 10-15 minutes off the A38. Another word of warning, especially if working from home, mobile is super patchy and internet speeds go from reasonably quick in the base of the valley (like 80-90 Gb/s) to glacial in the more secluded spots at the end of telephone cable runs (can confirm - the pub we run has 80, the house we own approx 1/2 a mile away has 3-5 max). It doesn't bother us, but working from home is challenging....
