[Closed] who rides mostly where they live?

Nothing local to me, so yeah - I nearly always have to hop in the car first. I make the most of it though, if I do, it's generally for a whole days riding.

Would love to live somewhere where there is single track on my doorstep, I need to move!

I'm interested to know how many of the people who ride straight from their door have to drive to work? I rarley do off road rides from home but bike (the very short distance) to work every day. So any driving that I do for a MTB ride is easily cancelled out due to not using the car to commute.

You can ride (mostly offroad) to Tunnel Hill in 30 mins or so from Swinley!

You sure can!

Live in same place as Sue_W so it's mostly out the front door. Crashed me car a few months back and not got a new one, so just get on a train down the valley to Marin or Penmachno now. Get a lift with a mate further afield on occasions. Cycle to work, it's only 2 miles 😀

Most of the time for me. I can go 100yards from my front door and be off-road and ride for miles, only crossing tarmac, never on it.

Occasionally, I drive an hour to the Lakes to see family, and if I take my bike, does that count?

I'm interested to know how many of the people who ride straight from their door have to drive to work

There are a heap of bridleways round here so do plenty of local rides but still enjoy riding at Hamsterley (20mins away) and places like the Yorks. Dales, N.York Moors, Lakes, Weardale etc which require driving.

Probably do 60% locally from the front door.

I'm interested to know how many of the people who ride straight from their door have to drive to work

Lucas - Member
I'm interested to know how many of the people who ride straight from their door have to drive to work? I rarley do off road rides from home but bike (the very short distance) to work every day. So any driving that I do for a MTB ride is easily cancelled out due to not using the car to commute.

I used to ride in two or three days a week. These days I only ride to work once a week because the other days I take my son to nursery and just couldn't do that and get to work on time by bike.

Bristol BTW.

[i]I'm interested to know how many of the people who ride straight from their door have to drive to work[/i]

I work at home 🙂

Although I do ride with my daughter to her school and back twice a day so that's 4 miles 'commute'.

I'm interested to know how many of the people who ride straight from their door have to drive to work?

Depends on what training I'm doing at the time but also ride to or from work quite a lot (27 miles).

Until the cx season started Id only use the car about once a month. Now it's once a week. I usually ride my bike 27/28 days a month :0).
Looking at my training log Ive ridden 42 days on the bounce so far! Might have to take a day off soon.

I reckon 50% of the riding I get to do (ignoring the short commute)is road riding so I probably drive to 50% of my rides. But often these are part of a longer trip away (e.g. to the Lakes for a long weekend) so it's not a dedicated car journey. In the Lakes I then ride from the house, like Sunday - left house near Keswick at 4.20pm just after rain stopped and was on the bridleway up to Whinlatter in 10 mins. Then had a decent ride and home for kids bathtime. I love to be able to do that every day.

I live just south of Nottingham so it's pretty flat and rides are made up of farm tracks and the very odd bit of woodland singletrack. I like my riding rocky and technical (not that I'm any good at it) so i'm prepared to drive to the peak for a decent ride (if I can get time away from 2 small kids). If I can only get away for a couple of hours then I go on the road bike from the door.

I could live up in the south Peak and drive to work every day - then I could ride from home, but I'd waste hours on the M1.

Another of the lucky ones here (by choice); I live in the Forest of Dean and can literally go straight into the woods from my house, don't even have to touch a road before I'm into singletrack 🙂 With 26 square miles of woodland there's enough to provide a bit of variety without getting bored 😉
Equally, the road riding around here (Forest of Dean, Wye Valley, Black Mountains, etc.) is superb.
I try to commute to work by bike 2 or 3 days a week either by road or offroad.
Having said that, it's great to get in the vehicle to travel and ride elsewhere, especially with other people.

I could live up in the south Peak and drive to work every day - then I could ride from home, but I'd waste hours on the M1.

You've just described me. I can ride to work as quick as drive there.

The forest start 7mins ride over there -->
and there's more hills and tracks and forest than you could shake a stick at.

Only driven to Luxembourg, Slovenia and back to UK for annual MTB holidays. Everything else is straight from the door.

Not having a car gives me no choice really. If I'm lucky I might get out of my local area once or twice a year. It's not terrible though. There're enough trails nearby (at worst involving no more than 10-15 miles of road/canal-path to reach) that I rarely get bored, and there are still quite a few I've never taken the time to explore. The situation is certainly helped by the open-access here in Sweden though.

Depends how you define "local"

I ride in Guisbrough Woods and the NYM's in the week.

I ride the Peaks as it's on my way home/have friends there.

I ride Swinley/Chilterns as it's near home at the weekends.

So in terms of driving to go riding I do next to no driving, however I'm driving 2000miles+ a month and I ride at the end of prety much every journey!

I live at the foot of the Quantocks, there's enough riding up there to keep me from getting bored.

I try to ride to work at least 3 times a week, mainly to save money (another reason I don't use the car much to get to rides)

Pretty much always do local riding. Its not amazing riding but it beats getting in a car and driving somewhere to ride a bike.

Any UK holidays we take are usually based around places with very good riding.

MTBing - former residence (Didsbury, south Mabnchester) and current residence (West Lancs) are bereft of off road, so the MTB has remained pretty much unused for the last two or three years.

Road - I live in a small village, so I'm straight onto the small lanes that criss-cross West Lancs. Or I can ride over to Rivi (I could trawl the MTB over there, but it would be slow without a car).

Live in (on?) the Surrey Hills so tend to be lazy and ride off the drive and down whichever trail i fancy that day....i also live close to Swinley so should stop being lazy and sling the bike in the car and head over there....wouldnt mind doing one of the large Welsh trail centres too but struggling to get up before midday on my days off scuppers that idea!

One place in particular, if anyone knows it, is Kong woods near Chester le street

I have all of 20 yards before I'm offroad and another 100 yards before I'm on the C2C. There are so many little tracks round here (I even discovered an entertaining 1/2 mile track only a few months ago 30 seconds from my house!) that there really isn't any need to go further afield on a regular basis.

Never had access to a car until recently, so used to be almost all local riding and commuting with occasional lift share or hire car trips further afield. Now the vast majority still starts from the door, maybe drive somewhere to ride once every 6 weeks or so. Ride in to work/ work from home nearly every day and never drive it.

B.A.Nana - Member

One place in particular, if anyone knows it, is Kong woods near Chester le street. I know of a group called the Odd Socks who I'm sure must ride here though I've never seen them. I mention this place because it's so good. It feels like a trail centre without people. Miles of singletrack that's well used but by who??? I'm always alone every weekend in there. Anyone near Chester le street should try it, you'll most likely love it.

Hmm..... a mythical wood with mythical bikers who've never been seen. Miles of the most wonderful singletrack that nobody ever rides, but the Imps and Pixies keep them sweat for you, Rob. Kong Woods, not mentioned on any OS map, the internet or any guidebooks to the area. Roll up, Roll up, Kong Woods, the eight wonder of the world.

I used to live about 2 minutes from said 'Kong' woods and they really are a wonderful place to ride. I bumped the late Jason McRoy riding in them once and we named a steep cliff/drop thing he rode down after him. I used to spend most of my youth in those woods and robsoctane is right, you pretty much have the place to yourself.

Robsoctane - there is a great sweeping downhill track from the scrambling track in the middle, all the way down to the metal bridge, you'll probably know the one I mean. 8) Also, you can do some nice loops from the edge of Waldridge Fell and down into the woods (even though it is now apparently forbidden to ride on the fell).

There are loads of great tracks that are hard to find, I'll give you a shout on here if I head up that way. The parents have just moved to a house that backs on to the woods and I'm dying to take the bike up there next time I visit them. Whereabouts are you based? Beamish woods ain't to far either.

Oh, and back to the OP, I do most of my riding from the door, got some great trails and woods here on the edge of Bradford. It's just a matter of where you live I suppose.

Tunnel Hill is rideable from my house, though a 30 to 40 min ride, and sometimes just plod along the tow path, local paths and commons and there are some jumps about.

But generally it's Surrey Hills for me, and whilst it is rideable, it's a long ride so I drive, 20 mins in the car. Plus 30 mins the other direction to Swinley and a number of other things scattered about. A fair amount around me that I consider 'local', just it's a bit less hassle with a car.

When I build the HT I'll be doing the local stuff out the door more for a bit of classic XC.

95% straight out of my door riding for me.

I moved to a Surrey village for the riding - I'm 100 metres from a bridleway that takes me to Ranmore. Mostly ride on the road now which is perhaps a waste but still good riding.

Mostly have to drive/get train to work as work at client sites.

Can't drive, but don't really need to. Mostly ride around London, but then, and I know this is something some folk on here just can't comprehend (to them being a bit thick and narrow minded, basically), I actually really enjoy it. 🙂

Epping Forest is about half an hour's ride away, and offers hours and hours of fun singletrack. A few times a year I'll get on a train/get a lift to somewhere like Swinley or Lordswood etc. Occasionally go places like South Downs. I enjoy a long ride along the Thames or canal now and then. Plenty of good riding to keep me amused.

A few times a year, I'll travel further afield, and whilst it's a bit of a hassle, with bike and trains and backpack etc, I appreciate those trips a lot. Recent trip to North Wales was very special, really really enjoyed it.

For me, the bike is just a means to an end. I ride cos I want to go and explore, see stuff, have a good time, not cos I want to be part of a 'scene' or owt.

And whilst I can see why some folk love living where they do, I woon't move somewhere just for the 'riding', as riding a bike is just one of the things I do, not the be all and end all of life.

90% straight from my door as Cannock Chase is a hefty 5 mins down the road.

Sometimes i drive to my mates house and we leave from his. Again 5 mins onto the trails up the Chase.
Occasionally we'll drive to Llandegla but its not often.

I spend enough time and money using the car in the week, so try to avoid it at the wekend

Never. 75 minute drive to the lakes or dales.

I'm really lucky in the fact I can step out of my front door straight onto a road, so I always cycle from home.

there's stuff i can access right from home but it's pretty dull compared to the really good stuff that i can get to with a 15 - 20 min car drive.

lot's of excellent road riding from my front door though.

I live on the edge of Dartmoor so 95% local riding. Some within a short drive, but even then seldom more than 20 mins or so.

Ethically I struggle with the idea of putting a bike, which is the most sustainable forms of transport, into a car in order to park somewhere and ride round in circles before driving home.

I'm with Sue on this one. Don't get me wrong, trail centres can be good fun; Swinley last weekend was a right laugh. But it seems as though that sort of riding is all some folk ever do. I've met people who won't go out on a bike unless they're all kitted up and where they'll be riding is 'worth it'. And for many, that means driving somewhere, meaning for them, a car is a vital bit of cycling equipment.

I think too many people suffer from that 'well I've got all the gear so I should only ride places where spending all this money seems justified'. I get as much pleasure pootling around London on my old skip rescue hack bike, as I do riding my spensive MTB in North Wales or wherever. It's all riding, it's all good.

I live in Yorkshire and ride a lot in the Lakes, which is where my mother in law lives. I think it's good to visit family.

95% from my door. Pretty much got everything you need within line of sight. Which is nice. I would give up if mountain biking meant getting in my car every time. The poor souls that do this have my respect.

Pretty much all of my riding is reached on the bike from my house. I don't have a car, and haven't for the past 10 months. I only miss it for when I want to head away and ride somewhere on my own.

I live in an amazing area, have been riding the same funkyfastic trails for 16 years and I vary routes depending on frequency or fitness or bike I'm on. I ride road too and I'm lucky in that I've only 1 busy road out (10mins) then it's lanes, lanes, lanes.

I've taken the MTB's in the van on occasion, only during late rides or just turning dark rides where I want to get on a specific part of a trail that'd take me 1/2hr+ to get there if I rode it. I've taken the roadie in the van too, but these tend to be "semi epic" or "sportives abroad" events rather than rideouts.

I'm not a fan of trails ctrs, can see why they are popular so no back biting here thank you, just prefer me, a few mates and me and local stuff.

I've far too many places here yet to visit, but I do use the routes as a guage to fitness but in the main I just LOVE the countryside where I am and enjoy seeing it change through the seasons.

Like wwaswas I can get onto the SDW quite easily - it's only a couple of miles warm up on the A23 cycle path. There are a couple of other routes onto the hills to keep it interesting.

A mate was trying to persuade me earlier this year to join him on their regular Sat trek upto the Surrey hills. It would have meant as much time in the car as riding. With family & stuff I'd rather use my 4 hour weekend window for just riding .

I road-cycle commute to work 3 days and drive the other 2.

Bristol: I try & ride my local trails most days... the woods are about 5 mins from my door. As is a decent pub (the Nova Scotia).

Regular-ish visits to the Mendips, about an hour's ride away - though there's usually the offer of a lift.

(One day I will actually live [i]in[/i] the woods - but I'm saving that for the apocalypse.)

I'm happy to ride mostly where I live - I'm lucky enough to be 5 mins ride from the SOuth Downs - bridleways, footpaths, some wooded single track and even the odd cheeky jump.

But it's only through having such a good time in beautiful scenery that I got really into the biking, and now I want to experience what other places have to offer - both in terms of scenery and what it can do for my riding. And the trail centres I've ridden have always done that.